《No time like tomorrow》 Prologue (Part 1)- A Diligent Child I hear my father¡¯s heavy footsteps march into our study area. ¡°Young man, I hope you realise how important tomorrow is!¡± A hand touches my shoulders, gripping them to the point of me experiencing pain. I gnash my teeth. ¡°Of course I know that. And I¡¯m prepared. As I always am.¡± I reply with enthusiasm. He has always wanted the best for me, and I sure as hell won¡¯t disappoint him. Not after I¡¯ve tried so hard to get to this point. Seeing that I was still immersed in studying, he quietly turned around and left the room. Before the door closed, he whispered ¡°I know you are. Make me and all the others proud, okay? We don¡¯t want a certain someone surpassing you after all.¡± The door closed with a silent click, blanketing the room in a familiar and comfortable silence again. After spending the entirety of the night at my desk, I finally get some sleep after 13 hours of work for my upcoming final exams. To be honest, I¡¯m disappointed that I couldn¡¯t stay awake all the way through to the morning, but there are only so many all-nighters I can pull a week before I collapse. Months of sleep deprival have been invested into these exams, and now that they are here, I¡¯m still afraid I still haven¡¯t worked hard enough. Maybe I should have started last year? Damnit, I should have ignored all those annoying friends of mine. What if I don¡¯t get full marks because of them? The mere thought makes me angry. I make a mental note to interact less with other people once I enter a university. The only thing that matters is studying and comprehending the necessary information. I stretch myself and prepare myself for the morning routine that I usually go through. Looking at the clock, I realize that it is already 5am. Just in time. I exit the house in a slow jog, heading towards the big fields in the vicinity. Breathing the fresh morning air in, I enjoy the fitness I¡¯ve gradually built up over the last few years. The only reason I¡¯m able to study that long and still stay in top form, is that my body is already used to strenuous exercise. So a few hours of missing sleep are barely a bother. My feet lightly tap the hard marble plates in front of the entrance. I pass the neatly trimmed bushes that show the way out of the heavily decorated mansion, absentmindedly inspecting whether the gardener had been slacking. As I didn¡¯t find anything less than perfection, I exit the expansive grounds at ease. I don¡¯t feel good when we have to fire a gardener just because he¡¯s incompetent. Is it that hard to do one''s job? I mean, if I were to be paid a sizable sum just to keep some slowly growing plants presentable, I would sure as hell not slack. The sound coming from below my feet changes as the ground turns into a normal concrete pavement, and I accelerate tremendously in hopes of getting to the running park faster than her. A quarter of an hour passes quickly, the dimly illuminated fields around me giving me an eerie feeling. Our mansion was located in quite a remote corner of the suburbs, causing us to not have to bother with annoying neighbours and other pesky duties such as attending to birthday parties. A very wise choice, I have to admit. I round a corner and see my first destination today. I look at it, the dark green trees impossible to overlook in this otherwise quite flat environment. I could discern various structures through the low canopy of the trees, but nothing specific. However, I am immediately met with a feeling of disappointment. A brown haired girl is at the entrance to the forest trail, waiting for me with crossed arms and a smug grin on her face. ¡°You¡¯re late, slacker. Decided to take the extra long route?¡± She mocks, maintaining her classic victorious pose. I give a short chuckle before responding with a beaming smile. ¡°It appears that I have been beaten here.¡± I stop for a brief moment, letting her bask in the glow of victory. ¡°By the girl who set off 10 minutes earlier than we agreed. No matter, now that I¡¯m here I won¡¯t be losing to you Catherine!¡± I run past her, my aim being the nearest structure: The Ladders, as we like to call them. ¡°Hey!¡± She shouts after me. She slowly begins catching up to me, but I simply laugh and increase my speed again. It continues like this for ten minutes, after which we reach the ladders while panting from the long lasting sprint at the end. I only take a few seconds to rest myself, immediately jumping up to one of the ladders that hung over my head. It was connected to two climbing frames, which held it up on both sides. ¡°¡°3, 2, 1, let¡¯s go!¡±¡± We shouted at the same time, swinging our bodies from rung to rung. We traversed the normally strenuous exercise with experienced ease, already knowing which movements were more efficient than others. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. My fingers started heating up as the rough ruts, that weren¡¯t meant for being held onto, scraped against the callused skin, but I¡¯ve long since gotten used to this now. By now, it¡¯s more like a comfortable itch that tells me I¡¯m actually exercising. I reach the other side, Catherine just half a meter behind me. I let myself drop down, falling for a second and landing on the soft dirt. ¡°YES, I won!¡± I raise my hands into the air whilst celebrating my small victory, fully intent on savouring the feeling of gratification. ¡°Pah, you only won through luck. Don¡¯t get too full of yourself.¡± She snorts at my silly antics. ¡°I¡¯ll have my chance tomorrow.¡± She adds. ¡°You¡¯re just a bad loser. Admit it.¡± The happiness let me forget the slight signs of exhaustion that plagued me a few moments before, enabling me to pace around energetically. She just raises an eyebrow, not replying anymore. We set off to complete the rest of the course that consists of jogging around the massive grounds of the running park. I strain my legs to run faster, seeing that she is slightly ahead of me. I overtake her in a flash, but she returns the favour in kind, increasing her own pace as well. This repeats itself every few dozen seconds, with our average speed staying more or less the same. It¡¯s like sprinting for a second and then jogging for ten, just far more drawn out. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should save our energy for the test?¡± Catherine manages to mumble between her gasps for air. She¡¯s right, I shouldn¡¯t be compromising my future over a small rivalry. We slow down to a comfortable pace, barely fast enough to be called jogging. Which is necessary as both of us are already sweating, something possibly very disadvantageous when absolute concentration is necessary. Within a few more minutes, we reach the entrance again.. I stop momentarily alongside Catherine and turn to her. ¡°I should be getting back home to finish my preparations for today.¡± I pant out between hastened breaths. Catherine, as equally short for air as myself, wheezes out. ¡°Not that it¡¯ll do you any good, I¡¯m going to blow you out of the water with my results. Just you watch.¡± After pausing for a few minutes, we both resume our jog, soon splitting from each other to go on our own ways. The fleeting moments of my daily run comes to an end as I arrive at my front door. I open the door, hearing a light feminine voice come from the first lounge. ¡°Have your shower darling. Then afterwards, I¡¯d like to speak with you.¡± I take off my trainers and begin to make my way to the bathroom as I respond. ¡°Of course mother!¡± After moving upstairs and traversing our hallways awhile, I arrive at my bathroom. Once in the shower, the slight ache in my muscles slowly vanishes as I let the hot water run down my tired body. My muscles relax under the comforting warmth, making me wish that I could just stay here forever. Unfortunately, everything has to come to an end. As soon as the dirt and sweat has been purged, I exit the shower and grab a towel. I can¡¯t make mother wait after all. Making sure I¡¯m only moderately wet, I grab my school uniform, a normal black blazer and a blue shirt with the school insignia embroidered on them, and put it on. It only takes me a couple more minutes to finish getting ready and make my way back downstairs to my mother. As I walk into the lounge, I see her sitting on our comfortable brown couch, reading a book on chinese economics in the 19th century. I sit down and wait for my mother to address me. A few minutes pass in silence, with none of us talking. I sigh internally at her usual form of dominance. Really, I¡¯m her son, so she doesn¡¯t have to put that facade up in front of me. Nonetheless, I am already counting the seconds it takes this time in my head, comparing them with the previous times. Ahh, the benefits of having a good memory. Exactly 375 seconds pass until she finally puts her book down and starts speaking. ¡°This is the moment we¡¯ve been working towards all your life, son.¡± She leans forward, staring at me with her piercing blue eyes. ¡°I know you¡¯re prepared, I really do. But you must be successful. If you fail now, then everything will be for nothing. All these years of studying. All the energy and money we¡¯ve invested into your education, wasted. Everything destroyed.¡± She sighs, leaning back again. ¡°You know what to do. Don¡¯t disappoint us.¡± She picks her book up again, not sparing me another glance. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± I stand up and prepare to go, feeling that the pressure has grown again. My heart tightens almost imperceptibly when I think about the consequences of failing. I must not. No matter what happens. Prologue (Part 2) Two humongous gates stand sentry, marking the entrance to my haven of knowledge, Artlis. One of the most prestigious schools in the whole country, having always been famed for its excellent graduates and long history of cultivating geniuses. I gulp, feeling more nervous than ever before. All around me students are chattering excitedly, occasionally brushing my shoulders as they pass me in their carefree happiness. I don¡¯t move from my spot, frozen in place. What is going on? Why won¡¯t my feet move? I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself. I¡¯m just overreacting. Yes, this is just another test, one of many to come. The image of my parents briefly flashes through my mind, but is quickly forgotten as my feet finally move through the entrance. Perhaps on another day, I would have taken the time to admire the impeccable scenery. However, today is far too important to waste any thoughts on anything but my studies. ¡°Hey August, are you prepared?¡± A burly young man with blonde hair calls out to me. As always, his handsome face manages to evoke a faint jealousy in me, but I shrug it off. So what if he has a good looking face? I outclass him in every way except looks. Or at least until I invent a method to make myself a new face. Then he¡¯ll be inferior in every aspect! "Why do you even ask? It should be me who asks this, not you.¡± I send him a condescending look, but he laughs it off with his jovial nature. "As arrogant as always, huh? Well, no matter.¡± He scratches his head and joins my side. I look up at his at least six feet five inches tall frame, wondering why he has to be physically superior in every way. I wonder whether we¡¯ll be able to stay friends even after the nearing graduation. "Do you think I can somehow manage to, you know, sneak a tweensy little peek onto your test sheets?¡± He whispers quietly enough that only the two of us can hear it, his green eyes shining with a familiar mischievous glint. "Nah, of course not. Don¡¯t you know that the security is tight as hell today?¡± I point towards some of the normally inactive cameras that are now emitting quiet surring sounds as they swivel around unceasingly. I shake my head. ¡°Give it up man. Pray to the gods of diligence that they may bless you with a singular brain cell.¡± I pat his extremely muscular back, hoping that he had learned enough to get a good grade. "Don¡¯t worry, I will at the very least, not fail.¡± He gives me a sheepish smile that makes me want to punch him in the face. Seriously, why is someone like him my best friend? "The bouldering club again?¡± I ask him, already aware of what the answer would be. He stays silent, confirming my suspicions. "Well, at least you¡¯ll become a famous boulderist, mister ¡°Pebble Kicker¡±.¡± I say mockingly. "Ahem, it is Ser Dwayne Pebble to you!¡± He replies with a wide grin. ¡°We¡¯ve got an hour before our first exam starts, wanna mess around? It¡¯ll help you relax!¡± I sigh and slowly shake my head in feigned disappointment¡­ mostly feigned anyway. "No, that sounds like a horrific idea. I swear, you won¡¯t so much as be able to even remember your name with an attitude like that. I¡¯m going to use the rest of my time to revise. If you want you can join me, in complete silence of course.¡± The massive bundle of tightly packed protein lets out a light laugh. ¡°I would love to¡­ I really would. However, I have to get back to doing something. I¡¯ll tell you what it is once I decide myself.¡± With a final grin, my bulky friend leaves me to do something unlikely to be even remotely beneficial to his studies. Silly fool. I silently move through the large hallways, heading straight to the library. Now that Dwayne is gone the upcoming test is plaguing me again, filling my head with all kinds of scenarios. The library will surely be filled with students, however the librarian is very picky on who can enter. People who have no desire to read or study are immediately banned from entering these holy grounds. Hehehe. There are no Dwaynes to be found here! Not in my peaceful paradise of diligence! I sweep my eyes around the spacious room, searching for a particular table, found in the far corner of the room. Far from other distracting lifeforms. To no one¡¯s surprise, I found Catherine sitting on our usual spot. Not wasting any words, I sit down opposite of her. She looks up briefly, but returns her gaze to the book in front of her soon enough. "Late as usual.¡± She comments. I grunt in response, carefully stacking all the books I need onto the table. I sigh. ¡°Which university do you plan on entering?¡± I ask her. I won¡¯t have anyone worthy enough to compete against if she¡¯s gone after all. "Mistralis. The same one you¡¯ll be attending, right?¡± She says, still not looking up for even a single second. I lean back, feeling strangely relieved. ¡°What do you think the future will look like?¡± My gaze slowly wanders to the tall ceiling. "Pretty much the same as it is today, I guess. I don¡¯t think that university will be different, really. The only change I can imagine would be the difficulty.¡± She finally puts her book away, proceeding to stare at me with her dark, hazel eyes. "It feels like today isn¡¯t significant enough, you know? This is the end of a big part of our lives. The end of high school. I...kinda imagined something more - well, what did I imagine?¡± I scratch my head in annoyance, wondering why I¡¯m suddenly talking so much. "Something not so ordinary?¡± She completes my sentence with ease. ¡°I know how you feel. This is kind of unreal. In the end all of this will be just a bunch of fond memories. A stepping stone for the future, if I have to be frank.¡± She continues my rambling. I smile, happy that she is sharing my sentiment. ¡°Who would have thought that this day would come so fast? It¡¯s almost as if it were yesterday when I first entered this school.¡± I smile as many memories, both good and bad, rush into my mind. "I don¡¯t think we should think about the past this much. Let¡¯s just focus on the present, lest we make a mistake in our tests we won¡¯t be able to correct.¡± Catherine claps her hands, giving her words better emphasis. I nod, fully aware that my rambling had been distracting. *Gogoogoooooong* All graduates to be are ordered to go into their respective testing halls. I repeat, all graduates to be are ordered to go into their respective testing halls.¡± A deep voice blares through the speakers, informing us that the time has come. Stolen story; please report. I lift my head up in confusion. What? How did this much time pass so quickly? Well, I have prepared myself more than enough anyway. Glancing at Catherine, I notice that she seems a little fidgety, but otherwise fine. At least I¡¯m not the only one who is nervous. I stand up and pack my things, waiting for Catherine once I¡¯m done. We step out of the library, only to stare at the hulking mass of muscle called Dwayne wait¨ªng for us. Catherine smiles at him. ¡°So our muscle-headed friend has decided to join us?¡± She asks him teasingly. Dwayne blows her a kiss, following with a middle finger in the same motion. ¡°Well, not everyone can be a geek like you, my plain friend.¡± He gives her a provocative stare, to which she responds with cold humph. I shake my head at their silly antics. They get along pretty well normally but whenever we are about to write a test they behave like five year old arch enemies. I go ahead, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. I did, once. It didn¡¯t go well at all. They soon followed me, and after passing some sparsely populated hallways we step into an undecorated hall. The dozens of desks filling it coupled with the plethora of cameras covering every imaginable angle give me the impression of a prison, but I shake my head at the silly thought. I move down the many rows composed of tables, looking at each of the name labels on the left of the desks until I find the one assigned to me. Taking my seat on the second to last row, I heave a big sigh when I see that no acquaintances of mine are near me. This is the time. You must succeed. No failures. A few men and women in suits go from row to row, giving every participant their test sheets. My heart starts accelerating as they come closer, but I am rather happy by that. This is a sign that the test will go great. The pressure will allow me to use my knowledge to its greatest effect. The one who is responsible for my row, a young woman in her twenties, passes me while laying it in front of me. A sinking feeling suddenly appears in the pit of my stomach, but I identify it as just another bit of pressure that will drive me to even greater heights. I mumble a quick prayer to the gods of diligence and start writing with my lucky pen, Rodger. I take my time to go through every question carefully, not daring to make a mistake on the slightest occasion. Although this way of doing things takes far more time, I¡¯m fairly confident that I¡¯ll be able to complete the test in time. This isn¡¯t the first time I do this after all. I turn the page, stopping at the next question. "Name three reasons for procrastinating and how to avoid them:¡± These words are like a hammer, smashing down on my head, completely shattering every resemblance of thought that had ever resided in it. My mouth dries up as I can¡¯t think of an answer. Wanting to skip this question and leave it for later, I find out that I It¡¯s as if a force is stopping me from doing so. Like this question is something that I have to answer. What¡¯s going on? My breathing accelerates. I notice that my hand is shaking wildly, but no matter what I do I can¡¯t stop it. Why should someone ever procrastinate? Why? How? Could there be any reasons for procrastination? NO! There aren¡¯t! I suppress my urge to think about this any further and move my pen next to the space where I should begin. I want to write a big NOTHING, but my hand won¡¯t move. I MUST NOT fail at this, my parents have worked too hard for this after all. Wait¡­ That doesn¡¯t seem right. Surely it is me who is pushing this hard for my future, they¡¯re just looking out for me. Right? I breathe out. The pressure seems a little lighter now. Breath in. When did they ever look out for me? They never made a move to help me, always reaping the benefits of my effort and bragging about my good grades. They only care for their own reputation. Have they always been this shallow? Exhale. What do I actually want to do with my life? Not what my parents tell me, but what do I want? Have I ever been allowed to decide? No. I haven¡¯t. It was always ¡°August do this, August do that.¡±, but never once did they nicely ask me. Never once did they ask for my thoughts on any matter. It was always orders, and I followed them like a good kid. Why? Then what am I even doing this for? How much is their love really worth compared to what I¡¯ve missed because of them? All those invitations, all these stories of their wild parties. I don¡¯t regret missing out on them, they never really interested an introvert like me anyway. But what about love? What about...I don¡¯t even know WHAT ELSE I even missed in the first place! Inhale. No, I am finally realizing something. My parents, those pushy headmasters and businessmen. They can all go fuck themselves. Take their plans for me, their selfish desires for my future, and just RUIN ALL OF THEM. Is this what you want? A cold, apathetic voice resounds in my head. Then why don¡¯t you just...procrastinate? Let¡¯s just do nothing anymore. Wouldn¡¯t the look on their faces be priceless? Your future weighs the world, yet it is supported by pillars of sand. I exhale, the last bits of my past life flashing through my mind as I do so. Why does this seem so convincing? Don¡¯t you think that we have done enough? Let¡¯s just take a break. We¡¯ve earned it. Yes, let¡¯s do just that. I¡¯m done with all of this. From now on I¡¯ll do what I want. Or just nothing at all. AN: Jahnes: Don¡¯t worry, this is the end of the prologue. We just wanted to inform you that both the PoV as well as the tense will change after this. Donkeymonsterz: And now we can get into the core of the story¡­. PROCRASTINATION! Chapter 1- The Delayed Birth of a Procrastinator! Unbeknownst to August, an invisible ripple in the very fabric of reality spread out with lightning speed. It passed through Dwayne and Catherine, causing them to pause. Their pens fell onto the papers in front of them with a dull thud, from where they rolled off the table. In that moment, a brief spell of doubt appeared in the mind of every single person present: ¡®Haven¡¯t I already done enough? It would surely be fine to take a small break, right?¡¯ Catherine recovered quickly, banishing these harmful thoughts from her mind. The others, however, took far longer until they were able to focus on their tasks again and a couple of students made no effort to continue at all. In the brief time this took to happen, the ripple had already swept past an uncountable number of people and eventually reached every corner of their world. ------------------ In an eerily warm cave, a middle aged man sat in the centre, surrounded by huge towers of comics and manga. There he sat, holding one such manga in his immaculate hands: The latest issue of ¡®The Adventures Of The Penguin Princess¡¯, one of his favourite manga¡¯s in the Wing collection. Right after ¡®The Dodo¡¯s Shenanigans¡¯. When the wave passed him, his previously completely blank expression trembled for the first time in what was probably months, if not years. The booklet in his hands fell down, hitting the dirty ground. He didn¡¯t even blink at the unfortunate occurrence though. His onyx eyes, normally like a deep abyss of absolute indifference, gained a hint of warmth. He stretched his body, yawning for what must have been at least the millionth time in the last few decades, his extremely long hair that was strewn about the room making a sweeping motion. ¡°Fuck, why so soon? Well, I guess now¡¯s a good time as any for a vacation from this reading. How long has it been again?¡± He muttered, his gaze darting through the room in search for wearable clothes. It took him a few minutes to find a pair of only decently dirty pants and a grey shirt that used to be white, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about the disastrous condition of his clothes. He vanished from his spot, not leaving any evidence that he was ever there other than the humongous piles of various things lying on the ground behind. ------------------------------------ Not long after the events in the cave, the wave barely managed to penetrate the shining walls that surrounded a group of people that were sitting around a large round table With the exception of a woman that was seated a few centimeters higher than the others, all of the people present were in a heated discussion, which quickly died down when the ripple swept over them. The woman, previously passive, stood up. Her green eyes looked at something far away, and a hint of anger could be detected in them. ¡°You know what to do. Investigate this, NOW!¡± She shouted. Some of the gathered people winced at the sudden outburst, but they were just as aware of the gravity of the situation as she was. ¡°¡°As you wish.¡±¡± They said, bowing until their heads reached their waist in unison. After a few seconds passed, with them packing the various things that were ordered in neat stacks, they also vanished. The woman sat down again, massaging her temples. ¡°To think that something like this would happen. Unbelievable¡­¡± She groaned at the thought of the chaos that would ensue the moment her twin brother came out of hiding. ----------------------------- August remained motionless in the exam hall, the remaining time quickly slipping away. Instead of being occupied with the questions before him, he was enveloped in his own thoughts. ¡®Hmm. I feel much better now. What was I even worried about anyway.¡¯ ¡®All is fine¡­ I¡¯m fine. Seriously, I bet my life expectancy is shooting through the roof now. High blood pressure is not good for anyone after all.¡¯ He looked around, calmly observing his surroundings. ¡®Ahh. Catherine is just writing away again. Maybe I should tell her about my revelation about blood pressure, I bet her poor heart is just racing away. Life¡¯s not a race after all. Those who progress faster don¡¯t necessarily profit from doing so. Rather than that, they accelerate their own inevitable deaths.¡¯ He leaned back, relaxing nearly every fiber in his body and, more importantly, clearing his mind of everything unnecessary like the test in front of him.. ¡®Yeah, I should just take my time. I wonder if it¡¯s possible relax to the point of the heart stopping. Probably shouldn¡¯t try that though, death is sure to be pretty bothersome.¡¯ The rest of the fleeting time slipped away, leaving August with a half finished exam paper. After the last second had passed, one of teacher''s call out. ¡°Alright, everyone stop writing, close your exam paper and put down your pens!¡± After all of the students had their papers collected, they filtered out of the hall. Huddling in their respective groups, they quietly discussed their test performances, going over those questions they found difficult and comparing the answers they wrote down. One such group consisted of a brawny young man and two relatively plain teenagers: Dwayne, August and Catherine. Dwayne, who was stretching after a few hours of torturous writing, gave Catherine a teasing glance. ¡°So, how did you do?¡± She yawned, poking his exposed waist. ¡°Pretty well, I guess. I shouldn¡¯t have any problems with getting a perfect score.¡± Dwayne shrugged her sneak attack off, not even bothering to glare at her in return. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that surprise me?¡± She looked towards August. ¡°So, what about you? You are aiming for a perfect score as well right?¡± His face twitched in a way that could vaguely be interpreted as annoyance. ¡°No. It...didn¡¯t go well.¡± Dwayne bursted out in laughter, slapping August¡¯s back while attracting the attention of everything in the radius of a few dozen meters. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Even Catherine couldn¡¯t stop giggling, annoying the changed August to no end. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Seriously, is it so hard to believe that I didn¡¯t do well for once?¡± He asked them incredulously. Dwayne and Catherine looked at him as if he were a complete idiot. ¡°Yes.¡± They responded simultaneously. Catherine then added. ¡°Besides, of all the possible times you could finally fail, this definitely isn¡¯t it. I mean, this is your strongest subject AND one of the most important tests of your life. There is no way you did bad on this.¡± August smirked. ¡°Ohh, if you only knew.¡± He said ominously. ¡°Woooow, now you try to scare me. Nice try. You can¡¯t fool me, I know everything anyway.¡± Catherine replied, sticking out her tongue at him. August rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore her in the future. ¡®What a foolish idiot I used to be.To actually consider someone like this my rival, such a waste of effort.¡¯ He thought. At that time, a gust of warm air hit them face first. The sun was burning down on now exposed trio without mercy, causing them to shield their eyes from its radiant wrath. ¡°Fuck, I forgot that it¡¯s summer.¡± Dwayne mumbled. ¡°Oh, so our big man can¡¯t even handle a tiny bit of heat? Where did all your toughness vanish to?¡± Catherine remarked snippishly. ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯m not in the mood for this Cathy.¡± Dwayne responded with a hint of malice in his voice. ¡°Actually, you should know that animals with a large surface area to volume ratio cope with high temperature climates better.¡± August stated, sneaking a peek at Catherine¡¯s figure. She took a split second to process the information before shooting a venomous look at him. She protectively wrapped her arms around herself, shouting, ¡°August, you are walking on thin ice!¡± Dwayne moved in for high five, his previous fatigue seemingly forgotten at August¡¯s unexpected interjection, which he promptly received from a smiling August. ¡°Nice one!¡± He shouted, also sneaking a not so subtle glance at Catherine. She exhaled sharply, blowing a few strands of hair upward. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll just take that as a compliment then. However, I recommend you two stop lechering over me too much. Otherwise an...unfortunate event may befall you.¡± She said with a lofty tone. Dwayne stopped the other two as they reached the school gates, which were bustling with excited students gossiping and talking about today¡¯s exam. ¡°So, to celebrate our first exam for our finals, how about we all go and blow off some steam together?¡± Catherine immediately scoffed before replying, ¡°You just don¡¯t give up, do you! How about you don¡¯t try and drag down our grades with your antics!¡± Dwayne gave her a small grin. ¡°Well, I had to try. Not like I expected either of you to accept for a change.¡± August yawned, scratching his head with total lack of care of his otherwise groomed hair.¡°I¡¯ll go and hangout I guess. We did just sit through a long exam after all.¡± He interjected, causing Catherine and Dwayne to freeze in place, their mouth wide agape. A few seconds later, Catherine broke free from her stupor. ¡°Wait¡­ WHAT!!! What do you mean you¡¯ll go hangout with him! Have you gone mad!¡± She hurriedly walked up to August, comparing the heat of their foreheads. August barely raised an eyebrow at the unexpected occurrence. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, but thanks for your care.¡± He mumbled, gently pushing her away. She stumbled a meter due to the immense shock, almost falling down if it wasn¡¯t for her catching her composure at the last second. Dwayne was even more dumbstruck than her, rendering him completely speechless to these to him unexplainable events unfolding before his very eyes. He rubbed them and pinched his arm hard enough to make him tear up, the pain reassuring him that this wasn¡¯t a dream. ¡°So...uh. Great, sounds like a plan! You¡¯re going to have the night of your life! Though, to be honest this will probably be your first experience at fun.¡± Dwayne rushed to say, worried that August may quickly change his mind. Catherine¡¯s face turned bright red, something that August had never seen before in the usually perpetually calm Catherine. ¡°Wait! You cannot be serious! This is the finals, you can¡¯t be trying now to do stupid things with that muscle head! This is your future you¡¯re talking about here, and you are going to throw all of that away because of some stupid whim!¡± Whilst the others were still shocked at her unprecedented outburst, she took the time to inhale new air. ¡°I refuse, yes, I refuse to let you! You can¡¯t take another step forwards until you reconsider, and realise the error in your ways! Repent!¡± August, ignoring her rant, simply walked straight past her, not even bothering to respond. Dwayne soon caught up, leaving the violently shaking catherine at the gates of the school. After a minute or two of walking in a random direction, August finally spoke up. ¡°So, what exactly do you have planned?¡± Dwayne paused for a moment, his expression rapidly shifting into one of intense thought. ¡°I have no idea, never expected things to progress this far to be honest.¡± August lightly chuckled. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t no plan the best type of plan?¡± This only served to confuse Dwayne, who thought ¡®what happen to the tidy nerd I used to know?¡¯ ¡°Ah. So improvisation it is!¡± He eventually responded. AN: Jahnes: Whelp, what can I say? Sorry for the massive delay. ¡ý It¡¯s all his fault by the way. Donkeymonsterz: I take no responsibility! I am well renown for my incredibly speedy posting schedule! Jahnes: *cough* So speedy that he never had time for writing *cough* Donkeymonsterz: How dare you, I am EXTREMELY diligent! Jahnes: *looks away and whistles* Donkeymonsterz: *Slips poison into Jahnes¡¯s tea.*