“THIS IS your plan?” Roha asked Shen in a knotted forehead while she’s helping her sort out the bottled water in the box. “This is the plan you told me in our chatroom last night?”

From the running field where the professors making their sprint, Shen turned to her friend and scowled. “Do you have a problem with my idea, Roha?”

Roha heaved a sigh. “This is kinda obvious—”

“It is obvious to us because we knew my plan. But for the professors’, especially, Sir Yohan, he wouldn’t think that one of these bottles has the potion, and I will make sure he’ll get the right bottle.” Shen clapped her hands in excitement. “The stars are indeed favoring me because they made me do all this plan on our school fest.”

“Where is the water that has the love potion?” Roha asked, looking at each bottle. “Did you mix it here?”

“Of course not,” she said and took her bag. “I separated it and put inside my bag. I need to be sure that no one will drink this water but only Sir Yohan.” She squealed. “I can’t wait to see him chasing me and telling me how much he loves me.”

Roha rolled her eyes heavenwards. “I just hoped that it’s effective, because if it’s not? Goodbye, three thousand.”

Shen pursed her lips. “Don’t contradict the mantra that I whispered while pouring the potion on the water, it might lessen the power.”

“And, I hoped that no one from the professors will find out about this, Shen,” Roha warned her. “Because if they did, you’d say goodbye in our school too. And, say ‘hello’ to your Mommy Lodih’s slaps.”

Shen felt as if a cold wind rushed through her spine. Thinking that her mommy will spank her for doing such crazy things just for her crush is unbearable. She swallowed hard. “That’s why I’ll be cautious—”

“Hey, Shenaida.”

Shen doesn’t have to look up to see who’s calling her in the full name. And, that man is getting on her nerves again. “How many times do I have to tell you that you have no right to call me Shenaida?!”

Charlie took a step back when she faced him with an irritated expression. “Hey, chill... You don’t have to shout at me.”

“Shen, Charlie’s right. You don’t have to raise your voice like that,” Roha said and nudged her in the waist.

But Shen doesn’t care. She propped her hands on her waist and threw dagger looks at him. “What do you need? I don’t want to get in trouble again. You’re like a piece of walking bad luck to me.”

Charlie chuckled. “I’m such a handsome bad luck,” he said, then gave her the paper bag in his hand. “Take this as my payment for the sacrifice that you did for me the other day.”

Shen arched her brow. “Sacrifice? Are you referring to the day that I saved you from your fans?”

“Whatever you call it, this is my payment,” he said and pushed the paper bag to her. “Don’t put any malice to this, I just hate the feeling of having a debt from anyone.”

“What is this?” Shen asked as she peeked inside the paper bag. “Are you sure that this is not a prank? Because if it is, I will kill you right here, right now.”

But the man chuckled. “I looked for you around the school to give it to you. Do you think I’ll waste time walking around just to prank you?”

Shen suddenly felt something ticklish inside her chest while watching him laugh. She quickly ditched the ridiculous feeling and opened the paper bag. She took out a box and gasped when she realized what it was.

“Brand new smartphone?!” Roha blurted and looked at the brand and model indicated on the box. “Oh, my gosh, Shen. This is the latest model of the smartphone today. It caused a thousand dollars.”

Shen’s brows furrowed as she looked at the phone, then she turned to Charlie. “Why does it have to be expensive? Are you flaunting your money to me?”

Charlie knotted his forehead. “Actually, it’s just a complimentary phone from my endorsement. Haven’t you watched my new commercial ad? I’m endorsing that phone.”

Shen suddenly felt embarrassed with what she said. She pursed her lips and looked at the phone again. “So it means that this is only a spare phone?”

“Sort of,” Charlie replied. “Why, you don’t like it? Do you prefer a new one?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t have any choices anyway,” she said and put the box back in the paper bag. “Thank you.”

“Then, we’re even now,” he said and lowered his gaze on the box of the bottled water. “You’re selling them?”

“Nah. It’s for the professors,” Roha said and pointed at the professors having a fun-run around the schools. “We’ll give water to them when they’re done running.”

“I see. I got thirsty while looking for you,” Charlie said. “Can I have one?”

“Nope,” Shen said immediately. “It’s all taken. We don’t have extra bottles.”

“Shen, they’re done!” Roha informed her and took some of the bottles.

“This is what I love every school fest, the teachers are not refusing anything from their student,” she said and took the special bottled water on her bag. “Sir Yohan!”

The professor looked at their direction and waved, but he didn’t meet Shen’s eyes. All the professors were dressed in yellow running clothes that represent the color of their university. While the students like them wore maroon shirts, that means the color of their uniform.

“Stay here, I’ll just give this to Sir Yohan,” she said to Charlie and run towards the professor. But she stopped when she saw him approaching them. “Oh, my gosh, he’s going here.”

“Shen, Charlie,” Sir Yohan greeted them with a smile. “So you group yourselves for this?”

“Yes, sir,” Shen replied and gave him the water. “Oh, wait, I’ll open it for you, sir.”

“Thanks, Shen,” Sir Yohan smiled at her as he accepted the bottled water.

“We’re not in a group,” Charlie said coldly. “I’m here to ask for water, but she said that all of this was taken.”

Shen glared at Charlie. “Shut up,” she murmured.

“Is that so?” Sir Yohan asked in a knotted forehead. “Then, you can have mine,” he said and gave the bottled water to Charlie.

Shen watched in wide eyes as Charlie took the water from Sir Yohan. “Thanks, sir,” he said and gulped it down as if afraid that she might snatch the bottle from him.

“Oh, my gosh...” Shen caught her chest and slopped down on the bleachers.

***