Chapter 2: Where am I?

Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday happy birthday… Happy birthday to you.

I woke up to the sound of the Seigaku members singing a Happy Birthday song for Tomoka. All of us were inside the Restricted Library. Everyone was sitting in a circle while I was in the middle. Was the green smoke and the voice just a dream? And why is the celebration being held here? It was supposed to be at the fountain side!

"Sakuno! Finally you're awake! You've been missing out on all the fun" Tomoka said. She had icing all over her cheeks. I assumed Horio played tricks on her. It was, well, part of Horio's plan to pull some tricks on her just for fun.

"W-what happened? Why are we here? Why am I in the middle? I asked. "I-I thought…"

"Shhhh," Tomoka said. "I got three secrets to tell you later. Oh! By the way, eat this" she shoved a piece of cake onto my mouth and I was forced to eat it. Hmmmmm… it tasted so sweet!

"Anyway we are here because you suddenly passed out. Second, we need to check up on you that's why you were in the middle. Everyone was worried. Have you been getting enough sleep? Do you even eat on time?" I saw the concern on her eyes but I didn't budge. She's gotten out of hand and I won't tolerate that even if it's her birthday.

"Come on. Speak to me, Sakuno! I'm sorry for what I did! Really!" she whined. "Whatever, I'll tell you the first secret now."

After she said that, Eiji-sempai suddenly put icing on my cheeks playfully.

"Do it. Do it. Do it!" Everyone chanted as they looked at Ryoma. Ha! I sense peer pressure. Even Tezuka-sempai was tagging along. I felt embarrassed at the attention I was getting though.

Then Ryoma licked the icing in my cheeks and I looked at him dumfounded. I-I... well what was I thinking again? Everything turned blank.

"Hahaha! Look at Sakuno's face! I wish we could've taken a picture! You see, we were playing truth or dare before you woke up. You can guess what happened next" Horio explained.

My mouth formed an O as a response. I still can't believe that Ryoma would do that. It was so unlike him.

"Okay who's next?!" Momo-sempai asked. Now I know who started all of this. "Inui you haven't done your share yet!"

"Muwahahaha" Inui-sempai's eyeglasses glistened in the dark as he turned the lights off. I do not like this one bit. I hate dark places.

"This task is for Horio. If you find Tomoka within one minute, we'll lessen the laps you run during practice. If you don't, you'll be running ten times the average" I heard a lot of shifting of movements. I stayed rooted on my spot just in case.

"Sorry, I had to. I had no choice" someone whispered to me. The voice was so near yet so distant.

"R-ryoma?" I whispered back but he didn't reply.

"To-mo-ka-chan… I'm coming for you" Horio said playfully.

I heard lots of movements again and this time I knew it was Tomoka who was beside me because she decided to hold my hand.

"The second secret I'm about to tell you is," she whispered. "All of these are just illusions."

I don't know who turned the lights on but whoever it was shouldn't have. I saw Tomoka smiling creepily at me. I broke off from her grip. Who is this person?

"What games are you playing at?" I asked. I'm really scared right now. What is happening?

"And the third is," she was coming towards me. I took a few steps back as she neared me. "I am not Tomoka" Her face became slanted and within seconds the Tomoka that I once knew was gone. My best friend was gone. And it was a crazy-looking witch who was now standing in front of me.

"Everything is going downhill starting today" she said and I ran away from her.

No. No. Please no. This is not happening to me. Ryoma, Tomoka, Horio, where are you guys?

SAVE ME. I screamed in my head but no one was there. The witch was still running after me. I ran as fast as I could but I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. Everything went hazy and I knew for the second time that I fainted.