*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

The incessant sound of an alarm clock went off, ringing throughout the silent house, jolting a teenage boy awake from his sleep.

Kiro groaned, his hand lazily reaching out to press snooze on his alarm, missing completely. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he realized that his alarm clock had somehow moved to the other side of the nightstand, just barely out of reach. With an annoyed sigh, he pushed himself up, trying to think, as the constant noise scrambled his thoughts.

"Damn it… why… so… early?" Kiro mumbled sleepily while swinging his legs out of bed.

The warm glow of sunlight came through the windows, muted by the curtains, casting shadows in his room. The room was surprisingly well-kept for a boy his age. His desk was tidy, and his clothes weren't strewn everywhere. The only thing that others would consider to be "messy" was his backpack, which was unzipped on the floor with a calculator sticking out.

Thinking it was just a regular school day, Kiro grabbed the device and finally shut it off, not bothering to check the time. Even though it was quiet, he knew the damage was done- once he was up, he couldn't go back to sleep, his body wouldn't let him, no matter how much he wanted to.

After stretching, he walked across the hall to the bathroom and stared into the mirror. Amused, he smirked as he examined his dishevelled state.

His dark hair was a mess, with parts sticking up at odd angles, as if he had wrestled with his blanket and lost. His eyes, usually a deep shade of brown, were dull and unfocused, a telltale sign of staying up too late again. His clothes were also ruffled, almost as if he had been tossing and turning all night trying to sleep.

Kiro grinned at himself, almost like he was proud of the sight.

"Damn bro, you look like you just rolled out of bed! Wait, never mind, you look the same as normal," Kiro said, chuckling at his stupid joke.

In all honesty, Kiro didn't look bad - if anything, he looked quite decent to everyone else.

Kiro's dark hair, usually wild and messy, suited him. He wasn't freakishly tall nor towering over other people, just above average in height. His eyes, though drooping with sleepiness, were a deep shade of brown, often mistaken for black. His face, though pointed in some areas, had a softness to it. Though others might argue, in his eyes, he looked average, nothing that could turn heads.

"Nothing I wouldn't change," Kiro said with satisfaction.

After splashing himself with water, Kiro finally felt like he wasn't on the verge of falling over and sleeping. As he passed through the hallway and made his way back to his room, he realized the stillness of the house, causing him to wonder for a bit.

"Eh… whatever, he must be getting something," he muttered, unfazed.

Kiro was used to being alone in the house, though not exactly normal for someone his age, it was expected. With him and Nick the only ones living in the house, most days it was just Kiro alone, as Nick was gone doing something or other.

Comes with the territory, he mused to himself.

When he reached the door to his bedroom, he paused, noticing something on the outside.

A green sticky note was stuck to the wood, his name scribbled on it in fancy cursive.

Kiro,

I know you may dislike this, but remember the deal with the school. Today's the day.

-Nicholas

P.S.

I know on days just like this one, I'm supposed to be here and drive you to school, but… "You know what" was on sale. So… just get ready before I come back.

Kiro just stood there, staring at the note, dumbfounded.

It took a minute for the words to process. The… deal? Something was on sale? Today? His heart sank as he suddenly recalled the arrangement put in place.

Of course, everything had to happen today. As his grandfather always reminded him, "Nothing is ever convenient when you want it to be."

With a sigh, he went back into his room and checked the time on the clock, thinking he still had enough time to get changed and eat.

8:10 A.M.

He stared at the clock for a second, praying that it was wrong and that it would magically change to a better hour.

8:11 A.M.

Kiro shakily exhaled, worry etched all over his face while trying to think up a plan.

Accounting for the fact that the store was only a couple of minutes away, the usual traffic was gone, and classes were starting at 8:30, he figured Nick would likely be back by 8:15 to pick him up.

Only four minutes.

Without hesitation, Kiro yanked the closet doors open, grabbing the first hoodie he could reach. Spotting a clean pair of jogging pants, he swiftly grabbed them and put them on. He changed quickly, sweat forming on his face, anxious about the time.

Kiro grabbed his phone from the nightstand and his backpack from the floor. Taking two steps at a time, he rushed downstairs, heading for the kitchen. His stomach growled as he found a granola bar in one of the cupboards. Unwrapping it with one hand, he took a bite while heading for the front door.

While putting on his shoes, a rumble outside caught his attention. Peeking outside a window, he saw a flash of headlights turning onto the road.

After shoving the last bit of the granola bar into his mouth, Kiro dashed out the door. He pulled his hoodie up as the morning breeze hit him and hurried to the driveway, where a familiar black car stopped in front of him.

Kiro pulled the passenger door open and slid in, placing his backpack on his lap. As he checked the time on his phone, the smell of cologne and leather invaded his nostrils- a reminder that Nick liked things too polished for Kiro's taste.

8:15.

Right on time.

"Good morning, sir," Nick greeted as Kiro closed the passenger door.

Kiro tensed up a bit, narrowing his eyes while buckling his seatbelt. "Really?" He muttered, exasperated.

Nick's hands rested lightly on the steering wheel as he eased the car back onto the road. After taking a second to think, he sighed and looked at Kiro. "My bad, I forgot again. Old habits die hard."

"Yeah, yeah," Kiro said while looking at his phone. "Don't worry about it."

Nick gave him a teasing smile, glancing at Kiro for a second. "You know," he said while trying to change the subject. "If you're looking up ways on how to 'woo' girls," Nick continued, his voice laced with mischief. "I know a lot of sites that can help you out."

Kiro raised an eyebrow, his eyes still on his phone. "I'm not trying to get anyone," he said flatly.

Nick snorted as he turned a corner. "Yeah sure," he said, amusement lacing his words. "So… no one tickles your fancy?"

Kiro sighed, locking his phone and putting it back into his pocket. "Nope," he replied, deadpan.

"Really? No one?" Nick sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "It's sad, really. When I was in high school-"

"Uh, no thanks," Kiro said, cutting Nick's sentence short, trying to stop a history lesson from happening. "I really don't want to hear you talk about your glory days, Nick."

Nick let out a good-natured laugh. "Alright, alright. Whatever you say. I'm just saying that you're missing out."

"Missing out? On what? Awkward dates, cringe conversations, embarrassing moments, and constantly overthinking every move that you make?" Kiro retorted, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "You want more?"

Nick grinned, nodding along to what he said. "I mean, I'm not saying that none of that is wrong, but you know what they say, no pain, no gain."

Kiro shook his head, chuckling a bit. "If I had to go through all of that, I'd rather be invincible and get nothing."

"Whatever you say," Nick replied, a twinkle in his eyes. "Just saying, one day you're gonna have to grow up and face the facts."

"Keep dreaming, old man," Kiro shot back, rolling his eyes in the process. "I've got enough on my plate, and who wants to grow up?"

Their usual banter went back and forth as they drove the rest of the way to Kiro's school, music playing from the car's speakers.

After a couple of minutes, the car slowed down as they approached the school's gates. The building loomed ahead, the usual noise gone as everyone was probably inside.

As Nick was heading for a curb to stop at, Kiro felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the message on the screen. His expression became slightly confused- nothing big, but just enough that Nick could notice.

Nick tilted his head, trying to take a peek. "What's wrong? Someone finally asked you out?"

Kiro snorted as he put his phone back into his pocket after finishing reading. "Please, like that'd ever happen," he said casually. "Just don't pick me up after school, I've got something to do."

Nick hummed in mock concern. "What? Why? Someone asked you to be in a cult or something?"

"Relax," Kiro said, trying to dodge his questions. "It's nothing crazy, I just want to exercise a bit."

Nick gave him a suspicious look but knew him well enough not to press further. "As long as you don't blow anything up like last time, it's fine by me."

"How many times do I have to tell you? I swear that wasn't my fault, I'm innocent!" Kiro said, letting out an annoyed sigh.

Nick chuckled as he pulled up to the curb. "Uh-huh. Innocent... riiiight, everyone definitely believed that."

Kiro groaned as he got out of the car, backpack slung over one shoulder. "Don't remind me, that was a clusterfuck to sort out."

Nick shook his head as he remembered the chaotic event. "Yeah, remind me to never let you do that ever again," he said, shifting into gear to pull out. "Alright, kid, I'll see you when you get back home. Ciao."

"See ya, Nick," Kiro said as he closed the door with a thunk.

After the car got out, he strode towards the school doors, hoping he wasn't late.

Inside, the hallways were chaotic, students and teachers alike weaving around one another as they hurried to their destinations. Kiro slipped his way through them with practised ease thanks to past training.

After finding his classroom, he stopped just outside and checked the clock in the hallway.

8:29 A.M.

Perfect.

He exhaled and stepped inside, comforted by the fact that he wasn't late and walked in. He walked to his seat like everything was normal and slid into it, acting like he just didn't get in through the skin of his teeth.

Damn, that was pretty close. If I were late on the first day, they'd never let me get away with it again. I should probably go see what she wants after all this. It seemed kinda important.

The day dragged on like it always did, Kiro trying to keep himself awake by chatting with his friends. To be fair, the lessons weren't boring, it was just that what was taught was unimportant in his eyes.

When math rolled around, Kiro was already mentally checked out in the back. He was slouched in the back as his friends were chatting with one another, trying not to bother him, knowing that he had stayed up late again. His teacher, a kind man who was a bit older than Nick, came into the room, carrying a stack of papers.

"Alright, everyone," he said as he put the stack of papers on his desk. "You know the drill, get out your calculators, today's test day."

Kiro blinked. T-Test? Ohh… Nick's note suddenly made more sense. He reached into his backpack, rummaging through it with one hand.

Pencils? Yep.

Extra papers? Double yep.

Calculator…?

His hand groped to where the calculator normally was, grabbing air. He frowned as he dug deeper, thinking that it just moved.

Nothing.

He recalled this morning, trying to figure out where it could've gone. Then it hit him. When he grabbed his bag off the floor, the calculator was sticking out of it. It must've fallen out in his rush to get to school.

Well, shit, he thought to himself, his mind racing. Obviously, it was a math test. And of course, he didn't have the one thing he needed.

"Alright, everybody," the teacher called out, already passing out the test papers down the rows. "You've got forty minutes. And time starts… Now."

The paper slid onto Kiro's desk, but he didn't even look at it. His eyes were darting around the room. All the others were already punching in numbers, the soft clicking of the calculators filling the quiet room.

Guess I've gotta do it the old-fashioned way, huh? God, I can already see Nick laughing if he saw what I got myself into right now.

With a sigh, he picked up his pencil and looked at the first problem. Big numbers. Even bigger words. His expression hardened, almost looking like stone.

His friends looked over, worry on their faces once they realized the situation, but Kiro just gave them a thumbs up and waved them away, signalling for them to focus on themselves.

This is one of those few times that I'm grateful for everything they put me through.

After thinking unpleasant thoughts, Kiro resigned himself to working his way through the test without a calculator and with just a pencil, a couple of papers, and his mind.

Kiro was spent after the test, his mind drained. His hand was aching after having to write so much, even having to resort to switching to the other hand to finish in time. He sat there, slouched, and looked at the clock. Seven minutes to spare. Not bad.

After a couple more classes had gone by, the bell rang, signalling the end of school. Kiro shoved his papers into his bag, slung it over his shoulder and made his way out of the classroom, grateful it was over.

Telling his friends he had something to do, Kiro said goodbye as he wove through the crowd, his thoughts already drifting to his friend's cryptic message.

"Hey, uh… I need a favour. Please? Can you come over to my school after my classes end?"
"I'm pretty sure that you're the only one who can help us, and I know you don't have school. Please? There are cupcakes? Please come here soon after classes end."

At least that's what Kiro thought the message said- after deciphering it a bit through a bunch of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

As he stepped outside, the warm afternoon breeze brushed his face as he pulled out his phone. 15:03. Still pretty bright out.

"Better get this over with, I want to get back before Nick starts to worry," he muttered to himself while exiting the school gates. Whatever she needed from him couldn't be as bad as that math test. Probably.

Wait, did she even tell me where she went to school?

Kiro slowed his pace, frowning as he pulled his phone out once again, hoping for a destination. Nada. Just the vague text.

Typical. I should've expected it at this point. I don't even like cupcakes that much!

He leaned against a wall, tapping his fingers against his phone. Alright, think. Where the hell did she even go? After racking his brain for a while, he remembered something she mentioned… something about a private school on the other side of town.

Greeeat… that narrows it down to about… four schools, he thought sarcastically.

Kiro sighed and unlocked his phone, typing a question. At least I could just ask her where her school was, he thought.

"Yo, where's your school at again?"

He hit send and waited for a reply.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing happened. The question he asked was stuck in the message bar, unmoving, almost mocking him.

Send it already!

Kiro frowned, tapping the button multiple times. Nothing.

Then the screen went abruptly black.

"Wha-" Kiro looked at his screen in disbelief. He pressed the power button. Nothing. He held it down, and after, a low battery symbol icon flashed at him.

"I am going to-" Kiro groaned, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

Great! Just great!

For a split second, he considered heading home. He then immediately disregarded that idea. It seemed pretty important to her, and he had already told Nick not to pick him up because he was going to get some exercise.

With a deep sigh, Kiro gathered himself and started running, his shoes hitting the pavement.

Why, oh why did this have to happen today?

There were only a couple of schools around that general area. It couldn't be that hard to find one girl.

…Right?