Ruz's POV
The week after the Kairo incident was a blur of coffee, highlighters, and collective misery.
Our group had decided against all logic and self preservation instincts, to rotate study sessions at each other's houses. Because apparently, suffering alone wasn't enough. We had to suffer together.
DAY ONE IN CRUZ HOUSE
7:00 AM.
My house. My rules. My chaos.
The living room looked like a library had exploded. Notebooks covered every surface. Laptops hummed on the coffee table. Empty coffee cups multiplied like rabbits.
Josh arrived first, because Josh had no concept of being late. He appeared at the door with a backpack that looked like it weighed more than he did.
"Good morning, beautiful people," he announced loudly. "I have arrived to bless this household with my presence."
"You're early," Adrian said flatly from the couch.
"I'm punctual."
"You're thirty minutes early."
"I'm enthusiastic."
Adrian threw a pillow at him. Josh caught it. settle town on the couch opened his notebook.
Then Nika arrived.
Then Mira.
Then Aira, who immediately claimed the corner of the couch and wrapped herself in a blanket like she was nesting.
"Don't disturb me," she warned. "I'm in study mode."
"You're in blanket mode," Nika said.
"Same thing."
Enzo came next, carrying a graphing calculator like it was a weapon. Marco followed with snacks, because Marco understood priorities. Diego brought nothing except his charm and his annoying laugh. Eren appeared silently, sat down silently, and started studying silently. It was unsettling.
Rifat walked in last, looking like he hadn't slept in days.
"You look like death," I said.
"I feel like death."
"Then sit down and join us."
"Joy."
Zayn arrived just as we were about to start. No explanation. No greeting. Just sat down and opened a book.
Liam burst through the door at 7:45, holding a tray of coffee from that expensive shop.
"I HAVE COFFEE," he announced. "I HAVE SAVED YOUR LIVES."
"You're late," Adrian said.
"I'm dramatic."
"That's not an excuse."
"It is today."
The study session began.
Chaos immediately.
Josh couldn't focus. Kept checking his phone. Kept sighing dramatically.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I'm waiting for someone to text me."
"Who?"
"No one. That's the problem."
Adrian stared at him. "You're distracted because no one is texting you?"
"It's the principle."
Nika threw an eraser at his head. "Study. Now."
"Fine. But I'm unhappy about it."
The morning passed in a blur of practice problems and whispered arguments about formulas.
At one point, Marco challenged Diego to a math duel.
"Loser buys lunch," Marco declared.
"You're on."
They solved problems head to head while everyone watched. Marco won. Diego looked betrayed.
"You cheated."
"I studied."
"Same thing."
"Not the same thing."
"Feels the same."
Mira helped Aira with history dates, creating a timeline that looked more like abstract art than study notes.
"Wait, the war ended in 1945 or 1946?"
"1945."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"How positive?"
"Marco, what year did the war end?"
"1945."
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Aira looked at her notes. Crossed something out. Wrote something new. "Okay. 1945."
Rifat was muttering to himself while solving calculus problems. "Derivative of x squared is 2x. Derivative of 2x is 2. Derivative of 2 is 0. Derivative of 0 is…"
"Still 0," Zayn said without looking up.
"I know. I'm just… confirming."
Eren, who had been silent for three hours, suddenly spoke. "I understand everything now."
Everyone looked at him.
"The universe. The meaning of life. Why are we here."
"That's the caffeine talking," Liam said.
"No. This is enlightenment."
"You drank three energy drinks."
"This is caffeine enlightenment. It counts."
At 1 PM, Tita brought out lunch. Adobo. Rice. Fresh juice. The house smelled like home.
"This is why I come here," Josh said, already reaching for food.
"You come here because we're your only friends."
"Also true. But mostly the food."
Adrian looked at me across the table. "Your turn to cook next time."
"My turn?"
"Yes. We're rotating."
"I don't cook."
"Then learn."
"I'll order pizza."
"That's not cooking."
"That's problem-solving."
By 6 PM, everyone was exhausted.
Liam had fallen asleep on the couch, his notebook open on his chest. Nika was using his legs as a pillow. Mira was still studying, because Mira never got tired.
"We should do this again tomorrow," Nika said.
"At my house," Josh added.
"Fine," I said. "But someone else brings snacks."
"I'll bring snacks," Marco offered.
"You always bring snacks."
"Because I'm reliable."
"You're bribing us with food."
"Is it working?"
"…Yes."
DAY TWO IN JOSH'S
Josh's house was smaller than mine. Cozier. More lived in.
His mother greeted us at the door, with warm smiles and too many questions.
"You must be Ruz! Josh talks about you all the time!"
Josh's face turned red. "Ma. Please."
"He says you're very smart. Very focused. Very…"
"MA."
I smirked. "Interesting. Tell me more."
"No. Absolutely not."
His mother laughed and ushered us inside.
The study session was louder today. Josh's energy was contagious. He kept making jokes, kept distracting everyone, kept being generally unbearable.
"Josh, focus," Nika said.
"I am focused."
"You're watching videos on your phone."
"Educational videos."
"On cat memes?"
"Cats are educational."
Rifat sighed. "I'm going to fail because of you."
"You're going to fail because you didn't study."
"I studied."
"Then why are you worried?"
"Because I'm human."
At lunch, Josh's mother served spaghetti and fried chicken. Home-cooked. Comforting.
"Your mom is an angel," Liam said, mouth full.
"I know."
"Can she adopt me?"
"You're already rich."
"Rich people need mothers too."
By 4 PM, the chaos peaked.
Diego and Marco started a debate about which subject was hardest.
"Math," Diego said.
"Science," Marco argued.
"History," Eren added quietly.
"All of them," Aira said.
"Correct answer," Mira agreed.
Zayn, who had barely spoken all day, looked up from his notes.
"The exam isn't the enemy."
Everyone stared at him.
"Fear is the enemy," he continued. "The exam is just a paper. Fear is what makes you forget. Fear is what makes you doubt. Fear is what makes smart people feel stupid."
Silence.
Then Josh: "That was deep. Did you read that somewhere?"
"I thought of it."
"Wow. Character development."
Zayn went back to studying.
DAY THREE ZAYN'S HOUSE
Zayn's house was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that made you afraid to breathe too loud.
His room was minimalist. A desk. A bed. A shelf of books. Nothing else. No decorations. No clutter. No evidence that a human being actually lived here.
"This is unsettling," Liam whispered.
"Don't be rude," I whispered back.
"I'm not being rude. I'm being observant."
"Same thing."
"Different thing."
"Sit down," Zayn said.
We sat down.
The study session was peaceful. Organized. Efficient.
No chaos. No arguments. No one threw anything.
By noon, Josh was visibly uncomfortable.
"I need noise," he said. "I need chaos. I need someone to fight with."
"Fight with yourself," Nika said.
"That's not fun."
"That's not my problem."
Mira organized our notes into color-coded sections. Aira made flashcards. Rifat solved practice tests. Eren meditated in the corner. Actually meditated. Eyes closed. Breathing slowl.
"Is he okay?" Liam asked.
"He's fine," Zayn said. "He does this before exams."
"It's weird."
"It works."
By 3 PM, even Zayn seemed tired.
"That's enough for today," he said.
"Already?" Josh asked.
"You're all distracted."
"We're always distracted."
"Then go home and rest. Tomorrow is another day."
We packed up slowly. Reluctantly.
Zayn walked us to the door.
"Good luck," he said.
"Good luck to you too," I said.
He nodded.
Then closed the door.
"Does he have friends?" Liam asked quietly.
"He has us."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
DAY FOUR LIAM'S HOUSE
Liam's house was ridiculous.
Mansion. Pool. Home theater. A fridge that probably cost more than my entire education.
"This is excessive," Adrian said, looking around.
"This is comfort," Liam corrected.
"This is showing off."
"This is hosting."
The study session was less about studying and more about exploring Liam's house.
"Can we swim after?" Nika asked.
"We have exams."
"Can we swim after exams?"
"Maybe."
"I'm holding you to that."
Tita Luna brought out snacks every hour. Fresh juice. Pastries. Fruit platters. She was trying to fatten us up.
"You're spoiling us," Josh said.
"You deserve it," she replied. "You work hard."
"We barely worked today."
"Then you deserve rest."
At one point, Liam showed us his room.
It was massive.
Posters on the wall. A gaming setup that looked like NASA control center. A bed that could fit five people.
"Why do you need a bed this big?" Marco asked.
"I like space."
"You're one person."
"I like space."
Diego sat on the bed. "This is comfortable."
"Don't get comfortable. We're supposed to be studying."
"We are studying. Just… horizontally."
An hour later, everyone was horizontal.
Including me.
Liam looked at the group spread across his floor, his bed, his chairs.
"This is not productive."
"This is bonding," Josh said.
"Bonding doesn't help exams."
"Bonding helps mental health."
"Same thing," Mira said.
"Different thing," Liam argued.
"Same thing," I agreed.
Liam sighed. "Fine. Ten more minutes. Then we study."
Twenty minutes later, we were still horizontal.
Exam week arrived like a storm.
No warning. No mercy. Just papers and pencils and the sound of forty students collectively panicking.
Each day blurred into the next.
We wrote until our hands cramped.
We erased until the paper tore.
We stared at questions that seemed designed to make us feel stupid.
Between exams, the Chaos Gang gathered in the hallway.
"How was math?" Josh asked.
"Terrible," Nika said.
"Same."
"Same."
"Same."
"I actually think I passed," Liam said.
Everyone stared at him.
"What?"
"No one passes math," Adrian said.
"I might."
"That's illegal."
"So is failing."
The last exam was history.
I walked out of the room feeling… empty.
Not sad. Not relieved. Just empty.
Like something had ended, and I wasn't sure what came next.
Liam found me in the hallway.
"You okay?"
"I don't know."
"That's normal."
"Is it?"
"Yeah. Give it a few days. You'll feel better."
"Or worse."
"Also possible."
We stood there for a moment.
Then Josh ran toward us, screaming.
"WE'RE DONE! WE'RE ACTUALLY DONE! HIGH SCHOOL IS OVER!"
The hallway erupted.
People cheered. Cried. Hugged. Threw papers in the air.
Someone started playing music from their phone.
Nika grabbed my arm. "We survived."
"Barely."
"Survival counts."
The Chaos Gang took over a restaurant that night.
Not a fancy one. Just a regular one. The kind with plastic chairs and good food and waiters who didn't judge when you stayed for four hours.
We ordered everything.
Rice. Noodles. Fried chicken. Barbecue. Spring rolls. Fish. Vegetables that no one ate. Dessert that everyone fought over.
Liam raised his glass.
"To surviving."
"To not failing," Josh added.
"To college," Mira said.
"To new chaos," Adrian said.
I raised my glass.
"To us."
Everyone cheered.
The food disappeared quickly. So did the drinks. So did the sanity.
Josh and Diego started a food fight with leftover rice.
Nika and Aira arm wrestled.
Enzo explained the probability of everyone passing based on complicated math that no one understood.
Marco recorded everything for future blackmail.
Rifat actually laughed.
Out loud.
Zayn smiled. Barely. But it counted.
Adrian sat beside me, quiet.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine."
"You look like you're thinking."
"I'm always thinking."
"About what?"
He was quiet for a moment.
"About what comes next."
"College?"
"Life."
"Same thing."
"Different thing."
"Same thing."
He looked at me. "You're annoying."
"I learned from you."
He almost smiled.
Then Liam threw a napkin at his face.
"Stop being emotional. We're celebrating."
Adrian threw the napkin back.
"I'll kill you."
"You've been saying that for weeks."
"I mean it this time."
"Sure you do."
The house was quiet when I got home.
Everyone was asleep. Or pretending to be.
I walked to my room. Changed into comfortable clothes. Sat by the window.
The city was still awake. Lights scattered across the darkness. People living their lives. Unaware of mine.
My phone buzzed.
Liam: Can't sleep either?
Me: No.
Liam: Same. What are you thinking about?
Me: Everything.
Liam: That's vague.
Me: That's accurate.
A pause.
Then: We're done with high school.
Me: I know.
Liam: That's scary.
Me: I know.
Another pause.
Liam: But we're still friends, right? Even after?
Me: Obviously.
Liam: Okay. Good. Night.
Me: Night.
I set my phone down.
Looked out the window again.
High school was over.
The chaos was ending.
But something else was beginning.
And for the first time in a long time…
I wasn't afraid.
I was excited.