The Depra King

Yippee.

I dragged myself to the bathroom, where I spent a good 10 minutes alone brushing my teeth, albeit very slowly, before grabbing my washcloth and running it under some hot water. I squeezed most of the water out before rubbing it across my face, allowing the warmth to seep into me.

Afterwards, I made my usual breakfast, oatmeal, and grabbed a cup of water before sitting down in the dining room, where it took me about 10 minutes to eat my breakfast. Yawning as I threw away the paper bowl and tossing the spoon in the sink, I went back to my room, where I laid back down for another 20 minutes.

After my second alarm clock rang, I got out of bed once more to put on my normal clothes of choice: baggy sweatpants and a loose-fitting t-shirt. I put deodorant on and slung my backpack over my shoulder before heading outside.

I glanced at Lachesis" house for a second before scowling and walking towards the school. It was stupid of me to even think of that, I thought bitterly.

And for the first time in my life, I walked alone on the first day of school.

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"Yo, Depra!" I heard a familiar voice as I reached the school gates. I turned back to see Hiro and Luna waving at me, and I stopped as I waited for them to catch up.

"Um, h.e.l.lo Depra!" Luna said a bit too enthusiastically, and Hiro ruffled up her hair.

"You"ve known him for almost 2 years now Luna. No need to be so shy."

"Big bro, don"t mess up my hair!" Hiro just chuckled before fixing her hair.

"Anyway, you alone today? Lachesis isn"t with you?"

"Nope, as usual…" I sighed and glanced down, and Hiro sighed along with me.

"We need to find you a person to walk home with, at least partway. That"ll be our objective for today! Luna, I"m counting on yah!"

"Eh!? Why me!?" I let out a small smile at their exchange before turning back to the school building.

"Anyway, let"s go inside already. I"d rather not be late."

"Agreed Depra! Anyway, Luna, you be safe out there!"

"Big bro, it"s just the first day. I do hope that I"ll be with my friends." And there we parted ways with Luna, who found her group of friends just outside the building.

"So, what cla.s.s you going to first?"

"Oh, I actually don"t know what my schedule is," I murmured, and Hiro laughed.

"Yep, sounds like the Depra I know. Luckily for you I forgot my schedule at home. Onwards towards the office!"

We quickly made our way to the administrative office, where the princ.i.p.al, a balding middle-aged man, was standing outside. He caught glimpse of Hiro and a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Ah, if it isn"t number one!"

"I"m here for my schedule, not to promote the school."

His smile quickly turned into a scowl. "Ah, I shouldn"t have gotten my hopes up like that. Right, ask the secretary, and she"ll print out both of yours."

"Thank yah kindly," Hiro said in a southern accent. We quickly got our schedules and sat down in the office to check it out.

"Hmm, my first cla.s.s seems to be a math one. Ugh, I hate having math in the morning. How about you Depra?"

"Discrete Math?"

"The one and only! Aw h.e.l.l yeah, we"re together again once more baby!" Hiro shouted, causing everyone in the office to glare at him, but he didn"t care.

"Okay, let"s see, it looks as if it"s on the second floor. Got it, let"s get a move on, shall we?"

We walked through the school, making our way upstairs before entering our cla.s.sroom, where we found a familiar face.

"Oh, Caelus is with us too then."

He heard his name and turned towards us, and he let out a grin. "Hey, glad you too are here. Honestly, I"m surprised I"m even in this high level of a cla.s.s, all things considering."

"Obviously it was because of me. I"m a great teacher."

He chuckled. "Yeah? Then I"ll need your help again this year." Hiro gave him a thumbs up.

"Anyway, to the back I go. Aw yeah, protagonist"s seat, here I come!" He made his way all the way to the back, nearest to the windows. "Depra, you"re in front of me."

I glanced at the board and nodded. Looks like it is my seat. Caelus was sitting near the middle, although closer to the back then the front.

"I wonder who else will show up," I muttered aloud, and Cae looked back at the both of us.

"All we really need is Heracles, and then we"re set. The four bros they"ll call us."

"The four amigos sound better, don"t they?" It was deep voice this time, and we turned towards Heracles, who was smiling at the three of us.

"Speak of the devil, it"s the man himself! You"re with us this year?" Cae asked, shooting up from his desk.

"Yep."

"Ah h.e.l.l yeah! The four amigos are here!" Hiro yelled out, and everyone in the cla.s.s glanced at him before rolling their eyes.

"Where"s mom?" I asked, invoking a look of confusion on Hera"s face.

"Mom…? Oh, right. She"s getting her schedule since she never bothered to get one, like an idiot."

"I wonder if she"ll be with us this year too…" This was Cae"s and Hera"s first year in the advanced course, thanks to being under Hiro"s tutelage since soph.o.m.ore year.

"Eh, I would prefer if it would be us guys, you know? Bro"s before Hoes and all that," Hiro said casually, leaning back in his chair, and suddenly a book hit him square in face, causing him to fall on the floor.

"Hmph, dumba.s.s." It was Pinkie, who was closing her satchel after throwing the book at Hiro. "Looks like you"re unlucky this time around. Prez is with me too."

"Yoo-hoo! Howdy guys!" Prez waved from behind Pinkie, leaning on her head. "Wow, almost the entire gang is here! I wonder if Lachesis and the a.s.s will show up?"

"For the record, I"ve been here this entire time you know," and we turned towards the a.s.s, who was sitting near the front, although nearer the door than the window.

"Ah right, it can"t be the four amigos without the a.s.s! The four amigos and their a.s.s!"

"Why the h.e.l.l do I have such a stupid nickname?"

Hera went to his seat, which was behind"s Cae"s, the Prez went directly to the front, sitting in front of the teacher"s desk, while Pinkie sat next to me.

"So, where exactly is Lachesis then? Is she in the other advanced course?" Cae asked, and we all shrugged, except for the a.s.s.

"She went to see her other friends. You know, Erebus, Hemera, those guys."

"Ugh, why does Hiro have to be here?" And the last person was none other than Lachesis, who was glaring at Hiro.

"Hey, I was here first. If you don"t like it, I can always tell them to put you in the other advanced course."

She scowled at his statement. "Since when can you do that?"

"Since always. How else do you think Depra was with me last year and this year? Also, I can change the seating the order whenever I please."

"Wait, number one can do that!?" Prez exclaimed, rushing over to Hiro. "Whoa, how come you never told us!?"

"Dumba.s.s, you can too! You"re number 2!"

"Oh yeah, I guess I can huh? Wait, how come I never knew about it!?"

Hiro facepalmed as he sighed. "Honestly, how are you the second smartest here?"

"I ask myself the same question all the time!"

I couldn"t help but chuckle, and everyone turned to me and started to laugh. And with my final year of high school starting, the Hidden Club"s members were almost all together at last.

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"Mmmhm! My sister"s cooking is still the best after all!"

It was lunchtime, and we of the Hidden Club were eating lunch at Hiro"s favorite hiding spot: the school roof. It was a clear, sunny day today, the sun shining down on us greatly.

"I would"ve rather have eaten in the courtyard today. There"s at least shade down there," Lachesis complained, pouring dressing on her salad. "It"s so hot."

I stared up at the sky and sighed. "Is it really all that warm? Lately, it feels as if even the sun"s rays are just cold and harsh."

"There"s the mood killer that we needed," muttered Hera, shaking his head.

"We should totally do something outside today!" Prez exclaimed excitedly, and we all let out a collective groan.

"I have to decline. While I wouldn"t mind hanging out today, I"d rather not be out in this heat," Pinkie said, scarfing up her lunch.

"I would love it! We could just lounge around, basking under the sun as cats do!" Hiro said, stretching out his limbs all out once before laying down. "Yeah, that sounds real nice."

"Why must you always encourage her," Pinkie said, rolling her eyes as she put away her lunch. "There"s only one rule we really need to follow, and that"s to make sure her shenanigans don"t get too out of hand. You remember the last time that happened, don"t you?"

"Don"t remind me," I said, scowling as I speared a piece of lasagna into my mouth. "She almost burned down the entire club building."

"Wait, she did!? First I"ve heard of it," Hiro said, glancing at Prez in shock, who was humming to herself as she too ate some lasagna.

"Of course you wouldn"t know, since you weren"t here for that escapade. Soph.o.m.ore year, wasn"t it? Speaking of, whatever happened to our beloved eight member Anna?" As usual, Lachesis somehow managed to bring it up.

"She"s sick overseas, we"ve been over this a million times already. She"s too sick to move, so she"s stuck there."

"Then where might she be? What hospital is she at?"

"I won"t tell you that. Honestly, she wouldn"t want you to see her like that."

Lachesis rolled her eyes. "d.a.m.nit Hiro. I know somethings up, since no matter how hard I try, I can"t seem to-!" She got cut off by Pinkie, who covered her mouth.

"In any case, Depra, my son, how"ve you been. I didn"t really see much of you over the break. You good?"

I let out a deep scowl. "How are you gonna try to jump me like that mom? I slept for the most part, watched some anime Hiro recommended me, and hung out against my will many a time."

"Oh yeah, how about your last adventure, hmm?" Hiro asked teasingly.

"You mean the woods?" Hera asked, confused.

"Ah, it"s nothing," I said, starting to hastily eat my lasagna, which caught the attention of everyone. d.a.m.n you Hiro, I"d rather not get interrogated today.

"Oh, so something did happen then," Caelus said, a sly grin appearing on his face as he finished his food. "Was it with a girl?"

I ignored him, continuing to eat my food as I felt my body heat up from the nervousness, and Lachesis narrowed her gaze onto me.

"Hey, leave him alone. If he doesn"t wanna say, then don"t force him." I gritted my teeth as I heard the a.s.s" words, the first he"s said since this morning. He was the last person I wanted sympathy from.

However, his words didn"t go unnoticed, catching everyone off guard, including Lachesis, who"s mouth has slightly open from his statement.

I cleared my throat. Well, time to change the subject. "How about you mom, how was your summer break?"

"Huh?" Pinkie turned towards me as she blinked, trying to snap out of her shock. "Oh, yeah! My summer went pretty well. I accomplished a lot, and I worked Hiro like a dog after the stunt he pulled in the woods, so I was pretty satisfied about that."

"Ugh, f.u.c.k off with that. I"m never owing you a favor again," Hiro grumbled, and Pinkie giggled to herself.

"Oh, but it"s a two-part job! It"s not over yet!" She said this in an overly cutesy voice, winking at Hiro.

"Like h.e.l.l it is! Nah, I"m done for today, c"mon Depra, we"re leaving." I was suddenly grabbed by Hiro, and as we left, everyone except Hiro and I were laughing.

And there went my first lunch of the school year.

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"Why does it have to be mandatory today," I complained, looking towards the exit. "I would much rather go home and sleep."

"Oh, don"t be like that son!" I felt a gentle pat on the back from Pinkie, who was walking with me to the clubroom. I had tried to escape, but she caught me before I could reach the school gate. Oh, and Hiro left immediately. He always gets there first somehow.

"I do have to wonder what we"re doing today though. Prez seemed pretty happy about her idea. I just pray we don"t go outside." I nodded in agreement, walking through the sports field to reach the old school building on the outskirts of the property.

It was an old, raggedy building, having an antiquated feel about it, and was completely made of wood. Dusty, cracked windows were the only look you got inside, filled with mostly old school equipment the school didn"t need anymore. This was where the Hidden Club, or H.P. for short, gathered for its club meetings, which were held daily during the school year.

Pinkie opened up the sliding door, some dust gently falling from the ceiling as she opened it up.

"Ugh, has it gotten dustier in here, or is it just me?"

"It has gotten more dilapidated since the break," I murmured in agreement, and Pinkie scowled at me as we walked inside the one-story building.

"Don"t be like Hiro now. I don"t even know what dilapidated means." We turned the corner and walked down the only hallway, with five rooms on each side.

"Oh, I wasn"t really trying to mom. Please forgive me."

"Hehe, well, when my handsome son apologizes that sincerely, I guess I have no choice then, do I?" Pinkie flashed a cute smile at me before opening up the sliding door that had a simple sign over it that said "H.P." on it.

"We have arrived! I brought a Depra who was trying to sneak away as a bonus too!"

"Yippe kay yay," I grumbled, looking at who was already here. Hiro was in his usual spot, nearest the door, and was watching some anime on his phone while probably waiting for the others. The other person was Cae, who was sitting at the far end, on the left side of the rectangular table when you come into the room.

"Ah, good job Pinkie b.i.t.c.hie, glad you"re finally of some use," muttered Hiro, which got him a knock on the head.

"I still hate how you made that my full nickname."

"Eh, different times, I guess. You were a b.i.t.c.h back then though." He got another knock on the head for that one, and he sighed as he put his phone and earbuds away.

"Cae, do you know what the Prez plans on doing?" I asked, taking my seat to the right of the table when you come in, sitting the closest to Hiro. Pinkie sat next to me, leaving one more chair open on our side while three were left on the opposite side.

"Nope, not at all. She"ll be running late though, since new semester means she has to actually look as if she"s trying to do her job as the Student Council President," Cae said, having a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Serves her right for relegating all the d.a.m.n work on the others."

"Oh yeah, I always forget you"re a part of it Cae," Pinkie said, musing to herself. "Although, wouldn"t you have to be there too?"

"Nah, I went this morning. It"s why I was there in the cla.s.sroom so early. It"s a big pain to be honest. I wish she would"ve chosen Hiro instead."

Hiro laughed when he heard that. "Please, and work under that girl? I would have rather become the president myself than submit myself to that torture."

"Ugh, I don"t even know why she chose me. She just took a look at me and said, "alright, you"re gonna be my vice-president, whatever that means!" Like, I really don"t get how she"s the second highest here."

"She has a 4.99 GPA for the record," Hiro said casually.

"Oh, I see, that"s nice. Wait, are you for real!?"

"The do say that smart people tend to be eccentric, but to think she was that smart…" Pinkie trailed off, dumbfounded by this news.

"I have a 5.0, in case y"all were wondering, and our dear Depra here has a 4.88, if you can believe it."

"Hey, you didn"t have to throw mine in their too," I grumbled, and both Caelus and Pinkie looked stunned.

"I only have a 4.27…" Pinkie said, her eyes in disbelief.

"I have a 4.36…" Cae added, his eyes looking down at the floor.

"Well, keep in mind that Depra, Prez, and I have been in the super-advanced course for all four years, meaning we simply get a higher GPA for getting the same grades as you guys. Don"t feel so bad about it. If you really must know, Hera has a 4.04 GPA, so don"t feel too bad."

"Why do you know that?" asked a low, rumbling voice, and we turned to find three more members had arrived: Hera, Lachesis, and the a.s.s.

"Ah, perks of being number 1. By the way Depra, you"re in the top 20 for grades, you know that? He holds the 13th spot, lucky guy. Lachesis" is a 4.57, and the a.s.s" is a 4.66. Surprisingly, the a.s.s has been in the super-advanced course for the past three years. That"s pretty much it to be honest."

Lachesis rolled her eyes as they all made their way to their seats. The a.s.s sat next to Caelus, with Lachesis sitting next to him, and Hera sat next to Pinkie, leaving two chairs left, one at the opposite end of Hiro"s, and the one to Hiro"s left.

"I didn"t need you spouting our grades yah know. It"s only the first day, we can all improve," Hera said hopefully.

"Please, don"t you know that"s its ridiculously hard to increase your GPA as a senior? Also, y"all would be worse off if not for me, save for Depra and Prez, the latter of which is late."

"Yeah, is that meeting still going on Cae?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head questioningly as she looked at him.

"It should hopefully be over soon. She might be getting scolded too, so I honestly really can"t tell you."

As if right on cue, all of our phones buzzed at the same time, and we all let out a collective groan.

"Is it who I think it is," Lachesis moaned, and I checked before letting out a loud sigh, confirming everyone"s fears.

"d.a.m.nit, what does it say this time?" Cae said, hesitantly looking at his phone.

"Please come outside for the start of our activity," I began to read aloud, and there was another collective groan from everyone except Hiro, who was frowning as he quickly read ahead. "We will meet at the back of the school. I will be awaiting your arrival. Sincerely, your lovable Prez."

"Agh d.a.m.nit all to h.e.l.l, I don"t wanna go outside today!" Pinkie complained, and everyone nodded in agreeance, except for Hiro, who had suddenly disappeared from the room.

"Oh, where is he off to now?" Lachesis muttered, but before we could process any further, we heard the loudspeaker click on from the school.

"h.e.l.lO LADIES AND GERMS! THIS IS YOUR FABULOUS STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT! YOU MAY CALL ME PREZ!"

We all immediately rushed outside the old school building, and there we could see a crowd of people staring at Prez, who was on the roof, staring down at the crowd below.

"AS IT IS THE START OF MY FINAL YEAR OF HIGHSCHOOL, I THOUGHT I SHOULD KICK IT OFF WITH A BANG!!!!" Loud fireworks were suddenly set off behind her, letting out a resounding boom. "WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET US START THE GAME!" Ugh, another obscure reference.

"YOUR TASK IS SIMPLE, WONDERFUL STUDENTS! FIND THE BOY NICKNAMED HIRO, AND YOU CAN ADD WHATEVER RULE YOU WISH TO THE RULEBOOK. DOESN"T MATTER HOW RIDICULOUS IT MAY BE, IT WILL BE ADDED FOR MY DURATION AS THE PREZ OF THIS DANDY SCHOOL!"

"She"s gone full bonkers with this one," Cae said. "Can this even be allowed? What the h.e.l.l is the school gonna think of this one?"

"YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNSET TODAY TO FIND THIS BOY!" Prez snapped her fingers, and a picture showed up of Hiro on the face of the school building, thanks to a projector someone had. "IF NO ONE CAN FIND HIM BY THEN, I WILL ADD MY OWN RULE. AND IT SHALL BE SAID, THAT MY RULE WILL DECLARE THAT EVERY BOY MUST CROSSDRESS AS A GIRL, INCLUDING GIRL"S UNDERWEAR, AND EVERY GIRL MUST WEAR SKINTIGHT RUBBER SUITS, WITH NO UNDERWEAR AT ALL!"

"She"s gone f.u.c.king crazy!" Pinkie exclaimed, and I was just stunned speechless. Seriously, find him by sunset or else I have to wear a dress?

"I don"t know about you guys, but as much I would love to see all the girls in skintight suits, I would rather not wear a dress," Caelus murmured, the pervert starting to come out.

"HE IS SOMEWHERE ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, AND YES, HE CAN MOVE HOWEVER HE SEES FITS! ONCE SOMEONE GRABS ANY PART OF HIS BODY, THEY WILL BE DECLARED THE WINNER! AND OF COURSE, I TOO, WILL JOIN THE FUN!" I could see her grinning as she pointed down at all of us. "THE GAME STARTS NOW!"

And everyone was scrambling to get a move, and we of the Hidden Club were stunned into silence. It was Hera, however who brought us back to our senses.

"C"mon, she said to meet her in the back, right?" We all nodded, still dazed by her sudden announcement.

We made our way to the back of the school, where we found Prez giggling to herself, her cloak flowing in the wind.

"Ah man, what a way to start the semester, am I right guys?"

"Like h.e.l.l it is!" we all yelled out, and she continued to giggle.

"How is the school even allowing this in the first place?" Cae asked, and Prez finally managed to stop giggling.

"Oh, that. I looked through the rulebook, and Hiro was right, there were a whole bunch of stuff I could do. One of them said that I could add a rule that would last as long as I was the President, so instead of just adding it, I decided to make it a game!"

"Yeah, but why the h.e.l.l did you make Hiro the one we have to catch?" Pinkie moaned, and Prez started to giggle once more.

"Oh, he won"t make it too hard on yah. I doubt he wants to be put in a dress or have his sister put in a skintight rubber suit."

"This is by far the craziest s.h.i.t you"ve pulled so far Prez," the a.s.s muttered, and Prez continued to laugh.

"Although, you did screw over Hiro though, since he can"t even add a rule if he doesn"t get caught." I muttered.

"Of course I did! If I had it so Hiro would be able to add a rule if he didn"t get caught, then he would be impossible to find! And a rigged game isn"t any fun to play you know! Anyway, if you guys find him, not only do you get to add a rule, but you can also decide what we do for the rest of the month for the Hidden Club! Deal?"

She really is an eccentric one, I thought to myself, and I sighed as I scratched my unkempt hair. "Yeah, let"s get it over with. I would rather have one of us win than some random person, right?"

"Ah h.e.l.l yeah, I can"t wait to win!" Cae exclaimed, and Lachesis kicked him.

"Well, maybe everyone except him," I muttered, and everyone started to laugh, except for Cae and myself, who let out a wry smile.

"Oh, just you wait! I"m perfectly suited to find him, you"ll see!" And then he was gone, vanishing like a leaf blown away in the wind.

"Right, let the Hidden Club"s first Activity of the new school year, begin!"

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"This really is impossible…"

We had agreed to split up, deciding that whoever found him decided the rule. However, we also agreed that we would share the privileges of deciding what to do with the Hidden Club"s activities, despite Prez"s protests. I had just finished searching the pool area and had stopped to take a break in the empty locker room. There was no one there, not even people searching on this side of the school, since there were no club activities for our swim team this time of year.

"Still, knowing what he can do, he"ll probably decide who catches him, all things considering." I sighed and looked down at the tile floor, my unkempt hair covering my ragged eyes. What rule would I make if I did catch him?

"Yo!" I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned to see the very person I was trying to catch. "You know, you really look like a cultured protagonist, to say the least."

Hmm? Oh, my hair. I pushed my hair out of my eyes and got a better look at Hiro. "Where"ve you been this entire time?"

"Eh, running around to be honest. Having most of the student body do a manhunt to capture me was not on my agenda today, in case you couldn"t tell." I nodded, not bothering to try to catch him, since he could escape so easily.

"Still, I didn"t expect this side of the school to be so empty," Hiro said, groaning as he stretched out his limbs. "If I had known this was gonna be the case, I would"ve saved my energy."

"Why are you here? Were you looking for me or something?"

"Oh, that. I was gonna have Luna make the rule, but she already left school with her friends. So, I"m going around asking the Hidden Club members what rule they would want. You"re the last one, except for Cae. He"s the real reason I"ve had to run so much. d.a.m.n him and his stupid hacks."

I nodded. I only knew a little bit about Cae"s trick, but I knew it was a pain in the a.s.s for anyone trying to hide or run away.

"Have you decided what person is gonna catch you?"

"Ah, that depends on you, my Depra King."

I bit my lip slightly, looking back towards the floor. What rule would I add? It would last the rest of the year, so it shouldn"t be something really specific. I let out a sigh. Honestly, I could care less about the stupid rule. And then, I said what I wanted, as if the darkness gave way to that ray of light just a bit more.

I turned towards Hiro, who looked dumbfounded. He blinked at me before letting out a hearty laugh.

"Oh, what else did I expect from you, my Depra King?" He continued to laugh as he placed my hand on his shoulder, winking at me. "Looks like you win the game. I was gonna let you win regardless, but you really sealed the deal there man."

It was my turn to be flabbergasted, staring at my hand as if it was a foreign object. "Why did you…"

"OHO! LOOKS LIKE WE ALREADY HAVE A WINNER LADIES AND GERMS!"

I nearly jumped off the bench as Prez"s voice reverberated throughout the locker room. "MAY HIRO AND THE LUCKY WINNER PLEASE HEAD TO THE ROOF, WHERE I"LL BE WAITING TO PUT THE RULE IN PLACE, EFFECTIVE TOMORROW! DON"T KEEP ME WAITING LONG YOU TWO!"

And right as the intercom clicked off, Cae appeared next to Hiro, and he scowled as he looked at the scene in front of him.

"d.a.m.nit, so this is where you were hiding. And how come you didn"t ask me what rule I wanted to put in place!?"

"You"re a pervert, and I don"t need my sister going through whatever perverted fantasies you have in there."

"I could just exempt her."

"And have her get bullied? Yeah, I don"t think so."

Cae let out a weary sigh. "f.u.c.k, I was so close too. Anyway, I"ll take you to the roof, so don"t worry about that part."

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After Cae took us to the roof, we found the Prez with her cloak flying with the wind, grinning at the two of us.

"h.e.l.lo! So, Depra won, did he? I should"ve expected that to be honest. I"m just glad you played along for so long. I mean, look!" She pointed to the sunset and nodded to herself excitedly. "You really did cut it close number 1!"

"Ugh, whatever. Depra, tell them the rule you want already."

"Oh, right. Are you sure, since it was kinda spontaneous and all." Hiro kicked me in the b.u.t.t, lunging me forward. I barely managed to stop right in front of Prez, whose brown eyes were gleaming with intense joy.

"So, what"ll it be Depra?"

I hesitated and told her my wish. Her face contorted into shock as she looked back at Hiro, who was laughing behind me.

"Are you sure you don"t want anything else? We can add clauses and stuff to add other stuff and…" She trailed off as I shook my head.

"No, it"s really all I want. I know it"s kind of strange, but I really just want that."

She let out a sigh of disappointment. "Aw man, way to make it boring." She turned around and walked towards the edge of the roof. "Hmm, I guess it"s interesting in its own way, I guess. Alright, I can do it now actually. I"ll have to say it again tomorrow, but a random should do for now I guess."

"Thanks…" She turned around and gave me a wicked grin.

"No, thank you for enjoying the game!" She gave me two thumbs up, and I gave her one of my own.

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After the announcement was made, I found myself walking alone once more to the school gate. Hiro, Cae, and Prez were all gonna discuss something, so I decided to leave early. I really just wanna go home��

I looked up to see a familiar face at the gate, tapping the tip of her shoe directly on the ground. Her hair was blazing orange with the setting sun, and she was wearing a light-yellow dress. She noticed me and gave me a wave.

"Heya Depra!"

"Oh, hi Pandora." I stopped as I reached her, and she gave me a brilliant smile.

"Which way do you take to go home?" I pointed to the left, and her grin grew even wider.

"Well, as a gentleman, I"ll allow you to escort me back home, okay?" She skipped away before stopping and looking back. "That means you come with me Depra!"

Could it have been… I let out a shaky laugh and turned towards the setting sun. I guess wishes really do come true.

"Yeah, I"m coming!" And so, the boy"s first day of school ended as such.