23.59

ONE

Her eyes admired how things looked tinier and more grabbable as the elevator brought her up to the 66th floor. Is that what it feels like to suddenly flew up the hierarchy? She thought. Some people climbed their way up from scratch, sacrificing tears and needs like blood and flesh just to be able to breathe fresher air, to feel safe. Some others got lucky rides, they flew up high just as fast as this elevator went, smiling as they see things that used to seemed big and complicated turned small, pitiful in their eyes. Others wouldn't even care how these tiny things actually look up close. They were always above, there was no need to slide down.

It chimed pretty loud when she got to floor 66. She hurriedly made her way to room number 6 as she was requested. The one at the end of the corridor, one with the gigantic obsidian door. It was easy to find the room because the rest had a normal office door.

The hall was pretty dark, but natural light from the window made it up. The striking sunlight that would feel suffocating outside was now a blessing to the black door, making it shine, almost as if it was out of this world. It reminded her of the underworld ruled by the Greek God Hades.

She fixed her hair. The helmet she used messed up her ninety minutes blow this morning. Her hair was now flat as her grades, greasy. It sucked because her grades were the very reason she had to be in this building in the first place.

Once she opened the door, almost everyone who was mentioned—humiliated—through the campus speaker was there. They were all on their phones, plugging their ears to music.

"Cipo, I thought you're not coming." Abell let out a big relive sigh. She had been spamming her with gifs and the letter 'p', telling her to hurry. It didn't make the motorbike ran faster either.

"I've got an E. How can I not come? I need to make this straight." Cipo grunted, sitting beside Abel.

"I guess it's our fault anyway. Why did we even choose to be in Professor fucking Rei's class?" Juan sighing, letting himself drown in the mint-colored single sofa. He stared at the chandelier above, sighing again. "I should've listened to Dirga. He warned a day before I apply this class," he muttered.

"Arofa, you can't smoke!" Abell shrieked when she saw Arofa pulling a cigar out of his pocket, biting it with his front teeth. "They got a smoke detector here. You don't want these fancy people to think that we start a fire."

"I'm stressed, okay?" he growled, taking out the fire patterned lighter. "I can start a fire if they don't let me," he said deadly serious. But it made Aslam burst into laughter.

"No, because I actually know how to start a fire. A more exciting one," Aslam grinned as he looked around, eyes flashing excitement as he changed seat and was soon already next to Abell. "I got a proof of Prof J's affair. It's pretty steamy, you know. Here, I can send it to—"

"Are you mad?" Cipo's eyes widened. She was trying her best to set up a whole argument she could throw at Professor J. The one that won't get her expelled but will free her from failing Professor Rei's class. She didn't even know why Professor J asked them to visit his office when they were all failing Professor Rei's class and not him.

Aslam showed the thumbnail on his phone, "So you don't want the video?"

"No!" Cipo pushed his phone away. Abell who was in the middle, triggered with the hot gossip and curiosity of the steamy clip held back her urge. She shook her head as Aslam sat back in his previous seat.

"Send it to me! It will be some sort of useful thing isn't it?" he said, tapping on Aslam's shoulder. "I mean for threatening the Prof, of course." Arofa finally put his cigarette away as they giggled at the phone. Juan glared at them from his seat then back at the ceiling.