D*mn it, Maria!

17◕⩊◕ Eating Balls

"No discount?"

"Thirty pesos, that's it."

Caleb snapped toward the haggling customer and Maria. "No," he said and shot lasers at the latter. "You can't sell everything for half the price."

"But it's just for school, why do we need to get serious?"

"Because it's business."

"If it is, I can sell them higher. But it's not. It's only for fun."

Caleb argued. Lord butted in and supported him with a much calmer and logical explanation. With Tamara as the cashier, the four of them watched their stall for Club Exhibitions. Shalla walked around the school to hand out photocopied flyers and advertisements. They had no expectations towards Matthew and never saw a strand of his bed hair since morning.

What Caleb hated about the event was that the Academy was open to the general public. Despite the tight security, everyone could enter—the students who snuck out from the nearest school, locals, and abusive people who asked for discounts on everything.

Their club sold mostly accessories and crafts. People flocked, a 'battlefield' could also describe it.

"The couple ring, is it buy one take one?" one girl inquired.

"Yes," Maria answered.

"Can I try?"

She gave the design the customer wanted and placed it on her finger. The customer eyed Caleb and asked if he could wear the other one. "I think my boyfriend has the same ring size as him."

Maria agreed all too willingly, even placing it on Caleb herself. The girl giggled along with her friends. One of them openly took pictures.

"Wow, they fit," the girl said. "We fit together."

Before Caleb could scowl, Maria stepped in. "Nah, Mon-Mon fits better with me," she said, then took the ring off his finger. "Right?"

"O-Of course," he answered, his throat dried all of a sudden.

The number of people continued to flood. Throughout, he felt defeated. He should flatter Maria, not the other way around.

Because of the concept, their products were nearly sold out, mostly the necklace which they could personalize with letters per bead.

"How much did we make?" Despite the hectic day, he's forced to help with the cleanup.

"Four thousand and eight hundred pesos, some coins, including the capital."

He clucked his tongue. "Tch." Well, thanks to Maria's foolish generosity, giving discounts when he's not looking, their profit was thirty percent less.

Speaking of the fool, she was happily jiggling the coin from the money jar. She noticed him and grinned bigger. His gut danced and twisted, he even jerked in surprise. Now his heart followed the misbehavior, too.

Mon-Mon fits better with me.

Caleb quickly excused himself with a lie of taking something from the classroom. He shook his head with the hope that the strange feeling would disappear. "No," he mumbled.

Girls still greeted him. The 'Hi Caleb' was endless, despite how he bared his fangs and horns in the past weeks. Maybe it was true that girls were stupid and chased after jerks.

Instead of the elevator, he found himself up the stairs, a new habit he hated. Since they started coming to school together, Maria had forced him to climb up the long winding stairs. Whether he admitted it or not, he was pulled by her pace, not the other way around.