Games We Play

29: Triathlon

Games We Play

"And suddenly, just like that, hope became knowledge. I was going to win. It was just a matter of when."

― Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner

29: Triathlon

"Freedom!"

Frantically, I placed my finger to my lips to signal Caius. "Not so loud! There's still people inside the exam hall!"

"Freedom!" Caius repeated louder, dancing his way down the path outside the hall. "Say it with me people! Freedom!"

The classmates leaving with us chanted it back, albeit not as excitedly as Caius. They laughed at Caius' happy dancing around me, wearing big smiles. Even I couldn't resist his glee, laughing.

"Stop!" I patted him playfully. "You're gonna get us in trouble! We just left the exam!"

"What they gonna do, Dixie?! Suspend me?" he waved his arms around. "We're no longer prisoners of a system that punishes high students for not knowing the powerhouse of a cell! We're free!"

I covered my mouth in haste to stifle my laugh. "Not so quick, silly! We only finished our last exam, there's still a week more till graduation!"

Looking at me, he beamed with a twinkle in his eye. "Ah, graduation is just an excuse for us to wear ugly outfits and get that paper," he shrugged. "You and I, Dixie Hilfiger, we are done with high school!"

Smiling, I nodded. He wasn't wrong, but his words were more bittersweet to me than anything.

After a long May, today was the day that marked the end of everyone's exam period. It had been a long and tiring ride of days that both started and ended in the library. And just like the fake encouragement we gave ourselves during our mental breakdowns... the exams did come to an end.

And we were still perfectly alive.

"I can think so much clearer now," Caius exhaled in relief. "None of that derivatives and coastal margin shit is taking up space anymore... I'm a whole new person, Dixie!"

"Okay, new Caius. Let's go show Damien and Ales this new you," I laughed. Grabbing onto the sleeve of his arm, I began running with him trailing behind me. I giggled at the way he barely kept up until suddenly, his long legs began taking wide steps.

Without a care in the world, we both ran like that towards the cafeteria. We probably looked crazy to all the students we passed by, but Caius was right. Today felt like freedom.

Suddenly, I couldn't remember a single thing wrong with my life. I couldn't think of any worries, I couldn't feel a burden on my shoulder. It felt good to be so weightless and young.

"Why are you two panting?!" Ales eyed the two of us when we ran through the cafeteria door. Sitting with Damien, the two of them were digging their forks into a bowl of pasta at a table all the way at the end.

Even the way the cafeteria was so empty felt bittersweet. Any other time of the year, it would be impossible to even try and find a seat but today, the school felt like it was disappearing. Our time here was expiring.

"I don't know, Dixie started running for some reason so I started too," Caius chuckled, ruffling my hair. "It felt fun so we just ran the whole way here."

Damien looked up at us, partly amused, partly lovingly. "You two are so weird."

"And just for that, I'm eating your food," Caius retorted, snatching Damien's fork while the latter protested. "Stop complaining, I just finished our last exam. I need fuel."