The next day...
I told my parents if we could go to church much more earlier than our usual choice of time to attend a mass.
They agreed to it without much question and we prepared for the morning mass.
I have a reason for it.
To farm points....I mean, start checking those lists.
After the mass, Alicia and I went to the priest, my parents' friend and asked him for a favor.
"Father John. Good morning." I smiled greeting him.
"If it isn't Anthony."
I walked towards him and *mano*.
"May God bless you, child." He said with a warm smile.
"Ahmm.. Father, may I ask for a favor?" I looked around checking for my parents.
When they're busy, I took the time to converse with the priest.
"What favor could it be?"
"Every mass that you do, can you.....dedicate them for the souls that have been forgotten?" I reluctantly took out the list of names.
It was quite long.
And I'm already prepared for the priest to refuse it.
"This...quite a long list of names you've got."
The priest took the list from my hand and eyed it. I was kinda... nervous.
"I won't ask where you got the names, but I know you have a reason for this. The lector would just have to drink water a lot to mention these names before the mass." He chuckled lightly and ruffled my hair.
I gleamed in joy, hearing him joke about it. Which means, he accepted the favor.
"Thank you. It means so much to me. For those souls to finally find their resting place."
The priest nodded, then looked down on my right. And smiled.
I wonder if he could see Alicia, or them.
"The greatest thing one can do is to offer prayers for those soul who have been forgotten."
I nodded on his statement, and thanked him once again.
I bid my goodbye when my parents called out to me.
We got home and spent the rest of the day cleaning. Millien and Alicia stayed in my room, snacking on some cookie.
Then we had dinner together at night, and finally called it a day.
Then....
Monday arrived and it wasn't very pleasant at all. I sat in my shared class with Sarah and Gino and was doomed.
"Oh my god! I haven't studied at all!" I exclaimed.
Sarah was giggling, while Gino remained calm.
"You know it's our first exam right? How could you forget?" Gino said, patting my shoulder.
"I totally forgot about it. I was busy. With some other stuff." I took out my notes and started speed running on them.
I don't even know if I was reading it or just laying my eyes on it.
"Relax. The exam will be easy." Sarah said, adjusting her glasses.
"Easy for you to say." I retorted, but there's no heat in them.
Gino mimicked Sarah's gesture and adjusted his own glasses too. They really don't plan on removing them huh.
When the professor arrived, the exam started.
For hours, we were all in a quiet trance. All I could hear was screeches of the pen on the exam papers.
No murmurs, no cheating, nothing. They're seriously taking the exam.
And I'm... surprisingly doing well. Well, in my own judgement.
I was answering my exam paper with the momentum of someone studying. Or it was just an act.
I was scratching my scalp, when history's exam papers came next.
Math's manageable. Why wouldn't it when I'm taking engineering. But History?
I think my memory of it was jumbled up.
Anyways, I managed to answer it too. Hoping to get a passing score. Just that would be enough.
All exams happened during the day, so the rest of the afternoon?
We have no classes.
The three of us went to the club room and there was a girl standing there.
"Look, someone's outside our club room." Gino said with a grin.
I don't know what he's thinking but why was he grinning.
Sarah also nodded and was about to say something when...
"Hey guys!" The girl waved at us when she turned around hearing footsteps.
"Piste. I thought she was a ghost. Why were you standing so still like that?" Gino said, a bit disappointed.
Oh, so he wants to find ghosts now. Or might have been because of the glasses, he couldn't tell a ghosts from the real people now.
"Don't be rude Gino." Sarah elbowed him in the gut.
"Ow! She was so still, that's not my fault." Gino exaggerated his little act of pain.
"Cynthia, right? How are you doing?" I walked towards her and unlocked the door with the key.
"I'm better now." She said smiling.
Cynthia looked truly better. She's not pale anymore. And she looks good.
She's got curves Sarah doesn't. But who am I to judge.
I let her in and offered her a seat. Sarah and Gino went directly to their computers and turned it on.
"Why are you here?" I asked moving to the mini bar to get us all some drinks.
"I'm here to thank you all again. And here." She took out a lunch box from her bag, a big one at that and put it on the table.
"What's this?" I instinctively opened the lunch boxes, then the aroma of the food inside filled the room.
"Woah, what's that smell?" Gino stood up and went to us.
"That smells good." Sarah followed and looked at the three layered containers, Cynthia now set on the table.
"My mommy made them. A sign of gratitude for helping me last time." She smiled.
Gino took the spoon and fork she prepared for us too, and tasted the dishes.
He didn't need to say anything anymore since he was already taking out plates for us.
"Well, someone's hungry.d" i teased.
"Who wouldn't be? We've used up our brains for the exams and the aroma already knocked on my stomach. She brought it to us in good grace, so we eat them with the same intention." Gino stated.
"If you say so." I chuckled and took the plate and handing it to the girls.
We shared our lunch together in the club room.
I just didn't know...it was a preparation for what's coming.