"Come on, man, wake up, we are running late for lecture," a boy with curly dark hair said as he shook his sleeping friend.
"Let me sleep, James," a voice responded with a sleepy tone.
"Come on, Lawrence. You have already missed a lot of lectures this week," James the curly hair guy said as he persistently shook his friends.
"Go to the lecture. I'm right behind you," Lawrence mumbled while still been covered by his blanket.
"Are you sure?" James asked clearly not convinced.
"Yes, yes I'm sure," Lawrence responded with a sleepy voice.
"Okay then, see you in class," James said before taking his backpack from the reading table.
"See you," Lawrence said.
James sighed as he made his way out of the hostel doom. He knew that Lawrence wouldn't be coming to classes today, he knew his friend's character all to well.
Meanwhile, Lawrence adjusted his blanket, shifted into a comfortable position on his bed before continuing to sleep.
"BLA BLA BLA BLA," the alarm buzzed loudly.
"Ugh!" Lawrence groaned In annoyance. "Shut the hell up, you stupid alarm."
The alarm clock continued buzzing as Lawrence grumpily stood up from his bed with an annoyed scowl on his face.
"I swear I'm going to destroy this stupid alarm clock one day," Lawrence voiced aloud as he made way to go switch off the still buzzing alarm.
Getting to the alarm, Lawrence saw that the time was 11:48 a.m.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I overslept again," Lawrence shouted as he ran to the bathroom to take his bath. After taking his bath, he hurriedly put on his school uniform.
"Fuck! Mr. Freeman is going to kill me if I miss his class," Lawrence mumbled to himself as he sprinted along the hallway. He ran with agility of an athlete as he weaved between students.
Lawrence dashed into the lecture hall, completely out of breath.
"I'm here, I'm here," Lawrence shouted as he burst through the lecture hall door.
Mr. Freeman paused his teaching, his stern eyes looking at Lawrence, who just barged through the door.
"So nice of you to join us Mr. Lawrence," Mr. Freeman said, his voice cold and sarcastic. "We are so honored by your presence,"
Lawrence let out a stifled laugh. "
Uhm! Sorry I over slept,"
"Ooh! You overslept? I'm so sorry we woke you up from your sleep, sleeping beauty, I hope we didn't affect your sweet little sleep?" Mr. Freeman said with a sarcastic tone.
"Sorry, again I won't do...
"It again. I promise not to come late to your class. I promise to be serious," Mr. Freeman completed what Lawrence was about to say.
"Uhm... yeah, that," Lawrence responded with a dry laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
"I trust you're with the assignment I gave you guys last week?" Mr. Freeman said with raised eyebrows.
"Assignment? What assignment?" Lawrence asked.
"Mr. Lawrence, don't tell me you forgot to write my assignment," Mr. Freeman asked.
"Ooh! Right, the assignment you gave. I did it, I totally did it," Lawrence said, his eyes involuntarily moving to where James was seated.
"So, where's the assignment?" Mr. Freeman asked.
"The assignment? Uhm... The assignment is in my bag," Lawrence said, he was already panicking within.
James seeing his friend in trouble, subtly raised a sheet of paper and nodding towards an empty seat beside him.
Seeing the gesture James did, Lawrence beamed up in excitement.
"Uhm, of course sir," Lawrence said quickly, forcing out a smile." As i said earlier, I have my assignment... Right here." He said as he patted his backpack and started making his way to his seat.
Mr. Freeman's eyes trailed behind Lawrence as he made his way to his seat. Lawrence felt a burning heat on his back, but he refused to look back afraid of seeing Mr. Freeman's face.
Taking a seat next to James, Lawrence leaned in while whispering something to him.
"Thanks man, you really saved my ass. You're a lifesaver and I owe you one," Lawrence said.
"Yes, you do," James said with a playful snort.
Mr. Freeman voice rang out. " And next time, sleeping beauty, bring your glass slippers and your assignment on time."
The whole class immediately burst out into laughter.
"Affirmative sir," Lawrence shouted from his seat.
Lawrence leaned in again and whispered in James ear.
Lawrence leaned in with a grin on his lips, whispering in James ear.
"Did Mr. Freeman just called me sleeping beauty?"
"Well, he's not wrong, is he? You did sleep like a cursed princess." James said as he let out a soft chuckle."
"Yeah, but he mixed up two completely different fairy tales. Isn't sleeping beauty the one with the spinning wheel and Cinderella the one who ate the apple from a creepy ugly ass witch?" Lawrence asked with a low voice.
"No,no you dumb ass, you mixed up Snowwhite and Cinderella,"
"What? Seriously?"
"Yeah,you mixed them up man. Snowwhite is the one who ate the poison apple from the witch, while Cinderella is the one with the glass slippers,"
Lawrence blinked before shrugging it off. "Well it's not my fault, they can be really confusing, you know,"
"Nah, they aren't confusing man, you're just too dumb to understand," James said with a shrug.
Lawrence tilted his head a little before letting out a laugh. "Or maybe that,"
"Mr. Lawrence,"
Lawrence heard his name been called by Mr. Freeman.
"Sir!" he responded sharply.
"Would you like to share with the whole class on why you're laughing? Maybe we could join you laughing."
Lawrence felt all eye turned on his, waiting for him to say something.
"Come on Mr. Lawrence, share with us, sharing is caring after all."
"Nothing sir, i just remembered something funny. Sorry sir,"
"Sit down and please Mr. Lawrence don't distract my class with you laugh, am I understood?" Mr. Freeman asked with a stern look on his face.
"Yes sir," Lawrence said as he took his seat.
"Sure, pick on the dumb one. I wasn't the only one talking and laughing, you where also doing it. But nooooo, he had to pick on me and spare you. Life is so unfair." Lawrence said as he complained to james.
"If you don't stop talking, he's going to kick you out of his class."
Lawrence made a face as he mumbled how unfair the world was to him.
The class went by very slowly for Lawrence. It was as if every second stretched into a minute and every minute stretched into an hour.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students gathered their things, chatting and laughing.
Lawrence and James walked side by side.
The hallway was filled and noisy with students moving in and out of classes.
"Yo, I'm going to the library to read. Wanna tag along?" James asked, despite already knowing the answer Lawrence would give.
"Nah, man. I'm having a basketball practice. I can't miss out, you know I'm the team captain,"
"Bro, you need to take your study seriously, your gra...
"Yes, yes, I know my grades are bad. Don't worry, I'll read with you next time, I promise," Lawrence said.
"That's what you said last time, and the time before, and the time before that,"
"Don't worry, I'll keep my word this time,"
"Lawrence, you know I won't be here forever right?"James asked looking up at Lawrence.
James had to crank his neck upwards just to look at Lawrence. After all he was just 5'3, while Lawrence was 6'5.
It was quite comical seeing them together. If anything, it looked like a dwarf facing off a giant.
"What do you mean you aren't always going to be here?" Lawrence asked.
His eyes immediately widen. "Are you sick? Are you dying?"
Lawrence asked James as he shook him. He was scared that James might be dying.
James had been his childhood friend. He had know james since they were two.
"Come on James, answer me," Lawrence shouted.
"I'm not dying you big fool!" James said as he stepped away from Lawrence.
"You're not?"
"Yes, I'm not dying,"
"Don't lie to me man! You said yourself that you where dying,"
"When did I say that?"
"Just now!"
"You big fool. I said I will not be here forever,"
"Yeah, exactly. That's what people say when they're about to die,"
James held his head, he was already feeling headache just talking to Lawrence.
With a sigh he explained what he meant. "Remember that scholarship into Kingstone university?"
Lawrence nodded.
"Well, I got accepted,"
"wait, seriously?"
"Yeah, man. I got accepted,"
"That's good news, man. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well! I saw it this morning. I wanted to tell you when we where alone,"
"I'm so happy for you."Lawrence said as he hugged James.
But then, a sudden realization dawned on him.
Kingstone University was at another city entirely from New Avaddon city, where they lived.
That means James was moving away into a new city, a whole new place.