Lunchtime rolled around, and as usual, the students in Cleo's class formed their little cliques and made their way towards the dining hall. However, Cleo chose to remain seated at his desk, his gaze fixed on the bento box wrapped in a cloth before him. He had lost his appetite entirely. As the sound of shuffling feet faded away, Cleo looked up and caught sight of Inu walking past him, heading towards the exit.
Since their first encounter with the B4, Inu had barely spoken a word to Cleo. In the classroom, Inu made a conscious effort to avoid eye contact, directing all questions to the person seated on his other side. Cleo understood that Inu was likely afraid that being associated with him would only invite more trouble with the B4. Cleo didn't take offense; he recognized the importance of prioritizing someone's safety over mere social interactions with the wrong crowd.
Inu noticed Cleo had spotted him and quickly dropped his head and walked out. Cleo shrugged at his abruptness and gathered his things into his book bag. As he left the class, he headed down the hallway in the opposite direction of the dining hall. He wasn't hungry nor in the mood to eat to gain energy for the rest of the day. Cleo needed a breath of fresh air away from the constricting hold the school had on him. He knew exactly where to go.
At the very end of the hallway were stairs that led up to the rooftop of the building. Cleo figured there would be no students present there since during lunch they either ate in the dining hall or off-campus. To him, it also seemed like more of a commoner thing to go up on the rooftop. It reminded him of middle school, where he would join Luke, Gabriel, and Caleb for lunch during their breaks. Thinking about it made Cleo realize how much he missed the company of his friends during school.
Cleo made his way up the stairs and opened the door to the rooftop. An instant soft breeze greeted him as he stepped outside. He took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. Without checking if anyone else was on the rooftop, Cleo sat on the ground and leaned his back against the wall next to the door. He thought a short nap would be a good idea since lunch was an hour and a half long and he had no plans to go back down to eat.
However, Cleo's plan was interrupted when the door to the rooftop swung open and almost hit him, as he was sitting so close to it. "Hey! Be careful when you open that door!" Cleo yelled to the person.
"Cleo?" Ashley poked her head out from behind the door and looked down at him.
Cleo quickly scrambled to his feet when he saw it was Ashley. "Ashley! Ah, sorry. I didn't know you came up here. I, uh, better go."
"No, no, you can stay. It's no bother at all." Ashley held her hands up to signal him to stop. Cleo nodded and took his previous seat on the ground.
Ashley stood a few feet away from him and leaned against the wall, taking out a magazine and flipping through its pages. She seemed to find a page that caught her interest and started reading.
Curiously glancing up quickly, Cleo could only catch a glimpse of the front cover, something related to technology. He had never imagined Ashley being interested in that type of subject but didn't think twice before she asked him a question out of the blue.
"Cleo, do you know the time difference between the Philippines and Massachusetts?"
Cleo scratched his head in uncertainty. Why was she asking that? "No, sorry, I don't."
Ashley let out a soft sigh but managed to smile contentedly. "Ah, I've been wondering. It's been on my mind for a while."
Cleo had a small urge to lie and give her a bogus number, considering how interested she seemed in the topic. However, he refrained from doing so, realizing it would only lead to creating a new enemy. So he continued sitting there, leaning his back against the wall, not minding Ashley's company as she went back to her reading.
Little did Cleo know that three pairs of eyes spotted him on the rooftop as they headed off-campus to eat lunch. And they were not pleased to see Ashley standing there next to him.
"That bastard! What is he doing up there with my Ashley?" Harold pointed up at the rooftop, his jealousy boiling.
"You mean my Ashley," Sean corrected, his own anger rising at the scene.
"Shut your mouth! She's mine!"
"In your dreams, loser. Ashley wouldn't fall for a baldy like you."
"Baldy? Why you, I ought to-"