From A to Z

P

On Monday morning, Adam had a free cut because their professor did not arrive in their class within the first fifteen minutes of its designated schedule. Although unwritten, there is a consensus among the students and the teachers as well as the school administrators that students have the right to leave the classroom when their professors do not appear within the first fifteen minutes of the class, on the assumption that that professor who did not show himself within the said time frame would not hold the class anymore. This custom was derived from Article XXII, Section 1, of the Charter of St. Joseph's College, which states: "If a student does not arrive within the first fifteen minutes of the class, he is considered absent." But instead of the student, it was applied to the professors and instructors.

Although he and his brothers have agreed that all of them, unless with a valid excuse approved by the Alpha, should spend their free time to man their exhibit to accommodate guests and, more importantly, applicants, Adam went to the library instead hoping to see his dear friend.

His guess was not wrong. His eyes immediately found him in the sea of white uniforms. At the rightmost table in the room, Zach's head was bowed down; his utmost attention seemed to be directed on something on the desk.

While he was walking towards his friend, he suddenly felt naughty. He sneaked behind Zach's chair and covered his eyes.

"Guess who?"

He changed the tone of his voice so the other would not suspect easily that it was him.

Zach set down his blue mechanical pencil and felt the hand that was covering his eyes. Then he extended both of his arms upwards, trying to find out who it was. It took Adam by surprise, but he managed to move his face away from the slim fingers reaching him. Zach kept stretching his arms towards his back when he failed to touch anything; but when the hands lowered close to a restricted area, Adam had to let go and uncover Zach's eyes. Zach squinted and rubbed his eyes because of the sudden contrast in the lighting.

"You're such a dork for an Alpha," Zach said with a chuckle when he learned who it was.

Adam transferred Zach's bag to the chair opposite Zach and took the now empty chair beside his friend. "I'm surprised that you aren't in your secret hideout."

"Well, unfortunately, this doesn't fit in my secret lair."

Adam looked at the wide sheet of paper spread on top of the desk, almost occupying the whole of it. He could not see any mark on the sheet although its edges were partly crumpled. He stood up and went behind Zach to get a better look of what was drawn in the presentation paper. There was nothing to be seen, but he noticed piles of eraser shavings around the paper. Adam guessed that his friend must have kept on redoing his sketches before he arrived.

"Is this a blueprint of a...?"

"I haven't thought of anything to draw yet," Zach said with a sigh.

Adam returned to his seat and looked intently at the face of his friend held up by his right palm propped up on the table by his elbow. His face looked different from the last time he saw him. He looked worn out. There were dark circles underneath his eyes as if he was unable to rest well over the weekend.

"Is this the reason why you slept late last Friday?"

Zach turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you the reason why I slept late that night?"

Adam rolled his eyes. That was correct, but that was not what he was trying to say. "I mean, when I called you around one in the morning, you said you were only going to bed; and that's a little uncharacteristic from the Zach I know."

"So, are you saying that I can't stay up late anymore because of your conception of me?"

"No, no, that's not what I—"