"Winter? " No response.

"Winter? " No response. Great!

"WINTER! " I gently shook her, yelling in her ear and causing her jump. She gaped at me, bewildered, "Yeah? What happened? "

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same damn thing!? It was because you had been zoning out for the last five minutes. I called you twice, but you were too preoccupied with something or perhaps someone else to hear. " Smirking, I arched my brow at her. She averted her gaze, her face flushed with embarrassment at having been caught. She was afflicted by something. The Winter I knew, wasn't like that. She was acting a little strangely, like zoning out every now and then and flashing everyone faux smiles. I didn't know what was wrong with her, but I had a hunch it had something to do with Ken.

We'd all met to talk about the magazine and it's portraying. I spotted Ken and Winter stealing glances several times, but they weren't flirty-teasing ones. It was more of a tense portrayal, with a slew of discomfort thrown in for good measure. What went on between them, I wondered? But then again, it wasn't my place to intrude in their relationship.

"Hey, kindly pass me that box?" Ken was handing the package to me when it was lifted by another pair of hands. They handed me before looking at each other. I cleared my throat, interrupting their gazing contest.

I really need to do something.

"Wait a min, guys!" They both came to a standstill, their brows furrowed in perplexity as they glanced at me.

"Hey, why don't you guys go get a cup of coffee? That doesn't seem very appealing, does it? Alright! I'll be frank with you. Look, I know something's going on between you two, but I'm not going to inquire about it. It's your issue, but why don't you sort it out? " They exchanged glances before turning to face me.

"Pepsi Cola, there's nothing like this. " "Yeah, Soph! You've simply misunderstood us. " They spoke in unison, cautiously.

"Oh, just cut the crap and go!" They eventually made their way outside with a conflicting nod. Just then, entered the third wheel of their life.

Talk about timing!

"Ken, babe?" Ugh! At the sight of her, their feet came to a halt. Her eyes narrowed between him and Winter as she moved closer to Ken. She gently shook him out of his stupor by placing her hand on his chest.

Think something Soph, think! Ah, idea!

"Um... Claire?" I sped up to them, halting directly in front of her, causing her hand to fall back. Winter was looking anywhere but at her.

She looked at me with a raised brow, anticipating what I wanted. "Well, I need to speak with you about something. Please follow me. " Rather of allowing her to follow or dispute, I grabbed her hands and dragged her to the corner of the room. I signaled the duo to depart with the corner of my eyes, and to my delight, they grasped my message.

Wow, I never knew I was such a matchmaker!

Claire yanked her hand violently, startling me. I wouldn't have given her a second thought if it weren't for them. I focused on cooking up a solid lie while swallowing my seething rage. I put on a phony smile, then a faux worried expression. "My brother, Claire, is interested in participating in cheerleading. So, could you kindly help him out? He's a beginner, after all! " I informed her all of that in a breath, hoping for a response.

"Hold on, hold on! Brother? Are you in your senses? " Shit shiptedy shatty shit!

Who claimed she's brainless?

"Oops! I said brother? Oh, my goodness! It's actually my sister. My brother and I are quite close, and my sister is a tremendous headache! Young sisters are a real pain in the ass, you know! " When did I have a young sister?

Again, a lie! I guess, I am graduating a course in deception.

"Anyway, can you please explain me the basic rules, and all those stuffs? " The look she was giving me clearly said, 'Fuck Off! ' She didn't seem to be interested in what I was saying, preferring to look at the closed door every now and again.

Just say something, you knucklehead! Remind me, not to aid anyone from now on.

"Meet me after this," she muttered, nodding.

As if I'll do it!

Instead of rolling my eyes at her, I smiled and thanked her cordially.

"What are your thoughts on these prints?"

"Yeah, it's a lot better."

"Kyla, don't you think they're a little too much?"

"This one doesn't give off the right vibes."

"What's your opinion, Aylwin?"

We were all debating the magazine's front cover. I had underestimated how difficult it would be. Senior Aylwin approached the printer, bringing a few printouts before setting them on the table. We picked it up as we analyzed his artwork. He had devoted his whole time to it, and the outcome was undeniably spectacular.

"This is fantastic."

"Where did you learn all of this, bro?"

"Really, Aylwin, the cover is impressive!"

Everyone applauded his work, and to be honest, it was well worth the hassle. My gaze dwelt on it while my fingertips stroked the contours of its brilliance. How did he come up with such an amazing style? It was nearly difficult not to be moved by such a piece of artwork.

Two distinct images of the same university featured on the cover. The NYU from the 1800s and the same NYU from the 2000s. Both were strikingly different, yet equally enticing. The first structure appeared to be antique, with figures etched into its pillars. It was Uni's motto — 'Perstare et Praestare'. The second structure featured the same engravings, but the main difference was that it was the contemporary NYU, which had a more sophisticated texture, color, and design. The cover not only highlighted the magnificent university, but it also exhibited the passage of time and the changes that occurred. It was laden with curiosity that would make you dig deeper into it. It revealed a range of information that words couldn't express. It offered a broad overview of education, society, literacy, and much more, as well as the significant implications of these changes throughout the years.

"Well, we have the cover, but what about the magazine's objective?" Everyone mused, as my eyes remained glued on the cover page.

"Et Aurum, Ex Antiquis," I said, as though the words begged to tumble out of my mouth.

"Exactly, that's perfect! " Senior Chase shouted unexpectedly. I beheld his ecstatic gaze first, then the bewildered gaze of others.

"It's Latin, meaning— From Old to Gold! " He explained them.

"Set then! Now left part is the main content. Any thoughts? "

"We might utilize a suitable theme, such as occasions by occasions."

"How about we give them a glimpse of every high-low points of Uni?"

"What are your ideas, Kyla?"

"I suppose we could organize them chronologically."

"Not bad! Bro, any ideas?"

"A magazine should be like a reflection of the University's essence, speaking volumes in only a few words."

"Bro, that's what I'm asking! How are we going to prepare this— 'a reflection of the University's essence, speaking volumes in only a few words. ' Do enlighten us, in normal human language, please. "

"May I say something? " I intervened, gaining their attention.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Um... Let's split the magazine into three sections: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern. And, as Senior Kyla proposed, we may organize them in the correct chronological order based on each of them. This will cover the majority of events as well as every aspect of Uni. Furthermore, the cover depicts ancient to modern Uni. It would also have a thematic impact."

"Seems like one night with bro worked wonders for you. "

"How's life going? "

"Just going! "

"I wish I could kill myself. "

We were eating lunch in the cafeteria, surrounded by a torrent of jokes and, of course, Ivy's never-ending tantrums. My gut hurt from laughing all that much.

"Can a butter knife cause a fatal catastrophic significant injury?"

"Stab it in the stomach and see whether you survive; if you do, then it doesn't do enough harm."

"That's a great idea! What if I really make it out alive?"

"Then no problem, my love, Ivy! I'll give you a butcher knife."

"If you can't kill yourself, your dearest buddy, here, would love to do it for you."

"Ah, folks, I just recalled something. A little birdie just told me that Ivy has a sibling. I'm upset, Ivy, cuz you didn't tell us. "

Darn you, Damien! Shit, here goes nothing!

I turned away from Ivy's glare and looked elsewhere. They were too busy arguing and making fun of her to do anything else. My gaze was pulled to a familiar shorty. I noticed her standing near Claire's table, as they chuckled. She was unsettled and agitated. I couldn't hear or get a good picture of what they were up to, but I was certain that whatever was going on was upsetting her. She abruptly turned on her heels and raced out. My suspicions grew deeper, prompting me to follow her. I didn't stop by Claire's because I was too impatient and anxious to keep an eye out for Winter. Faith smiled as she munched, while the boys and girls continued to chant jokes, which were followed by fits of guffawing.

What did they say to Winter?

"Ken? Have you seen Winter? " He was walking down the corridor in the same direction as she was. He came to a complete halt in front of me.

"Yes, I saw her sprinting into the female restroom. Soph, did something happen? " He didn't refer to me as Pepsi Cola, which indicated that he was serious about her. His eyes blazed with worry, and mine mirrored it even more vividly. While he waited outside for us, I dashed into the restroom and searched the stalls in a hurry.

There was nobody inside. Sniffling was all I heard, and that was all. "Winter?" I inquired as I knocked on the door.

"I know you're in there, Winter. Please come out. I know something happened out there. Tell me. " I heard shuffling before the sound of the door lock unlocking. The door creaked open to reveal Winter, who had red puffy cheeks. Instead of replying, she drew me into a close embrace, completely surprising me. I gave her a gentle stroke on the back and waited for her to relax. After a few minutes, she drew away, wiping her eyes and cheeks.

"I had no idea my jeans had a red stain on them. Argh, why do I have to wear these white pants today of all days? They noticed and laughed as soon as I walked into the cafeteria... Soph, they were making fun of me. How childish and absurd! I'm not sure how to deal with them... They were all yelling nonsense, shitty shits... Tch, these stupid hormones are making me weak all over again. Ugh! I want to kill those morons.... "

She kept on babbling, and I couldn't blame her. I felt a surge of rage inside my body. How could they have stooped so low? I shushed her and walked up to Ken, who was tapping his feet on the floor anxiously.

"Is she alright?" Rather than responding to his question, I queried, "Do you have any spare cloth?" I saw he was wearing his soccer jersey, as if he had just returned from practice. I assumed he had some cloth in his bag because he was carrying it with him. He nodded as he rummaged through the bag. He grabbed a blue hoodie out of it and handed it to me.

"Please hold your horses! I'll come in five mins."

She immediately changed into a hoodie that was slightly too big for her. Thanks to her short height, her stain was no more visible. I explained the situation to Ken, as we rushed into the cafeteria.

They need to be taught a lesson!