My clock says 2:00 a.m. My mind wishes to take a rest but I can not sleep. My heart wishes to calm down but for some reason, I can not grant that wish. At this time, everyone should be in their beds. Sleeping. Snoring. Drooling. Dreaming. However, here I am walking back and forth inside my room. I can not bring myself to close my eyes and sleep; to think I still have classes five hours from now.

I stopped on my tracks and tiredly sighed. I stared at the clean paper on my desk. Picked it up and sat on my soft bed.

"What is this, anyway?" I wondered to myself. "And who the hell is Midas?"

I never told mom about this paper. I hid it from her. Since I got this, I have always been wondering if it is a name or a place or what. It is so funny to get annoyed by a single word that I do not even know the meaning.

Looking at it for nearly four minutes, I tore it apart and threw it in the garbage can. This is ridiculous! How could I let myself get distracted by a single word found at my doorstep?

I lay down on my bed and started to close my eyes. Even if my eyes wanted them open, I forced to shut it. I need to sleep. I still have classes and I can not afford to look like a zombie when I get there.

"Woah! What is a zombie doing here in Magsville? What did you do to our friend? Where is Minerva?" Lia looked so freaked out as she came towards me.

"At least you are talking to a delightful zombie."

She grabbed both of my shoulders and shook me. That literally awakened my whole system and my head started to spin. "Now, I demand Minerva Yoshida be awakened now!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Natalia?" I removed her hand from my shoulder and tiredly sat on my chair; placed my bag at the side and buried my face on my desk, completely overlooking the confused look on her face.

"Don't you dare 'Natalia' me, Minerva! It is still 6:45 in the morning and now you are sleeping on your desk? We still have cleaning schedules," I heard Lia said to me. But I never looked at her. I am so drained and I just want to sleep. "Ma'am Osawa is gonna be mad!"

"I just... need sleep, Lia."

"Sleep? Whatー" I heard her frowned. "Fine. But I will not gonna let you get scolded by our teacher. I am gonna get Sam."

I did not react to her. Yes, I was able to sleep last night. However, the nightmare came in to visit me in my head about that freaky phone call I had on the other day. As a result, I woke up at 3:30 and I was never able to go back to sleep again. I went down to the kitchen at home to brew some coffee and stayed there for almost an hour. My mom was shocked that when she woke up, breakfast was already on the table prepared by a zombie.

"Lia? Lia? Ma'am Osawa is gonna be here any minute now. Come on, you can take a rest after class. We do not want our teacher to bawl you out-what the hell?!"

Sam's eyes widened as I exhaustedly rose my head to look at them.

"See, Sam? I told you she looked like a zombie!" Lia crossed her arms. "There are dark circles under her eyes!"

"What the hell happened to you, girl? It is like you have not slept in years. You look so weary-"

"And a zombie. I know." I slowly stood up and went almost out of balance.

Luckily my friends were there to catch me.

"Woah, easy, girl. Where are you going?"

I looked at them, brow raised.

"To clean. Didn't you say ma'am Osawa is gonna be here any minute?"

Now, both Lia and Sam are looking at me with concern. Without saying anything, I walked away from them and went to get a broom in the broom stand. I love cleaning in the lobby and stairs, so I started to head outside. I met Lainux along the way, but I did not greet him back when he greeted me. I am just too drained to do so.

Hopefully, I can survive this whole day.

The school bell rang, indicating that lunchtime is on. I did not feel like craving for anything. I am so sleepy, I just want to go home.

"Minerva, what is the matter?" I tiredly looked at the girl who pulled a chair and sat in front of me.

"What are you doing, Lia?"

"Counseling you, of course." Sam came closer, too. Then I saw my other friends came closer as well, even the school's heartthrob, Francis Zaveri. The squad is complete.

"I greeted you this morning and you just walked past through me," Lainux spoke.

Neal was the one who spoke next. "So, we figured out that something is wrong."

I was assuming Francis would say a word. But it was very wrong of me to assume. He did not say anything, instead, he just yawned and idly looked outside the window with hands-on his pockets as if he did not care about how tired I was.

"You can go to the pantry first if you are famished, you know," I suggested. I even pouted a little.

"I promised to have lunch with the squad today. Besides, if I go to the pantry alone, the girls will bother me again." He answered with no emotions. He gets his phone from his pocket and I think he started scrolling on his Instagram because I could see it from the reflection of his eyes.

Well sorry if I am vulnerable and a zombie today that made you feel bored.

I rolled my eyes. This guy is so unpredictable! But maybe I should tell my friends about what happened. Maybe they can help?

"So, what happened?" Lia asked again.

I sighed and carefully answered their questions as they looked at me with interest. "Someone knocked on our door last weekend. I peered through the peephole and saw no one. I thought there was a very little kid outside asking for candy or what but when I opened it, no one was there."

"And? Have you been haunted or something?" Neal asked and I shook my head.

"Dunno if I am haunted but I saw a clean paper at the doorstep," I gulped. Then my hands resting on my lap started to shake. "Something was written on it in bold red ink. What was written were the letters 'M.I.D.A.S'. Do you have any idea what it could mean?"

I looked at each of them and a very strange silence enveloped the area. My friends were exchanging glances and it looked like they were choosing what words to say next carefully.

"Now it looks like you guys are the one who is having a problem," I stated. Something fishy is going on. I smell it out of the blue.

"Midas. Isn't that what is written on the paper?" Neal questioned, more like repeating what I have just spoken.

I nodded calmly. My sleepiness is slowly drifting away because of this strange thing I suddenly felt. They are not hiding something from me, are they?

"Do you happen to know what it means?" I looked at each of them again, observing their reactions. "Is it a name? A place? A movie? Or what?"

They glanced at each other again. I do not know what is going on. Something is weird. It is making me uncomfortable somehow. I looked at Lia who was quiet as well and could not even look at me in the eye.

"I think it is a name, Min. But we do not know what it means. Guys, do you have any idea what it means?" Lainux threw a question at everybody. It prolly took several seconds before they shook their heads. Lainux nodded. "Sorry, Min. None of us have an idea."

"O-Okay, but it kept me awake last night that is why I could not sleep well. However, if you guys know nothing, then do not get bothered about me, please. I do not want to worry you." I said. I do not want them to worry but I can sense that there is something that they are not telling me.

Should I ask them? But I trust my friends. For sure they are honest with me and they will tell me if something is up... right?

"Then I guess it is settled then? No one here knows what that word means. So..."

"Oh my God!" I was so bewildered when Francis suddenly grabbed the back of my uniform and slowly dragged me out of the room. "H-Hey, Francis! What the hell are you doing a-and where are you taking me?"

This is so humiliating! The other students are looking at us nowーme because of Francis dragging me like a 5kg sack of rice!

"To the pantry, silly. I am starving," he answered calmly.

"I-I can walk, you idiot!" I could not help but raise my voice at him.

He is so strong but him grabbing the back of my uniform and dragging me on the way is not choking me to death at all.

Am I really in love with this guy? Or is my heart just making fun of me?

"H-Hey, Francis! Why do you have to drag me like this? Why me of all people? Why not Lia? Or Sam? Orー"

"Because you are the one who looked so weary this morning and you still seemed to be distracted." Because of his answer, I could not say anything.

Is he starting to care about me? Impossible, however, because we are not in good terms, to begin with. Goodness! How dare this guy to drag me like this and leaving our friends behind? And why am I letting him treat me like this, anyway? This is so disappointing!

Francis just dragged me to the pantry and I could not even do anything about it. Why is this happening to me?

*****

I was so tired when I reached home. Mom was still not home from work when I arrived. I insisted that I should just go home first without her. At first, she was reluctant, but she agreed eventually. I just wanted to go home. I have had enough humiliation today. Thanks to the well-known Mr. Zaveri.

I directly went straight to my room and placed my bag on the vacant chair. I lay down on my bed, uniform still on. After a few minutes, my phone suddenly vibrated inside my pocket. It was Lia. I thought it was my mom. I am so famished and I want her to cook for me. So, I wish she would come home now.

I have completed the plans for my birthday. I am done planning. I will tell you guys about the venue tomorrow.

I think she sent the message via group message. After all, she told us that she would inform us first before anyone else. Why not tell us now?

Then there will be no surprise, right?

I chuckled. She loves surprises. Just then, my phone vibrated again and it was Francis who sent a message this time.

You really despise your surprises to be blown up.

Picturing Francis' face in my mind makes me feel so upset again because of what he did to me at school. He is a total jerk. Then, there was another text message. This time, it was from mom.

Sweetie, I am very sorry that I will be home late tonight. Just order pizza for dinner, 'kay? Do not stay up too late. Love you!

I sighed. I guess I will just have to eat dinner alone tonight. Okay, mom. Stay safe. Love you, too.

I hurriedly went downstairs to order pizza. I prefer to call them using the telephone. However, something is off with me today aside from looking like a zombie. I really can not state why but thinking about Lia's birthday celebration makes me nervous. She will be eighteen next week and she wants her birthday to be perfect.

And yet... why do I feel that something bad is going to happen?