Josh appeared out of shape since their first class. He was not moving from his seat and his eyes remained closed right after he settled in there. Most of their classmates and some of their professors were asking him from time to time but he was not giving them any reply. If they dared to touch him, he would stare fiercely at them, as if he would knock the breath out of them.

In nearly four years that Sierra had been classmates with Josh, that demeanor was not new to her, to most of her classmates, and to some of her professors. Josh rarely got serious in a class but he was passing each exams with flying colors. He mostly looked bored, and once in a while, he looked just like that. Closing his eyes the entire day as if he was meditating and never wanted to be bothered. 

But most in their class were always acting as if that was the first time he looked out of shape, or maybe he was just not in the mood. 

Up until this moment, most of her classmates were still hoping that Josh will notice them and love them.

Sierra realized only then that Josh had neither been in a relationship nor dated anyone from their school. Same goes with Renzo and Dan. The three of them were popular with girls but she had never seen them flirt with anyone or hear rumors about any of the three being a playboy.

If he is not interested with anyone from our school, then why did he act like that towards me yesterday? Sierra wondered while gazing intensely at Josh. Why tell me to sleep on time? How did he know I'm working overtime? And what is it to him if I don't get enough sleep? What if...

Her train of thoughts instantly halted the moment Josh opened his eyes and stared seriously back at her.

What now? He can't hear my thoughts, can he?

Sierra was foolishly expecting to hear his voice inside her mind. Gratefully, there was none. And Josh finally looked away from her without saying a word.

He got up on his feet and excused himself from their professor.

“Sir, I don't feel well. I need to rest at the clinic,” he said with a cold look in his face.

To Sierra, he did not look sick, just not in the mood. But their professor thought otherwise and let him leave the classroom.

Nearly an hour after Josh excused himself, the school bell rang. Her classmates were all leaving the classroom as soon as their professor dismissed the class, but Sierra was stuck in her seat, torn between checking up on Josh and leaving him alone.

He is not sick, she tried convincing herself. And if he really is not feeling well, Nurse Janice will take care of him. He said he will go to the clinic. I should stop worrying. And why will I worry? He is not my friend. He is the reason I skipped classes yesterday. I should not worry about him. I should stay away from him!

She finally decided to go to the rooftop, but while on her way there, she remembered the annoying fact that they will be having lunch with Dan and Renzo.

Staying away from Josh will never be that easy. But at least she could tell Dan and Renzo about their sick friend. They should be the ones checking up on him.

Sierra was already expecting to see her friends comfortably sitting at the rooftop, accompanied by Dan and Renzo, but to her surprise, the only person she had seen there was Josh.

He was sitting on the ground with his back against the wall. He was drenched in sweat. His eyes were tightly shut and his brows were creasing as if he was enduring a terrible pain.

“You should be in the clinic,” Sierra hesitantly approached him.

“I’m fine. Please, leave,” he said without opening his eyes.

“You don’t look…”

“I’M FINE!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” even when he yelled, he kept his eyes closed. “LEAVE!!!” he loudly repeated and raised one of his hand to cover his ear while the other one was clutching his right abdomen. “I SAID LEAVE!!!”

“Okay, I’ll leave!” Sierra bellowed back in annoyance but when she turned towards the door, Josh collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain, both hands holding his right abdomen.

“You should have gone to the clinic!” Sierra irritably sighed before rushing towards Josh.

She knelt beside him and the moment her hand made contact with his body, the locket dangling from her neck glowed brightly, like in her dream.

“What’s happening?” Sierra was staring at her locket with confusion and anxiety.

With eyes still tightly shut, Josh tried to push her hands off him but was too weak to succeed.

“Leave…” he managed to whisper through clenched teeth.

Ignoring that annoying word and her mysteriously glowing locket, Sierra put a hand over his forehead, “You're burning with fever. Get up. I’ll take you to the clinic,” she tried pulling him up but to no avail. Josh was not cooperating.

“Not the clinic,” he weakly pleaded with eyes still closed. “Please, leave.”

“Josh, get up! You need help!” Sierra impatiently bellowed.

“No one… can help me…” Josh was catching his breath but Sierra noticed that he stopped writhing in pain. His eyes were still closed but his brows were not creasing anymore and he had let go of his right abdomen.

Sierra thought that her classmate had been stabbed in the abdomen, but gratefully, she had seen neither holes nor blood in that part of his dark blue shirt.

“I'm sure Dan and Renzo can help you. Where is your phone?” Sierra asked but Josh fainted before he could reply.

“Josh! Where's your phone?!” Sierra tried waking him up but Josh remained frighteningly unconscious.

She quickly checked his pockets and, fortunately, he had it with him. She grabbed his right hand and unlocked the phone using his fingerprint. The moment she let go of his hand, and both her hands were on his phone, the glow on her locket instantly faded.

How strange. But she could not dwell on the mystery of her locket for long. Josh needed help and she had to focus on his phone.

His contact list only had two names on it. He was about to press Dan's name when the door to the rooftop had opened. Kate and Ella rushed in, followed by Dan and Renzo.

For the first time in her college life, Sierra was grateful to have seen those two men.

“Sierra! Are you okay?” Ella pulled her up and checked her from head to toe.

“I’m okay. Josh isn’t. He’s unconscious,” Sierra nervously told everyone, “We need to bring him to the clinic.”

“We need to bring him home,” Renzo knelt beside Josh, but the moment he touched his unconscious friend, he quickly let go, as if he had been electrocuted.

“Is he doing it again?” Dan nervously inquired and Renzo only nodded with the same troubled expression.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sierra curiously asked.

Instead of answering, Renzo gazed intensely at Sierra. His eyes looked hesitant yet strangely intimidating.

“What is it?” Sierra impatiently asked.

“Can you hold his hand?”

“What?” Sierra was completely bewildered with that sudden crazy request.

Rather than explaining, Renzo grabbed her hand and put it over Josh's hand.

Like a few moments ago, her locket glowed the moment their skin made contact.

“What’s happening to your locket?” Kate asked in awe.

“We will answer all your questions later,” Renzo promised. “Right now, we need to take Josh home. Don’t let go of his hand until we get home. Understood, Sierra?”

“But... okay. Let’s take him home first,” Sierra agreed with a sigh and tightened her grip on Josh's hand.

“Thank you,” Renzo gratefully uttered while Dan rushed beside Josh. 

He carefully lifted his unconscious friend off the ground and securely placed him on Renzo's back. Sierra attentively followed Dan's movement to ensure that her hand would not slip from the hand of Josh.

Despite seeing how careful Sierra was in keeping her hand intertwined with Josh, Renzo felt the urge to strictly remind her, “Stay close. Don’t let go of his hand.”

"I won't," Sierra promised with a nervous sigh. 

"Let's go," Renzo said and when Sierra nodded, they hurried out of the rooftop and to the parking lot.

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