When the chapter of a book closes, it paves the way for the beginning of the new chapter- a new start to an old story. When these chapters end, therein lies the end of the book itself. When the book has served its purpose, there may not be a sequel to it, and it just ends. Usually, all loose ends are tied, all cliffhangers solved and a happy ending is cemented in place. Unfortunately, these usually occur only in fiction, and not in reality. For Sunway University College students, there was no happy ending for everyone, as the mess that had accumulated the past 5 months had gained momentum and barged full throttle, demolishing all hopes for broken bridges to be repaired, loose ends to be tied or problems to be solved.
Exam week was upon Sunway, and finally the students were displaying a certain sense of urgency. A diversity of intense study plans were made- John Bow hit the books daily after a routine nap after school, Diane Shine and Theo Oscar stayed back in college while Nick Ivans, Hans Basil, Sue Anne, Ash and Sanya Dival made Starbucks their second home, patronizing the outlet as their study venue. While informations filled their brains, cash flowed out their wallets. As for Angie Flo, she seemed to be undisturbed by the Finals- having the time to plan for Javis James' party and heading out. With one last hurdle to clear before the curtains fnally close on the course, it remains to be seen which plan worked best.
Sunway Queen Sue Anne was surely reigning at the pinnacle even in the midst of hectic exam-stress. She surpassed levels where no previous queens had traversed before. Being the fancy of many attractive foreign men who complimented her on her physical attributes flattered her beyond limits, and it was a sign she was moving from strength to strength. In college, she caught the eye of many male teens, those who would give anything to let the current "It" Girl drape off their arms. Academically, she surpassed the expectations of many who thought that her partying lifestyle would hinder her studies. But being the Queen, she blasted all her critics back and defied the mandatory law that all Queens would fall from grace after a short term at the top. But being in the spotlight did have its downs- being molested in a mall proved that not all attention was good and secondly, the only guy she had her eye on seemed to have his on another.
Hans Basil had endured a torrid time in his pursuit for attachment, with news of Sabby Jill's rumoured hook-up with Brazilian King Lukas piercing his ears, and heart. And the news came from the most unlikeliest of sources- Dan Wise. It is no secret that these two had never connected, let alone conversed fully. Yet, in the days building up to the exams, the pair seemed to connect and bond, surprising most of the Outsiders. Had Hans jumped out of the sinking ship and deferred to the more secure and stable Hometowners? Apparently not, as the fraternization with Dan lasted a mere 2 days before normalcy resumed. In time for Hans to deal with another blast from the not-so-recent past.
Angie Flo's feelings for Javis had spiralled beyond control as she put him ahead of her own studies, much to the disdain of certain friends. And it seemed her dream switch to the 3J's clique had not panned out as expected, with the transfer causing a supposed rift between her and Hans. For the latter, it was as if his giant fight with John had reared once again, only this time he was in John's shoes, and Angie was in his. While Hans brushed off whispers that his friendship with Angie had hit a rocky patch and he was affected by her switch, his apparent nonchalance heaped much misery on Angie. And it was worse for her as her attempts to pry the truth from Hans was met with an obdurate silence. Whoever thought that the once inseperable friends would turn out like this? It just proved that no friendship was secure, and could crumble by the merest of changes. Hans and John should be well aware of that.
With the final stages of MUFY playing out, certain secrets started pouring out. Hans Basil discovered he had a secret admirer he never knew about, but that was no match for John Bow's side of the story. The Silent Killer could easily challenge Lukas for the spot at the top, given the number of ladies who had major crushes on him. Hans discovered from a foreign friend that a faction of foreign girls found John "hot and good-looking", while Ana informed him that she had many friends who had their eyes on John for a long time. The news stoked John's non-existent ego, and it became better as his new found friendship with his own lady got resurgent and geared up. News of this would definitely break the hearts of the legion of his female admirers. Not that John would mind though.
As for Nick Ivans, the period of intense revision became his period of intense sleep as his sleep cycle reversed. While Hans had been accustomed to being a nocturnal, Nick was not. His late nights cost him his mornings as he could not wake up, causing him to be absent from Sunway's scene. He traded work for sleep and play, and substituted Starbucks for classrooms. And it was in Starbucks where he did more than just study, as the self-proclaimed Niner scanned for new targets. Unfortunately, both ladies were unavailable, one already being attached, the other bogged by eduction. It had been clear that girls walked in and out of the Niner's life. Bets were on there would be new ones entering his heart before long.
Rumour: Two single individuals linked to be together. Case in point: Sue and Hans. Since last semester, the two friends were linked countless times as people wondered if they were a couple. Gossips died down eventually, only to resurface when Sue conquered the summit. Stabucks featured in both study plans, and they spent almost all their time together, and so it became natural for the social scene to be seen and their voices heard. When even Angie got confused, it was obvious there was a very wide canyon between the once tight clique.
Scandal: Two attached individuals linked to be together. Case in point: Diane Shine and Theo Oscar. The deterioration of the latter's relationship with his step-sister coincided with the advent of Diane into the social scene. And that was not the only thing that occured. The two were seen canoodling in college almost everyday, and had been insperable ever since. With their other halves conveniently out of the college scene, it seemed the way had been paved for the unthinkable to happen. But the duo should know that in the city of Sunway, what happens behind closed doors always gets thrown out in the open.
In the blink of an eye, the exams came and gone, the intense studying paying off as there were no incongruencies with lessons learnt throughout the semester. For most the exams were done and dusted, the curtains finally closing down on MUFY, as they look forward to a fresh new chapter. For others, there were still one or two niggling papers to overcome. For those whose worries were free, it was time for the fun to flow. It was one outing after another- bowling and movies at Sunway Pyramid, a rare trip to the elevated mountains of Genting, the norm routine of pool and tennis, and the ubiquitious Boho. Angie managed to clear her issues with Hans, as one by one, students departed Sunway back to their respective hometowns, ruminating their prospective futures. For Hans, his was insecure, as his future in university could not be concretely decided, as was the future of his accomodation. Now that the story has ended, hopefully all the unfavourable outcomes and events that had occured remain in the closed book, never to be reopened again, as all the different characters ponder the fresh start that awaits them in the near future, and if anyone among them will be reunited.
11 months, 48 weeks, 336 days, 2 semesters, 1 course. 10 individuals, 10 lives, 10 stories. Secrets, Lies, Backstabs, Poker Faces, Friendships, Crushes, Betrayal, Love. Time will tell if this particular book remains closed and kept safely, or if circumstances will tear it open to release the past into the future.
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