Pretty Pheonix

Chapter 20 | The 4 Clover Country Club

I swipe my forehead to get rid of the sweat that's formed as I run, my pace not too fast but not too slow either, and my breathing even. The hood of my hoodie bounces on my head as I run and I can hear the birds chirping in the trees above.

I cross the road.

From my peripheral vision, a pair of headlights appear from a corner. Speeding well above the speed limit it reaches me within seconds—reaches me in seconds?! Oh shit!

I jump to the side and narrowly avoid being hit.

That was... too close! I narrow my eyes and glare at the back of the nightmare car, getting a view of the number plate before it goes out of sight. My lips purse in disapproval.

When I return home, it's a little past five thirty a.m. so I take a shower, have a quick breakfast and start the painstaking process of wearing my disguise for school.

It isn't as complicated as other disguises I've worn before, but definitely one of my least favorite.

On today's schedule is an oversized wooly white sweater and flaring blue jeans, which are matched with my Air Force one snickers.

I check my makeup once more, adjust my blonde wig, check the green contact lenses and examine my evenly tanned skin tint.

"There is no logic in this disguise." I mumble, scrutinizingly. "How can I be this 'naturally' tanned when I'm literally covered up to the neck?" I shake my head. "So not impressed."

Afterwards, I decide to go through the mysterious letters again.

The writer is clearly scared for their safety over the GDs and rightfully so as the gang is notorious for many things; the biggest being human trafficking.

The messy calligraphy suggests it was written in haste (at least I hope) the contents — which I still need to clarify — are overall vague, yet the fact that this type of ink was used is... interesting.

I can't simply overrule this as a waste of time. I don't question the authenticity of the letters just yet because the main thing is that it was addressed to me of all people. I guess the only way I can tell whether it is authentic or not is to find out who this mysterious "SJ" is.

My eyes draw to the little key that came with the first letter. This has to open something. Wasn't there a mention of a storage unit? Could this be the key for it?

My concentration is disturbed by the sound of footsteps out in the hallway. I put the everything away and grab my bag for school. Falcon and I walk past each other in the corridor, him heading for the kitchen and myself for the front door.

"Someone was up early." I hear him remark. His hair remains wet from a shower so I gather he's likely just come back from a morning exercise.

"And someone wasn't." I retort.

However, just as I'm at the door, a sudden idea pops in my head and I turn around.

"Have you found that hard drive yet?" I ask, entering the kitchen.

Falcon gulps down a bottle of water, his playful gaze suddenly sharp like a hawk and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "I told you to give it up."

"I know but—"

"But no. Mind your own business little birdy or should I say fatty." He says, making a dumb reference to my disguise, and throws the bottle into the bin.