The Eleventh Gifted (The Gifted Fanfiction)

Chapter 51

Pang stood a good few meters away from Aria, who was busy sitting in the library, reading a book for a quiz for their next class. Her cellphone was on the table.

Target locked.

Pang gripped the strap of his backpack tighter and strolled in her direction. He grabbed a random book from the bookshelf on his right and opened it at a random page.

He was thankful she was alone. He knew she had a friend with her, but he never got the chance to meet him personally.

That was their plan, Mission: Prove Aria is Innocent.

"I need her cellphone," said Wave, arms crossed in front of him. "Once I got a hold of it, we'll see who she's talking with, what she's up to, where she's going, her recent calls and messages."

"Isn't that invasion of her privacy?" Pang, who was the most against the plan, asked. Did they really have to go that far just to prove her innocence? "We can get in serious trouble if she knew."

"She wouldn't. After I had access to it, you can just return her cellphone."

"It's not that easy."

"Do you want to prove her innocence or not?"

Pang had no choice. Wave pushed him to do that. This was the only thing he could do for his friend. She had suffered enough. And to think that she was still carrying those burdens for more than a year, she was too young for that.

And he knew what Wave went through years ago. He understood that he couldn't easily trust anymore after being backstabbed twice, and worse by the people he loved. But he had to understand that it was not Aria's fault.

Pang cleared his throat to disregard the lump forming inside.

"Hey," he greeted, making Aria look up at him as he sat beside her.

"Hey." Aria smiled tiredly.

Pang put his opened book on top of her cellphone while her eyes were focused on him. He just had to keep her occupied and not let her notice that her phone was gone.

"I'm sorry about Wave last night."

"It's okay. I understand him." She sighed and went back to reading her book. Aria understood him and she wished he did the same for her.

"Even if you won't say it, I know you're hurt. Your eyes say it all."

"Is it that puffy?" she playfully asked.

Pang hummed a yes, riding with her joke. That caused a chuckle between the two of them.

"I'm fine. I should be fine. You guys went through worse." Aria might have been convincing Pang, but she was convincing herself.

"But Pang," Aria turned her body to face him, "I really want to help. I want to do what's right this time."

"You've been doing what's right. Just wait a little bit. It may take them time to see that you're genuine with your intention."

He was right, so she nodded. "Thank you."

That was one thorn picked out of her heart. Pang was right. If she showed she was genuine, they would believe her. She just had to show it.

"Any news about the virus?"

"What virus?" Both shot their head forward and upward to see a brightly smiling Sol, carrying a thick book in his arms.

"S-Sol," Aria stuttered. Her friend had no idea about the virus going on around their junior Gifted fellow. "I-It's a, umm, a uh, computer... virus."

"That's... that's right," Pang agreed with a smile, though his lips were shaking. "All our new laptops were infected. And the virus is very dangerous for the gadgets."