The Girl In Mask

Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Arrival

I arrived at school early to assist my classmates in preparation and to distribute the garments that were to be worn for the day. The attire was received yesterday and the designs provided by Charmaine were commendable. I proceeded to the classroom right away upon disembarking from my vehicle and was pleased to see that everything had been organized. Upon noticing the Class President at the back, I approached her and presented her with the clothes that I had carried along.

“Here are the garments,” I expressed as I tendered the box, the weight of which was not at all burdensome. The President deposited it on the table and uncovered it, selecting a dress to inspect its design.

“Wow, it’s lovely!” She exclaimed in amazement. I shared her sentiments; Charmaine had done an excellent job in producing the clothes. Having scrutinized the girl’s outfits, she proceeded to review the boys’ counterparts, thereafter summoning the others and distributing the garments designated for their wear.

All the students had finished changing their clothes. I politely excused myself from the Class President to go to the restroom to change. Once I had changed, I returned to the classroom and noticed that there were quite a few customers. Immediately, I sprang into action and assisted customers along with Alex. I even went the extra mile of assisting two customers at their table. In the kitchen, I informed the cook about the customer’s order and realized August and his friends were there, but I hadn’t seen them earlier as they were the ones assigned to cook. After an hour of hard work and receiving customer orders, it was my break time. Feeling exhausted, I changed my clothes and decided to check out the other booths. While strolling, I stumbled upon Storm. I was surprised to see him here, but I approached him, and he smiled when he saw me.

“May I ask why your presence is here, and if it is, in fact, related to Jace?” I inquired. The gentleman appeared disheartened by my question. I wondered why he had made his way to this particular location, as I had previously instructed Jace to closely monitor Storm’s whereabouts.

“I want to see you, and Jace is conversing with a young woman,” He explained. My gaze shifted towards Jace, who seemed more preoccupied with his attempts at charming women than keeping a watchful eye on Storm. I released a deep sigh, feeling helpless in this situation.

“Bring me to Jace, please,” I requested. He obligingly followed my command and escorted me to Jace’s location, where I witnessed him engaging in a flirtatious exchange with a woman at a kissing booth. Despite my efforts to alert him of our arrival, Jace failed to recognize our presence and continued with his flirtatious endeavors. It wasn’t until I gave him a firm strike that he realized our presence.

“Ouch!” Jace grunted as he turned towards the source of his pain. Upon glimpsing myself and Storm, his demeanor suddenly shifted.

“K-Kaia…” He stuttered, clearly taken aback. I glared at him, frustrated that he had allowed Storm to wander off so easily.

“You should not be leaving Storm unattended,” I chided him sternly. He is unfamiliar with these surroundings, and it is unwise to underestimate the danger he may encounter. I sighed heavily, realizing that this wouldn’t be the last time I’d face issues with these two.

“Jace, what are you doing?” I asked assertively, with a cheeky grin on my face. He swallowed, but I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t believe how easily intimidated he was, it was like I was dealing with a child. I couldn’t help but worry about the others seeing him like this, it would raise my blood pressure to unrealistic levels.

“N-Nothing.” He said hesitantly, his voice trembling with concern. I could sense Storm’s laughter from behind me, so I gave him a sharp look, he stopped laughing, and I quickly redirected my gaze back to Jace.

“That’s not what I asked you to do, Jace. Your job was to keep an eye on Storm, not to go around flirting with women,” I stated firmly.

“Sorry, my bad,” He apologized. I had only invited them to our booth for a meal while there was still time. When we arrived, we were efficiently assisted. As for the food, I only ordered a salad, I had no idea what the others had in mind.

“When will our friends return to the Philippines?” Jace inquired, his words caused me to experience a moment of discomfort as Storm looked on. Despite my reluctance to consider their return, Jace persisted in questioning me.

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask my mom,” I responded with a sigh and returned my focus to eating. While doing so, I noticed Alex’s gaze in our direction, and when our eyes met, he quickly averted his. I rolled my eyes at his behavior before leaning back and waiting patiently for Jace and Storm to finish their meals. Abruptly, I heard my name being called and saw that the Class President was seeking me out. I politely excused myself and made my way to her.

“Why class president?” I asked as I walked up to her.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to you. Without your help, our booth would not have been successful today, and in the coming days,” She expressed with thankfulness on her face, causing me to smile. Although it was the first day, the festival already had a massive turnout, and I was confident that more students would attend over the next three days. She politely excused herself as she had other responsibilities to attend to, leaving me to rejoin my two friends. As we strolled among the crowd, I noticed many eyes were on us, specifically on my two friends, but I paid them no attention.

“It’s tough being with two attractive guys,” I thought to myself, shaking my head at the girls who couldn’t seem to look away.

As my two companions stood nearby, I paused at the milk tea booth to indulge in a matcha milk tea. A frivolous chuckle escaped me as I observed several young ladies accosting my friends. Their reactions were justifiably uncertain, considering the attention they were garnering from an increasing number of women, rendering them somewhat speechless. After acquiring my beverage, I proceeded to contact them, though hesitant to interfere with the situation at hand, my apprehension grew as I perceived their apparent distress.

“The overtures of these women are rather alarming,” Jace exclaimed, his voice quavering with trepidation. Storm, as well, appeared shell-shocked and in dire straits. My sympathies compelled me to approach him, whereupon he looked up at me.

“Are you okay?” I inquired about his well-being, to which he responded affirmatively. We proceeded together until the sight of the booths prompted us to call it a day. They kindly accompanied me to retrieve my belongings from the classroom, and after I bid my classmates farewell, I noticed August’s group gazing at me; despite their attention, I disregarded them and left the room.

We made our way to the parking lot, where Jace offered to give Storm a ride. As for me, I started my car and drove off, confident that Jace would follow. Upon reaching the gate, I signaled for it to be opened by honking, and once it was, I resumed driving until I reached my destination. Jace had parked next to me, and while I relieved my aching feet on the couch, they entered and proceeded to join me; Storm opted to watch the sports channel.

“Shall we place an order for a pizza?” Jace inquired. Perhaps he has a voracious appetite, for he seems to get hungry easily. Storm seemed agreeable, indicating to me that they too must have a mighty hunger to satiate. Upon noticing my lack of response, they both focused their attention on me and after releasing an exasperated sigh, I relented.

“Very well,” I conceded.

“But ensure that you finish it.” Once the order was placed, I proceeded to my quarters to take a brief shower. While lathering, the realization dawned on me that an entire week had elapsed, and I had received no intel concerning my friends’ arrival in the Philippines. What befell them? I shall attempt to reach out to them later to inquire about their welfare. Upon the doorbell’s chime, I descended the staircase to find Jace assuming the responsibility of answering the door. As they spoke to the delivery person, I settled next to Storm and discerned their channel preference to be a sports network.

“Would it be possible to change the channel?” I politely requested Storm, he acknowledged me before proceeding to switch to a new channel. Upon noticing that horror was now playing, I couldn’t help but let out a smile. Although the show wasn’t particularly frightening, my attention was diverted by the individual sitting next to me who appeared to be on the verge of urinating due to fear. His intimidating exterior greatly contrasted with his obvious phobia of ghosts. Nevertheless, I continued to watch the program, stifling my laughter at Storm’s expense. As I spotted Jace approaching us, pizza in tow.

“Might either of you care for some juice?” I asked.

“Sure.”  In unison, they affirmed the offer. With that, I ventured to the kitchen to retrieve the refreshment, mindful that consuming meals without a beverage could potentially result in choking. After gathering the juice and returning to the living room, I took my place beside Storm once more.

“What’s wrong with him? He looks like he’s about to faint,” Jace asked as I showed him what we were watching. He laughed, but Storm is always the one who gets scared of ghosts, so our friends prank him often. I shrugged and continued eating my pizza while watching the movie, which wasn’t terrifying, except for the nun’s appearance. After the movie, Jace turned off the TV and said goodnight. I went to my room, washed my face and brushed my teeth.

We are presently situated at Tokyo International Airport, anticipating our flight to the Philippines. It is correct that we are returning to the Philippines in order to surprise Kaia. For this reason, I have instructed my acquaintances not to apprise Kaia of our scheme, while Storm has been advised and will be there to receive us upon our arrival. We rose from our seats as soon as we were summoned to queue and promptly took our seats when we had located them.

“Is Aunt Zaylee aware that our flight is today?” Jacob asked. I shook my head because I’m certain that if I tell Aunt Zaylee that our flight is today, she will tell that to Kaia, so no.

“But Uncle Dimitri knows that our flight is today,” I replied.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign, and you may now move around the cabin. However, we always recommend to keep your seat belt fastened while you’re seated. In a few moments, the flight attendants will be passing around the cabin to offer you hot or cold drinks, as well as breakfast. Alcoholic drinks are also available at a nominal charge with our compliments. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. Thank you.” One of the flight attendants said.

I occupied myself by reading the book that I had brought along in order to pass the time. While I was engrossed in my book, I noticed that my companions were either engaged in conversation or other activities to fend off boredom. However, I was oblivious to my surroundings and eventually fell asleep. I was woken up by the gentle shake of Jacob, who alerted me to the presence of the stewardess. She approached me with a warm smile and offered me the option of selecting my preferred dish. Upon her recommendation, I made my selection and expressed my gratitude as she departed. After relishing my meal, I resumed reading the aforementioned book.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Local time is 10:30 a.m. and the temperature is 31° c. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that is safe for you to move around. Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight. If you require deplaning assistance, please remain in your seat until all the other passengers have deplaned. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you.”

After collecting our belongings, we promptly disembarked the aircraft and expressed elation regarding our return. Shortly thereafter, we exited the airport and spotted Storm in the company of Uncle Dimitri, prompting us to approach them.

“Welcome back to you all.” Uncle Dimitri cordially welcomed us back, and we reciprocated the gesture with smiles. Despite the increased headcount, we resolved for the remaining members to board Storm’s car while Jacob and I joined Uncle Dimitri in his vehicle. Being averse to the rear compartment, I elected to occupy the front passenger seat.

“How is Kaia faring?” I inquired of him as he assumed the driver’s position. Uncle Dimitri beamed in response to my query.

“She remains the same,” He confirmed, prompting me to smile. It appeared that Kaia’s aloof demeanor had persisted unchanged. As we lapsed into a mutually comfortable silence, I gazed out of the window, taking note of the numerous new additions in the area. I found myself grateful that we had decided to return to this locale. After our arrival at headquarters, Uncle Dimitri bade us adieu, expressing his intention to proceed elsewhere. When Storm’s car arrived, we entered the premises.

“What do you suggest we do now?” Elaina queried as she strode towards the couch. In the interim, the gentlemen proceeded upstairs to arrange our belongings. I merely shrugged in reply.

“I would like to inform you that Uncle Dimitri has already enrolled us in Kaia’s school,” I stated before taking a seat due to the discomfort in my feet. Once the two individuals arrived, I requested that Storm place an order for our meals, as my stomach was rumbling. During the wait for the food, we engaged in conversation. I also inquired about Storm’s journey to this location, as he was unable to resist accompanying Kaia and was granted permission to depart first. Storm briefly excused himself when the doorbell sounded and returned carrying three pizza boxes.