A Song For You

𝑶𝑵𝑬.

Rory stares blankly at the tape player, her heart pounding in her chest.

Just what exactly did she just hear?

She had pressed the tape on pause but the sound of Collin's voice still echoes in her ears.

His voice is so full of life and energy – it's hard to believe that he is gone.

Rory takes a deep breath and tries to compose herself.

"Relax," she whispers shakily. "It's just a tape."

But Rory knows well that it is not just a tape.

It's a message from Collin. A letter. Something that Rory could not ignore.

Despite herself, Rory brings herself to press play again.

"Rory! It's me, Collin!" Collin's voice begins to fill the room once again and Rory couldn't help but smile.

She misses his cheeky laugh, his silly smile, and the way he holds her.

She misses all of him.

"If you're listening to this, I guess Clinton gave you the first tape already," Collin says. His tone is much serious now and Rory feels a knot of tension in her stomach.

"I have something for you," Collin continues. "Let's play a game. If you can find all the tapes, you'll get your present."

Rory eyes widens.

A game?

What kind of game?

"It's a scavenger hunt," As if listening to her thoughts, Collin's voice comes forth from the speakers again. "Each tape will have a clue that will lead you the next one. The last tape will have your present."

Rory's heart begins to pound from excitement.

"Your first clue is 'seventh period'. Good luck, baby, and have fun!'

The recording comes to an end, leaving Rory alone with her thoughts. She couldn't believe that Collin had left her a scavenger hunt.

Rory smiles to herself.

"Such a Collin move," she says as she looks over to the clock at the wall.

Seventh period, she echoes in her head.

Rory knows exactly where to go.

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MAY, 2017

The piercing ring of the sixth-period bell reverberated through the classroom, eliciting a collective sigh of relieve from the students, signalling the end of their torturous Additional Maths class session.

Mr Yong, their determined math teacher, halted his marker's dance across the whiteboard and turned to face the class.

"Homework on page 67!" he declared, his voice booming in the room. A chorus of synchronized groans echoed through the air.

"Remember to hand it in by Friday," he added, swiftly packing his belongings.

"Class Monitor!" Mr Yong called and Rory who was all hunched up in her seat writing to-do lists in her journal looked up, meeting his gaze.

"Please remind me to bring the equipment for our upcoming calculus lessons next week," Mr Yong requested, a warm smile gracing his lips. Rory nodded dutifully.