A Gift To the People You Love to hate

Chapter 2

The tragic death of the student had instantly transformed the school atmosphere into one of somber chaos. Police officers patrolled the halls, their presence a stark reminder of the severity of the situation. Students and faculty alike whispered in hushed, anxious tones, apprehension hanging heavy in the air.

The president of the student body approached the trio with urgency in their eyes. "Meen, Ash, Chloe, the police might want to conduct an investigation. Given that you were around the area where the incident happened, they'll likely want to speak with you."

Chloe felt panic surge through her veins. The very idea of being entangled in a police inquiry was enough to send her thoughts reeling. "No, this can't be happening," she muttered, fear seeping into each syllable. "My mom is going to be furious. She can't find out I'm even remotely involved. She'll lose her mind."

Ash, attempting to be the voice of reason, reached out to comfort her. "Chloe, calm down. You haven't done anything wrong. We aren't responsible for her death."

"But someone is!" Chloe interjected, a trembling overtaking her.

Meen offered a tentative hypothesis, trying to lighten the mood. "Who knows? Maybe it was some random health issue, a brain aneurysm or something unexpected."

"Is that even possible?" Ash inquired, his curiosity piqued despite the situation.

"Maybe it was your curse, Ash," Meen teased with a nervous chuckle. "You unleashed the almighty curse supreme without realizing it."

"I didn't curse anyone-that was your doing," Ash retorted, though the humor fell flat.

The reality of the situation was too much for Chloe; despite their banter, tears welled up and tumbled down her cheeks.

"Ash, Meen, why are you joking? This isn't funny!" Chloe cried, her voice laced with despair.

Meen's expression hardened, her patience wearing thin. "Chloe, listen to me. You haven't disappointed anyone. None of us have done anything wrong. We just need to tell the truth, and they'll see we're not involved."

"What if they don't believe us?" The fear in Chloe's eyes was palpable.

"They can't just hold us without evidence, Chloe," Ash replied, before catching himself, his attempt at reassurance doing more harm than good.

Attempting to regain control of the situation, Meen guided Chloe toward the restroom. "Chloe, you need to pull yourself together. If you're crying like this, it might make you seem guilty. Let's get you cleaned up, and try to stay calm."

Chloe had always leaned heavily on the support of her father. After his death, her world had felt hollow, and she struggled to find her footing. Over the months, the absence of his guiding hand had taken its toll on her resilience.

As Chloe composed herself, a somber voice echoed through the intercom. "Ash, Meen, Chloe from grade 12, Miss Lucia, the 7th grade English teacher, and student Lee Sung-gyun from grade 10, please make your way to the principal's office. The police would like a word with you."

The walk to the principal's office was silent, each step heavy with the weight of the untold story that had led to this moment. Chloe did her best to stop her tears, with Meen and Ash at her sides, uncertainty casting a shadow over their path.

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Vector, the lead investigator, sat them down in an orderly manner, his gaze firm and inquiring as he asked for their accounts of the incident.

Ash gathered his thoughts before speaking, the severity of the moment making his voice firm. "I have no idea what caused her to fall. She crashed into me earlier and almost made me drop my laptop. Instead of apologizing, she just told me off aggressively and walked away. It wasn't until we all heard her drop that we saw her lying on the ground and knew something was really wrong."