Getting It Straight

12th ♀

12th ♀

I got locked out.

I got us locked out. This sounded worst. But even with the odds that the door wouldn't bulge from outside the school premises, I kept myself calm. KN surely owned a key if he was constantly hanging around this place.

He must.

Across the trees, a little way from the school building, was a lake, hidden from view by the huge trees surrounding the place. The sun was still high in the sky, and the wind was calm around here. It was serene. But I hadn't appreciated any of the tranquility of the place as my worries of getting stuck here reiterated in my mind instead.

When I walked away from the closed door, I spotted KN sitting on a huge rock with his legs tucked under him.

Keys! There was the key!

And was he meditating? Was this his secret why he had that evergreen scent? Being one with the woods?

Without further ado, I approached him. As I was getting near, I realized that he wasn't meditating. He was actually moving, particularly his hands. Below him was a set of tubes, like the ones used for oil paintings. There were also brushes of different kinds, several other cans I couldn't make out, palettes, and other things used for painting. So clearly, he was busy painting something.

And with the sight, two words resounded in my head. Masked guy. Masked guy. Masked guy!

In this forest, barely lighted by the sun's rays filtered through the branches of trees above my head, did I unravel a mystery? Did I discover one of Corner Stone's deepest secrets? Was the masked guy that they were all searching for was the same person everyone had readily labeled as a serial killer?

This was so exciting.

Out of the three that Grayson had named, I'd decided to suspect KN. The words inscribed behind the masked guy's painting were likely from him; they were blunt, without consideration, and not in the slightest way polite.

Okay, so maybe he did save me by not putting the sketch of Fiona's face. The masked guy clearly sketched my face at Channing's party. Well, I had to thank him for that. But the most important thing right now—I had to make him swear to secrecy, whichever way I'd do that.

So masked guy was likely KN.

Although the thing was, I was now locked out with him, and it would only be a matter of time before he'd find out what I'd done.

No branch stuck in between the hinge. Close door. Nowhere to go. All right, he'd surely get that picture in a moment or two.

And seriously, no matter whose son he might be, he couldn't possibly have a set of keys with him. If he happened to have one, he wouldn't purposely stick out a branch in between the door's hinge. He'd just use the said key. And the fences around this place were at least three meters high, making any effort of climbing atop senseless.

Yes, we were both stuck out here. So the first word that would come out of my mouth right now would really make a difference.

'Hi, KN! Haven't seen you since this morning.'

Nope, not like that. I shouldn't probably greet him that way. It was too suspicious and definitely easy to hate. I reminded myself who Mr. Cosgrove was, what he was made of, and the state of his completely disoriented personality.

He was one fine hater, so I should minimize the effect that his cynic mind could conceive. And really, when did we ever get that cozy with each other?