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THIRTY-ONE
face value
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The first day after winter break isn't as hectic as most students assume it to be. We were being handed out new schedules ( since we were about a month away from Senior School Cert exams ) and there was an ongoing race --- to be the valedictorian and graduate high school with pride. But inside, I knew, nobody other than Audrey deserved that position better.
Halfway through Anatomy, the iPhone lying in my denim pocket buzzes, causing me to shift in my seat uncomfortably. Mrs. Griffin was way too focused in explaining the functions of the human heart to even notice me not following her words.
I needed to peek a glance, at least to know who's the caller. You see, I have this anxiety setting in already and just one look at the screen could help a lot.
And so I did.
The caller ID displays Jae-Hwa's name and I knit my eyebrows together, something somewhere : probably my sixth sense, telling me that there was trouble.
But before I could even respond to the call, Mrs. Griffin bangs her fist on the table in front of me and I flinch, my already terrified heart racing thirty miles a second.
"Y-yes, Mrs. Griffin?" I gulp down my saliva, standing up. No other teacher in Winston Preparatory had the level of strictness that Mrs. Griffin had and I was no exception to her punishments.
She was looking at me with a scowl, clearly annoyed with my audacity to check my phone during her Anatomy class.
"So Miss Vanessa Davenport, I suppose you have become rich enough to get through Senior School Cert without studying eh?" She mocks me with her heavily accented Mexican tone and heaves in irritation.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Griffin! I was just ---"
She lifts up her hand to stop me from speaking and I look down at the floor, fiddling with my fingers.
"Consider this as your last warning." She states with a stern undertone and maybe, just maybe, the bell rings for Gym Class to save me.
I almost rush out, pushing through the crowd of students in the corridors, couples leaning against lockers and the Juniors walking in a queue towards the Auditorium. There was probably a Ballet Dance today, which meant Iris couldn't be within our reach.
Jae-Hwa and Stefan were standing with books in their hands and frowns in their faces when I walked up to them outside the Gym. We were early and people hadn't yet started filling in.
"Do you have any idea what I was about to land into? I was having Anatomy with Mrs. Griffin when you called!" I sigh, downing some sips of water from the steel flask.
"I'm sorry Vanessa but this is important. Remember yesterday when we talked about someone violating the rules? I guess we know who it is!" Jae-Hwa says, visibly tensed.
"Wait, this isn't the place where we could discuss things like this. If the walls have ears, they can talk as well." Stefan says, pulling us both by our hands inside the gym and in some minutes we were near the backdoor, the emergency exit.
I pause for a breath and then meet Jae-Hwa's toffee brown eyes. There was panic in them, unlike the usual cool demeanor. And that, made me scared.
"Who is it Jae?" I ask, looking up at Stefan's stony expression and then back at my best friend who is nibbling her lower lips --- a habit of her being nervous that I know from being with her for years.
"The person I call my arch-rival." Jae-Hwa sighs, tucking a strand of rose-gold behind her ears.
"Hannah? H--how is that even possible?" I ask, frowning. Even though I had kind of a bad history with her, I could not come to terms with this. What would Hannah benefit from hurting my brother?
"Turns out she has been sneaking around at the CCTV control room and we got a glimpse of her messing with the footages, perhaps." Stefan says, shrugging.
"And what were y'all doing there? Trying to be sleuths?"
This comes from Audrey who had silently joined the conversation. She was standing with hands on her hips and a heavily confused expression.
"Ha! We were just passing by when we saw Hannah enter the control room and I wonder why the security people have no clue about random students entering and leaving." Stefan mocks and Audrey snorts in response.
"Winston Preparatory is a whole mass of hypocrites." She says, picking at her nails.
"But wait, I can't understand why would she have anything to do with my brother playing soccer? I mean it makes no sense ---" I exhale sharply.
"Maybe we are just looking at the facevalue. There might be so much more dirt to dig out. We ain't even sure if Hannah's the only one doing it." Jae-Hwa points out and I nod.
"Well, what about the guy whom Ian and you saw in the footage clips?" Audrey asks, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"I still can't think about who it might be. But one thing is certain --- it's a boy. At least his physique indicates so." I state.
The Coach's whistle sounds and we had to break our conversation, only to join a silly game of throw-ball. The reason I see it as silly is the fact that all you need to do is get bored and use nothing but your hands.
About thirty minutes later, I was in the girls locker room --- changing out of my gym clothes when I hear Hannah Jenkins leaning against the wall, whisper-talking to someone on the phone.
The extremely unbothered me wouldn't have cared to listen but today, there was something to pay attention to. And all I heard was : I couldn't find the clips, how could I even delete them? ---- Hey wait a minute, are you saying Ian might know?
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A/N : I know I am just too late and I have a messed up posting schedule. But trust me, life's taking a toll on me lately! I hope this chapter can make up for the lost time and um, please don't give up on the book! Y'all mean the world to me, tbh. I am trying my best to get better! Take care angels!
