I stand beside my small wooden desk, bored, and survey the scene around me. Classroom 7A reflects the plainness shown on the outside of the school. Solid white walls wall us off from the outside, muffling the deafening noise from the streets of Hong Kong. Unblemished and blank, they are slightly cleaner than the outer walls of Mystico High, but boring all the same. A single blackboard is perched on the front of the classroom, showing the current date written in chalk: 7th November, 2030. In front of the blackboard is a large plastic desk - the teacher's desk. Directly above the desk is a CCTV, to guard the teacher's possessions against being stolen.
RIING! The school bell chimes, signalling the end of our short recess. I sigh and plop into my seat, labeled with my name: Miss Alex Chan. We have a maths test now, and I forgot to study. Looking around me, I see that the two class monitors, Selene and Ansel, have buried their heads in their palms, trying not to cry, and the rest are frantically asking their friends if this test counts on their report card. I'm guessing they didn't study either. Idiots. It is what it is. You forget something, you bear the consequences. No use in crying over it now. Although it's entirely beyond me how the whole class managed to forget to study. That seems to be happening a lot lately. Our whole class seems unusually forgetful this year.
Our teacher, a man with a sturdy build and bulging muscles, strides into the classroom and introduces himself as Mr. Lee. I squint and frown. Strange - why don't I remember him? I don't recall the school introducing any new teachers this year. And why don't I remember my old teacher? Has my memory gone haywire? Mr. Lee starts handing out our maths papers with a smirk, probably enjoying the panicked looks on our faces. Lianna, my youngest identical triplet sister, leans forward, the corners of her mouth lifting slyly. Her straight black hair frames her face, and her dark Asian eyes glint as she speaks in Daniela's and my mind. That's a rare trait between us that we possess. Daniela, I know you're going to cheat again using those coding superpowers, she sighs. I can read your intentions like an open book. You're going to hack into the CCTV above the teacher's desk to copy the answer sheet on the desk.
Daniela, the second oldest out of us triplets, starts in her seat. What do you mean? I'm not going to do anything. I'm not even good at hacking. Lianna and I both know that's a lie - both of us had never doubted how talented Daniela was with computers since she hacked into Mom's online bank account when she was 7. No one except us three had even realized what Daniela had done - Lianna and I only knew because Daniela had used the money she 'borrowed' from Mom to buy us lollipops.
I heave a sigh and join in the mental conversation. Daniela, I can sense you holding a cuboid-shaped lump of lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and bromine in your hand, under your desk. If that's not a cell phone, I don't know what that is. Cell phones are banned in class. It's not hard to guess what you're planning to do, given your favourite thing to do is hack into devices. Besides, you keep glancing at the CCTV above the teacher's desk. I've never read a single book about poison, yet I've always been able to sense poisonous materials and know everything about them. I don't know why, and I don't care why either. As long as my ability doesn't fail me and helps me stop my triplet sisters from doing anything rash, I'm content.
When I was little I used to run around discovering poisons hidden everywhere, and enjoying the little voice in my head that told me all about the poison I was nearing. For example, if I neared a cube of lead, it would whisper, Lead. Poisonous when breathed in through eyes, nose and mouth. Lead poisoning cannot be reversed and is sometimes fatal. After learning about lead when I was six, I made it my job to keep Daniela and Lianna away from any lead dust or anything containing lead; I didn't want them breathing in anything harmful.
Lianna cuts in. Daniela, we know you. The hem of your school uniform is worn and wet, indicating how much you've played with the hem today and showing that your palms are sweaty. That only happens when you're nervous. You're wearing your favourite sparkly headband today for luck (and it DOES NOT MATCH with your uniform, by the way), which means you planned to do something big and risky today, like cheating on a test. And you're fidgeting so much that even an idiot can guess that something's up. Lianna has always been unusually perceptive. Her hawk-eyed gaze doesn't miss anything. Her mind deduces everything she sees with perfect accuracy - from the colours different people prefer, to the relationships and antagonisms between different teachers. Now, as usual, Lianna grins smugly as she waits for Daniela to confirm her suspicions.
How did you- fine, all right, Daniela huffs. You're right. You're always right. Please don't tell. I'll do anything. Just don't tell anyone.
Lianna looks at me, then back to Daniela. Oh, we won't tell, Lianna says mentally around her evil grin. We're sisters. Sisters help each other. Besides, if you want the more accurate answer, I was planning on cheating too.
Daniela crosses her arms. So you called me out just to watch me squirm?
Lianna's eyebrows lift up. Well - duh.
You-
We'll help you. Won't we, my dear sister Alex?
I shake my head and pinch my nose, exasperated. On the first day of school, I promised Mom that I would take care of you two and keep you away from trouble. However... I let one corner of my mouth quirk up. Since you guys are set on doing this, I suppose the only way to keep you from getting in trouble... I raise one eyebrow and look from Lianna to Daniela. Is to help you with this, so you don't get found out. I break into a beatific grin and pop a piece of gum from my backpack into my mouth, the gears in my mind already turning at full speed. I'm guessing you don't even have a plan yet, I say thoughtfully as I chew. Seriously, guys, haven't I taught you the importance of having a plan before acting?
A glance at Lianna shows her smirking like a Cheshire cat. Alex, you already have a plan in mind.
True. My sisters know me too well.
Daniela smiles. Just tell us what to do, Alex. Don't keep us waiting.
Gladly.
