DAYMARE 16: Spy Alliance part 2

“Yup. I asked them multiple times about the deaths of their brother and sister, but I ticked them off. Now, they hated me for being Hestral’s ex-schoolmate. That’s how much they loathe Hestral.”

“I see. Try being friends with them again. Act like the usual you without raising suspicions or judgment in them. Be there for them like a true friend. Don’t rush them too much to share their thoughts and feelings with you about the death of their siblings. Make them feel you were concerned, who want to be a good support for them. Then get into their hearts and heads. Make them confess of their crimes and determine their motives for killing Hestral.”

Good. I now have a mission that must be fulfilled. This is going to be challenging, and I hope my hard work will pay off.

The next morning, I came to school early, way earlier than anyone else.

I figured if I was going to investigate everything about Hestral’s death, I might as well start with Lorean and Vance.

Not sure I trust Jethro completely, but without him, I’ve got nothing to start with. He’s Hestral’s best friend, and he’s my lead to dig deeper on this case.

*yawn*

The room was quiet, cold, and a little dim. Perfect for killing time.

I pulled out my Rubik’s Cube, a square toy puzzle. This toy is popular at Clairene. Might as well make it a trend here, too.

Music is played from my tablet, but I didn’t have my earphones with me because I tossed them away before my mother and I encountered a deadly accident.

Since no one’s here except me, I can play the music on the speakers.

I messed with the cube and solved it more than 10 times.

“Tch.” I got bored and dropped the scrambled cube on my desk.

I started scrolling through the CURIOSITY KILLS online story.

The author had updated, but seriously, only three sentences?

What a joke. My tablet battery was nearly dead anyway.

*tsskkk*

The sound stunned me when I heard a faint snap, like a twig breaking. I shoved the tablet into my bag and glanced up. No one’s here.

Then another noise came, which is more audible.

“Hey, who’s there? If you’re coming in, just come in.” I talked to someone who-knows-who

Silence filled the classroom until I heard a girl crying softly.

Every muscle in me tensed.

I stepped toward the door, but from the angle I could see, there was nothing outside the classroom.

Is this some horror-movie crap?

I muttered a curse and turned back when my eyes landed on the Rubik’s Cube on my desk.

It was moving. Not sliding across the desk, but it is turning itself. Click-click-click, spinning, and snapping into place, faster and faster.

I stood frozen with goosebumps all over my body.

The cube is scrambling itself!

It stopped. It solved the 6 colors themselves.

On the white side of the cube, written in what looked like fresh, wet blood, were three English words. There were three blood-written words. I stepped forward to my desk to read it.

CRY

LAY

DIE

My brain was screaming, “This is Impossible.” But I saw it with my own two conscious and fully awake eyes. I could feel my chest tightening.

I yanked my bag from the chair and ran towards the door.

I’m outta here!

“Where are you going?” someone called out as I nearly bumped into them.

I didn’t bother answering and just kept running straight into the dim, echoing hallway.

Halfway down, a male teacher stepped right into my path.

“Oh, Lewin, you’re early, ah. By the way, can you-”

“Sorry!” I cut him off and shot past.

“Mr. Truvel, no running inside the school!” his voice chased me, but I didn’t care.

I needed to get out, now!

*bump*

“Watch where you’re going!” It was Lorean.

Her annoyed expression froze for a split second when she recognized it was me who bumped into her.

She adjusted her crooked uniform I had made after bumping her shoulder. She didn’t say another word and walked away like I wasn’t even there.

I shrugged her off and didn’t look back.

The school’s security guard blocked me from my escape.

“Sir, I left something at home. Let me out, please.” I lied and begged. I still have 30 minutes before the class starts, so I lied that I could still retrieve my stuff I left then go back to school, so the guard let me out.

Walking home felt safer than staying in that classroom, watching my cube solve itself with a death threat at hand.

I should pretend today that it didn’t happen… even for a while.

Vea asked why I was home early, but I didn’t answer. She leaves the house a little later than us, three. This is the last day of her work offset, that’s why she’s here the whole day at home.

“I’ll tell Mom you’re ditching your class!” she threatened me. “You’re not even sick.” She checked if I had a fever, but no.

I went straight to my bedroom. I crashed my bed and will sleep straight from morning to afternoon.

“Wake up! You have visitors,” Vea’s voice dragged me out of deep sleep. “People are flocking to you lately. You’ve become popular. Glad you’re getting used to living here, but you’re still ditching classes!”

Sir Johace? Mr. Sergio? Or Jethro?

I went down hastily because I felt excited. What could it be?

But I was left in a daze because it was Lorean and Vance.

They were sitting on our sofa in the living area. They still wear their uniforms. I checked the time. The class should have ended an hour ago.

“What?” I asked in a bored tone.

I remained, standing, staring at them.

“Uh…” Vance started. “Ma’am handed me our homework and group project. She marked you absent for today, but she insisted that you do advanced reading if you can, so you could catch up before the second grading period comes up. We were worried about you. Lorean said you came in, then you suddenly ran off.”

Yeah, right. Like we’re close enough for you to care about my school attendance.

I snatched the papers from his hand. Homework that I had zero plans of doing.

“Anything else?” Because if none, feel free to get out of my house.

They both stood. I turned to head upstairs when-

“Lewin…” she uttered my name. “With everything we’ve done to you before, especially me… I hope you’ll forget that.”

I didn’t even look at her. Just waited for the sound of the door closing.

That’s it? Not even an apology.

*doorbell rings*

The doorbell rang just as I was about to go upstairs.

Now, what? Did the two forget something?

I opened the gate just enough to see a guy. He has a blue rectangular edgy eyeglass, a blue cap, is taller than me, and is carrying a bag. I’ve never seen his face yet.

“What is it?” I asked.

“My father is giving this to you.” He handed me a medium-sized bag.

Before I could even ask who his father was, he turned and walked away. Weird dude out there.

I went back inside, put the warm bag he gave me on the table. The aroma of the bag hit me.

“Oh, Winwin. Who was that?” my older sister called from the kitchen.

“No idea,” I answered.

“Don’t talk to strangers,” she snapped.

“He gave me a bag with food. Hard to say no.”

“What did he look like?”

“Hmm… taller than me, a bit tanned, wears a blue cap and blue eyeglasses.”

“That’s Sir Remy’s son.”

“Huh? Son of who?” I don’t even know Remy has a son.

“He’s a fine young local guy.” Her eyes lit.

“You’re gross.” I grimaced.

“Not like that. I don’t like him at all, he’s just handsome and cool,” she smirked, but I could tell she was seriously admiring that dude.

“Who is he?” I asked.

I’d never seen him before. No clue why Vea knew him.

“He’s Riegel.”