Saint Paul High Misfit

They Met

CHAPTER 5: They Met

It’s eleven in the morning. Gale covered her face with a book as she let out a yawn. The class discussions in Saint Paul are extraordinary. Extraordinarily boring, that is. The teachers only read and explained the lessons and did not engage with the listeners. Consequently, the students did not participate or ask questions; they only focused on jotting down notes like it was programmed for them to do.

Gale expected the school to be old-fashioned and outdated, but the reality is far from that. They have televisions, gadgets, the internet, and other technologies, but they are only accessible to the teaching staff and nuns. In addition, the textbooks are new and the latest.

‘This school is even more advanced than some schools outside.’ Gale thought as she looked around.

‘Where do they get these things?’ Gale pondered. She wonders if there are some powerful government officials funding the school. How else would they get these supplies? More than that, one question occupied her mind.

‘Instead of improving their buildings and food, why did they buy gadgets?'

As Gale’s mind wandered, time moved fast, and it was time for lunch. Gale remembered her experience during breakfast. Her face contorted and felt her stomach turn upside down. She had no appetite and in no condition to eat foods she deemed disgusting.

While all the students went to their respective dining areas, Gale sneakily went to the only place where there was not a single person lurking around—the place near the bell tower.

Gale was unsure if it was forbidden or not to step in that area, but ever since she entered Saint Paul, she had been filled with curiosity towards the tall, cordoned bell tower.

Dry leaves crunched underneath her feet. The area of the bell tower is on the far-left side of the church, facing south-west. It is the only place where sunshine can seep through well as there are no mountains and trees in that direction.

The rays splendidly illuminated the huge silver bell on top of the bell tower, reflecting it, giving it a nice shine.

“Just on this side, it doesn’t look like this place is miserable.” Gale was amazed by how the sunshine looked. For the first time in her life, she had come to appreciate the sun.

“Wow, you must really dislike this place.” A male voice spoke behind Gale, close enough for her to feel the warm breath of the man.

Gale quickly stepped forward and aggressively faced the owner of the voice. Due to her astonishment at the sun ray and the bell, she failed to notice that someone came alongside her.

“You must have liked the sight as you did not hear my footsteps. That is going to put you in danger, miss.” The man who was leaning slightly forward straightened up and playfully spoke.

The young man is wearing the same uniform as the other male students, only wearing a different tie clip—indicating that he is in 12th level. He stands tall and lean. With brown hair and brown eyes, thick eyebrows, droopy eyes, a tall nose, and thin lips. His long, wavy hair is messy, but it only added to his charm.

“I might attack you if you stare at me like that,” he said while waving his hand in front of Gale.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” asked Gale, taking a defensive stance.

“Relax. I’m a friendly, nice neighborhood guy. I’m Liam, and you must be the new girl everyone is talking about.” His demeanor is indeed friendly, but Gale is still wary.

‘Maybe I’m just being overly suspicious about everything?' Gale thought, but she immediately rejected that idea. ‘No, no. This guy just told me he’d attack me a moment ago.’

“Yes. I’m Gale, the new girl. What are you doing here?” Gale relaxed her body and regained her composure.

“That’s not important,” answered Liam which made Gale raise her eyebrow. Liam started to walk around. “Do you want to know why students don’t come here?”

“Why? Are you a member of the gang who claimed this place as your territory?” Gale followed Liam. Her eyes were on the back of the guy ahead of her.

Liam laughed and sat down on the grassy part of the area where one can clearly see most of the bell when they look up. “You’re funny.”

Gale halted and stood on the right side of Liam and stayed quiet, admiring the view once again.

“I’ll tell you the story. Come, sit.” Liam gestured to Gale. When she refused to budge, he yanked her arm, but she quickly resisted. Liam stopped and looked at her in confusion. “Why won’t you sit?”

“It’s dirty.” Gale gave a straightforward answer and retrieved her hand from Liam. She dusted the cloth covering the part of her arm that Liam touched.

Liam’s face was stunned. Then his face lit up, full of amusement. “I should be annoyed but that attitude suits your face really well that I can’t complain.”

Gale glared at him, not understanding what he meant, but somehow, it made her mad.

Suddenly, Liam took off his coat and placed it on the ground next to him. “Sit here, please, senorita,” he said, playfully.

Gale was shocked at his gesture, but she was used to people compromising for her, so this was nothing new. She sat down but didn’t let any part of her body touch the ground. ‘This guy is not bad.’

Liam stared at her every move and coughed. Gale looked at him.

“People say this tower is haunted. Not only this tower but other parts of the church, too. There are various stories about this place. The most popular is that one of the female students got pregnant. Nobody knows who the father was. You know how strict the rules of this school are, right? They locked the girl up as her punishment. Nobody knew how they punished her but there were screams coming from the tower, screams of the girl in agony and desperation. Nobody could do anything, they just listened and quietly sympathized. Until came the day when the girl quieted down. She was dead then. Nobody knew how she died, what happened after she died, and what happened to the baby. But ever since that day, some claim they still hear her screams and cries, and some say they see her soul wandering around asking for help when they get close to this building.”

Gale paid attention to the story. “That is sad. If that was true, then this school is not holy after all.”

Liam chuckled. “That is only one of the stories. There is also something about a whole class committing suicide inside the tower, the priests who died, and other paranormal stories that I don’t believe in, as I do not believe in ghosts. Do you?”

“No,” Gale answered.

“And no. This place is far from being holy.”

There were some undertones in Liam’s statement. Gale barely stopped herself from asking why he could say that. Although Liam says weird things sometimes, Gale wanted to talk to him. Maybe because Gale is itching for normal conversations or because Liam is just… something else.

The two talked until it was time for classes to resume. Gale left first.

After a few moments, Liam picked up his coat and stood up. He looked at where Gale had disappeared and smirked. He headed somewhere, not to the campus but somewhere he had escaped from.

Unbeknownst to Gale, she had just met Liam Gray. The man who Miss Bennett feared she would meet early.

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