Masquerades

Chapter 03

The moment Cali arrived at school, Wednesday morning, she knew something big is going to happen. After her scandalous rejection to William's 'invite,' she had been the talk of the campus and the subject of everyone's calculative gazes for the rest of the day.

She called her cousin right after she got back home yesterday, and told him that someone will probably start digging some information about her. Callum didn't see this as a problem of course, he already hired an IT expert back when she enrolled in Xian who made sure her identity stayed hidden. But this didn't stop him from reprimanding her, saying she should've followed his suggestion back then.

Of course, she realized his point now and she truly has been regretting it. He just didn't need to rub it in.

Everyone's attention was on her the second she passed through the school gates till the time she's walking down the hallway. She saw Warren already leaning against her locker while her female best friend was nowhere to be found.

"I think this is the time I should tell you to stay away from me," she laughingly uttered, shooing him with her hand which made him step aside. She unlocked her locker and momentarily paused;

If there's something inside then that's really predictable of them. They should have some originality at least.

"Of course you'll say that," Ren scoffed. He then slightly pulled her away from the locker, "let me."

Cali didn't have the time to protest because the guy already opened it. Both of them sighed in relief, their formerly rigid shoulders finally relaxing. All her stuff was still inside, unharmed. There are no insects crawling out of the steel box or some sort of disgusting liquid pouring out.

"Good. At least they're not some cliché bullies," she deadpanned as she started to sort her books.

"How can you be so sure they're going to bully you anyway? Shan is dating Connor, I'm sure she's going to ask him to talk to William."

She snickered, "you think that can stop William from avenging his wounded ego? I embarrassed his ass in front of everybody. He has probably started digging my grave already."

"And that was so stupid of you," he playfully pushed Cali's forehead with his pointer finger before shaking his head. "How can you not think of the consequences before telling him all that? Yeah you're cool, what a brave heroine, blah blah blah... but will that save you from them? No Cali! You're dead meat."

The girl smirked, "that's why I told you to stay away from me, remember? They might target you as well."

Ren rolled his eyes, "you really want us to go on our separate ways when it's only the two of us from now on?"

"What do you mean?," she frowned.

The former gestured at the window not-so far from them before turning around and walking towards it. She instantly followed as she remembered that it was the window overlooking the soccer field.

Once they were close enough and she could see the view exactly three floors down, she understood what Warren meant. On the field was a group of people – William's crew specifically – playing a casual game of soccer. Seated on the bench were three girls watching, included Shan.

She guessed the other girls probably have some kind of connection with two other jocks as well, like her friend to Connor. Shannon already looked close with them, happily talking with them while cheering for the boys from time to time.

It actually didn't surprise her, it's easy for her best friend to socialize and make friends. She's charming and has the ability to talk non-stop, there could never be a dull moment with Shannon Yeh. Maybe that's also the reason they became really close, they balance each other. While she was the reserved and unsociable Cali, Shan was the one who was patient enough to crack her tough shell and make her way in.

The girl was the one who would always convince her to do something out of her comfort zone. Warren, on the other hand, was the comfort zone. The two of them could go on days without talking to each other but in the end, everything would still be well and not awkward at all.

"I always thought Shannon shouldn't stick with us and try bonding with others as well, we're dimming her light. It's better for her to be a part of a bigger circle of friends," Cali chose to look at the bright side.

"Yeah," she heard Warren mutter, making her glance at him.

Her lips slightly twitched, seeing a tinge of sadness on the guy's face. She had long known about the latter's fondness with the former but she bet he, himself, is clueless about his own feelings. She chose to just let him figure it out himself.

*

It was halfway through the morning classes when a strange thing happened – the first to many more, she was sure.

A junior knocked on their classroom's door interrupting their current teacher. The woman then excused herself to attend to the student before facing the class again.

"Cali Song," Ms. Fan called out, causing her to look up in slight surprise. After her mind processed that it was really her who the teacher mentioned, she respectfully stood up. "Principal Huo wants to talk to you in his office."

There was complete silence for a few seconds before the curious whispers ensued. She ignored her classmates and immediately organized the stuff on her desk before bowing at Ms. Fan and stepping out of the room.

The younger girl gave her a tight-lipped smile and started walking ahead. She followed, guessing that the junior was Principal Huo's student assistant. Her mind then began wondering about the reason for this, making her nervous.

It was the first time the principal particularly summoned her, even excusing her from an ongoing class. She immediately assumed it was something about the discovery of her name.

The man was known to be a money-hungry opportunist who's a slave to his upper-class students' wealthy parents. This is why those groups – William’s and Dakota's – could freely bully those 'lower' than them without the faculty's intervention.

She was pulled out of her reverie when the girl took a different path.

"The Principal's office is this way," she pointed east. The junior was leading her to the opposite direction.

The girl turned around and she instantly saw fear in her eyes. There were tears welling up in them and she was worriedly biting her lip.

"Senior, please just follow me or else I—" she wasn't able to finish because a sob already came out of her lips.

Was this William's doing? What is he planning now?

"Okay," she just nodded in the end. They even used this poor girl, she internally sighed.

The girl's fearful eyes were instantly covered with relief. She happily nodded back and turned around once again as they continued walking towards her path.

It was the way to the Chess Institute. Xian was known for producing chess prodigies and having the championship for consecutive years now. That's why the admin particularly built a facility for the sport. It was isolated from the other buildings and was known to have strict security.

But there's another thing that sets it apart; the adjoining building beside it. Hall M, it was called. It was where the elite Section M stays and takes their especially advanced classes.

If it's not yet obvious, Section M is the Masquerades' exclusive block.

Once Cali realized this, it was too late and they were already standing in front of the Chess Institute's double doors.

"Please enter, Senior," the girl almost begged.

She swallowed hard, her heart pounding fast inside her chest. She already has an idea who's waiting for her inside but she still prayed she was mistaken.

It would be better if it's William actually, at least she knows how to deal with that loser.

She held the door knob and twisted it, hearing a faint click. She pushed the door a fraction, the lights were off but she could see a strip of brightness from one corner.

Fuck it.

She courageously entered, intending to leave the door open but once she was completely inside, it was instantly pulled close from the outside. That girl, good thing she remembered her face.

Her eyes adjusted to the slight darkness before it travelled to the only part of the room with a bit of light.

She felt her breath hitch, seeing the tall figure illuminated by the single lamp that was on.

He was leaning against one of the chess tables on the far corner of the room, the said source of light was beside it. His eyes were looking down his hands as he played with a deck of cards, smoothly shuffling them.

She didn't dare to speak, only the sound of the cards hitting each other could be heard. It filled the room with tension.

"Your name," his deep voice broke the silence. Arcane Wong slowly looked up, his attractive face void of emotion, like usual. "Was it really Cali Song?"

Why are you still asking me?, she questioned inside her mind. You already ordered someone to check every bit of information about me, didn't you?

"Yes. What about it?"

She almost patted herself at the back for not stuttering. Thank heavens her grandma trained her to mask her emotions.

His hands stilled, making her glance at it for a split second.

"I'm giving you two options," he started playing with the cards again. "Legally change your name or drop out of Xian."

Fucking unbelievable.

She was rendered speechless for a whole minute. How can he say those words with a straight face? Is he serious? He is this petty?

"What? You hate your dead fiancée so much that you can't even breathe the same air as someone who coincidentally has similar name as her?"

Once again, his hands stilled. She watched as Arcane's jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing into deadly glares. The gold spade earring on his left earlobe glinted. She can feel her hands slightly tremble so she immediately clenched them into fists. She can't have him notice her fear.

Shit, Calista Song , you dumb b***h.

Surprisingly, he smirked, "remember that I gave you an easy way out."

He then put the deck down the table behind him and brought his phone out of his pocket. A few taps before he ordered through the device;

"Announce it."

Not even a minute passed and the sound of the announcement tone rang from the speakers all around the campus. When it successfully caught everyone's attention, the familiar voice of Ellie Yu – their school's broadcaster – resounded next.

"Good day Xian High, pardon me for the sudden interruption. This is an important announcement from Section M's Arcane Wong," she paused. The anticipation grew.

"He is officially declaring that whoever can make Cali Song willingly drop out of Xian before next week's Penta, will be acknowledged by the Masquerades for the rest of their lives."

She released a deep breath and felt her eyes burned with unshed tears. Her hatred for the Wong scion grew immensely.

"You're going to regret this," she angrily spat making the bastard chuckle lowly.

"You're right, I can't breathe the same air as someone named Cali Song..." he drawled. It was like there's something more he was about to say but he stopped himself and just turned to leave.

"Calista Song is lucky she died before marrying you," she unhesitatingly uttered, making him halt. "It would've been hell living with such a cold-hearted monster."

He didn't bother facing her again but his hard voice was enough to make her anger worsen.

"Good luck surviving hell then."

She was visibly shaking now so she hurriedly turned her back on him and held the door knob tightly, intending to go out of the suffocating room. She was about to step out when a faint mumble reached her ears. It was so soft she thought it was just her imagination.

"She's not dead."

Cali ignored it and finally ran out of the building. Far from him – the guy she swore to hate till her next life.