"Did it came from below?"
"It was just me, madam! I seated on this chair and made a sound." The secretary explained, standing up and sit again that made a sound but it was completely different from the sound the chair that Laura hit produced.
The president c****d her head to the side, confused about what she heard earlier and the sound her secretary insisted that it was it. She creased her forehead but just let it go. "We should go-"
Before the president could even finish her sentence, the door flung open revealing a sweaty guy wearing his signature boyish smile and soccer ball tucked between his left arm and belly and met the two now widened eyes. "Oh..? Fancy seeing you here, Miss President, Secretary Hannattitude. What do I owe this unannounced visit?"
Laura bit her tongue and held back her laugh at what Blake had called the secretary, seems like she will now have the chance to get back to her attitude to her by also calling her 'Secretary Hannatitude.'
"You are not respecting me by calling me names, Foster. Do you want to be in detention for bullying?" The secretary threatened, her face crumpled by the name Blake had been calling her since their freshman year when she was still not a council officer but still calling her that name until now.
"C'mon, that's my way of affection to you! Didn't you miss my farces?" He cheekily asked, walking into his club room, meeting the president's intimidating gazes but not backing down, he was letting her know that he knew what she was up to and why she was there.
"No. Not a single second." Hannah replied sternly, rolling her eyes at the guy.
Blake chuckled, not tearing his eyes away from Coleen. "You're tough. Is the president's attitude contagious? You're slowly becoming like her."
"We didn't come here for chitchat-"
"Of course, you didn't!" Blake cut the secretary's sentence off, sounding so enthusiastic but no humor. "You're here for something else, conceivably trying to catch me off guard?"
"Good inference, Foster. It's good to know that you're ready for whatever might happen." Coleen fiercely let out, walking towards Hannah as she snatched the envelope in her hand, "But that's not what we came for. This is the form you've asked us to give you. and the agreement that your club won't be demolished is also inside, well, as long as you have your one and only member."
It sounded raw and nonchalant, but the agent from below and the club president could feel the threat and warning laced within those words, making them assume that they were scheming something just like them.
"Before you even think of me as someone horrible affiliated with the school's..." She stopped and hesitated, she looked at Hannah side first before she continued, "I know you know what I mean. I was just talking about the curse of your club."
Blake stared deeply at her, few thoughts were running in his mind that confused him. With her emotionless expression, the Council President was very hard to read, he never knew what was running in her mind, she was good at reversing the situation until he didn't know he was now the one cornered and eventually lost. And now she was giving mixed signals, earlier she sounded like an antagonist, but now she's confusing Blake.
He squinted his eyes, walking towards the presidents leaving ample space between them, he held the other side of the envelope and stared straight into her eyes. "Which sides were you?"
Laura, however, crawled as silent as she could to the small trampoline. She could only hear an incoherent sound of people conversing as it suddenly turned quiet, but she wanted to be included and know something more so she will crawl back up using the slide up to the secret passage.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" The president asked, feigning confusion when she knew all too well what he was talking about. She just wanted to play a little longer and perhaps show the soccer athlete who was higher between them and what she was capable of doing.
"Are you helping us?" He added.
The secretary looked from one to another, confused as to what was happening. She fixed her specs, tried reading their lips but looked away when her madam looked on her way as if warning her not to.
"Which way and why would I help you, Foster? I don't know what is your agenda so I have no idea." She replied innocently.
"By subtly telling me the school's plan on me and my club? You're betraying your commanders, Miss President."
Coleen scoffed, "Commanders.." She reiterated, it was the time when she looked at Hannah and found her trying to listen so she gave her an intimidating gaze which she avoided. "The school has allowed me to slowly grasp and reach my dream. Without these commanders, I would probably still be at a very low level of life being a beggar. However, Foster, just like you. I don't enjoy being bossed around, treating me like their servant."
"Then what are you doing here? Inspecting my club room and catching me off guard?"
"Let's just say, I'm the neutral one here. You against the school, and me in the middle. I'm still following them-"
"Who are them?" He followed up eagerly.
Coleen smirked and raised her finger, "Nah-uh. It's for me to know, and for you to find out." She playfully said, she checked up on Hannah and she was still not looking so she continued, "Like what I've said, I'm still following their commands, Foster. They asked me to find the memory card Eloise had told them, and I will. I assume you were also looking for that, am I right?"
"I'm not telling you my plans, Miss President." He carefully answered.
"Of course you won't, but I know better. So if I found it first, your plan will crumble, if you do, push through with your plan and I'm not going to meddle in. While you do, nevertheless, look out for the sentinels, I do not want you to die yet, I want to know until where this feud will entertain me."
"You're evil." He spat, completely snatching the envelope in her hand, and stepped away from her.
"I know, Foster." She agreed, turning away, and started walking to the door. The secretary followed her as soon as she saw her walking, but then she bumped into her back when she suddenly stopped right at the door.
"Ow! Madam, why did you stop?" Hannah asked, fixing her glasses that slid past her nose from the impact.
Coleen didn't answer her nor looked back but she spoke, "Also warn your new member about what I've told you. She might also turn into a late member if you don't protect her."
Hannattitude gave him one last rolling of eyes before they started walking out of the old club room. Blake sighed, he walked to the secret door and open it. He almost shouted a curse upon seeing Laura, trying her best to fit and would not slide down in the passage.
"What are you doing there!? And how did you even managed to climb up here?" He inquired, clutching his chest in surprise.
"Help me lift myself first, will you?" Laura replied in annoyance, she held onto Blake's ankle and used it as a pole to support herself. She laid down on the wooden floor and breathed out a relief sigh upon feeling the cold breeze of the night air hit her face.
"I never knew agents are die-hard gossipers," Blake commented which earned a glare from Laura, "Or maybe just you. I don't want to generalize."
She sat up, stretched her body, and fixed her blonde hair. "I did you a favor. You wouldn't have to tell everything to me because I heard them all. Also, I commend you for coming just right in time and calling the secretary a funny name. I was actually planning on how to get back to her attitude to me in the field last week."
Blake grinned, he offered his hand to the agent but she just stared at it and stood up for herself. He frowned, "I thought we're already close."
"You wish, kid," She rolled her eyes, "So what is your plan now? Basing on the information from the Council President, whoever is her commander, they are already after you and the memory card."
"We need to start searching tomorrow. You also have to look for yourself. Sentinels might strike us whenever. "
Laura raised her brow, "Worry for yourself and not for me. I'm.." she stopped, "How old are you?"
"20."
"I'm four years older than you, killed many criminals, and trained under the biggest mafia leader. Unless they will team up, they cannot hurt me." She seriously told him, she perched herself on the wall and crossed her arm.
"So the best solution for me is to come with you all the time so you will protect me as well. I can occupy Eloise's-"
"No way!" Laura protested, standing straight. She never shared a room with anyone, not even Dany or Reign, unless of course if it was needed in their task mostly in other countries, but with her personal condo, no one even knows where it is.
Blake let out a boisterous laugh, "I was just kidding, Miss Laura. But the part that we should stick together is not. Give me your schedule so I know where to find you."
The agent let out an annoyed huff before she nodded. "Once we polished the plan, when do you plan on executing them?"
Blake put his hand under his chin and looked up. "I know a perfect timing. It's a month before."
Laura frowned thinking of having to stay longer for a month. "When?"
"Foundation Week."