BEHIND THE MASK

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE: A WEEK LATER

18TH AUGUST 2020

The sun cast a warm glow over Bristol High School's auditorium as students filled the seats, buzzing with excitement. The scent of freshly polished wood and hint of nervous energy hung in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen, standing before you all is Mr. Harrison, the vice-principal of Bristol High School," the MC announced, her voice echoing through the microphone.

Mr. Harrison stepped onto the stage, his shoes clicking on the polished floor. "Good morning, students."

The audience responded with a thunderous applause, hands clapping in unison. "Good morning, Sir!" the students chorused.

Jane Miller, sitting among her classmates, felt a surge of anxiety. She hated being the center of attention.

"Thank you all for the warm welcome... Anyways, let's get to the point," Mr. Harrison began. "The school is hosting a quiz competition between Class A and Class B of Senior class 2. I therefore call on the representatives to come forward: Jane Miller from Class A and Julia Anderson from Class B."

As Jane walked onto the stage, her classmates cheered, whistled, and stamped their feet. Kate turned to Beauty and whispered, "I thought Jane hated attention."

"Even I thought the same," Beauty replied, watching Jane wave confidently to her class.

The quiz competition commenced, and the auditorium fell silent. Jane's focus was unwavering as she answered question after question.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the masked person standing behind the crowd. Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced around, but when she looked back, the figure had vanished.

After being declared the winner, Jane smiled graciously, while Julia stormed out angrily toward the school building.

"What's even her problem?" Beauty scoffed.

"Her problem is that she lost... terribly," Kate said, giggling.

Julia marched toward the classroom, her footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. She kicked the door fiercely, shouting, "That b***h!"

Inside, she kicked chairs, releasing pent-up frustration. Suddenly, she sensed a presence at the door.

"Get out of here!" Julia yelled.

A shadow passed the doorway, and Julia assumed it was a random student. But the person entered, walking toward her.

"I thought I told you to get the hell out of here!" Julia spun around, her eyes locking onto a figure clad in black, wearing a white mask.

A knife glinted in the person's hand.

"Who... are... you? What... do... you want from me?" Julia stammered, backing away.

The person stepped forward, quickening their pace.

"No... no... no... don't do this!" Julia stuttered, losing her balance.

She fell heavily onto the ground, screaming, but her voice was muffled.

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New Scene:

Later that day, Jane walked down the corridor, lost in thought. She passed by the vice-principal's office and noticed his door was closed.

"Strange," Jane thought. "Mr. Harrison usually leaves his door open."

She approached the secretary's desk. "Excuse me, where's Mr. Harrison?"

The secretary hesitated. "He... uh... had an emergency meeting. He left suddenly."

Jane's curiosity piqued. "An emergency meeting? Without telling anyone?"

The secretary's expression turned uneasy. "I don't know any details, Jane."

Jane sensed something was off.

Questions:

1. Who is the masked person, and what's their motive?

2. What secrets is Mr. Harrison hiding?

3. How will Julia's encounter with the masked person affect her behavior?

4. Will Jane investigate Mr. Harrison's sudden disappearance?

5. What's the significance of the quiz competition in the story?