The Invisible Mystery

Chapter 7: Friends

Days gone by that I am inside of this class. To be frank, I think that it has been almost a week or two ever since I ever entered this section, but then again, I never paid any attention on it any longer because I was only focused on our studies and on getting closer to the other students of this section.

It was easy for me to get closer to the other students of this section. After all, there were only seven of us and I think that it was a must that we should get along with each other, and above it all, they were really easy to get close to, even though they had almost different personalities. It was really easy to initiate conversations with them because they were open to almost everything that I could think of.

They never said no to anyone inside the class, though it was already another story if ever someone was being offended by something that we would say or do; but then again, it rarely happened because it seems as though they were really that close to each other even if it was not that long ever since they had met.

I also never felt left out of the group activities that the subject teachers were giving us. I never felt that they were trying to not let me participate on anything at all. To be prank, I even think that it was the total opposite of what they have been doing in the past days that I have been here.

They were always open for the opinions that I had, they always wanted to hear my comments about our work, and above it all, they always let me go along with them whenever they were hanging out with each other. They always make sure that I was never left out of their group, which made me love this section more than I ever did before.

If someone would ask me who were the people that I got really closed to in this section, I think that I would say that it was those two, Winter and Willow, because first, they were the only two female student inside the class, and second, I could share almost everything to them and they would just listen to me as though that would be the most entertaining thing that they had heard in their lives; though I must say that I might be exaggerating with how I had described it.

Speaking of those two, it seems like they wanted me to do something with them because I could already tell that the people in front of me were the two of them. I could already tell that the two people that were standing in front of me as of this moment were Winter and Willow, even though I was still fixing all the things that I had used earlier, that is.

“Liana!” I even heard Winter’s enthusiastic voice, which made me hum as I finally put my notebook back inside my bag and turned all of my attention on her, as well as on Willow, who was somehow a little quiet today.

The both of them sat down in front of me as though they wanted to have a chat with me, which was already normal whenever the lunch time would arrive because it seems like even if the tree of us were meeting each other almost every single day, it seems like it was still not enough for them to really tell everything that had happened to the both of them; though I must say that it was indeed entertaining to hear that these two beautiful women in front of me still had those kind of experiences in their lives.

“What is it?” I asked them, when I got confused that they were just staring at me as if they has been waiting for something to happen, but then again, I did not think that I know what that ‘something’ is, that was why I frowned with how they had looked at me.

I saw how Willow looked at her, which made her focus her attention at Willow for a brief second as if they were talking to each other, using only their minds – though I did not have any idea on how they were able to do that – before she had finally focused her attention on me once again.

She cleared her throat when she realized that I was only staring at them, before she finally said, “Well, our very kind class president, Evo, had said that he wanted us to have a bonding time this day.” She emphasized that ‘bonding time’ words as though there was something more behind it, which made me feel a little bit nervous as I already knew that Evo tends to be a little weird sometimes. “Because, you know? It is Friday today and we do not have much assignment and all.”

I nodded my head, once, when I heard her explained why he suddenly wanted to have a bonding time with each other; though I must say that this might be not that weird at all because I already knew that they were really close to each other. I even think that this might be a common occasion for all of them.

I think that they had already done this, when I was still not around this class, that is, and they might want to try it again so I do not feel left out; which made me feel glad because it seems like they really wanted me to see that it was just alright for me to be here inside their class and I should not think that they did not want me here at all.

I think that they wanted me to feel as though we were friends, and not just students who were fit for the description of this class. I think that they wanted to prove that they were not like those kind of intelligent students, who were so boastful of what they have – even though I already knew that they have proven it countless of times, and did not have to do it once again.

“Do not worry about the place though,” Willow suddenly said that became the very first sentence that she ever said today – which was really unusual because she was always talkative whenever the three of us were talking to each other.

Maybe, something had happened towards her? Or maybe, she just did not feel like talking that was why she has been this quiet for almost the whole day that we were together.

Though I must say that it was indeed odd, because I never think that she would be that kind of person, but then again, I guessed that I needed to know all of them more because it was already given that we still had a long way to go before we would truly understand each other.

I think that it might take some time for all of us to know each other, without really judging them on how they acted towards someone, or I must say that I might be the only one who needed to do that because it really felt like they were oddly close to each other, even though it was clearly stated that they just met because of this class.

“Yeah, Willow is right,” Winter suddenly said, which made me look at her once again and focus all of my attention on whatever they were saying to me. “Because Evo said that we would just stay in the garden behind the classroom, just like the usual.”

I frowned at them when I caught that something was wrong with what she just said, and it seems as though she did not noticed that because she just kept on talking, that I was why I had interrupted her by raising one of my hand with a confused look on my face.

“Wait up,” I even said to her, which made her halt whatever the thing that she was just saying as she raised one of her eyebrows as if she was waiting to whatever I was about to say.

I frowned even more because it seems like she did not really catch what was wrong with what she just said to me, even though I clearly knew that was not the case. I clearly knew that something was really wrong with her, with what she just told me.

“Just like the usual?” I asked her, confusion was evident on my voice, because I could not really hide the fact that she just said that even though we literally just met this moment, and I knew that it was also the case for the other students because it was not that long ever since the classes had started.

Something was really wrong with that, not only because she did not bother to correct herself, but because it seems like it was all too natural for her to say that. It was all too natural for her to tell those words as though they had met before, and this was not the only time that they did something like this.

It seems like they have been doing this for almost every week, though, again, it has been not that long ever since the new school year had started. It seems like something was wrong, but then again, maybe, just maybe, I was just overthinking things once again.

Maybe, that must have been really the case, because I have seen how she suddenly realized what she just said as she even clasped her hands on her mouth before she turned to look at Willow with her eyes widen – as though she wanted to give her a message, which I did not have any idea on what it was about.

Willow, on the other hand, had this kind of look on her face that I could not really understand, but then again, the moment that another person had went on our side, it was suddenly gone and was replaced by a smile as though nothing wrong had just happened; as though the expression that I have seen was just an illusion, even though I knew that it was not the truth.

“Why are you taking so long on asking Liana?” a familiar voice of man said, which I knew was Evo’s voice, though it seems like he was really irritated that Willow and Winter had been out for so long that he had gotten to the point that he needed to go where we were. “It is not like she would refuse to our request, right?”

The slight irritation on his voice, which was so unusual for him because he has always been the calm type of a person, was suddenly gone when he had suddenly turned his attention on me.

I even looked at him to see what kind of expression that he had on his face, and I was not shock any longer when I saw that it was always the same look that he had before, the calm one, that is, as if he had not gotten on his way just to scold Willow and Winter, whom he had said that took too long to return to wherever they were.

“Of course, I would not mind,” I told him as I gave him a smile, the questions that I had earlier for Winter as well as for Willow was suddenly gone and was replaced by an excited emotion on my heart because I really wanted to know where that garden they were referring to, because I really did not have any time to check it out.

Though I must say that it must be beautiful, because the scenery whenever we were having a class was always so good, which almost made me forget all the worries that I had, as well as the stress that I always felt these days.

“Then, what are we waiting for?” Winter suddenly asked as she stood up from her seat, and Willow followed her behind as though they have been burned by something that I did not have any idea on what it was – but then, I did not bother to point that out anymore as I saw that they were already really prepared to leave the room. “Let’s go now! We should not waste our time because Liana might need to go home early today as someone might be waiting for her.”

“She is living alone in her dorm,” Willow said to her as if she almost wanted to smack her in her head to wake up from whatever has been happening to her as of this moment. “Were you really thinking, Winter?”

“Really?” Winter asked as if she did not know that, and she even turned to look at me as if she wanted me to confirm whatever Willow had said, but then again, before I could even do that, we heard Evo’s loud sigh that made the three of us to look at him and listen to whatever he was about to say.

“She literally said that before, Winter,” Evo said, and if I did not know his character and his role on this class, I might say that he has been sarcastic towards her – though I already knew that Evo Alqueza would never be that kind of person, not even in the slightest.

“Really?” There was a shock tone on her voice as if she really could not believe it, but then again, I guessed that she might just be preoccupied that time that I said that to them and did not really heard it loud and clear.

She was even about to apologize to me as I knew that she was about to explain things, but then again, before she could even do that, I already raised my hand as I wore my backpack behind my back and stood up from where I have been sitting all this time.

“Enough of that,” I told her as I started to go out of the room, even though I clearly did not know where I should go. “Never bother about something that I had said in the past.” I felt that those three had followed me as Evo had finally led the way when we were already outside the room. “Let’s just enjoy this bonding time, as what all of you would like to call it, and forget everything that will just make us worry.”

We heard a loud clap as soon as we turned to the direction of the entrance of the garden they were talking about. My face immediately soured because I already have an idea on who that person is.

It was Cloud Sanders, the person that kept on bothering me ever since the day that I got inside the Section A. It was even almost as if he has been holding some grudge to me, but then again, whenever I was asking why he kept on teasing me and making a prank on me, he would just shrug his shoulders and would say that he was just doing it for fun; though I doubt if it was indeed for something like fun because it was never been fun for me.

“What a nice words that came from you, Ms. Smith.”

That. That is what I mean when I said that he always wanted to tease me to the point that I almost wanted to pinch his cheek just so I could have my little revenge, but I always stopped myself from doing so and was just resorting on glaring at him and giving him a sarcastic reply.

“I did not know that you can give some kind of little speech like that.”

I glared at him as I sat on the farthest seat away from him, because I already knew that it would never end that well for me, and for everyone that was around us if I did so. After all, I knew that it would just be a never ending fight between the two of us, and no one, not even Evo would be able to stop us; I am afraid to say.

“Really nice, Ms. Smith.”

I took a deep breath as I was about to prepare myself to talk back to him, just once, and again, just once, but before I could even do that, I heard that familiar clearing of throat of Evo, which means that he was about to get angry if ever we would not behave ourselves – I have already seen that and heard that I should really behave myself because Evo tends to be a different person if he got really angry.

And so, I have decided to just take a proper sit as I kept my mouth shut, and Cloud did the same too because it seems as though he was also scared of whatever that could happen once Evo started to get upset because of the two of us.

“It seems like everyone will not initiate a fight anymore,” he said as he took a seat on the one of the chairs that was on the circular table in the middle of this garden.

We all focused our attention at him and that was when we heard him say, “Let’s start our bonding session now,” which made me think that this was indeed not the bonding session I have in my mind.