Nethania

Chapter 4: Unknown Messenger

AVIA

THE PEN was lying in a pool of blood. I was in a room, a desolated and dilapidated room. The wind was howling, breaking the silence and then... I saw her!

"Ahh!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when I remembered my horrible experience earlier. I pressed my palm to my chest while panting heavily. I could feel my chest moving up and down as my lungs could hardly recover. As minutes passed, my heart began to calm down. It began pumping normally and my goosebumps seemed to hush down. I brushed my hair backwards with my fingers and unconsciously glanced at my body. I was still wearing my uniform but I was on a bed.

"I don't know what happened, but I found you laying on the floor unconsciously."

My whole system suddenly warmed up and my blood began to boil badly. His frozen voice immediately piqued my attention that made my eyes flinched and stared at him directly. He was leaning his back against the doorjamb, crossing his arms across his chest.

I roamed my eyes around the room, where all I could see was white. A few paintings and fancy photos were hanging on the walls. A brown sidetable that was made of wood and a gray couch resting in the corner. No doubt, I was in the school clinic.

I glued my eyes on him again. The moment our eyes met, his gray eyes no longer captivated my soul like what I felt before. There were no sparks or electrifying sensations, only hatred and disgust.

The boy who made me feel my first spark and sensation of love was Austin Vince Hilardo. He had this messy fringe of black hair and gray eyes that once captured my soul.

You are nothing now but my mere classmate and ex-boyfriend.

We stared at each other for a minute. No one dared to talk first. I would never initiate a conversation with him and I didn't even have the guts to spit a word at him right now.

"Why were you there? It was dilapidated and abandoned," he asked.

"Why did you do that?" I queried, no emotions could be traced in my voice.

He sighed and diverted his gaze to somewhere else. "What would you want me to do? Leave you there, alone? You—"

"Stop right there!" I yelled when he took a step forward towards me. How dare he do that?

He halted and looked down. "Okay, I'll stay right here but please talk to me," he said, moving backwards and leaned against the doorjamb again and inserting his hand into his pocket.

I tucked my loose hair behind my ear. "I shouldn't be talking to you right now because I haven't seen yet the reason why I'd do that."

His eyes widened a bit, showing a confused look. "You haven't forgiven me yet?" He jerked his forefinger at himself.

What a thick-faced i***t! After all he had done to me, did he expect that I would forgive him easily? What an insane idea to think about? His words seemed like fuel that lit up my whole system into infuriation!

I rolled my eyes and smirked. "And how dare you force me to forgive you that easily? Was the pain you instilled in me a joke on you?"

Well, if he just considered our relationship as a joke, then pity me. I treated our relationship as a treasure.

He sighed and put his hand in his pocket. "Okay, I shouldn't do that, but I'm still looking forward to your forgiveness. Look, Avia, you know I was just so stupid that time—"

"And that stupid thing got even more stupid when you made your stupid decision, i***t!" I growled and glared as his words hit my ears.

That was stupid. For me, it was the most stupid thing that he did. He could have had it without leaving me, but he chose to leave me for his prestige!

"That wasn't a stupid decision, it was a—"

I shook my head and waved my hand to stop him. "Forget about it because I'm beginning to move on. Now tell me, are you stalking me?"

"You know, I always do that. Since we broke up, I have always been stalking you wherever you go because—"

"Just answer me! I didn't see you yesterday until we ended our morning classes today."

I wasn't dumb enough not to notice your stealthy moves merely to follow me around, Austin. I had eyes and ears here in the academy and no news that would escape from my navigation without knowing it.

He nodded. "Yes, you're right. I was absent from class yesterday and today I went to school during lunchtime."

The moment he finished answering my question, a realization struck me. Chills began creeping through my body and I was wishing that my assumption would go wrong.

I stared at the flower painting behind his back. I couldn't stop staring at him. "That's it. I know you had no idea where I'd been because you came here during lunchtime and I was in that room before lunch."

Maybe Hilary told him about my plan to go in there. Hilary knew me. If I insisted then it must be done.

"When I was walking down the hallway, a girl approached me..." He began his statement, and it gave me tension and suspense as to what he would say next.

By hearing the word girl from his lips, it was like giving me terror and chills. It was like thousands of millipedes had their tiny legs creeping onto my skin. I hope he won't end up describing the girl he was talking about.

"A girl?" I asked, pretending to be innocent even if I had an uncertain hint about it.

His forehead creased, then he looked upwards. "Yes. A girl, but she was a little bit odd."

"How can you say so?"

He stared at me. "Unlike our girls here, she was dingy. She was wearing a dirty uniform, she had messy hair covering half of her face, and I guess she was our schoolmate."

My hope was shattered and I began to feel cold from the inside. That mysterious girl was giving me shivers! I didn't even know her, for Pete's sake! I didn't even remember her face or had any interaction with her before, and even my friends didn't know her! Now what the hell did she want from me? She's a pain in the ass.

"What did she tell you? When did she approach you?" I asked, a little bit intimadated.

If this girl persisted in pestering me, then I would tell Dad about this.

"She said that there was a girl lying unconscious in an abandoned room and she needed help. But I found her creepy when she smiled and chuckled like it was a joke and ran away," he explained while his brows were knitting. It clearly shows that he was also confused as f*ck as I am right now. "So I ran and I found you laying in the middle of the room."

"Have you seen a pen?" I questioned. I was sure that, that girl was creepy and I didn't think that maybe it was just her being insane or maybe an entity that emerged from the grave. I hope it won't be the latter one.

He looked at me for a second and c****d his head. "A pen? No, I haven't seen any. Only you were in there and some destroyed furniture and stuff."

I looked down and ran my hand down my face. I could feel my body hair standing up. My heart raced. This is getting crazy! My friends only saw her once, and did not see her in a second time, but Austin saw her and no pen was found. I saw her twice and she kept pestering me, though I had nothing to do with her at all!

"There was a pen! And there was even blood on it. Maybe beside me? Or it rolled over and settled in the corner—"

"There was no pen and blood, Avia, I swear."

What the hell? I couldn't believe this! There was a pen. I swear too! I wasn't lying here.

"So what can you say about the girl?"

"She's insane, I guess, or one of the nerds who failed an exam and she couldn't accept her failure, so she screwed up. Academic pressure seems to be invading everyone's minds right now and we can feel it too."

I nodded, clutching the bedsheet. They viewed the girl as an insane woman who had just screwed up because of her failed academics. But I viewed her not like that. I had a feeling that she was likely to be a ghost or something supernatural. I know I didn't have any proof to show them that my presumptions were real, and they wouldn't even take this seriously.

"What if I tell you that, that girl is some sort of ghost?"

He made a mocking sound with his lips. "What? Are you even the Avia I knew? You are not likely to believe in ghosts and now you're telling me about paranormals?"

"I know I may sound different now but—"

"You're stating presumptions, Avia. Just get your rest and you'll be fine soon."

I shook my head. They wouldn't believe me.

Two knocks on the door made me stare at it.

"Come in," I said.

The door swung open. Our eyes nailed on the people who came in. You're showing up in at the wrong time, people!

"So what do we have here? Are the two love birds going back together into their nest—"

"Just shut your mouth, Vino," I interjected, making him purse his lips while suppressing his laughter.

"Bye, Avia. Take care," his voice was chilled and he was out of emotions. Austin bade farewell and went out of the room. He was cold again, huh? Well, that was the true him, but it changed when he met me.

"Via, are you okay?" Hilary asked and sat beside me. She wrapped her arms around my left arm, looking worried.

"Of course she's okay, she saw Austin—" he stopped speaking when Hannah nudged him straight in his side. "What? I'm saying what's true," Vino exclaimed.

"True your ass, Vino!" I shouted.

Hannah settled onto a couch beside Vino. She was not too close to him and sometimes I wonder if this girl had a fling with someone or whatever. When silence became deafening again and the ambiance became so still, I heaved a lethargic sigh.

"Where's Jamsen?" I asked, leaning against the pillow behind me. I closed my eyes and caressed my forehead. I want to be relaxed. I want to get out of this frustration now.

"Do you want me to massage you?" Hilary offered. I glanced at her and smiled a little bit. I was lucky to have her as my best friend.

"Yes please."

I adjusted my sitting position and faced my back to her. I closed my eyes once again when I felt the gentle thrust of her hands on my shoulders.

"He's here."

I opened my eyes when Hannah informed us about Jamsen's arrival. The door shut and guess who entered?

"Is that his..." I whispered to Hilary. She even leaned closer and leveled her ear to my mouth so that she could hear me.

She nodded. "Yes. His new girlfriend, a cheerleader to be exact," She eyed the girl with light blonde hair, bloody red lipstick on her disproportionate lips, pitch black eyeliner on her rounded eyes that looked like a witch, and glittering pink eyeshadow. I wasn't this specific about stating face details, but it was so obvious and evident.

On first look, I didn't like her.

I glanced at Hannah and Vino, who stopped talking to each other when they put their eyes on the girl beside Jamsen. They seemed shocked. The perfectly curved eyebrows of Hannah rose and her lips twitched in disgust.

"Hi, I'm Margaret—"

"If you do not belong in this clique, you can step out of the room right now."

Whoa, I knew who owned those words.

The smile on the girl's lips vanished. Poor girl. The cheerful cloud that was resting above her head became dismal and, in addition, we had our glares like lighting that would strike her to death.

"Whoa, that's rude, Hannah," Hilary reprimanded her.

I smirked. I understand what Hannah felt, and perhaps we may have the same sentiment about the girl. We hated girls like her because, here at Alviana Academy, cheerleaders were known as heartbreakers. So Jamsen, you have your cue now.

"What's rude about it? Truth hurts, they say," Vino chortled, sitting like an arrogant politician.

"Go," Jamsen commanded.

That's right, Jamsen. Do what is right.

Margaret pulled back her hand from hanging on Jamsen's arm. "What do you mean go? I'm your girlfriend—"

"We're breaking up, now go," Jamsen shooed her away. He had a dull face, emotionless lips, lazy eyes and wasn't even affected by the sudden break up.

Ohh, what a feigned relationship!

"You bastard!"

I cringed. Hilary gasped with her hand covering her mouth, Hannah smirked and Vino smiled like an i***t when we heard the snapping sound of Margaret's hand landing on Jamsen's cheeks. That was powerful and painful. Jamsen touched his cheek while it was getting red like a tomato. Margaret glared at us one by one, like she was shooting bullets at us, then she stormed out of the room.

Vino stood up and clapped his hands like a toddler who had seen a childish fight. "What a crispy slap! I would rather eat burned cookies than get a crispy slap from someone," he chuckled.

"You're a jerk, Jamsen," Hilary scolded him.

"And she's a b***h. She forced Jamsen to be her boyfriend, so that's what she got. My friend told me earlier," Hannah shared. "And by the way, why was Austin here?"

"He brought me here after I fainted in the abandoned room," I said, removing the blanket from my body and sitting on the side of the bed.

I felt Jamsen stood beside me. "So Austin is a lifesaver now, huh? I would have saved you instead if you had called me." He winked at me and I found it awkward.

Not me Jamsen, I wasn't ready yet.

"So that jerk brought you here? I thought you loathed him," Vino said.

I eyed Vino. "I loathe him, but he just saved my life, so I owe him something."

Something that was tremendous, valuable, and I would have a hard time returning my favor to him. I didn't like the fact that he had something against me.

Hilary pinched my hand that made me look at her. "You went there, Via? I told you not to go there because it's dangerous."

"I went to that room because I saw her again—"

"You saw that creepy girl again?" Hannah raised an eyebrow and took a step forward.

I sighed and nodded. "Yes, and Austin saw her too. She was the one who told Austin that I was in that room, lying unconsciously."

Hilary hugged me behind, resting her chin on my shoulder blade. "That's scary."

"I saw a pen but he didn't see it. I don't know why."

Yah, and I was sure that I saw it.

"Something's happening here people!" Vino yelled.

Jamsen shrugged. "And that's weird."

Hilary stood up. "Are you feeling well? You want to go home?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

I shook my head and pulled myself up. "No. I would rather stay here than go home." I picked up my bag that was laying on the couch and fixed myself.

"I understand what you mean, Via. Let's go. You have to eat your lunch."

I went out of the room first and they followed.

I could feel my tummy rumbling. Arrghh... I hadn't even finished my breakfast. Now I have to eat my lunch or else I will be found laying unconsciously again on the ground due to skipping meals.

I took a glance at my wrist watch. "One o'clock in the afternoon," I mumbled. And what was so annoying was that our class would start right now. I didn't have any choice but to have my lunch on my own.

"Guys, I think that you have to go to our first afternoon subject. I can handle my lunch on my own anyway," I said, making them frown.

"We can't leave you like that. You haven't even recovered yet from your condition," Jamsen eyed me with concern.

"I had taken enough rest earlier—"

"We're your friends, Avia. We can't leave a friend," Hilary interjected.

"Fine, if you insist."

We went on our way to the cafeteria. I was stubborn, they said, but I couldn't afford to skip a class every now and then. I still value my academics and getting high grades was the only recognition that I had for myself from doing numerous school projects. My Mom would appreciate my efforts sometimes, but my Dad wouldn't even give a care about my achievements. Now, how about that?

I was rummaging through my bag to find my perfume, but my jaw dropped when I saw an unfamiliar thing inside my bag. I would know if something was off inside of it. The contents of my bag were properly arranged and no trash could be found inside.

When we reached the cafeteria, I went immediately to the restroom. I went inside a cubicle and there I discovered something that added up to the chills inside me.

A piece of paper. It contained the news about the student who committed suicide.

Who got this inside my bag?