Chapter 3: Silent Threat
1265 Words
Grace quickly looked away and slipped the wristwatch back into her bag.
“Are you okay?” Jack asked softly.
Grace almost nodded, but then she decided not to lie, so she just kept quiet.
She had a quick flashback of the night Mia died. Her body trembled, and she clenched her fists in fright.
Jack kept glancing at her at intervals. He could tell that something was going on with her, but he didn't want to intrude.
A few minutes before the start of the day's lecture, Marli excused herself to use the washroom.
She was already heading back to the classroom when she saw Luca in the hallway.
“Hey, Merlin!” Luca suddenly shouted, caughting the attention of the students around.
Marli stopped abruptly and sighed heavily.
“Luca, how many times have I warned you not to call me that?” she asked calmly, trying to keep cool.
Luca smiled mischievously. He started counting on his fingers, then suddenly stopped.
“I think eight times… or is it five?… maybe once?” he replied, batting his eyelashes as the students laughed.
Marli shook her head in frustration. “You truly are dumb,” she said.
With that, she headed to the classroom.
Classroom
Grace was no longer in her seat. She had gone to the far end of the class. She wanted to be alone.
She was thinking of everything that had been happening since Mia's death when her phone chimed.
At first, she felt reluctant to check what the message said, but eventually she clicked on it.
You think hiding in that mask is safe? I know what you did…
She looked round the whole class to see if anyone was watching her. But everyone is oblivious to what was going on with her. No one seemed to be paying attention.
She read the message again and her body trembled. Her fingers tightened around her phone, and suddenly the class felt too loud.
Fear crept into her heart, forcing her to return to her seat.
Jack noticed her restlessness, but again, he decided not to interfere.
Grace couldn't stay calm after reading the message. She was so nervous that she started tapping her feet on the ground.
Jack immediately knew something was definitely wrong. He took a bottled water from his locker and reached over to give her.
“Drink this. It'll calm you down,” he said, extending the water to her.
She looked at him first, hesitant, but then she finally took it.
She didn't drink it immediately. Instead, she placed the bottle in her locker.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, though Jack still heard it.
“I totally forgot about your mask. My apologies, Queen Mother,” Jack said with a smile.
Grace didn't know where the laugh came from, but she laughed.
“Queen Mother of where, please?” she asked, still smiling.
“Of Australia,” Jack replied.
They both laughed.
“Oh please,” Grace said, rolling her eyes playfully.
Marli and Luca walked into the classroom together.
“Wow. Are you guys finally dating?” a girl suddenly asked the moment she saw them.
They both shared a look of disgust.
“Ew, me and this clown? God forbid!” Marli said with a sneer as she rolled her eyes and headed straight to her seat.
“The feeling is mutual, my dear,” Luca said before heading to his own seat.
Some students laughed.
A few minutes later, the screen came on and a female teacher appeared.
The lecture began.
Hours Later
It was already recess time. Students trooped into the school café, placing orders, eating, and chatting like it would be their last meal.
Grace walked in with a novel in her hand. She spotted an empty table in the corner of the café.
That's a perfect spot, she thought.
She walked over and pulled out a chair to sit. She had just started reading when she noticed a hand pulling the chair next to her.
She raised her head to see Marli, who was already seated.
“Oh it's you,” she said with a subtle smile.
“Yeah. You didn't order anything. Why?” Marli asked when she noticed the empty table.
“Nothing. I just don't feel like eating anything,” Grace replied, keeping an eye contact with Marli.
“Oh,” Marli mumbled while looking away.
“And besides, I have a mask on, and I don't want to remove it.”
“Oh right. I totally forgot about that,” Marli said.
There was a brief silence.
“What about you?” Grace suddenly asked.
“I'm not feeling hungry. I'll just order milk later,” Marli replied.
“Okay,” Grace said before resuming her novel.
Marli noticed Hazel and Harper walking towards them.
“These dummies are coming to cause trouble again,” she mumbled.
Grace heard her and looked up to see what she meant.
The twins stopped right in front of their table.
“It's you again,” Hazel said.
“What exactly do you want from me?” Grace asked in frustration. “Because I don't understand why you always find a way to bully me.”
“Do I need reasons to bully you? I just don't like you. Isn't that reason enough?” Hazel replied dramatically.
Luca entered the café, and when he saw the looming chaos, he smiled mischievously and walked towards them.
“Why are you girls like this? Can you go a day without bullying someone?” Marli asked.
“They are called the Devil's Double for a reason,” Luca chipped in.
The girls threw him a questioning look, and he flashed that mischievous smile again.
“And who said you could join the conversation?” Harper asked, glaring at him.
“We all have freedom of speech. Don't forget,” Luca said tauntingly.
Grace chuckled lightly.
Marli and Luca are the kind of friends anyone would pray to have, she thought.
“You know what, let's just go, Harper,” Hazel said as she rolled her eyes and walked away.
“You're lucky my sister's in a good mood today,” Harper scoffed before leaving.
“Or else what?!” Marli shouted after her.
“Just leave them alone,” Grace finally said.
That was when Marli realized Luca was still standing there.
“You're here,” she said as she sat back down.
“Since when?” Luca asked.
They all laughed.
The rest of the recess passed peacefully after the drama.
A Few Hours Later
It was time for everyone to go home. Students trooped out as usual.
Grace sat quietly on the bleachers with her headset on.
Her usual novel rested in her hand as she read.
She was so engrossed in it that she was oblivious to everything happening around her.
Her phone suddenly chimed, jolting her back to reality.
She unlocked it to read the message.
You think you can be at peace after what you did? Continue, I'm watching you…
Her blood ran cold instantly, and her fear returned.
She began to fidget as she looked around to see if anyone was watching her.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the far end of the bleachers.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Who's that? she wondered in fright.
Almost immediately, the figure disappeared.
She quickly packed her belongings and hurried away.
Meanwhile, Jack had been watching her from a distance.
Something is definitely wrong with her, he thought.
And for the first time, he wondered if Grace was hiding something dangerous.
- Writer
