Ghost In Red

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Monday came. It's the first time I'm going back to the academy after about a month of absence. It was an absence to do something I know I will forever be grateful for and will never regret.    

I had spent almost my whole day taking quizzes and exams in the empty detention room near the Principal's Office. It's absolutely tedious, but I have to do this if I want to catch up with the lessons of my classmates. I'm super happy I wouldn't need to take summer classes if I could pass these quizzes and exams.    

I was currently answering the final two items of my last exam for today when an unfamiliar student suddenly came in and handed me a small piece of paper. She didn't say anything and left the room.    

That's so weird.    

I looked at what was written on the paper in my hold, and I blinked to read it clearly.    

"Meet me at the bench fronting the library. 3:30 PM."    

"What and who the hell are you?" I muttered and thought of who might this be, and the first person that came into my mind was OJ. And in fact, that's the place where I first met OJ's ghost. But, no, it can't be her. She didn't go to school today. I think she's still not that well. And I didn't hear anything about her from Grace as to what had happened to her and her reaction to seeing Sylvia and her other belongings. I better ask that girl later.    

Then another thought came into my head. This might be Pauline Wright or Harvey Ferrer. They must have been alarmed by the threat my silly pals held against them a few days back and today, especially to Wright. That selfish b*tch deserves that ice-cold coffee drink she received from me earlier this lunch. I'm not going to lie, though. Her pink blouse looks better with coffee stains. Now, she knows she messed with the wrong person. And if they are brave enough to confront me or take revenge if ever we meet, I will not hesitate to give them another lesson singlehandedly, like literally one hand, one arm. They better be thankful that my dominant hand is still in an orthopedic cast and under-recovery, or they'll receive the best slap or punch I could ever offer.    

I continued answering my exam and finished it quickly, and I kept my things as I was ready to head out if ever the teacher came here to collect my output.    

---    

I was about to head to the parking lot, where my pals could be waiting for me in our new driver's luxurious car. I was thankful that Grace volunteered to give us a lift every day since her girlfriend and I live next to each other. Plus, my gang is currently staying with me in my house, serving me, no, more like, pestering me, while my brother's family is out of state. We indeed needed someone who could afford gas without any complaints.    

"Yow, Syd! Are you done taking your sh*ts?" I heard a voice call out to me, and I already knew that it was Grace Thales.    

I turned to look at the girl and saw she was running to me, and I halted.    

"Yeah, are we not going home yet? It's about thirty minutes after our dismissal." I asked her, and she shook her head while catching her breath.    

"No. I... Uh, don't you have anywhere to go? I mean... Are you ready to head home?" She replied and asked me, and she looked around the parking space where there were only a few vehicles parked as most of these were owned by the academy's faculty members or the ones who had joined our academy's sports teams.    

"Well... Umm, nope. I'm ready to go home. How about you? Where are they?" I answered and thought twice about the note I received that told me to be at the library at 3:30, and it's now 3:20. And I don't know if I should go.    

What if it was a prank? Or maybe these people who gave me this note only want to mess with me? I know I quite don't have the ability to defend myself as I am injured as sh*t. So, I guess I better not go there.    

"Oh, uh, Kevin and Vidia still have a meeting with their group mates for a class assignment, and they said they will just ride a bus home if they finish late. And about Emmy... She... We are going... She's currently in the library to look for books we need for three of our homework. I'm helping her. Maybe about... fifteen minutes. Are you cool waiting for us for just a bit? You can wait in the car or... You can wait for us in the library while we search for what we were looking for." Grace explained and looked at her wristwatch, and I nodded my head.    

"Yep, I'm super-cool with it. I'll go with you to the library and wait there." I agreed, and we began walking in the library's direction.    

As we were about to walk into the entrance of the place where thousands of books sleep, my head turned to the place where I should be meeting someone or some-two. And I told Grace an excuse as I am also curious to know who these people wanted to meet me.    

"Hey, Gracey! I'll just wait for you both out there at that bench. I still need to call Adam or Wendy. I want to know how they are doing back in Lafayette. Is that alright?"    

"Oh, okay. Yeah, that's absolutely fine, Syd. I'll see you later... Or... Later. Bye, good luck!" The girl said, smiling bright, and winked at me before heading straight to the library entrance. Why did she wink? Is there something she's... Hmm, nope, I'm just being paranoid.    

I let out a breath and went to sit on the bench to really call my brother to check on them and their baby. I missed them so much, and I guess we still need to wait for about two months before Alwin will be good to board a plane. That is such a long wait, honestly.    

I sat on the bench and took out my phone from my jacket's right pocket. I looked at the time, and it was 3:28. Then I looked around to look for anyone approaching me, yet there was none. If no one shows up after ten minutes from now, they are real d*ckheads.    

I was about to dial my brother's number when I heard some noises behind me, and I licked my lips.    

Whoever this is, and whatever they want, I am not going home without giving a decent fight.    

"It's a beautiful afternoon, isn't it?"    

I think I froze in my seat when I heard a voice, a voice I longed to hear.    

I slowly turned my head right to look at the person, and I gasped when I saw her. She's wearing a red hoodie jacket paired with brown knee-length short and a sneaker on her right foot while her left one is in a cast.    

Is she real? Am I dreaming?    

Her lovely brown eyes locked with mine, and I panicked.    

What should I do? What should I say?    

Damn, I didn't know it was going to be her!