FACADE

Chapter 15:Sheebah

             

 I was about to leave when a thought struck my mind. What if she tampers with the message? Not that I don't trust her but my experience over the years has made it hard for me to believe anyone.

 "Can you key in the address on my Google map?" I pretended to not know the place and for a moment doubted whether she was going to fall for such a pathetic lie.

 I watched her expression, and she stopped for a while as if thinking, before typing something which I assume is the location and handed the phone back to me.

 Perfect excuse I thought. That was a close one.

...

 With a triumphant smile plastered on my face, I held the cup of Grape Juice that I had just gotten tighter as I made my way to Ken's department. The building was divided to different departments with different jobs and as I had checked, Ken belonged to the coding department.

 Suddenly, someone collided into me and I tightened my grasp on the cup to prevent the content from spilling. I completely forgot that I was holding a phone, and before I could get a hold of what was happening, my phone was already lying on the floor and by the looks of it, it has been damaged beyond control.

 "Am so sorry" I heard the culprit apologize when I was about to reach for it, but she was a step earlier than me as she grabbed it and handed it to me.

 "Am so sorry. I didn't watch where I was going. I can help you repair it if you want or maybe get you another. Just don't be mad at me."

 She is wrong, I wasn't mad instead I was fuming. I wondered how I was going to proceed with the check and I regretted collecting the phone back from Kennedy. I forced a smile which must probably look weird on my face because I was already trying so hard to stop myself from ripping her apart.

 "It is fine. Really. I was planning on getting a new one anyways" I put on a nonchalant attitude which seemed to put her mind at ease.

 "Am so sorry once again. But I insist on refunding you."

    What part of its alright don't you understand? And you insist? Well that's not the case. Do you have a way of transferring the files to this phone?

 Of course, I didn't voice out my grievances, I just maintained a smile before turning around to leave. How I regret not backing up my files. Who knew someone as foolish as this exists?

     I was about to open the door when I heard her call from behind

"Hey!! I didn't get your name".

 "Catherine" I squeezed through my teeth and opened the door without looking back.

...

 "I knew taking the phone with you wasn't a good idea. Anyways bring me the juice and come look what I found" Kennedy chided in an elderly tone and I mentally rolled my eyes to the back of my head. Ooh, if that was so easy, why didn't you insist? But I kept the question to myself and quietly took the blame.

 I took my seat on a rocking chair beside Kennedy and handed her the juice to which she replied with a curt thanks and took a sip before seating back.

 "So I think the IP address of the sender points to the school premises." I leaned to take a look. Even though it was obvious that I was completely clueless about these things, it still wasn't hard for me to spot the address.

 The address was the same as the school's which could only mean that the sender was in the same vicinity as the school and might have even used one of the school's computer to send the message. It could also be seen that the person must be a top hacker, just like Ken because the address disappeared almost as soon as it appeared and the screen went blank.

 My problem now is that there are a lot of computer geniuses on campus, in fact their number increases as the week goes by, so it would be a strenuous task to point out who exactly.

 "So. What's the next step?" I found myself asking her and the girl blinked her eyes innocently before taking another sip.

 "I don't like involving myself with things am not interested in. Babe, we are not in this together" she patted her shoulders before finding a comfortable spot to rest in.

 I knew then that there was no point persuading her, moreover I also wasn't used to getting help from others, so she just sucked it in and left.

 ....

 School had already closed when I walked in, so I just went straight to packing my books. I caught sight of something shiny in between my textbooks and reached my hand to pull it out.

 It was a pink bracelet that I found adorable, and I stroked it gently with my fingers. The more I did that, the more it looked familiar and I tried to remember where I had seen it from. I was in the middle of trying to figure it out when I heard light footsteps from beside me.

 I don't know how, but I was particularly sensitive to sounds, so I could decipher at once when I heard the footsteps that the shoes belonged to a female. Maybe Shayne? I thought as I looked back, trying to bust that sneaky rabbit, but I was met with something different.

 "You?" I asked when it turned out to be the girl that ran into me at the computer building. I was already finding her particularly annoying for stalking me to this place, but I still kept my cool, at least trying to hear her reason.

 "Am sorry, but I swear I ran into you by accident. Maybe I might have been stalking you, but I mean no harm." I folded my hands across my chest as I listened to her trying to justify her act.

 "Look, I don't think I have time to exchange rants. I already told you its cool and that's it. I hate it when people stalk me the most, so I would love it if you could just stay away from me" I stated bluntly.

I felt I had to talk some sense into her since she must think I was easy to bully because I let that incident slide, but I have to say, she is yet to see the real me.

 "Like I said, I didn't mean it like that. And am sorry if I came across as that. Actually, I came to apologize to you and I sincerely want to be friends"

 "Well I don't want to" I shut my locker loudly to push the point before turning around to leave.

 "Wait" I heard her call from behind me and I impatiently stopped in my tracks.

 "What is it this time? "

 "I think I forgot to tell you my name. Am Sheebah. Sheebah Haqq".