Unveiling the Hidden

Chapter Three: Loss

Friday morning came. The town had become cold. Mid-October wasn't nearly as chilly as it was last year, but this year it was cold enough for everyone to remove their coats and jackets out. The students came to school, and all of them were surprised at the cool air today. Yesterday was nothing compared to today, so they pondered, what had changed? The teachers seemed grim and sadder than usual. The students noticed when Mrs. Oaks was nastier than her usual quick wit and snarkiness. The four students walked into the building seemingly at the same time. They all looked at one another, each of them sporting a coat or a jacket, which none of them wore yesterday. The first class was history, so they went into the classroom and sat there, with the school's librarian standing there. Not a single teacher began teaching the students at the school, they just seemed tired.

The school speaker gave some feedback as it was turned on, then a voice spoke, "Students of Vilford High, today is a day of sorrow, and after 8 am, you all will be given an off. Mr. Arnold Miller, our respective History teacher for the last 17 years, has passed away this morning. I require all of you to join the gym for a small farewell. May God bless his soul."

Violet's eyes had become wide. Cindy started crying, she couldn't believe it as she always poked fun at the man. She felt horrible. Xin used to always skip history, but when he didn't, he did like Mr. Miller as a human being. Leo just looked down.

 The school's librarian, Ms. Brown, spoke up, "I need Violet Antanov, Cindy Johnson, Leonardo Garcia, and Xin Zihan to please follow me." The four of them looked at one another, giving each other confused looks and expressions, but they got up and followed her, to the principal's office. 

They entered the room, while Ms. Brown closed the door. The principal, Mr. Wood sat in his chair, and Carl, Cindy's brother sat there as well. Who they didn't recognize was a man with a reduced hairline standing across the door. 

"These are the students, Charles. Kids, this is Mr. Miller's lawyer, Charles Richmond."

"Hello. In Arnold Miller's will, upon his death, I am required to give you students this CD, and this box, to Violet Antanov, Cindy Johnson, Leonardo Garcia, and Xin Zihan. Before handing this over to you all, I need Carl Johnson to sign this form," he opened his briefcase, removing the CD that was in a case, and a musical box, "This form, as he has no further children, he would like to give the house to Carl Johnson."

"Wait, but Mr. Miller had a daughter, she's a doctor or something,  she just doesn't live here." Cindy spoke up, and the others were in agreement. 

"Yeah, that's right, he adored his daughter, always spoke about her in class." Violet supported Cindy's statement. That's when Charles looked confused but then sighed as he remembered.

"He did have a daughter, yes. She died a few years ago in a hospital bombing. She was fresh out of medical school. His wife died a few years before, an illness I suppose."

Carl signed the form, while the others were in shock. Cindy felt a lump in her throat, she couldn't believe it, she couldn't believe that she had been so bitter about him and his family. Violet took the CD while Xin took the musical box. Leo was just quiet, thinking.

They all left to go to the gym, for the farewell. It felt rushed to the four of them. The teachers talked about him. About how kind he was. Many of the senior students cried. They had so many memories with the enthusiastic teacher. Then they left to go home. They lost a kind soul. Someone who never dimmed when he lost the most precious people in his life. 

The four decided to meet each other at 7 pm, at Colby's diner, and they would proceed with what to do from there. Cindy left the school with her brothers Carl and Carter. Leo walked back home with a couple of kids that lived on the same block as him. Xin waited for Violet at her locker, but she hadn't come out of the school's bathroom yet. But he would wait for her. He liked her company, and they lived on the same street anyway so he didn't see the harm in walking her home. While he was lost in his thoughts Violet approached him and tried to open her locker but couldn't dial it right, which caused her to hit the lock against the locker, and sigh in frustration. Startled, Xin turned and looked down to see the girl, she left her hair open, and thick black waves went past her shoulders, but they covered her face. He liked her hair but he would rather want to see her face. Her smile, her eyes. He knew that she was going through a loss, and he would need to speak to her gently. 

In the smallest and softest voice he could muster, he spoke, "Violet, are you alright?"

She looked up at him. Her eyes were partially red and they were teary, but she didn't want to cry anymore. "I will be." 

They didn't talk after that. Xin took carried her bag, and his own, and walked her home in the cold. When they reached her doorstep, he gave her bag to her. "Tonight, at 7." he whispered. She nodded slowly, and he took his leave. 

-❀-

Sitting in the diner in one of the darker parts of the eatery, Cindy realized that this was strange. Something was strange in their town. Leo sat down abruptly across from her, interrupting her train of thought. He shook his head, "nothing about this makes sense. Honestly I think-"

Cindy stopped him before he could continue, "you think nothing. Don't form an opinion before anything has been confirmed or denied. My brothers were confused about the entire thing too. Carl hasn't been in Mr. Miller's class for nearly a decade, so I don't see why he would give an entire house to him. We need to wait for Violet and Xin. The CD and the musical box are our only leads right now."

"I'm just mad. I don't like how this is going. Not one bit. Something bigger is happening. I can feel it. This entire town can feel it," he shook his head in disapproval, but in deep thought, "what do we do, why do we have to do it." 

Cindy drank some of her coffee with a lost look on her face. Her dark brown eyes had seemed to go dull.

The bell on Colby's diner door rang when Violet and Xin opened the door. They scanned the diner to find Cindy and Leo sitting across from each other, and Leo wasn't looking too happy. The two of them walked over to the table and sat down. Causing Cindy and Leo to look up, and greet them. 

"We should head on over to my house. I told my mom that I might be having guests over, and my computer is there too." Xin took some of Leo's fries.

"Alright, let's go."