Class Of 96': 1994 (BxB Mystery)

Chapter XVI - The Tower

 "Doing good?" Tyler leans onto my table and grins, looking at my work. He was basically towering over me. He was so tall, he had to bend down to meet my eyes.

We were in The Cassius Post HQ, just two floors from the dormitories. The sunlit room was decored with wooden chairs and art supplies. Why? Because the school encourages us to ink and glue the newspapers by hand.

I painfully look at him. "I feel like my hands are gonna fall off . . . "

"Look," He stretches his arms and draws an imaginary map, gliding his palm in the air. He places a hand on my shoulder, shifting all his weight on me. "I know you probably have a hangover—"

"Hangover?" I stop him. "What do you mean hangover?"

He cheekily smiles. " . . . Did you go home early yesterday?"

I hesitate. " . . . Y-yeah, I got chased down by a prefect. I had no choice but to go home."

"Really?" His entire expression lit up. "Which one?"

I sigh. "Astra."

"No way!" He tipped closer and laughed at my face. "You got the head of all Head-Boys and Girls coming after you!"

"I know."

"What did you do?!?"

I could tell him that I eavesdropped, but he would tell me to write a story about it. I didn't want to do that. What I walked in on yesterday Halloween was serious and private. What I did was wrong.

I squinted my eyes in annoyance. "The real question is what did you did to get a hangover."

Tyler clicks his tongue. "I'm surprised you don't know. Someone spiked the punch—"

"Of course," I grumble.

"Now everybody from the range of fourteen to frikin' fifty-seven has a hangover. Crazy, am I right?"

"Yes," I force a concerned smile. "Crazy."

"Have fun with your Gutenberg press!" He lets go and disappears into thin air.

I hate Gutenberg presses. It's like child labor! Hear me out, I have to press and glue each newspaper page by hand! Imagine how tiring that is!

I pick up a small rectangular piece of paper labeled A New Halloween Horror! with my tweezers and stick it onto the newspaper. I gently picked up another headline before my gaze brushed the first few words.

New attack!!! Say bye-bye to one of our beloved Head-Boys because The Hazard strikes again!!!

I stopped everything. I slowly look at the piece of paper closer, furrowing my brows.

A New Halloween Horror!

New attack!!! Say bye-bye to one of our beloved Head-Boys because The Hazard strikes again!!! This Halloween, an unfortunate Head-Boy gets his throat slit! When will this madness halt? The Missing Jane Doe, The Brunette Boy, and now The Head-Boy? Who is next? It is rumored that all 3 of these unfortunate victims have done something corresponding to their attack. Legs, eyes, and throat. Ran, saw, and said. What's to come? Secret, Sabotage, and Scam? How long will this attacker roam free?!? No one is safe!

What is this . . . ?

I heard my heartbeat roar out of my chest and my breath grow louder. There was . . . an attack?

"Tyler?" I called out, my eyes glued to the paper. "Tyler!"

"I'm coming!" He yelled as he rushed to me, clearly confused. "What?!? What is it?" His voice was squeaky. But for some reason, his voice was even higher.