Master Control

The meeting

The next day, I arrived at school early, ahead of the other students, and waited for William, who I had asked to come early.

When he arrived, I requested a private conversation and we headed to the old storage room.

I asked him if Jake was discharged from the hospital today, and he confirmed it.

I explained that I dont want Jake to interrupt the meeting. William was skeptical, questioning why Jake would do that right after leaving the hospital.

I said "It's just a hunch because Jake held a grudge against me for helping you from expulsion."

I outlined a plan for William to stall Jake when he arrived, assuring him that everything would be fine if executed properly.

To facilitate the plan, I handed him the key to the fire command room, a running timer, and a piece of paper containing instructions to be performed when the timer ended.

When he questioned how I acquired the key, I simply replied, "Now you have to concentrate on the mission."
With that, William left to carry out the intricate plan.

Afterward, I entered the meeting hall, where a big oval-shaped table was occupied by the principal and all the teachers.

When I walked in, the principal inquired about my mother's absence, and I explained that she was at work, and I didn't want to disturb her.

He instructed me to take a seat at an empty spot on the table.

The principal initiated the discussion by asking personal questions, inquiring about my name, my mother's name, and her occupation. Eventually, he steered the conversation toward the main topic: the rumors about me killing my friend.

He asked directly, "Are the rumors true?"

I admitted, "Yes, the rumors true."

The principal then pressed for more details on how and why it happened, and I began to explain.

Two years ago, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I resided with my family. Ryan, our neighbor, was a frequent visitor, often playing with me and my brother.

Despite our close proximity, Ryan seemed more attached to my brother than to me.

One day, mischief struck when Ryan decided to pull a prank by doodling on my brother's job resume.

However, when my brother discovered this act, he erupted in fury, delivering a powerful slap that left Ryan's cheeks crimson.

In response, Ryan's father stormed into our house, initiating a scolding session.

This verbal exchange escalated into a violent confrontation, and my brother's temper reached a breaking point.

The situation took a dark turn when my brother inflicted severe injuries on Ryan's father.

The aftermath saw my brother accompanying the injured man to the hospital, while I remained at home, waiting for news.

When Ryan's father returned with a broken hand, my brother was not with him.

I asked about my brother, but they ignored me.

The next day, the doorbell rang, and I went to see who it was. When I opened the door, there was no one there, only a letter.

 I picked up the letter and brought it inside. My mother called out from the kitchen, asking who it was. I told her there was no one, just a letter.

 She asked who it was from, and I replied it was from someone named Meubak.

 Suddenly, she ran from the kitchen, grabbed the letter from my hands, and locked herself in a room. The terrified look on her face is something I will never forget.

I went to the door and knocked, but all I could hear was my mother crying inside. I knocked harder, and eventually, she came out, clutching a letter. I could see the tear streaks on her face. 

she tore the letter to bits and threw it out, she turned to me, looked me straight in the eye, and said, 

"Your brother is dead."

 I was stunned. "What are you saying? My brother is dead?" I asked in disbelief. She nodded, and I could see she wasn't joking. Her reaction left me in shock.

 I stood there, frozen, like a statue, before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed, surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings and the sterile scent of antiseptic.

"Oh, you woke up." The nurse said, Confused, I asked where I was, and at that moment, a screen popped up, stating that I was in a hospital.

Frightened, as it was the first time the screen appeared before me, and the nurse didn't notice it.

I came to realize that only I could see it.

I decided not to talk about the screen during the meeting.

I then continued "Shortly after, my mother came in. She hugged me tightly and sat beside me.

 She explained that after hearing the news about my brother's death, I thought that Ryan's father was the one who killed him, I went to his house and beat Ryan so badly that he was now in the hospital. I was perplexed. I remembered collapsing to the ground, but my mother was describing a completely different story.

she told me we were going to move to America. I asked why, and she explained that since my brother and I had been causing trouble for the neighbors, the landlord had told us to leave. "I have my father's home in America. Let's live there," she said and I agreed. 

Following this, we relocated to America, where my mother started a shop, and I underwent the admission test, securing a scholarship to study here.

Then after a few weeks I heard the news that Ryan has passed away."

As I finished the story, everyone in the meeting room fell silent, just looking at me.

"We cannot keep a murderer in this school; that would ruin the school's reputation," declared John Miles, my physics teacher.

His disdain for me stemmed from my habit of sleeping in his class, and he seized this opportunity to express his resentment.
The teachers began joining in the complaint against me, citing various grievances, the atmosphere grew tense.

Some opposed my expulsion, while others stayed silent.

I stood there silently, anticipating the inevitable outcome that I had already foreseen through the help of the invisible screen.

The principal stood up, and a hushed silence fell over the room.

Just as he was about to address the situation, the piercing sound of the fire alarm filled the room, and water began to spray from the sprinklers.

Despite the principal's attempts to calm the panic, the teachers ignored his pleas and started rushing out of the room.

I stood up and followed the chaotic stream of people, making my way out of the room.

Exiting out of the school, I noticed William in the dispersing crowd and retrieved the key from him.

Amid the chaos, someone quelled the rising panic, declaring it a false alarm.

After deactivating the fire alarm and sprinkler system, the panic slowly subsided, people cautiously started entering the school once again, but I chose to remain outside.

Abruptly, a piercing scream echoed through the corridor, drawing everyone's attention.

When they rushed to investigate, the sight that awaited them left them visibly startled.