Mystery Loves Company

Chapter 4 - File #2.2: The Swapped Folders

At exacly 9 am, the door was opened and two men let us in. Before occupying each available seats in the auditorium, we had to fill the attendance list. The briefing started once the seats were filled. It lasted about ten minutes—there was a reason why they called it 'brief-ing'—and then, five admission officers, who sat behind the long table with each chairs in front of them, started to gather the application folders in order of the sitting.

Finally, it was my turn. I got the woman in the middle. It looked like someone had tampered her chair with spikes and she had to hold the pain. Or, she just hated being here and frowned all the time as the result. Honestly, I'd rather get the middle-aged man in the first table who worked really slow than facing another unfriendly person.

"Name?" She asked callously, as if she was pointing a knife at me—very threatening.

"Avery Kane."

She wrote it down on a paper. "School?"

"Bridgewald High."

"Papers?"

I gave her the brown folder I had prepared from home. There were the applications letters, papers, my essays, and such. She opened the folder. First, she furrowed her eyebrows, and then she repositioned her glasses, and finally, popped out her eyes.

"List of the Stolen Prescription Drugs?!" She was so surprised that she had to shout it out loud.

"What?!" I shouted even louder. I grabbed the paper from her. It was written on the paper. Not done with the surprise, I took the folder and dropped all the contains on the table. There should be my essays and other papers that should get me into Bensworth University, but instead, there were some papers, a face sketch of a man, and a notebook.

The shock was unspeakable. Where the hell were my papers?! I didn't get them out of this folder—

Oh, damn. The coffee shop.

When I was arguing with the barista, there was another person present. The guy who bought the strawberry smoothie and apple pie! A smoothie in a coffee shop? Not a weird thing compared to the fact that he ordered it in the early morning. Did he want to have a stomachache or what? And what was with the checkered shirt and striped cardigan he wore? Like ordering a smoothie at 7.35 am wasn't ridiculous enough.

His smoothie was done and the barista called out the order. He came and took the plastic cup in a hurry. Because his hands were full, he put his strikingly similar brown folder while the barista helped him by handing the apple pie box. After he could manage all his stuffs, he grabbed back his folder and left.

"He took the wrong folder!" My voice startled the woman. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. It seemed like my folder was swapped. I can get it back," I convinced. "Can I go back here again? I swear I'll bring the right folder."

The stare deepened, like she had a pair of laser eyes that could go through my eyes and burn my brains. Ah, the science fiction movies Alex liked to watch really got into my head.

"Listen, Young Lady," she said boldly, "The thing that I dislike other than chocolate is undisciplined people. This is university, not your high school. We have rules, real rules, and as long as you are in the area, you have to obey it."

That's ridiculous, I thought to myself. Who doesn't like chocolates?!

I straightened my body as she cleared her throat, demanding my respond. "I'm sorry," I breathed. "Please, just let me get back here with my folder. This incident happened beyond my expectation, I really am sorry."

She looked at me for a while, and then nodded. Not letting me to have a relieved sigh, she said, "We're closed at 11 am. You don't gather your application folder, you can't get an interview. Do you understand, Miss Kane?"

"I do," I stood up and took a small bow. "Thank you."

Was being the first person who came out of the building without having your name registered as one of the official entrants a bad thing? Totally. With Danna Jennings' name in their system, it made it even worse. They would eventually realize how important it was to have future mayor's daughter in their school, more than a student who basically nailed every classes she had been in.

I checked out the things in the folder to find the owner. No name or identification, even in the navy blue, leather-covered notebook. It was almost half full and neatly written. Not just the handwriting, but also the classification. He even wrote the date in every sheet. But sure, the neatness wasn't really applied in the way he dressed.

The only clue I could possibly collect was in the coffee shop. As much as I wanted to come back there, I couldn't risk my dignity to face the barista again. It wasn't like I was ashamed—it was more like I had to reduce the urge to punch him in the face.

Dignity vs dignity. I couldn't let Danna take anyone's spot in Bensworth. The girl couldn't even remember the first element in the periodic table—shameful. So, it was either facing the barista or saying early goodbye to my precious folder.

"Ah, the Eardrums Lady."

I chose the barista. Only one hour and 3 minutes since I barged out of this place, and he already got me a nickname.

"I need to know who bought the strawberry smoothie and apple pie after me this morning," I blurted. He ignored me and just kept making the coffee orders. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

He glanced. "Me? Oh, sorry. It's my ears. I haven't got a time to check them up to the doctor yet."

And I think Danna is the only one who can get on my nerves. "Either you tell me his name, or I will sue this place," I threatened.

"What is your problem?" He left the coffee machine and turned around to me. "I've never even seen you around here before, yet you go around pissing people off!"

"I just want to know who bought the smoothie! He took my folder and I took his," I tried to explain without having my fist up in the air. "You must've written his name on his cup. I just need to know it so I can take my folder back. It's an important folder. Please."

He then chuckled, showing small dimples on both cheeks. "Finally, just the word I'm waiting for," he said. "Well, I didn't really write his name on the cup because he happened to be my friend. Rhett Carver."

So, he was only being nice to his friends? Ugh, people these days. "Do you know where he is right now?"

"Do I look like a GPS tracker to you?" He sneered. "Dude has a weird hobby. He can be anywhere right now. But you might want to check Dorm A, it's next to Student Center."

Dorm A was on the other side of the campus. It would take a little more than just strolling to reach the student dormitories. I would have to walk past the Bensworth University Headquarters, Chemistry Building, Law Building, and of course, the Student Center. Damn, this campus was so big. It was the only thing that Bridgewald could actually be proud of.

Arrived in the Student Center, I already lost half of the air in my lungs—and my PE teacher was wondering why I couldn't get an A+ for his class. Sure, one A- was hurting my report book, but he was kind enough not to give me a B because he appreciated my effort. And, because he was also teaching math, which I was really good at.

I could see the complex of student dormitories from here. Okay, I just had to cross this park to get to the dorms complex and see if I could find someone named Rhett Carver.

Or not.

I slowed down my steps as I saw someone matched the description I had planted inside my head. From what I could remember about this morning, the person who took my folder dressed awfully that even I, who couldn't care less about fashions, found it painful to see. How many people in Bensworth actually thought that checker and strip were a good combination? And how many of them chose to stand by a trash can when there were many empty benches?

Just one.