Rhett
I paced back and forth in the corridor of Bensworth's Medical School, in front of the anatomy laboratory to be exact, thinking of what Chief Snell stated just ten minutes ago. I was the reason that Paul Carnahan was hit? That was the most ludicrous thing I had ever heard from him. I even chuckled a bit, and everyone in that room looked at me like I was some kind of unempathetic bastard. I wasn't disrespecting Mr. Carnahan, but seriously, Uncle Dave? You couldn't find a better time to tell a joke?
Then it struck me: the one and only joke he could ever launch was his all-time favorite, "What do policemen usually say to their bellies? You're under a vest!" I remembered how cringe-worthy it was that no one laughed at it but himself. But now, he didn't even laugh, which meant he wasn't joking or even trying to.
Dean Roberts quickly dismissed us, saying that it was better for us to talk about this in the police station. But of course, no matter how serious this was, Chief Snell would never take me there for some obvious reasons. First, he was already tired about this 'Rhett and His Little Cases Take Police Station' drama; second, he understood the whole situation, that if it happened, it would make me a candidate for suspension; and third, the last thing everyone needed right now was the media's attention. So, he just simply answered, "Let me be the one who decides that, Mr. Roberts."
When he said that we needed to talk, I told him I had a class and I would meet him after. I usually couldn't lie because he always knew it right away, but he just nodded and let me go, not saying anything anymore. Was he mad? Probably. Ugh, one problems at a time, please.
As I started to feel dizzy for walking over the same short route, a bunch of pre-med students came out of the laboratory. My eyes instantly found Noel because of his distinct red hair. Even if they were all redheads, I could easily found him, as he was the only one looking at me with irked face.
"I hope you came here to tell me a good news," he said.
"The Dean knew you weren't really involved in the case, so you're fine," I paused for a few seconds, "but I'm not."
"In case you didn't notice, you never are."
"Please keep your cynical words and hear me out just for a second." After all those horrible treatments, I hated to beg him for something, but I had to. "A man is in coma because of me."
He raised his eyebrows, was actually surprised hearing that. "Wow. Your bad luck hurt other people now? I should really stay away from you."
Patience, patience. I shouldn't be upset if I wanted him to help me. "There was a hit-and-run. I think you being called to the principal's office had something to do with that, so I have to know what you and Dean Roberts were talking."
"Uh, fine," he rolled his eyes. "Why does trouble always follow you?"
"Well, trouble and I, we found each other." I couldn't believe it that at this time I still could make a joke out of it.
Noel asked me to follow him to nearest bench. Although at first he was hesitated to tell me, he finally revealed the not-so-private conversation he had with Dean Roberts. Unlike what I predicted before, it was quite boring and mostly just the Dean asking questions regarding the case and Noel answering. Even so, I could imagine how scared Noel had to be. I chuckled when I was thinking about his panic face.
"I don't understand how it helps you with a hit-and-run," he said after finishing the short retelling.
"Well, it sure does tell me that not only they were trying to cover up a crime, but they also were trying to eliminate everything that gets in the way." Okay, it might come out wrong, as Noel's eyes suddenly popped out and his face was as white as a sheet. "No, no, I don't mean eliminate eliminate. The Dean called you just to make sure that the news didn't spread to the whole campus. He just wants to protect Bensworth' reputation."
"To hell with reputation! If I die because of a hit-and-run, I will haunt you first!"
"You will make a funny ghost," I rolled my eyes. "You clearly don't understand what I meant. There was a theft, and instead of looking for the thief, they suspended a student. Now that the real thief was found—thanks to me—shouldn't they bring him to the police? They should have, but the fact is they didn't. And just one day later, the thief became a victim of a seemingly random hit-and-run," I explained carefully so that he didn't wrongly translate it again. "Please blink twice if you understand."
He scoffed, rather offended with my last sentence. "So the crime became more serious with that hit-and-run and the Dean was... panicked?"
"That's what he looked like when I saw him," I replied. "And not just that, it happened after I exposed that janitor's crime. Do you know what that means?"
"That you are one hell of a troublemaker?" Noel sneered.
"Dude, I'm in serious trouble here! Can you at least show some sympathy?" I complained. "He stole the drugs and planned to sell them for his mother's medication. It was completely personal. And all of a sudden he was hit?"
"Don't you get it? He was lying right to your face. He didn't steal them for his mother," said Noel. "I thought you liked mysteries. You couldn't even figured this one."
My mind came in with a sudden realization. "There's a party who wanted him dead... because he didn't sell the stolen drugs to them... because I caught him!"
"You're thinking too much," he growled, starting to regret his decision to feed me the idea.
"No, Noel, you are right! The hit-and-run was intentional, it wasn't random at all!" I flicked my finger. It's an attempted murder! "And if there was going to be another hit-and-run victim, it would be me, not you!"
"Even if you were, I wouldn't be surprised. I bet you could even get hit by a parked car."
"That's not the point," I said through my gritted teeth. "First, I am indirectly accused of a hit-and-run. And then... It's possible that I am in greater danger."
"Stop exaggerating things!" Now it was Noel's turn to complain. "Nobody accuses you of anything. You had no intentions to put that man, or yourself, in danger. You were just trying to help Maxine, remember?"
That was actually the nicest thing he ever said to me. If someone else, let's say Kyle, said so, I might respond to it with 'Meh'. But this came from the guy that I thought would be my sworn enemy. Maybe we didn't hate each other that much. "Wow. Thanks for the kind words, Noel."
"Yeah, whatever. Just go, don't ever bother me with this kind of thing again," he said while making a hand gesture of shooing. Even so, he was the one who left first.
I was still standing in that corridor, overthinking all those things. If I still had my notebook, I would feel more relieved because after I wrote them, I could always reread it and rethink everything. It had been two days since I lost it, and I just couldn't get a new one. It was like trying to love another girl when you were still with someone. Bad analogy, I knew, but that exactly how I felt.
Look at you, Rhett, trying to help people but you can't even help yourself...
"Rhett, isn't it?" A familiar voice called me. I turned around and found Maxine there, holding several books in her hands. "Oh, my God! I didn't have a chance to thank you for getting me out of the suspension, so thank you! But I hope my brother already told you that?"
Hearing that, my body shivered. All I could think about was Max's sudden, literally breathtaking hug. "As a matter of fact, he did," I said, trying to forget that. I didn't even let my siblings hug me—not that they wanted to—but I just couldn't refuse Max's. He had arms the size of my pillow, he could easily lift me and throw me to the other side of the room if he felt offended.
"Because of you, I'm still maintaining my place at the Student Council. It was a hard-earned position, I would be crazy if I lost it," she told. "If only I could do anything to pay it back."
Student Council? Okay, there might be another way for me to help myself, but this would involve a blond girl, smart mouth, and probably some whines and show-offs.
"There's something I think you can help me with, though," I said. Did Maxine know that Max already paid me with money? Ah, she seemed so happy, so there was no harm in trying. "Can I see the list of the students who were applying for the early admission?"
She looked at me with her raised eyebrows for a second. "May I ask why?"
"A few days ago, I encountered one of the applicants. Our stuffs were accidentally switched. After switching them back, it turns out that she still has some of my stuffs."
I knew my request was a bit odd, but she nodded anyway. "Well, I was going to go to the council anyway. Come with me."
Minutes later, we arrived at the Student Council room. There were only two people there, who then left after sorting out some documents and put them on the meeting room table. I had never been here before, and to be honest, it felt kind of good. The only ones coming in and out of this room were the members themselves, which were Bensworth's most 'elite' students. Now I knew why Maxine was afraid to lose her membership.
Maxine walked to the other side of the room where the computer was located. It wasn't just a computer, it was the computer—connected within the school's exclusive server, the server created specially for those who were parts of the school government. It was the only computer, besides the computers in Bensworth HQ and the academic offices in each building, that got the privilege to join this server.
I followed her across the room, which was divided into two parts—one was the sacred meeting room with long table and ten chairs around it, the other was their messy workplace. The file cabinets were arranged along the wall, but some still lazily put the papers and folders on the desks. Clubs, sports, any student activities were under the Council's supervision. They had all the files stuffed in the cabinets. One side had a board where they put recent info from the HQ, announcements, upcoming events, and such.
Maxine sat in front of the computer in the corner and started opening folders by folders. "Okay, this is the list," she said after showing the file to me and let me take over the mouse.
I scrolled down. There was like 1000 names on the list! "I don't expect it to be this many," I groaned.
"The number will continue to rise because the admission is still going on until tomorrow."
With that many future students signing up, it did make sense why the Dean wanted the drugs case to be hidden. "Can you show me the ones who came on Tuesday?" I tried to focus at what's in front of me now.
She typed something, and it narrowed down to 267 people.
"Search for 'Avery', please?" I asked, and suddenly the image of a blond girl who called me 'dumbass', poked me with her foot, and spoke like she was the smartest person in the whole world, appeared in my mind.
She nodded and then typed the name, and no items match. "Are you sure it's Avery?"
I was thinking for a moment. She might be a great pain to deal with, but I didn't think she would lie about her name. "I'm sure. Too bad I didn't get her last name."
"Sorry, Rhett. If it isn't here, it means she didn't apply."
So, she didn't go back to the building? Why? She sure looked obsessed about the interview. If she wasn't serious, she wouldn't have chased me and waited for me to give back her folder.
Because of you, I embarrassed myself in front of the admission officer! The line that she pointed out stuck in my mind. It was possible that she had faced the admission officer and gave them the wrong folder, resulted in her being embarrassed.
"Did the applicants have to sign, you know, an attendance list?" I asked.
"Yeah, of course," replied Maxine, and then stood up and reached the folders on the cabinets. "The admission officers gave us the attendance list to cross-check the applications. If their folders are here, but their name are not on the attendance list, we have to cross them out," she explained while browsing the stack. "Ah, here it is, the attendance on Tuesday. Guess what, there are 268 people listed."
It meant one of them came in, but didn't gather the application folder. I grabbed the attendance list from her. Was it my fault that she didn't get her interview? Was she late because I asked her to go with me first? I felt more and more guilty as I kept searching her name.
Avery Kane.
"Did you find it?" asked Maxine.
There was only one Avery, and I saw no reason for it wasn't being the name of that girl. I read the lines she filled. There was no address or phone numbers written, only the school, Bridgewald High. I turned the papers back and forth. Out of 268 people, she was the only one who didn't fill those columns.
"Yes, thank you. Not much information, though. Maybe I just have to let that stuff go," I chuckled.
No, of course I wouldn't do that. I could at least try the school to find her, although address or phone numbers would really help. Was there any particular reason for not filling them? Well, she looked like the person who didn't give a damn about anything around her except if it was about herself. Did she leave the columns empty because, "Oh, why the heck should I write this? They will find it in my application form anyway."?
All of these thoughts just came and formed one big question: Was she actually interested in applying at all?