"I can't even look at you, Anna," Mia growled, shutting the door to her car as Anna came walking over to her with a big smile, a smile that instantly froze and morphed into an expression of confusion.
"What? Why?"
"Don't play stupid with me," Mia snapped and hiked up her bag. She begun walking towards the school with Anna trailing after her. "You know what you did and I can't believe you'd actually—"
"Whoa, whoa! Is this because I went to talk to Eli yesterday?" She exclaimed. "Honey, we were just talking! Well, I was anyway, he didn't say much. He seemed pissed as hell, so I ended up giving up and just going to class," She finished. "Why do you care so much anyway?"
"I don't." Mia scoffed lightly. Alright, so they hadn't hooked up. Her mind eased a little, but that didn't mean she approved of what Anna was trying to do.
Oh, you are such a hypocrite, her voice of reason chimed in her head. You were the one who slept with him. Actually no, sleeping with him would require a bed; You just fucked him up against a wall.
"You know what, whatever," Mia replied, not knowing if she was taking to Anna or herself. "Do whatever you want, I don't care, but can we just move past it? I really just need a calm, normal school day for once."
"That looks like that ain't going to happen, babe." Anna for some reason said and stopped up, glaring at the entrance to the school.
Mia followed her stare and then groaned. It was total déjà vu; A flock of reporters had squatted in front of the school and were filming a live newsfeed for their local stations. Students were gathering around to look what happened this time.
"Oh god, again?"
"C'mon!" Anna excitedly chirped and dragged Mia along. They walked up to the crowd together, even if Mia did so a little begrudgingly. She was sick and tired of the media stirring up her school day.
"While the forensics team are still working on decoding the last mystery of the infamous Genius, it appears he has struck yet again," The entertained female reporter said to the camera. "Yesterday the school had a malfunctioning with their servers that caused severe distress on the school's students whose exam works and research all rests on said servers. The glitch had the technicians working the whole day to fix the problem, but at the end of it, they confessed that they were stumped.
"But today – as the technicians entered the building early this morning to continue their hard work – they walked in and found the glitch had been fixed," The female reporter said, a hint of smile around her lips. "It appeared that the Genius had managed to sneak into the server room and not only fix the error, but also decided to leave a message for them. The words 'You're welcome' were written in bold letters across the computer screens along with a cryptic code of numbers which could hold a secret message, says the the forensic team currently working on decoding it. Students here at the Alexandrettia are more ecstatic about the Genius striking again than retrieving their precious homework. The mystery continues and as will the investigations..."
"I've heard enough," Mia snapped and begun walking away from the crowd and into the school. "Why can't the dick just come forward?"
"Well if you ask my expert opinion," Anna said, trailing after her again, "Geniuses demands attention. What's the point of having a brilliant mind if you can't show it?" She said, making Mia frown at her words. "The Genius wants an audience and what better people to target than a bunch of other geniuses who in comparison to him looks like a pack of moronic buffoons?"
"Well, he's not going to get a standing O from me," Mia scoffed, pursing her lips as they started walking down the hall. "I'm over it, it's a stupid media game he's playing."
"But that's why it's fascinating!" Anna said. "He's deliberately messing with this school! Why us? What's his motive? If he doesn't want to come forward, why's he trying to get noticed?"
"I don't know, he's probably crazy," She replied to Anna while power-walking to get to her art class. "He's fucking up our quiet school days and he clearly likes it. If he didn't, he would've come forth by now and ended this whole circus."
"Well, if he's really crazy, he probably won't," Anna replied. "Okay, I'll just see you later then," She then sighed when Mia just kept furiously stalking towards her class. "Have fun drawing or painting or whatever..."
Damn right she would, Mia thought. She wasn't going to let the Genius destroy her future chance of becoming a brilliant artist.
~~~
"Caleb, if you don't fucking call me back, I'm going to cause hell for you," Mia heard Eli's furious voice growl into the payphone in the hall. "I'm not kidding anymore, you piece of shit. I'm going to kidnap your fucking sister and take her with me," He hissed. "You crossed a line, Caleb. Call. Me. Back."
Mia frowned at the sight of him slamming the phone back, but then quickly moved on when he begun to turn around. This was the second time she had heard him yell at someone over the phone. This Caleb person, whoever that was, was facing a dangerous future if he continued to ignore Eli's calls. Had he been serious about wanting to kidnap his sister? Mia prayed he wasn't, but from the sound of his pissed voice, she feared he might actually mean it. If so, should she report it to someone?
"MIA! Mia, Mia, Mia!" Zoe's voice suddenly bellowed from the hall. When Mia turned around again, she saw her friend racing down the hall – bolting as if her ass was on fire. "Miiiiia!"
"Jesus, Zoe, what's wrong?" Mia finally said when Zoe stopped up in front of her, completely out of breath.
"I... I fi... figured it... out," She managed to get out between heavy pants. "The code! I cracked it!"
"What code, what crack?" Mia frowned, trying to understand what she was getting at, while she in the corner of her eye saw Eli look up. "You gotta start explaining yourself more, Zoe, I can't keep up with you."
"The mystery code the Genius left!" She exclaimed, clutching her ribs. "The code he left in the server room on the screen! The one the forensic team is working on cracking, I cracked it!"
"You did?" Mia said, her eyebrows shooting up. "How? What was it?"
Zoe smiled widely and pulled out a notepad from her pocket. "I got a look at the numbers and I wrote them down just the way the Genius had on the screen. Here, look," She showed her the notepad and Mia took a look at it.
"32 - 28 - 92 - 16," Zoe listed off as if she didn't couldn't read the digits. "They could be anything, a phone number, an address, coordinations, a lock combination – I tried everything I could think of, but nothing made sense. I didn't know where to look next, I had actually almost given up when I hit a lazy slum in chemistry," She told, now fishing a chemistry book out of her bag. She opened it on the first page where a picture of the periodic time table was printed neatly with the names and elements. "I was sorta having a brainfart moment when my eyes suddenly landed on this."
"Brainfart?"
"Mia, focus and look!" Zoe eagerly said. "Look at the 32nd element!"
Mia did as she was told with a sigh and found the element Germanium. "Okay, what's Germanium?"
"It's a shiny, hard metal, but that's not the point!" Zoe replied and pointed to the element again. "Look at its chemical name!"
Mia looked again and saw two simple letters. "Ge?"
"Yes. Now look at element number 28," Zoe excitedly continued.
Mia quickly found it and looked. "Nickel."
"Ni," Zoe grinned. "Now number 92."
She looked and found Uranium. "U..."
"And finally, 16..." Zoe said, pointing to it where Mia saw the element Sulfur. "S. Now spell it out."
"Ge... Ni... U... S," Mia said, her eyes turning into saucers. "Genius! Zoe you're genius!"
"I know!" She squealed and could hardly stay still on her feet. "The genius left a signature! 'You're Welcome – Genius,'" She chuckled.
Mia had to admit, she was bloody impressed with Zoe. "That's amazing, Zoe! You have to tell the forensic team! Maybe they can use it."
"I don't know, what if I somehow got it wrong? What if it's just a freaky coincidence..." Zoe slowly said, nervously biting her lip. "I don't want to be a laughing stock."
"Hey," Mia said and placed both hands on her shoulders. "You're not wrong, you got it right. Don't let yourself get intimidated or discouraged by whoever this Genius is. You are a genius too, baby, so shine like a star. If you don't want to go public with your name on it, just stay in the dark. Besides, stars can't shine without darkness, anyway," Mia chuckled.
Zoe smiled a little as well. "Actually, stars can't shine without hydrogen and nuclear fusion, but you're right, I have to go tell them. It'll help us get one step closer to finding the Genius!"
"There you go!" Mia smiled a little, but a hasty movement in the corner of her eye then suddenly caught her attention. Eli had abandoned his mop and was now striding off down the hall, down to the exit that led to the dumpster. It was the way he walked with his fists clenched and his shoulders rigid that made Mia frown and wonder what was wrong.
She knitted her eyebrows together in thoughts and then begun walking down the hall after Eli. It shouldn't really even bother her what he was up to and what had him pissed, but it did. Instead of being fully absorbed in the mysterious Genius like everyone else, she was caught up in Eli; a criminal doing community work as a janitor.
Maybe it's time to sit down and reevaluate your life, Mia thought as she nonetheless went out the exit to the dumpster.
She found Eli smoking away on a cigarette, staring coldly at the ground. He didn't even look up when she came out, crossing her arms. She looked at him for a moment for any sign or response that he had acknowledged her presence, but when none came, she hesitantly spoke. "Eli?"
He slowly lifted the cig to his lips and took a drag before he tonelessly replied, "What?"
Mia frowned and watched the smoke blow out of his nostrils. No point beating around the bush, then... "Who's Caleb and why are you threatening to kidnap his sister?"
At that, Eli slowly lifted his head and glared at her, murderously. "That sounds like a fuckload of none-of-your-fucking-business."
"It becomes my 'fucking business' if you're planning to abduct someone," She snapped back, feeling the thick wave of cold anger he was exuding wash over her as well.
The already gloomy look in his eyes turned even darker as he leaned up off the dumpster and slowly walked up to her. "My business only becomes your business if I ever decide to fuck you again," He lowly said, his voice dropping to a lethal octave. "Until then, keep your nose the fuck out of my shit or I'll make your life hell."
He gave her once last stare before he threw his cigarette on the ground and walked around her. The door went and Mia found her experiencing yet another déjà vu – only this time she decided there was no point in letting the shivers running through her body scare her, or in any way intimidate her, so she turned around and walked back inside as well.
– It was time to get her head back on track.
~~~
"Mia."
Mia turned around in the hall and found Mr Valenches coming up to her. He usually looked young and smiling, but today he looked very much like an adult and serious at that.
"May I have a word with you?" He said, looking at her sternly. She gulped and nervously nodded.
"Of course. Have I done something wrong?"
"That's what I'm about to find out."
He led her to an empty classroom and closed the door, making Mia's stomach churn in fear. What was so serious he needed to close the door?
She got her answer the next second.
Mr Valenches, to her complete mortification, pulled out her missing thong from his suit pocket and held it up. "Is this yours?"
Mia felt the sweat roll down her temples and her cheeks flame up. This was not happening. "W-why do you ask t-that?" She nervously responded.
"Because I found it the same place I found the portrait of your anonymous subject," He said, his voice deepening. "Mia, I'd really hate if you said this is indeed yours, but at the same time I want you to be honest; Did you have sex within the walls of the school?"
Mia's heart was beating so hard in her chest, she feared it might pop out through her ribcage. This was the worst that could've possibly happened.
"Mia. I need an answer."
She looked down, and with every ounce of her heart breaking, she nodded.
Mr Valenches sighed deeply and looked down as well. "For God's sake, Mia. Do you have any idea what kind of position you're putting me in?"
"I know, please, I'm so sorry," Mia whispered, pressing her lips tightly together, fighting the tears. "Please, you can't..."
"You know it's school policy that any illegal activity or behavior has to be reported to the principal, whereafter he will most likely make the decision that will lead to your expulsion."
"Oh, God," Mia sobbed, palming her face in her hands. She knew this. She knew if she got caught, she would get thrown out of the Alexandrettia, but it just couldn't be happening. Not to her.
"Mia..." Valenches said, coming up to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Listen. I haven't told the principal yet. I needed to confirm it with you first, even though I was pretty sure. It took courage to own up to your actions and I truly admire that. You've always been an honest, hard-working student who never quit, no matter what. That's why I'm going to give you a chance," He said, making her blink up at him with tears in her eyes. He looked at her firmly. "If you can promise me that it will never ever happen again—"
"I promise, oh God, I promise!"
"—hear me out; If you can promise me it will never happen again, I won't tell the principal. It will stay between us, but there will be consequences," He warned, giving her a hard look. "I'm risking my job by keeping this from the board, but I'm going to do it for you, Mia. You're a brilliant artist, don't mistake it. I might be rough on you in class, but that's only because I known you can do better. You have so much potential."
Mia was completely stunned. Valenches squeezed her shoulder and then let go.
"So here's the deal; Every day after class, you have to clean up all the paint pallets and brushes, wipe the floors from paint and put away the easels," He said. "Consider it a form of detention."
"Oh my God, thank you," Mia croaked, wiping the tears away from under her eyes. "I promise, I absolutely promise, it will never happen again! It was a one-time-thing, I swear!"
"I really truly hope so for your sake," He said seriously and then handed her her thong. "You were lucky that it was me who found this and not the janitor. Things could've gone a whole other direction if that was the case."
As Mia awkwardly took her thong and stuffed it into her pocket, she silently thought he couldn't have been more right. "Thank you, Mr Valenches. Really; Thank you."
He just nodded and then went back to the door. "Don't make me regret my decision."
Mia nodded back and then he left. That had been so goddamn close, and that's why she in that moment swore to full on avoid Eli at all costs from then on our. He was bad news.
• • •
Well. That was awkward.