THE TRANSFEREE

LAUREN'S POINT OF VIEW

"Are you done with our assignment in Algebra?" Lei asked me while I'm listening to a song through my earphone.

I nod my head and give her my notebook. I rest my head in the arm chair and close my eyes. I slept late last night because a lot of things were running in my mind, that is why I'm a bit drowsy right now. I yawned and was about to take a short nap when someone ruffles my hair.

I raised my head and stare at the person who ruined my peace. "What?!"

Sloane chuckled ands sits beside me. "Good morning, Lauren."

I scoffed. "You already ruin the good in my morning," I said scornfully.

He pouted like a child. "You're so mean."

I cringed at him. "Yuck, stop pouting, you look like a hideous duck."

His eyes widened. He scoffed and shook his head. "Did you really say I'm hideous? Are you blind? Look at this face-" he cupped my cheeks and pulled my face closer. "Look at this sinfully handsome face and tell me that I'm ugly."

I slap his hands away and roll my eyes. "Stop pinching my cheeks, damn it. And yes, you still look ugly to me," I retorted, chuckling a bit.

He feigned an offended expression. "I hate you."

The edge of my lips curve into a grin. "I hate you more."

I was about to put my earphones back when I felt the silence hovering inside the room. I roam my eyes around, blood immediately rose to my cheeks when I noticed them staring at me- to us specifically. They all have these malicious smile while staring on us.

Lei walk towards me and whisper. "Now I realized why you don't like Pierce, it was Sloane all this time," she teased, her lips curved into a grin.

I elbowed her. "Shut up. Stop imagining things, will you?

She stifled a laugh while returning to her chair. "Whatever, in denial bitch."

I tear off my gaze on her and look at the man who's sitting comfortably on the chair beside me, his arms are clasped behind his head. "This is your fault!" I exclaimed indignantly.

He looks at me with a sham innocence. "Eh? I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

I balled my fist and rolled my eyes at him. "Stop being stupid."

He chuckled. "Don't tell me you're flustered now?" He hissed. "Here I am thinking that you're an oblivious apathetic person," he taunted.

"Unlike you, I know how to be ashamed. Now stop being a clingy cat so they would stop teasing us, asshole."

But this is Sloane whom I'm talking to, a hard-headed bastard.

"What if I don't, Lauren? What if I don't want to stop? I love seeing you all flustered and embarrassed because of me."

He inched his face closer to mine again. I can already smell his minty breath. I gulped hard and avoided his gaze. This guy is really insane.

"Y-You're out of your mind."

He smirks and was about to retaliate when the door opens.

"Good morning, class. I arrived a bit late today, my bad. Anyway, please take your respective seats and let's start," Ms. Montreal instructed.

I shunned Sloane away and fix myself.

"Alright, let's have a recap first on-" She was disrupted by a thump on the door. "Wait."

She walked towards the door and talked to someone. After a while, she faces us with a wide smile.

"I almost forgot. I have a very important announcement for all of you. You guys will have a new classmate."

My forehead creased and so as my classmates.

"Does the school still accept students, Ma'am? The first quarter of the year is about to end," Evan asked.

Ms. Clara smiled. "According to the University's rule, yes. We still accept students as long as the first semester has not reached its end yet," she explained. "By the way, you can come in now, dear."

The new student emerged from outside. She walks timidly in front of the class.

She roam her eyes around, and her gaze landed on Amber whose lips are slightly parted. I saw how her eyes gleam with a strange expression as it landed on Amber. The former's face suddenly lits up. My forehead creased when I perceived apprehension on the latter's face.

The confusion stirring inside me escalates as all of them, including my best friend, has the same expression of shock and disquiet.

The new student bowed her head a bit before smiling. "Hi, I'm Summer Adair Morrigan. I hope we can get along well."

"Oh, so you already know them, Ms. Morrigan? I thought you're a transferee?"

Summer smiled at her. "Of course, Ms. Montreal. We're classmates since pre-school, but I need to stop studying because of some unexpected turn of events," she answered with a ghost smile plastered between her lips. "I was home-schooled for quite some times. I'm glad that I was able to catch with my friends. "

Ms. Clara, who seems oblivious of the tension surrounding us, smiled at her. "That's good to here.  I bet you really miss them."

She laugh heartily. "I do. It's just unfortunate that they were not able to visit me before. I guess they are busy," she said. "But I really miss them, specially Amber."

She turned her attention to us and walk towards Amber's seat. Summer hugs the latter who's still stumped on her seat. I saw her whisper something to Amber that makes her eyes widen. Now I'm curious as hell. Maybe I will ask Lorelei later about this.

"Alright, do the catching up later. Let's start the discussion already."

••••••

The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. Golden fingers of sunlight lit up the scene. It was dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily in the gentle breeze.

"I forgot to ask you something yesterday," I asked Lorelei while we're sitting on a bench inside the Science Garden.

Lorelei took a bite on her sandwich before looking at me. "What is it?"

"Who's Summer? All of you looked so shock when she introduced herself yesterday. Aside from the fact that you guys were classmates back in elementary. I have no idea who she really is. Can you at least tell me why she stopped attending school before?" I asked with utmost curiousity.

She pursed her lips. For few moments, she just sat there quietly.

"Hey, it's alright if you won't tell me, I'm just curious that's why I asked."

She smiled subtly at me before looking over the horizon. "Do you trust me, Lauren?"

My forehead creased. "O-Of course. Why did yoy ask, though?"

She averted her gaze from the azure sky and smiles at me, but it did not reach her eyes. "I can't tell you yet, I'm sorry."

She stands up and started walking. My eyebrows snap together. What the hell? Was my question too intrusive?

She stops in her track and looks back at me. "But I do hope that you won't despise me after hearing my past." I saw her heave a deep sigh. "I'm not as kind as you think. I have my fair share of dark secrets too, Lauren," she said before walking away.

What she said is a bolt from the blue, it left me hanging with so many questions.

I shook my head. "I thought we both know each other very well." I look above the sky and close my eyes for a while. The cold wind is brushing against my skin.

I guess it's not just me, both of us are trapped inside the cage of secrets, with fetters of apprehension strangling us into hollow yet fatal death.

•••••

I frowned when the disturbed atmosphere greeted me when I step inside the room. Aeron and Lincoln are walking back forth, fear and worry were obvious in their faces.

I sit next down to Lorelei who looks troubled as well. "Lei, what happened?"

She heaved out a deep sigh. "Asher is suspected missing."

My heart misses a beat. "H-How?"

"Asher's younger sister called Lincoln this morning, asking if he's with her brother, but he's also looking for him, because he didn't attend our morning class," she explained. "Also, Lincoln just recently discovered that Asher has been working for almost two years now in order to support his study. Based from what I heard, her mother could not support them anymore because of her severe illness."

Even I was shocked on her revelations. I can't imagine that Asher, an imperious guy who always wears an arrogant smile is letting someone bosses him around.

"If it wasn't for his sister, we wouldn't know his current situation," Lei continued.

Who would imagine that behind his tough facade, hides a man who's crumbling with the heavy burden of shouldering the responsibilities of his mother.

"He hasn't replied yet?"

I look at Lincoln who seems the most bothered among us.

Aeron shook his head after taking a look at his phone. "He's not answering any of my calls, there's no reply on my messages neither."

The former gritted his teeth. "I will throttle that bastard when I see him," he said furiously, but his worried eyes tell otherwise.

Evan suddenly opened the door. "I already contacted the nearest police station on Asher's workplace. They are currently trying to trace his whereabouts." He patted Lincoln's shoulder. "We will find him, bro," Evan assured him.

Lincoln smiled, but that did not lessen the tension inside the room. I want to help, but I'm just as clueless as they are.

All of a sudden, our phones ring simultaneously. My heart leaps a bit as the familiar feeling of fear consumed my system while I'm looking down at my phone.

"Fuck, don't tell me it's happening again," Sloane blurted out, his voice stuck between fury and fear.

With my trembling hands, I opened the message.

"He kissed death for he bites the hands that feeds one. He who left a shattered soul whilst sapped in tears should bathe in blood. The cost of his betrayal, a bullet on his skull."

My forehead creased as my eyes read the message over and over again. The fear I felt a while ago escalates with every passing seconds. For some strange reason, the air inside the room seemed to thicken as the temperature drops.

"B-Bro, you should see this," Aeron called Lincoln's attention who's staring emptily in nothingness. His face looks so distressed as he handed the latter his phone.

With a creased forehead, he gets the phone from his friend. His eyes widened, that eventually brimmed with tears. "N-No, this is not happening. Fuck, this is not true. Shit," Lincoln uttered breathlessly, shattering the unnerving silence that daunted us. He crouched on the floor and permitted himself to cry.

All of us just stared at him, clueless and lost. As if on cue, Evan's phone buzzes. He looked at Lincoln before answering the call.

"Mr. Arden?" The person on the other line asked. Evan seemed to loud speaker his phone on purpose.

"Y-Yeah. This is Evan Arden, I was the one who asked for your department's help earlier."

"We already found your friend."

Lei and I look in each other's eyes. She held my arms and sighed heavily, as if a huge burden was lifted on her shoulder.

There was a long silence on the other line. "He was found dead in an abandoned building on Woodlawn Avenue."

Like a bomb being drop abruptly in our face, our relief was immediately replaced with shock when the cop continued his words.

•••••

From that day forward, apprehension started occupying my system. What's happening on our class is not an accident neither a coincidence anymore. Someone is slaughtering us one by one.

What's more terrifying is that, we don't have any idea who's the person behind all this mess. But that doesn't mean I couldn't do anything. I need to at least try toning down the fire before it completely consumes us.

"Ma'am, do you perhaps have a book containing all the graduates of this school?"

The librarian raised her head and looks at me, confused. She scans me from head to toe. I stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"Just go to the yearbook section," she said while pointing to the eastern hallway of the library.

I bowed my head. "Thank you."

I will start now by uncovering the secrets of our class. I know that what I'm doing seems to be a sign of doubting them, but what Lei told me piques my curiosity.

I walk towards the direction she pointed. With a creased forehead, I scan the shelves. My eyes settled on a certain section.

"Sand through the hour glass." I read the yearbook title.

I sit on the nearest table and starts flipping the pages of the book. I look carefully at the faces of my classmates with their graduating line below their pictures.

"If life fucks you hard, moan my name." I shake my head while reading Sloane's motto. His signature cocky smile fits perfectly with the dirty line.

"If you think you're beautiful, remember that a 'me' exists." I chuckled at Loralei's.

Damn, she's already a conceited brat even before.

I continue reading, but the smile plastered between my lips vanished when I noticed an unfamiliar name and face.

"Astreia Blair Sullivan."

I fish out my phone from my pocket and tried searching her name on Facebook. My eyes widened when several articles came out, with the similar name of Astreia attached to it.

I clicked the first article. And my curiosity turns into fear as I scroll down through the news published years ago.

"Baptism of Fire: The forgotten Sullivan's case."

A student was found dead on an abandoned building nearby Atkinson Street. The said victim experienced horrific tragedy, her face covered in bruises and was almost unrecognizable. The investigation team also suspected rape attempt as her sensitive spot was found swollen and bleeding. The victim's only identification was the ID she was wearing the night when the crime took place.

My face blanch. Suddenly, I remember the notes sent by the killer.

"Could it be? Are they the clues and connections that I've been looking for all this time?"

I immediately rummaged my bag and look for that certain note and place it beside my phone displaying the recent message from the culprit.

Vengeance and Betrayal.

Tears escaped my eyes as I stared at the empty air in front of me. For some strange reasons, those words sparks a bitter taste of nostalgia.

Now that I was able to connect all these things, who? Who killed Blair? And who's killing for Blair?