|DOC 10: QUEEN AQUI|
|AQUA LAVERDA|
My forehead creases in annoyance when someone continues to knock on my door nonstop.
I didn't get to sleep earlier because I was still coping with the new environment and atmosphere of my new room. I was like, I slept around 0130 in the morning!
Furrowing my brows, I open my eyes.
"Ms. President?"
As fast as the lightning flash through my eyes, I get up from my bed which causes my head to ache a bit but I didn't mind it. I caress my arms as I feel cold after hearing the voice of the man who's knocking on my door.
"Y-Yes?" My voice is kind of hoarse because I just woke up from less than two hours of sleep.
Dang, it's only three AM! What's their problem?!
"Gun asks us to go to the meeting room downstairs. You only have five minutes to prepare, Ms. President," blinking my eyes, I can only hear his footsteps fading in my ears.
Meeting? At three AM?! Crazy.
I grab anything that I can in my closet as I am running out of time. After exactly five minutes, I can only briefly look at myself in the mirror on my vanity table.
Light blue loose sweater and white denim shorts. I wasn't able to grab my shoes anymore so, I used my comfy blue slippers. I let my hair down and didn't bother to fix it and let it be messy. It suits me though.
"Follow me," a shiver runs down my veins when his voice reaches my ears.
I watch Asher Rozza leads the way.
I shake my head and silently follow his steps. Now that his name registers in my mind, I remembered my childhood days.
I unconsciously click my tongue as I tilt my head sideways. If Asher is one of the Aces, the Loco is also here.
"Wow," I whisper in astonishment.
That one fact alone is going to kill me slowly. Remembering how they treat me way back then, I wonder if they kind of changed already. If Loco will still treat me like a wind, I no longer care. Even after the past three years of studying here, they remain the same.
But now's different. I'll be one of the Aces too.
No matter what, let's see how will I spend my days being one.
After walking down the stairs, we turn left and stop in front of a door. The dining room is on its right.
So, this is their meeting room? Our. I should say.
Asher opens the door while I keep on following him behind. My hands are already starting to become cold.
Why do I feel cold? It's not as if they'll be discussing my execution. Kidding.
"Let's seat," Reigh gestures to us to take a seat.
I didn't have the chance to roam my eyes with the interior of the room because I can already feel the tension which is slowly crawling into my skin.
Can't they give some air?
"I'm sorry but this is quite a serious case that I've heard from the Underground," Reigh starts with the real agenda that causes me to be totally awake.
The cold water isn't enough to shake off my sleepiness.
Underground.
It's been a while since I've heard of that place. Never did I imagine that I'll be experiencing working under their commands.
I hope, it'll not ruin my plans.
"What about that case?" I glance at Asher on my left side, three chairs away from me.
I shake my head.
Reigh's on the opposite side, in front of us, particularly in front of Asher. While Loco?
I move my head towards him. He's just one seat apart from Reigh. Basically two seats away from my place. Did they plan not to face and go near me?
I sarcastically let out a smile, secretly before focusing on what Reigh will drop anytime now.
"It involves students from Jacks,"
I abruptly look at Reigh when I hear what she says.
Jacks?!
I also notice how Asher silently fixes himself, probably shocked like me. This is really a serious case because they are involved.
"What do you mean?" I look at Loco who asks that.
He's still the same Loco I know since my younger years. He always has his white cap with a chain on it and his eyeglasses. I don't know if he has a problem with his eyesight or it's just for his fashion. He's wearing his signature white hoodie.
The sound of the paper on the table makes me look at Reigh. She lets out a heavy breath while shaking her head.
"That, it's not stated in the file that they've sent. Our only clue for now is, they were involved with the recent incident in the school,"
When she mentions what happened not that long ago, my curiosity grows inside me. Not only that, there's a possibility that they know who's behind the attacks.
Or, it could be that one of them is the mastermind.
With that in mind, I clench my hands that if I will look at it, my knuckles are turning white because of the pressure I'm putting on them.
Reigh looks at me as if she knows what I did. I look at her without any emotions in my eyes.
"Are you sure it's Jacks?" I ask her.
"It is," two words, yet it sends me too many emotions that I can't name.
"Okay! What's your plan?" I ask as I let out a deep breath.
I'm only looking at Reigh, trying to read what's on her mind. She really is intimidating to me. From her empty cold eyes to her chilling presence.
She's really the Queen of the Aces, no wonder.
"Let's just observe for now. We can't just accuse them, can we?"
I raise my right eyebrow then my left and lean my back on the chair.
"I'll have Naraka on my watch. She has been approaching me since the incident, maybe I can find some clues from her," I inform them.
Reigh nods her head while Asher and Loco just look at me which makes me roll my eyes. That's just a spur of the moment, I'll regret what I did just now once I'm inside of my room.
We are about to leave the room when the door burst open.
Not only do my eyes grow wider but also my mouth when Aqui appears in my sight.
Queen Aqui Darragon, a Queen not just because of her name but also because she really is one.
"What are you doing here, Aqui?" Reigh asks her while I seem like a statue in my place.
"Hey," Asher greets her while I remain in my place. Aqui nods to Asher.
Damn, I told myself to not appear in front of her but here she is! Freaking right in front of me.
I don't know if she can't see me but I know she knows I'm here.
I remain standing while watching her walk towards Reigh. I don't know if they are friends but I've heard they are only civil with each other. I don't know. I can see Asher in my peripheral view. He's walking his way out of the room until I can hear the door close.
I don't know why I am still standing here when I can just walk my way out and go to my room.
"Wait for me outside Loco," Aqui says.
I shake my head. Yea, right. How can I forget that the three of them are friends?
Loco walks out while Reigh nods to Aqui.
I'm starting to feel sweat at the back of my head. Why did they let us be alone in a close space?
Ah, right. They don't know we know each other since childhood days.
"Aqua," she calls my name while she walks near me.
I look at the wall in front while sensing her movements. She walks until she stops right beside me with enough space for me to breathe but not enough to make me feel safe.
She just has that dark aura that you can't just ignore, ever since.
"Are you happy?" She asks.
I didn't look at her and remained blankly staring at the wall.
"For what?" I ask, almost whispering.
"Ah, you still don't get it," she suddenly scoffs that causing me to look at her.
She's also staring at the wall in front of us. Her eyes are still cold and blank, just like before. But something flickers from her eyes for a second. I couldn't name it but I can feel sudden chills because of that.
"What do you mean?" I don't get her at all.
"Clove died. Still don't get it?"
I wish she just stay looking at the wall rather than looking straight into my eyes. It feels like there's invisible electricity in her eyes that passes through my beings. Ready to kill me any time she wants.
"Isn't that your fault? Just like before,"
I suddenly want to disappear from her eyes. Get away from her when she starts to mention what happened before.
"Are you accusing me?" I can't help but ask her that.
Just like before, her eyes sharpened whenever I ask her that.
"Am I?" She asks her voice laced with sarcasm.
"It's your doing, though. Am I wrong?" She asks, whispering.
What she did send me chills all over my body.
She puts her left hand on my left shoulder, facing behind me. I bit my lower lip when her hand's grip on my shoulder tightens.
"No matter how you hide it, I know you did," her words are sharper than a knife can be.
It's too deep and dark.
I clench both of my hands as I stare at the wall without anything in mind. Waiting for her to say something.
I can't help but move along with her when she pulls my shoulder near her as she whispers in my left ear.
"You killed her just like how you killed that Clover Ari, Aqua. I know you did," I maintain my balance when she suddenly pushes me aside as she lets out a scoff and walks out of the room. Leaving me behind with nothing but total heartache.
___×××××___
"What are you doing here?!"
I was about to enter the Lascova's Mansion gate when an angry Aqui appeared in front of me, pushing me back right at the side road.
"I'll visit Clove, Aqui-,"
"Shut up!"
I closed my eyes when she shouted at me. I look at her back, her friends were just watching us but I saw Loco step forward but stayed on the side as if he was guarding the situation.
I looked away and faced Aqui's rage. After all, she was one of Clove's cousins from her father's side.
"Let me see her-,"
Aqui pushed me before I can even finish what I want to say.
I just want to visit Clove and I'll go.
"You don't have the right to see her, you get me Aqua? I told you before to stay away from her but you didn't listen! Look what happened!"
She was mad, no. She was furious. Of course, she was hurting.
I was too.
"It's not my fault," I said, almost in a whisper. But that only caused her to be angrier at me.
"It is! So, get the hell out of here before I tell them what you did,"
I bit my lower lip and look behind her. There, I saw Morri.
She was crying hard while looking at me but when she saw me looking at her, she looked away.
Why, Morri?
"Go away, Aqua. Your presence wasn't needed here. Just get lost," after that, Aqui went inside and shut the gate right in front of my face.
My tears flowed down as I slowly can't breathe properly.
'I'm sorry, I can't see you off, Clove...,'
___×××××___
Just like before, I can't even see them off for their last day here. I laugh without remorse.
How sad is that?