|DOC 11: HANDKERCHIEF|
|AQUA LAVERDA|
I look around the Campus and watch how the students are totally into the preparation for the School foundation next week.
After the incidents, the HeadMistress announced that classes will resume again and this day is that day.
They all looked busy while I, on the other side, promptly look around the school to see their progress and if ever they need help from me. And before I forget my plan for today, I better get going.
I bow my head a little bit whenever students greet me as I pass by them.
"This day will be tiring," I say to myself as I crane my neck side to side.
I went out from our dorm as early as five AM because I do have some paperwork to do that I needed to check before I can proceed on checking the students with their booths and all.
I knock three times when I reach the HeadMistress Office.
"Hey, Ms. President!" As usual, Ms. Rose is the one who greets me.
She's currently busy in front of her computer yet she manages to greet me.
"Hi, Ms. Rose! Is HeadMistress in her office?" I ask her as I stop right in front of the counter table between us.
"She is. You can enter," I smile at her and turn to my right and proceed towards the door.
I knock two times before opening her door. I shudder in cold soon as the chilly air from the aircon inside crawls into my skin.
"What does our Ms. President want from me?" She asks without even bothering to lift her head to look at me.
I shake my head as I laugh at her with poise.
"Good Morning, Ms. Vera!" Still, I greet her as an act of formality.
I walk until I stop right in front of her table. She gestures for me to take a seat on the chair just right in front of her.
I smile as I watch her take her eyeglasses off her eyes and gently put them down on top of the piled papers on the table.
"Done with the 'inspection'?" I let out a chuckle at the word she chooses to describe what I did.
"Yes, HeadMistress. And oh, before I forget, may I ask one thing, HeadMistress?"
"Sure thing!"
I take a deep breath before fidgeting my fingers on my lap as I look at the papers on her table rather than meet her eyes.
"I'm one of the Aces already, I bet you knew that from them," I say that to her, mentioning the Upper DOC as 'them'.
"Yes. What about that, Ms. President?" She asks as if it's not a big deal to her.
Yea, it's really not but well...
"Uhm, I'm just wondering if I have to let go of my title as the President of the student body," I ask as I comfortably lean on my chair and watch her look at me with a smile on her lips.
"Hmm, why? Do you want to?" I tilt my head as soon as I hear her question.
"What do you mean, Ms. Vera?"
"Well, if you insist to let go of your title, who am I to object?" My mouth goes agape by that.
"What?" I ask in disbelief. I just watch her laugh at me as if I am her greatest entertainment of the day.
"I mean, HeadMistress. I didn't say I want to let go of it. I just..., Well, just asking if I 'need' to," I explain to her.
Of course, being the student body's President for more than three years, I learned to love it as part of my daily life. And if becoming an Ace can make me let go of it, why not?
And here, she is. Gives me the idea that I don't need to do it at all.
"Well, what's your decision?" She asks. She puts her both elbows on the table as she uses the back of her intertwined hands for her chin to rest.
I look at her with a creased forehead.
Now that she lets me choose, I don't know why I become suddenly feel confused.
___×××××___
"You killed her just like how you killed that Clover Ari, Aqua. I know you did,"
___×××××___
I momentarily shake my head as I heard Aqui's voice.
"I want to stay as the President, Ms. Vera," I state my decision as if nothing's bothering me.
I look at her and give her a curt smile.
"Thank you, Ms. Vera. I better get going or else, I'll be sleeping in my office because of too much paper works unattended on my table," we both laugh at that.
Soon, I see myself walking in the silent corridor as most of the students are either in their respective areas or in the gymnasium for the preparation.
I think I'll be spending my day inside my cold lonely office. Now that it's slowly dawned on me the idea of being alone, I quite didn't expect I'd be someday.
__
I still couldn't believe that I become a member of the Aces already.
I mean, yea.
I don't have the slightest dream to become one yet here I am.
I'm busy staring at the Ace of Spade in my hands that I keep on playing as soon as I sit on my swivel chair instead of checking my paper works.
Maybe I still can't put in mind that I'm already the owner of this card.
It means I can go out of the school premises once the Underground gives us some missions. It's either a group mission or a solo. Just like what happened to Morri.
She just came home from her solo mission.
Now looking back to what we discussed the other day, I need to keep on the watch for Naraka's activities in the school. But I'm no stalker so how do I keep her tracks on my hands without her noticing it?
From thinking deeply, I'm kind of shocked to hear a knock on my door.
"Come in!" I voice out, slightly shouting to make the person behind the door hears me.
"Hi, Ms. President!"
Speaking of the devil, it's freaking Naraka Gale Laviente right in front of me. One of the Jacks.
"Oh, hey! What brings you here? Any problem?" I ask as I secretly flip the card in my right hand and slip it inside my pocket.
"I came across with this handkerchief at the back of the school. I wasn't able to give you this because of the incidents two weeks ago. I hope you can help me find its owner," once my eyes come into contact with the handkerchief, my heart starts to beat erratically.
I can't even cope with how fast it is beating.
"O-Oh...," I probably look like a guilty kitten in her eyes but I try my best to hide it as I smile at her sweetly.
"Sure! I'll try my best to find the owner of this handkerchief. After all, It's kind of familiar to me. I think I know someone. I'll try asking her,"
I'm thankful I didn't break my voice while saying that to her.
"Thank you, by the way!" I look into her eyes.
It's void of any emotion, contradicting her smiling face. It's the first time that I can't read someone by looking into their eyes.
I wonder why.
"No worries, Ms. President. I hope you can return that to that someone. That's just my business here. If anything, just call me. I still have some errands to do, Ms. Pres. I'm going," she says while pointing to the door.
"Sure! Take care!"
As soon as the door closes, I heave a sigh. Not a second longer when I feel brows furrowing in confusion and for some reason.
How did she get 'my' handkerchief?
"Knock! Knock!"
I hold the top of my chest because of fright when Morri suddenly appears in front of me.
"Next time, learn to knock on the door. Don't use your tongue, okay?" I roll my eyes at her and look at the handkerchief on the table.
"Whatever! What's that?" She asks as she walks in my direction. She takes a seat at the chair in front of my table, right side of my perspective.
"A handkerchief," I tell her, not bothering to look at her and remain to stare at it.
"Hmm, it looks familiar...," she suddenly says while I look at her with confusion in my eyes.
"You know that handkerchief?" I ask her.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up as if she remembers who owns that handkerchief.
"Of course, Ms. President!" I want to roll my eyes because of how sarcastic her remarks are when she mentions my title as the Presiden.
"You know?" I ask her with a bored tone as I lean my back on my swivel chair.
Things are already messy inside my head because of the fact that Naraka was the one who was able to get it without me knowing.
As far as I know, I lost that handkerchief one time when I was hurriedly running inside the Card's Dorm building.
So, why did she say that she found that at the back of the school?
Nothing makes sense.
"It's Clove's gift for you, how can you forget that?!"
My brows furrow even more when she mentions that name.
"Clove who?" As far as I can remember both Clove gifted me a handkerchief.
"Of course, Clover freaking Ari Cross!"
Stunned, I look at Morri who's still carefully looking at the design of the handkerchief.
What. The. Heck.
"What did you say?" I remain looking at her as memories flashed back in my head as if it's in play.
"Clover Ari, the previous Ace that you replaced with. Are you okay?"
This time she looks at me as if realizing something. Soon, her eyes grow bigger, so as her mouth.
"What the hell?!"
Yea, right. What the freaking hell!
"Is this it?" She asks while I remain blankly staring at my table.
"It seems like it, Morri...,"
___×××××___
"I'll call you back," I ended the call and was about to walk back my way in the dorm when I felt like I left something.
"What is it?" I asked myself.
I didn't have the time to think about what is it when I felt my phone vibrate. I answered the call while I continued walking in the dark corridor.
I just realized, I lost my handkerchief that day.
At the back of the school.
___×××××___
"What will you do now?" Morri asks.
I turn my swivel chair until I am facing the large chess board hanging on the wall in front of me.
"Watch her moves," I seriously say that to her.
As my task being an Ace...,
And as for a personal reason.
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Note: (___×××××___) don't forget that it means flashback. Thank you! I hope you can still take all the mysteries happening. Haha.