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Third POV
In the dark workshop where the tinkling of equipment could be heard, Jake hummed along with the song's lyrics as he picked up a tweezer and carefully placed the microchip into the teacup. The song ended and so he played it again placing another phone on the table. Opening it up and tearing out its parts he placed a microchip inside it and fixed it back carefully placing it next to the other pile of phones on the table.
'Great! That was the last one!' he stood up, stretched until his joints popped, and replayed the song while staring at the picture of Emma on his phone.
The next day...
Arriving at school earlier than the rest of the students, Jake waited behind the shoe lockers for Emma to come. Many students came in and opened and closed their lockers but he remain unfazed for he memorized Emma's footsteps, how she came in and how she opened her locker.
The minute he heard a tiny squeak, he walked around and saw her reaching down to grab her shoes.
"Good morning Beloved," he said but she ignored him and proceeded to put her shoes inside her locker. "How are you today? Did you sleep well?"
She didn't respond. Something in him cracked for he hated being ignored and he started to fidget as anger seeped in him but he held it. After all, to catch a butterfly, you have to be sneaky. Especially if the butterfly is a rare specimen.
So, he continued to engage in small talk with her and she continued to ignore him. As they walked through the corridor, many students whispered and pointed at them seeing the change in her walking style, he guessed they were making her nervous.
'If only they just died and left us alone.' the thought as she continued to walk to class. 'If only she just stopped ignoring me.'
"You know Emma, I was angry when you decided to meet with the Oathbreaker the other day," he said once they got to class.
She sat at her desk and continued to ignore him.
"And so was his wife."
This caught her attention for her head snapped up in shock. Sweating profusely, he grinned for her eyes glued on him sent shock waves through his body and he liked it.
'She noticed me!' he gasped and was about to say something when the bell rang. Inwardly cursing, he left hoping she would track him down during lunch break to ask him some questions.
After all, to catch a butterfly, you need to plant the right kind of seeds to grow the right kind of flowers to attract it and he just planted the seed of curiosity.
Or was it the seed of fear?
Curious, he stealthy sent a message to her on his phone during class and waited for her during lunch on the school's roof. It was a private place now that her friends stopped hanging out there after Agatha bullied them out of it. He waited and waited but she didn't show up and only when he looked at his phone did he see why.
'Screw you!'
He read the message over and over again imagining the venom in her voice and tapped on the tracking app on his phone. Seeing it static, he recalled she had changed her phone along with her phone number so he tried the one he placed on her panties.
It showed static too. Either she wore the wrong pair of panties which was impossible since she's a sucker for silk underwear or she threw them out and replaced them.
His heart was beating.
His head was spinning.
The bell rang.
But he was angry.
Too angry to care.
Yet happy he still did.
Because if he didn't, everyone would have been dead by now.
Including her.
"It's a pity I didn't make enough to blow them up." he said placing the last 'phone' at the corner of the abandoned hallway. Standing up from his kneeling position, he walked out of the corridor and into the school's library for it was the only room where he didn't put the phone and the only room close to the class she was currently in.
He read the message again and chuckled. 'Time to catch the butterfly.'
Emma's POV.
I tried to concentrate on the lesson but my mind was on the discussion between Brutes and I had in the School's Gardening Club after the first period.
"You are late," he said.
"I had to use the bathroom," I reply folding my arms.
He narrowed his eyes at me and took out his phone. "Can you explain this to me?"
It was the picture of Mr. Yamada and me in the restaurant at the mall yesterday but I remain unfazed.
"News travels fast. Let me guess, Agatha showed you the picture didn't she?" I ask folding my arms.
"For your information, Mrs. Aishi told me and told me to tell you to stay away from her husband." he narrowed his eyes. "Why are you chasing married men Emma?"
I roll my eyes. "Relax. I was only asking him some questions about his childhood friend by the name Osana..."
"That doesn't explain why he came dressed up holding a bouquet in his hands." he retorted.
'I can't believe I am saying this but curse you Mr. Yamada for wearing a suit!'
'If he was there, then he could have overheard you telling him it was not a date.'
'What did you expect from a shallow-minded idiot?'
Brutes interrupted my thoughts. "What did you do to Mr. Frederick?"
"You mean the Math Teacher?"
"Yes him!" he replied in a hostile tone. "What did you do?"
Question marks were hanging over my head. "I didn't do anything."
"LAIR!"
"I am telling the truth so yell all you want!" I snap.
"If you were telling the truth, then why was he found dead the night before last?"
My eyes widened once more.
"His ex-wife found him dead in his bathtub and the police determined the cause of death was drowning because there was no forced entry but I don't believe it." he walked closer and looked at me in the eye. "What did you do?"
My expression went from shock to annoyance. "I didn't know the guy was dead."
Brutes tsked and whipped out a taser aiming it at my throat. I remain unfazed and looked him in the eye despite the sparks of electricity tickling the nape of my neck as he pushed the button.
"He may have been a pervert but he didn't deserve such a terrible death. He was getting a divorce, he was going to lose custody of his children in the court case, and was going to use up all his savings to pay alimony! Yet he was found dead! The police dubbed it a suicide but they found no sleeping pills in his apartment and saw signs of a struggle but no DNA." he brought it closer to my throat. "Why did you do it."
"Why do you care?" I ask back.
His eyes narrowed once more.
"You knew he was a pervert who has probably molested tons of girls yet here you are defending him." I fold my arms and stare at his short stature. "Get lost short stack. I did nothing."
I guessed my words got to him for he lowered his weapon and walked out of the school's garden without another word. The bell rang for lunch indicating that I had missed the second period but I didn't care because I didn't bring any food or money with me and this encounter made me lose my appetite. Deciding to look at the time on my phone, I see Jake's message.
'If you want to know why I was covered in blood that day, meet me on the school's roof.'
I tell him to go screw himself and head to class and wait for Ms. Felicia to start her lesson on Biology.
'I know I am supposed to be patting myself on the back but why do I feel sad? More importantly, why did he think it was me who did it?' I sighed. 'I won't be surprised if he told my friends by now but should I be bothered by this? I had already lost them because of the pregnancy rumor so what more do I have to lose but my life?'
"That will be all for now." the teacher said erasing the symbols on the board. "Now, if you have any questions..."
Bang!
I blinked and found myself on the floor covered in debris. The whole class was covered in smoke and something a shrill sound was heard followed by another explosion which shook the building.
"We are trapped!" someone yelled.
"There is no way out!" screamed another.
I tried standing up but another explosion shook the building causing me to crouched down to cover my head from the impact. Screams of students could be heard and when I looked around, I could see the teacher lying face down on the ground. I crawl towards her and flip her over.
"Ms.? Ms. Felicia? Are you alright?" I ask.
She groaned and opened her right eye.
'Phew she's alive.' my eyes catch a wet patch on her side where a huge shard of glass was impaled on her. She tried to touch it but I slap her hand away.
"Don't touch it you will bleed." I sit up and rip part of my shirt which I use to bandage her bleeding temple.
"What are we going to do?"
"We can't stay here!"
"There is a fire out there!"
"Are we going to die!"
"I can't die like this!"
I rise to my feet and survey the classroom. It was a mess. Shards of broken glass on the floor, desks were turned over and books were scattered everywhere with a few students crouching by the corner. Luckily, there were no dead bodies and so the only person who was hurt was the teacher.
'I have to do something.' I thought. The flames behind one of the doors leading to the classroom were huge but the other door was inactive.
'I bet there ought to be a fire extinguisher near the door but which one?' I help the teacher to her feet.
"Someone should help me!" I yell.
The rest of the students stared before one stood up to assist the teacher who groaned in pain. I kicked down one of the doors and look around for the fire extinguisher. Spotting it near the door, I grab it and put out the flames near me.
"Everyone get up! We are leaving!" I yell.
"What?"
"Are you crazy?"
"We are going to die out there..."
Another explosion was heard and the student holding the teacher walked ran out of the classroom with her.
"Be careful! She is still bleeding!" I cautioned and he gave me a nod. "Ms. Felicia, are you okay?"
She looked up at me and smiled.
"Alright, let's go." I start moving.
"Hey!"
"You can't leave us here."
"Wait for us!"
I wait and start moving again. Everywhere was hot and I found myself sweating from the heat while my heart pumped because of the adrenaline in me. Putting out the fire surrounding us, I lead them down the stair to the school courtyard where the firefighters were waiting for us.
"Are you okay Ms.?" one asked.
I nod and tell him to take care of the teacher who was probably unconscious. Across the courtyard, I could see students with oxygen masks while the rest of the officers worked hard to calm the students down. Luckily, some more officers came and lead us out of the building and out of the school's gate.
"Why you are a brave person ma'am." one said as he inspected my burns.
I nod and wince when the antiseptic touched a part of my body while the teacher was placed on a stretcher and wheeled into the ambulance.
"Is she going to be alright?" I ask.
"It depends madam." the man replied tying a bandage on me. "Luckily, no one got hurt."
"How is that possible?" I ask.
"I don't know," he replied. "One of the rooms was completely engulfed in fire but none of the students were burnt and one is blabbering about a student with long pigtails creating a shield around them until we came. I don't know. It sounds like baloney to me."
'Student with long pigtails?' I look around and my eyes make contact with someone among the crowd of students with orange pigtails folding her arms and pouting.
Our eyes make contact and she glared but I refuse to say her name.
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