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"So what are we doing this weekend?" Ralph asked once classes were over.
"How about karaoke?" Brianna said beaming with delight.
Brutes groaned. "We have been doing karaoke almost every weekend and you are a lousy singer."
She glared at him while Caroline and I giggled. He was right about her being a terrible singer with her mixing up the lyrics of a song and forgetting the words. Ralph defended his sister who was at Brute's throat for calling her a lousy singer while Andrew and Aubrey rolled their eyes.
I kind of noticed that their distinct personalities are what defined our group; Aubrey was the fiery and organized type of girl while Brianna was carefree and disorganized. Brutes and Caroline were the quiet ones with the distention that one was creepy while the other wasn't. Ralph may look like the outgoing type but he is actually someone who likes to keep to himself and Andrew was the one who pulled no punches in his words and actions.
I was lost in thought when someone walked passed us in anger. It was Valarie and her friends were nowhere to be seen.
"Whoa what is up with her?" Brianna asked.
Then some group of girls walked passed us whispering and giggling to each other. Andrew stopped one of them and asked what was going on,
"Oh haven't you heard?" one asked. "Valarie and Brandon broke up!"
We were shocked.
"Why did they break up?" asked Ralph.
"Something about him falling for another girl." the other girl replied. Then she leaned over and winked at me. "I heard it was you."
I give a nervous smile. "I don't like him."
She shrugs. "Who knows? It could be anybody."
We watch them walk away.
"Humph, that girl really has the nerve to tell you that," Aubrey said with a scoff. "I bet she is secretly campaigning to be his next girlfriend."
"I highly doubt it. Valarie will have her expelled if she tried that." Ralph pointed out.
"Really?" I asked in curiosity.
"Yeah! She is daddy's little girl! All she needs to do is to call up her father and boom! You are gone!" Brianna said and balling up her fist she added, "That is why I hate her."
Brutes pushed up his glasses. "The fact we all have to walk on eggshells because of her makes me wonder about the school system."
I nod and decide to change the subject. "So, what are we doing this weekend?"
"We could go to the fair," Andrew suggested. "I participated in an online competition and won the tickets."
Aubrey snapped at Andrew. "Why didn't you tell us that sooner idiot?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise?" he replied shrugging. "Maybe my dad can pick all of us up and take us there."
"That would be a good idea if one of us knew where someone lived." Brutes said looking at me. Soon as I saw all eyes on me waiting for me to speak.
"What?" I asked.
Brianna sighed. "So are you going to tell us where you live?"
I laugh and give them my address and phone number hoping when they come, they would not see me doing something weird like sneaking out of the building through the window or my Aunt and Uncle yelling at each other. We said our goodbyes and on the way home, I brainstorm on how I was going to meet them without anyone seeing the monstrosity of a family I had inside the apartment.
Then I had an idea, 'I will wake up earlier and wait for them in front of my apartment building to pick me up.'
But I was met with a pleasant surprise when I got home; my Uncle was gone.
"He is in the hospital." My Aunt said taking a smoke.
Although the news shocked me, I was happy he was gone. "What happened to him?"
"Someone attacked him on his way home." came the response. "I called the police and they are on the case so you don't have to worry. They are waiting for him to wake up so that he can identify or give a clue to who the culprit is."
I shiver upon hearing the word 'police' because it brought back some terrible memories. "How long is he going to be there?"
She took a drag on her cigarette before responding. "The doctor said two months."
I smile inwardly and go to my room. 'He's going to be gone for two months or more! This means I no longer have to worry about him sneaking into my bedroom to molest me!'
Yeah, he does that sometimes. Luckily for me, my closet has a secret compartment where I can hide. I also use it as a place to hide my money and valuables too!
To celebrate, I take a long shower, do my homework, and get some well-deserved sleep. Early the next day, I wake up, do my morning activities and wait for my friends outside the building after climbing through the window. Sitting on the curb and ignoring the looks passerby gave me and began to think of my crush Alex.
'I have to admit the Cooking Club has taught me a lot about food and how to prepare them. If I am unable to go to college, I can go to culinary school and become a chef. Maybe I can own my restaurant! The Martial Arts Club is also teaching me how to defend myself. I wanted to do karate but Sensei told me to do Judo instead because of my body size. It wasn't easy to do all the activities but I am getting the hang of it.'
My train of thought was interrupted when a car pulled up in front of me.
"C'mon in girl," Brianna said and I do so. The ride to the fair was uneventful but when we got there, we tried the food, the games, and some of the rides. It was my first time there and I wanted to make some good memories so I took some pictures.
We went on the Farris Wheel which was the last activity we had to do before the Fair closed. Andrew sat with Aubrey, Brianna sat with Ralph, and I ended up with Caroline while Brutes sat on his own with a total stranger.
"Wow, this looks beautiful," Caroline said as the wheel rotated around in slow motion.
"Yeah," I replied. "The city looks pretty at the night. With all the city lights and..."
"Do you believe in curses?" she asked interrupting me.
"Huh?"
"Do you believe in curses?" she asked again.
"Uh, no I don't," I reply.
She looks away, "I believe in them."
I suddenly felt concerned because she looked sad. "Why, did something happen to you?"
"Not to me but others," came the reply.
"Others?"
"Yes," then she paused. "Our school looks beautiful doesn't it?"
I nod.
"Do you know why it was so cheap to get into?"
I thought for a while and nodded again. When I signed up for the student exchange program, I picked the school because of how cheap it was despite its attractive appearance. Now that got me wondering; why was it was cheap?
As if reading my thoughts she said, "It was because of the murders."
I felt goosebumps on my skin. "W...what murders?"
"One minute a student goes missing for a day and the next day they show up and stab a fellow student." She began. "Some even go as far as to throw themselves and a fellow student off the roof or push them down a fleet of stairs!"
I gulped. "Didn't the police investigate why it happened?"
She nodded. "They did but couldn't find the reason behind the killings. Many say our school is cursed although I don't know why."
The ferries wheel came to a halt and we got down to meet with our friends.
"Hey guys, how was the ride on ferries wheel?" Brianna asked.
I put up a straight face. "It was awesome."
"Yes, it was," Caroline said with happiness. "Emma and I saw the stars."
"Umm, they are not stars Caroline but satellites." Brutes said then he looked at his phone. "We should go, it is getting late."
Brianna huffed muttering the words 'kill joy' underneath her breath as we walked away to the car park. There Andrew said he needed to go to the bathroom allowing Brianna to pick a fight with Brutes. Ralph on the other hand was trying to break them up while Aubrey fell asleep leaning on the car.
I stayed with Caroline who nudged me and whispered into my ear. "I think it was caused by someone, thirsty for revenge!"
That night, I thought of what Caroline told me. 'Curses? Really? Maybe she was just toying with my mind. I mean she does like spooky things that involve the supernatural but curses?'
Sometimes, I admit to feeling like I was cursed but never show it. Seeing puberty at an early age was never easy for me because everyone saw me as a strange kid. Then my parents died and I moved here to start high school where teachers and students teased and bullied especially when my breasts looked the size of a mature adult. I told the Principal about it but he brushed it off as false accusations. The only person who believed me was Mrs. Jenkins; the Guidance Counselor. She helped by letting me hide in her office, turning her restroom into my private changing room, and giving me the spare keys to her office in case I needed anything.
But that was after she caught me doing something I should have done during spring break.
Her attempts to stop the bullying worked but getting close to her sixties, retirement came knocking. Since she did not trust anyone to look after me, she enrolled me in the Student Exchange Program and picked my new school because of how cheap it is.
I told no one about it.
Not even the Principal until the day I was leaving. He seemed surprised but signed the papers and dismissed me while the kind sweet old lady retired.
I was thinking about it when I lay on my bed that night. Now that I think of it, I do believe in curses but are they are real? What did she mean by students stabbing each other and committing suicide? I know what murder is but suicide? Come to think of it, the first time we met, she mentioned something about curses but was quickly shushed by her friends. Why did they do that?
I spend the rest of the weekend thinking about it until Monday morning. Taking a taxi to school, I see a bunch of police cars parked at the school's entrance and, note something was off.
'What are they doing here? Did someone rob the school? Is someone hurt?'
I quickly get out of the car and tried to go through the gate but was stopped by a man in uniform.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Ma'am we have to ask you to step back please," he said with an air of authority.
I tried to pass him but a pair of hands grab me from behind. It was Ralph and he dragged me from the scene.
"Ralph, what is going on?" I ask but he didn't answer. Brianna, Aubrey, and Andrew arrived but Caroline and Brutes were missing.
Brianna pried me from her brother's arms and made me sit down next to Andrew who was pale as a ghost.
"What is going on here?" my anger was rising because they were giving me the silent treatment. "Talk to me."
Andrew took one look at me and then looked away. "I don't know."
"None of us know," Brianna added giving me straight in the face.
They were lying and I knew it because they are acting the same way when Caroline mentioned the curse when we first met. Why are they lying to me?'
"Attention students," a deep bass voice announced. "All of you are requested to go to the school hall and wait for the Detectives to pass some valuable information to you. Please give the police the phone numbers and addresses of anyone who is not here."
Andrew and Ralph go to one of the policemen while the rest of us go to the hall where I sit next to Brianna and Aubrey. It was a long wait and a lot of questions were bugging my mind but no answers were given. Soon hall began to fill up with the students and immediately Brianna called Caroline to sit with us.
That's when I remembered what she said about the curses. Was this one of them?
She sat next to Andrew, her long hair still covering part of her face and not saying a word when Brutes and Ralph sat next to her.
"Good morning students." echoed the same voice. "As you all know, one of you is found dead this morning."
'Wait someone died?' I felt a chill up my spine and looking at my friends, I see they still wore that stone-cold expression on their faces. Especially Caroline.
"A student named Brian Anderson is the deceased one. Please stay behind until we can gather more information on him."
Everything passed on like a blur until we were told to leave. Brianna suggested we all go to the café to get a drink immediately when we left the school grounds and I was too numb about the incident to disagree.
'Why were they taking this so normal?' I ask myself as they ordered tea and milkshakes while talking about karaoke and the fair. No one talked about the murder which was not normal. Suspicion clouded my thoughts making my stomach churn.
"Umm guys," I stand up abruptly. "Can...can I go to the bathroom?"
Brianna was surprised. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah I am fine," I lie rush to the women's room, and throw up in the toilet, twice.
"Emma," a voice called. I turn and see Caroline in her spooky self. "Are you okay?"
I shake my head.
"Don't worry about this," she said with a creepy smile. "It is all normal. Everything is going to be fine."
I gasped and threw up again. 'This is normal?'
"Stuff like this happen all the time!" she continued. "We should be lucky it was not one of us right?"
I groan. "So...so this curse...is... is real?"
"Are you going to leave?"
I look at her and see she had a look of panic on her face as she clasped her hands together.
"Are you going to leave the school Emma?" she looked deep into my eyes. "It would be a shame if you did."
I was silent.
"I can tell you why we are acting like this." she took a step closer to me. "We made a mistake telling a new student about the school and he left the next day. I wanted to at least give you a hint about the school but..."
She trailed off at that part while my suspicion aroused. "I...I need to go home."
She nods while I stand up. "Do you want me to take you home?"
"No thank you."
I walk out of the room and meet with my friends who were drinking their beverages.
"Hey you look a little flushed are you alright?" Andrew asked.
"She is a bit traumatized," Caroline replied.
Brianna nods. "I will call you later okay?"
I nod and walk out of the café with Caroline following me.
Once we were in the streets, she stops me and whispers into my ear, "If you want to know more about the curse, come to the school at night. You can find your answers there."
Then she lets go of my arm and walks back to the Café.241Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjOQ5uIVnW
