LIFE WITHIN THE HALLS

Sandra

Thursday, 12th February, 10:15 a.m.

"Who do you think is the third person?" I asked Gideon, Victoria, and Jayden, after we came to the realization that there was someone else Matthew Clark hadn't told us about.

"We don't have a single lead to point to anyone," Jayden mused.

"Well, actually, I have someone in mind," Victoria said, eyeing him. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Jayden, but I suspect Ella."

"What?!" Jayden exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

Ella certainly seemed like a potential suspect. If she had the nerve to ask Jayden to harass me, what other horrible things wasn't she capable of?

"I'm not saying she's the mastermind," Victoria said. "But she could be involved. Who knows?"

"If we're pointing fingers, then I might say Olivia could be Hannah's killer," Jayden retorted. "She's Ella's sidekick. If you think Ella did it, Olivia was part of it too."

"No. Liv would never hurt anyone, and she's not capable of murder."

"Oh, please. She matches the profile perfectly, more than anyone. She's obsessed with having Daniel all to herself. If you're looking for someone to accuse, it should be your darling little sister."

"What's giving you that impression about Ella?" I asked Victoria, sensing that her accusation might have been based on something specific.

She let out a deep sigh. "Ella is the new head cheerleader," she said. "Isn't that weird? Hannah died just days ago, and now she steps in. Couldn't she have waited for a week or more? It's almost like she was just waiting for the opportunity to become head cheerleader."

"Shut up!" Jayden yelled, his voice echoing off the hallways. "Ella told me yesterday that the coach made her become head cheerleader. She didn't even want it! Ugh!" Then he stormed off, leaving us behind.

Everything didn't sit quite right with me. It felt as though we were characters in a video game, and someone was controlling us. From the naked video we saw on Mr. Bennett's computer to Matthew's confession and his escape in the waiting car, it all seemed too orchestrated. It was as if someone had planned every move for us.

"Don't worry about Jayden, he surely has his own problems," Gideon said. "I'm going to the cafeteria. You girls want to join? I know you're hungry too."

"Why not?" I replied eagerly, my stomach growling with hunger. I rubbed my hands together, having eaten only a honey butter chicken biscuit since morning.

Victoria nodded, though she looked disturbed, and the three of us headed to the cafeteria.

When we got in, Gideon went for a fresh fruit platter with crackers from the food dispenser tube, while Victoria opted for scrambled eggs with truffle oil. I went for smoked salmon with cream cheese, which was one of my favorites. It brought back memories of how my sister and I would fight over who'd take the first bite.

"Should I apologize to Jayden?" Victoria turned to me and asked as we walked to the table Gideon had settled on. I nodded in encouragement, and she took a deep breath before sitting down. "Yeah, you should," I replied, settling into the seat next to Gideon.

The cafeteria, with its polished marble floors and pendant lights, was quiet as we ate. The only sounds were the hum of the ceiling air conditioner and the crisp crunch of Gideon's crackers as he chewed slowly.

"I found something," Jayden's voice came from the entry. He approached us holding a white paper between his middle and index fingers.

"I found this paper where Matthew jumped over the fence wall," he said, placing it on the table and sliding into the empty chair beside Victoria. "It might have fallen from his pocket."

The paper was a receipt showing a withdrawal of $55,000 from a bank. The exact amount Matthew had claimed Mr. Bennett had paid him to carry out the impersonation.

"Matthew was right about the payment," Gideon said, picking up the receipt. "He was indeed paid $55,000."

"But how do we know Mr. Bennett was the one who paid him?" I asked, leaning forward in my seat. "The receipt only shows the withdrawal account name."

"I don't think Mr. Bennett would waste such a large amount," Victoria said, gesturing with her hands to emphasize her point.

I watched Gideon intently as he studied the receipt, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Does anyone have a pen or pencil?" he asked, still focused on the receipt, his hand hovering over the table.

I tapped the table to get Victoria and Jayden's attention. "Pen or pencil?"

"What for?" Victoria asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gideon looked up. "There are two words written in pencil on the back of this receipt," he said, turning it over for us to see. "Some letters are missing because they were partially erased. If we use a pen or pencil, we might be able to figure out the words."

Victoria searched her blazer pocket and pulled out a pen, clicking it open with a swift motion.

Gideon took it and began jotting down the visible letters on the receipt, his hand moving swiftly across the paper as his eyes darted back and forth between it and his notes. We all contemplated, our heads bent in concentration. The first word started with a faint 'S.' The last word was a five-letter word with a 'U' in the middle. It was up to us to figure out the words.

"The words could be Sulky Cloud or Sunny House," Jayden said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Or... Ship House."

"Yes, Ship House." Gideon clicked his fingers. "That's the only reasonable option that has something to do with us."

"But what could be in the Ship House for Matthew to write it on the back of the receipt?" I asked. "What's so important that he'd write it down, only to erase it later?"

"There's only one way to find out," Jayden said. "Let's break into the Ship House."

"Do you hear yourself?" Victoria asked. "Principal Wilson made an announcement earlier about the break-in you three did, and you want to do another? What if we get caught?"

"You're not going to get caught," Jayden replied. "Breaking into the Ship House is our only option, I guess."

"Jayden's right," Gideon said. "Besides, it's not even a break-in. We're just going in at the wrong time."

"But still—" Victoria started to say, and Gideon cut her off.

"For someone like you, who snuck into the records room late at night, you shouldn't be in a position to tell us what is wrong or right. The choice is yours: you can join us or we can do it without you."

Victoria hesitated before speaking up. "I don't think I really have a choice." She stacked all the plates on the table and moved them into the dishwasher. "Who's taking the lead?" Victoria was so unpredictable. One minute she was against something, and the next, she was for it.

Gideon led us out to the winding paths outside the school building. The grounds were deserted, with the sun shining brightly in the sky. We enjoyed the blue sky and puffy white clouds until the shadow of the Ship House fell upon us.

The front door of the Ship House was an automatic door, so as soon as we reached it, it opened by itself. But before any of us could enter, a voice stopped us cold.

"Where are you going?"

We turned to see a woman in a bright orange jumpsuit, holding a mop stick firmly in her hand.

"Uh, hi," I said tentatively, eyeing the mop stick warily.

"Wait a minute," the woman said, facing Jayden with widening eyes. "You're Jayden Scott from Instagram, aren't you? I'm so sorry for questioning you. I'm new here. I just started as a janitor."

I looked at the others, and it seemed I was the only one who had been startled earlier.

"My daughter is a huge fan! Can we take a picture?" the janitor asked, fumbling in her pockets for her phone. "Oh dear, I must have left my phone somewhere."

"No worries, I can take the picture with my phone," Jayden offered politely, taking his phone out and snapping a quick picture with her, flashing a charming smile. After that, she bid us farewell and went on her rounds.

My first impression of Jayden was changing. Maybe he wasn't as mean as I had thought.

"That was close," I said.

Victoria chuckled. "Janitors scare you? What are you going to do when you face Mrs. Murphy?" she said, then went through the door.

"Who's Mrs. Murphy?" I asked Gideon and Jayden.

Gideon replied, "She's the assistant counselor and a substitute biology teacher. She has an office in the Ship House, so try to avoid her as much as possible." He then went in too, disappearing into the shadows.

One woman, two jobs? She must be an interesting person to know.

As I was about to join them inside, the sound of Jayden's phone beeping made me pause. I saw him tense up instantly, his mood changing as if he wished the notification sound had never come.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Ugh... nothing," he replied curtly, brushing past me to go in, his shoulders stiffening.

Something seemed off about him. What was the message he had received on his phone? And who had sent it to him?