Joash Law walked out from the counselling room. He was already late to meet Danial Izzani for recess in the school's canteen. He was stuck with Madam Indrani in the counselling room, discussing new ideas on the English drama he was leading this year.

A bit odd for her to meet him in the counselling room, considering that she was not even the school's counsellor. But, as the counselling room had a living room, with a comfortable sofa, and free coffee - Joash understood why his English teacher wanted to meet him there. The school's counsellor, Ms. Kaisara even brought a delicious cheese tart and shared it with both him and Madam Indrani. He needed to ensure his elder brothers didn't know that. He admitted himself, he already messed up his diet a bit for swimming.

The counselling room was located just beside the computer lab. When Joash was wearing his white in colour canvas school shoes, she saw Sharmila Priya Mohan walking from the back of the computer lab. She was fixing the waist of her light blue pinafore. Small dried leaves were also attached on her pinafore skirt for some peculiar reasons (also, there were trees behind the computer lab - the dried leaves might fall on Sharmila's skirt), so she swiped it away by using the back of her hand.

Sharmila faced down, when she was walking alone, nearing the door of the counselling room. Joash stood in front of the door with one leg. The other leg was still hanging in the air with no shoe. He was holding the shoe.

50 metres away behind Sharmila, Danial walked from the back of the computer lab. In a split second, Joash was shocked. His eyes widened like its balls would explode from his eye socket. Danial froze and stopped walking. Sharmila realised Danial was no longer walking, so she turned back to see him.

"What were you guys doing alone behind the secluded computer lab?" asked Joash jarringly. Sharmila turned her head to see Joash back. Her eyebrows raised. Joash pointed his index finger to Sharmila. His mouth was agape and his lips were a bit shaking, "I saw you were fixing your pinafore while walking!"

"So?" replied Sharmila expressionless.

Joash squinted his eyes, "Both of you were not doing anything funny right? Behind the most isolated area in school?" queried Joash.

Danial, feeling guilty, raised his arms to his chest, showing his palms to Joash, "No, it's not as what you think it is," he defended.

Sharmila turned back to see Danial with an irritated look. Her mind said, "Danial, can you not be too obvious, when you feel guilty. Worse, we are not even guilty."

Sharmila turned to Joash and asked, "What funny thing you thought we were doing?" Sharmila raised her left eyebrow.

"I don't know," answered Joash while putting his other shoe on his foot. "Just don't break my Danial's heart."

"Your Danial?" asked Sharmila while crossing her arms over her chest.

"My friend, Danial," corrected Joash.

Sharmila lowered her head, but her eyes were still looking at Joash. Joash added, "Danial is supposed to meet me at the canteen, but why is he alone with you, behind the computer lab? It gave the impression that you two are doing something... something?"

"Something... what?" asked Sharmila with a poker face.

"I dunno!" exclaimed Joash. "You tell me!"

"Oh, Joash!" said Sharmila, while moving her arms back to her side and walking past Joash to say, "Keep your wild imagination only for the English drama, would you?"

Joash wanted to reply, but suddenly Madam Indrani's head popped from the wooden door of the counselling room, which had a transparent glass at the centre.

"Ah, Sharmila!" greeted Madam Indrani. "I saw you were walking, through the glass of this door. I am glad you're joining the English drama competition as Lady Tremaine."

Sharmila flashed a beautiful smile towards her English teacher. And then she smiled back at Joash to say, "I've read the script written by Joash, and his version of Lady Tremaine is..."

Madam Indrani waited for Sharmila to finish her sentence by lowering her head and raising her eyebrows slowly.

"... phenomenal," completed Sharmila.

"I agree," accorded Madam Indrani. "The coup d'etat Lady Tremaine is cooking with the queen is a refreshing idea in a Cinderella's story."

Sharmila interestingly smiled, "Can't wait to work closely with Anne Hernandez and Zane Lim in our scenes together, Madam Indrani."

When Danial heard Sharmila said, 'can't wait to work closely with Anne Hernandez and Zane Lim', he smiled awkwardly with his lips tight shut. He then started to walk closer to Joash, Sharmila, and Madam Indrani.

Madam Indrani continued, "At least you are doing something else other than studying, Sharmila. You need to add something to your extracurricular portfolio."

Madam Indrani then turned her head to the walking Danial, "Unlike Danial here, joined too many competitions last year," said Madam Indrani provokingly but still with a smile. Danial just smiled more awkwardly, showing his pearl white teeth.

Sharmila concurred with Madam Indrani, "Yes, he was. But, don't worry, teacher. I am his extracurricular activities death reaper. I'll ensure he only joins the forum and now, the choir."

Joash frowned his forehead, "Since when Danial joined the choir team?"

"This morning," answered Danial in a flash. "I'll explain later."

Madam Indrani looked at Danial and spoke calmly, "I wish you would join the English drama team, instead of the Malay language forum team, Danial. Your eloquence in Malay public speaking is already outstanding, you can brush up your English instead. But, I understand that you are leading the forum team, forum has become your niche to lead on something. Plus, I don't want to fight with Madam Rogayah to get you on board with the English drama team, with the clashing practice time, oh it's going to be exhausting!"

Danial just smiled after listening to her teacher's comment.

Madam Indrani went on, "And Joash informed me of a unique idea on making Cinderella a queen regnant in the English drama. It is a brilliant idea. When we win, I'll make sure the credit goes to you."

Danial looked at Joash with his eyebrows raised. Joash shrugged, but his eyes smiled with his lips.

"Thank you, teacher," said Danial to Madam Indrani.

Joash clapped his hands once and said, "We are going to make our move, teacher. For breakfast in the canteen. We are starving."

"Starving?" asked Madam Indrani, bewildered. "You had five cheese tarts just now!"

Danial and Sharmila turned to Joash to stare at him. Their minds were syncing, "Five cheese tarts?"

"Asian man," replied Joash quickly, looking culpably guilty. "Need rice. Bye, teacher!"

Joash turned, starting to sprint to the canteen before Madam Indrani called him again, "Joash, do hush-hush about what I said just now."

Madam Indrani raised her index finger to her lips. And then she stared to Sharmila and Danial for a few seconds before her head disappeared from the door to the inside of the counselling room.

Danial walked towards Joash and said, "Let's go to the canteen, I'm the one who's starving. Join us, Sharmila?"

"Sure," reacted Sharmila. "Really Joash, five cheese tarts?"

"Shoosh!" exclaimed Joash.

Danial, Joash, and Sharmila walked to the canteen that was nearly empty, as most students already got their breakfast that they wanted.

Joash walked to the main stall to get chicken rice. Sharmila got herself an assorted plate of yong tau foo, while Danial bought two pieces of roti canai with fish infused potato curry.

Three of them went to an empty table to sit and ate together. Danial sat beside Joash. Sharmila sat opposite Danial. Joash cut a piece of breast chicken, scooped a small amount of chilli sauce and soy sauce with a spoon, to spread it on the chicken. He then put the chicken with the rice on the spoon, and shoved into his mouth. He was chewing slowly, but his cheeks were spherical.

"God, Joash, slow down!" nagged Sharmila. "You just ate five cheese tarts!"

Joash's mouth was still full, but he replied, "Can you stop saying cheese tarts. It's getting annoying. Ms. Kaisara's pastry is too good to be ignored."

Danial looked at Joash worriedly, "Ash, I thought you need to stay in shape for swimming practice?"

"I have a high metabolism, and I'm going to the gym after school. So, all will be good," said Joash, still chewing his chicken and rice. He then shoved a piece of cucumber into his mouth.

"Suit yourselves," said Danial while dipping the roti canai into the curry with his right hand and inserting it into his mouth. Sharmila poked the skin tofu together with a semi-sphere fish ball that were smothered with yong tau foo special soy sauce with her fork, and put it into her mouth.

They were eating silently for five minutes, until Joash broke the silence, "You read the news that SMK Mary of Teck's choir conductor was murdered this morning, right?"

Danial choked with small pieces of roti canai stuck in his throat. "Water, water!" begged Danial.

Sharmila ran and took a paper cup of filtered water from the water dispenser. She gave the paper cup to Danial, and he gulped the water inside of it until it finished.

Danial said to Joash, "Ash, could you at least give us warning before you want to talk about a subject related to murder?"

"What? I didn't expect you to choke like that," said Joash.

"How did you know?" asked Sharmila. "The news was out, when we were busy travelling from home to school..."

"Don't act innocent to me, Sharmila," said Joash while showing his right palm to Sharmila. "You're not the only one here, who brought a smartphone to school. I guessed you already shared the news with Danial?"

"If you insist on knowing," said Sharmila. "That's the reason Danial and I were meeting behind the computer lab just now. To inform him about the news."

"Why so secretive?" asked Joash suspiciously. His nose expanded. "At a very secretive place?"

Sharmila smiled naughtily, and then she shifted her baby hair to the back of her ear. "It is liberating, isn't it? To meet at a secretive place, to talk about an open secret?"

Danial Izzani frowned and shook his head bit by bit towards Sharmila.

Joash turned to Danial and said, "You said you have nothing to do with Sharmila, but her body language right now contradicts everything that you said this morning." Joash stared at Danial's face, demanding an answer.

Sharmila smacked Joash's head gently.

"Auww, what was that?" shrieked Joash.

Danial was holding his laugh. He closed his own mouth with his fist. He said, "You've just experienced it once. Sharmila has been smacking me non-stop since last year."

"What kind of fetishes are you guys enjoying?" asked Joash while rubbing his head. "This is abuse! Are you sure you are not..."

"Not, what?" asked Danial.

"... sexually abused?"

Danial stared at Joash with a quizzical look, "Ash, I know you're still young with raging hormones, but you think I, Danial Izzani, is capable of doing those kinds of things. I don't even have a girlfriend, not even once in my lifetime so far."

Danial paused and then smiled wickedly, "Unlike your twin brothers..."

"What? What? What have Jaren and Jensen done now?" asked Joash defensively.

Sharmila answered Joash's question instead. "Actually, Danial knows nothing. But we girls love to gossip." Sharmila continued eating her yong tau foo. "Not all gossip can be shared with Danial because, well, he's a guy. Some gossip is appropriate for girls only."

"Oh, Sharmila!" shrieked Joash again. "Cut to the chase, what have my brothers done?"

"It's an unspoken truth that the Law twins are the Megaputra all-girls school playboys. Mary of Teck is Jared's territory. While Margaret Snowdon girls are Jensen's."

"Aaaaaa, that unspoken truth," responded Joash. "Meh, I know that."

Danial and Sharmila stared at Joash. "You know this and you act like you don't know anything?" asked Danial.

"I even know, who are the girls my twin brothers date at the same time, which obviously I can't reveal. Brother's pact."

Sharmila rounded her mouth in disbelief, "That's so bad!" she said with utmost disapproval. "I don't like Mary of Teck and Margaret Snowdon girls, but, this is... wrong! On so many levels!"

"Do you think the girls, who are dating Jared and Jensen simultaneously, don't know that they are dating the same guy?" asked Joash while pursing his lips and nodded once. "The Mary of Teck girls, who are dating Jared, know they're sharing him. Same goes to Jensen for Margaret Snowdon."

Sharmila closed her ears with her palms. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, this is why I cannot gel with the Mary of Teck and Margaret Snowdon girls. Ethically, this is wrong, and you can just let it slide, Joash?"

"It's my twin brother's decision," defended Joash. "It's their body that they can control, I can't control them. What I can control is my own body." Joash extended his arms proudly. "Still a virgin."

Sharmila displayed a disgusted face to Joash, "Yeah, right!"

"It's true!" insisted Joash. "Elment is the modelled son. Never have been dating. Jared and Jensen are the middle children. Quite a rebel, hence, playboys. I am more inclined to be like Elment. I've never touched girls. Hugging and kissing are totally out of the question. The only non-family member I hug is Danial here."

Joash, who was sitting beside Danial, hugged Danial with no prompt of warning. Joash's hands and fingers were clasped and positioned firmly on Danial's right shoulder. He rested his forehead on Danial's left shoulder. Danial could feel Joash's strong, veiny arms over his chest. It was strong, but also gentle at the same time. Joash released his breath slowly and smiled cosily. Danial could feel the wind of Joash's breath on his skin, even though it was separated by the fabric of his white school's shirt. The sound of Joash's breath sent a jolt of electricity to Danial's bloodstream. He went numb and he had no idea why his heart was racing.

"Are you sure you are not sexually abused, Danial?" blurted Sharmila with a sneering smile.

Danial paused for a long time before he could answer Sharmila. "He likes to hug my side of the body like this. Used to it," answered Danial calmly. Although, his heart's left ventricle was not calm at all!

Joash was still hugging and breathing soothingly on Danial's shoulder.

"Okay, Ash, you're hugging me too long," said Danial while patting Joash's arm.

Joash released Danial. He smiled at Danial with his puppy eyes.

Joash turned to see Sharmila. "Now in the matter of the Mary of Teck girl, who was murdered this morning..."

Danial fidgeted. His bloodstream was already unstable with Joash hugging him just now. But, with the mention of the murder, Danial thought his heart would be ripped to pieces.

"I want to refill my water," said Danial suddenly. He stood up, took his paper cup, and walked to the water dispenser. He refilled the cup with the transparent filtered water and walked back to Sharmila and Joash.

Before Danial could sit, Joash held his wrist firmly. He looked straight to Danial's eyes. "Are you okay? You look pale." Joash turned to see Sharmila, and then back to Danial's eyes.

Joash continued, "First, he was choking his roti canai, when I brought it up. Now, when I bring it up again, you look pale. Is there something you two are not telling me?" asked Joash, no longer looking like a puppy kid, but as an authoritative father figure.

Danial pulled his wrist gently away from Joash, and sat down beside him. He took a sip of water and said sedately, "You are going to talk about someone's death, Ash. It's totally ordinary to feel ill at ease about it."

Danial looked at Joash's eyes intently, "Is there something you want to tell us, Ash? I couldn't help but notice Madam Indrani's gestures before she said to be hush-hush on something."

"Like she wants you to tell us about it," added Danial.

"Let's start with why you have already confirmly decided to not join my English drama, and suddenly out of the blue, Sharmila told all of us just now, that you're already in the choir team?" asked Joash in a very serious manner.

Sharmila interrupted, "Because the choir conductor is..."

"Because Madam Dayang trusts me that I can play the violin for the choir team," cut Danial quickly. He didn't know why he did that. Maybe because he didn't want Joash to know Raisa Natalia was also joining the choir team. Which was quite silly because he would know it sooner or later.

Sharmila frowned and asked, "How Danial joining the choir team is relevant to Clarissa Ching's death?"

"Clarissa Ching was the main star of Mary of Teck," notified Joash. "The best choir conductor of Megaputra in the district's choir competition. She was also awarded best actress in the English drama competition last year."

Danial and Sharmila looked at Joash with undivided focus.

"She was the catalyst of Mary of Teck's first place win in both choir and English drama competition last year. And now, she's dead!" added Joash grimly.

"What... are you... going to say?" asked Sharmila with a slow pace.

"Someone was going to sabotage Mary of Teck in both of these competitions. I'm afraid our school will be hit by a series of investigations by the police," answered Joash.

"Madam Indrani said that to you?" asked Sharmila.

"Madam Indrani said nothing. She only revealed that Clarissa is supposed to take the lead in the English drama this year. And I'm the leader of our school's English drama this year," said Joash while pointing his index finger to himself.

"So, what's the thing that Madam Indrani wanted to keep hush-hush about?" asked Danial.

"The fact that Clarissa is going, well... was going to lead the Mary of Teck's English drama this year."

Sharmila raised her chin, followed by putting her elbows on the canteen's table, before crutching her chin with the back of her fingers. "Have you done something to contribute to Clarissa's death?" asked Sharmila distrustfully.

"Of course, not!" exclaimed Joash.

"Was Clarissa one of Jared's... lovers... or whatever," asked Sharmila.

"No, she's not," answered Joash calmly.

"And then, why are you being so dramatic about it?" asked Sharmila conspicuously.

"But Clarissa has a boyfriend, though," unveiled Joash.

Sharmila sharply turned her head to Danial. Danial's hands were shaking, so he moved it under the table.

Joash looked at both Sharmila and Danial interchangeably, "What, what, you know? Who is her boyfriend? Tell me!"

"We always know Clarissa is an overachiever in Mary of Teck. No boyfriends," explained Sharmila. "It's not her mother who didn't allow it. It's her wicked headmistress, Siti Haliza Tajuddin. Madam Siti is a hardcore number one chaser for every competition her school joins. Their biggest reputation is always getting number one in the Megaputra district choir competition."

Sharmila continued her story, "Madam Siti didn't want Clarissa to get distracted, by having a boyfriend. She needs Clarissa to focus on the choir team, 101 percent!"

Joash put his elbows on the canteen's table. He clasped his fingers. "I can contradict that, Sharmila," said Joash knowingly. "Clarissa was a very hot girl. And my brother's land crocodile eyes wanted to... get a chance with her. But one of his girlfriends said, Clarissa was not to be meddled with. She had a hidden boyfriend, and according to her, she's loyal to this concealed love interest."

"And rumour has it," continued Joash. "This hidden boyfriend has something to do with Clarissa's death, or murder."

"Who is this hidden boyfriend of Clarissa's?" asked Danial.

"You do know that Madam Siti and Madam Dayang have been enemies since they were young, as they are two most influential school headmistresses in Megaputra," disclosed Joash. "Clarissa was hiding her boyfriend's identity, because, rumour has it, her boyfriend is from SMK Tengku Simpulan Intan, from our secondary school."