ANDREW'S POV
The meeting ended shortly after we agreed on our next move which is that Jane would try to get Nafisat to open up while Vivian kept an eye on anything unusual around the girls' dormitory. Arnold would continue asking questions without making it obvious he was investigating anyone and also keep a low profile while Jason, as always, simply nodded and said he would "look around."
One after another, we left the rooftop.
Jason was the first to leave.
Then, Vivian and Jane followed shortly after while Arnold and I walked behind them. The conversation had become lighter after the card game, but my mind was elsewhere.
Jason.
No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, something about him refused to sit right with me.
At the junction leading to the dormitories, we stopped.
"Goodnight, everyone," Vivian said cheerfully.
"Don't oversleep tomorrow," Arnold added.
Jane and Vivian laughed and then went their way.
I waved casually.
"See you guys tomorrow."
"Aren't you coming?" Arnold asked me.
"Naa, forgot something at school.£
I waited a while till the girls and Arnold had walked a reasonable distance before quietly turning around.
I walked back to Dormain's hall, checked each classrooms and conference hall but he wasnt there.
Jason, Nathan and I were like best friends more of so close and not easily separated till what happened.
I saw someone in black jump a fence into the school area,
yhh
Jason.
I ran following him although Jason was already halfway across the compound but I kept my distance and followed him.
One thing this school had taught me, it was that ignoring my instincts usually ended badly.
I had my reasons for suspecting Jason.
First, he knew far too much about everything happening in this school. Whenever we found ourselves completely lost, Jason somehow had an answer. Although, not always a complete one but just enough to keep us moving.
Second, the day Jane fell into that strange trance, Jason appeared almost immediately. He knew what had happened before any of us understood it, and somehow he was responsible for putting her in the trance.
But when you ask how?
He avoids the question.
Among the three of us, I was the most secretive not Jason. It is as if he is scared of something or
I cant really place it.
Then there was Nathan's incident.
Jason disappeared not long after that.
At first, I convinced myself he was grieving because it took a lot of time for me to get over it.
The day I realized he was missing was during one of my sessions with the therapist.
Now...
I was beginning to think something entirely different.
What if Jason wasn't just hiding?
What if he had survived Fitball and he is hiding because of it?
And when I looked at Jason back there at Dormain's hall, I could see right through him that he is
He is the one who survived Fitball.
However, Nathan's Incident would be one month in two days time. One thing I am certain of is that I will surely get revenge for my friend.
I followed Jason to the classroom area close to the cafeteria.
Jason walked confidently through the compound without looking back once. After a while, he pulled the hood of his black sweatshirt over his head. Dressed completely in black, he blended almost perfectly with the darkness surrounding the school buildings.
I slowed my pace, making sure there was enough distance between us while feeling like a spy for the FBI.
The compound had become unusually quiet.
It was the perfect place to follow someone.
Or so I thought.
Then something suddenly slammed into my back and I was about to fall.
Before I could react, instinct took over. I grabbed the person by the wrist and pulled them behind the large concrete flower bed beside the walkway.
The person stumbled forward.
Straight into me.
I looked down.
Jane.
Her eyes were just as wide as mine.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
She was so close that I could feel her breathing against my shirt.
Her hand had instinctively grabbed the front of my hoodie to stop herself from falling, while mine still rested around her waist where I had caught her.
Neither of us seemed willing to acknowledge it.
"What on earth are you doing here?" I whispered.
She blinked twice before whispering back,
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
She slowly removed her hand from my hoodie before folding her arms, though there wasn't nearly enough space between us for that to look convincing.
"I knew something was up with you."
"What do you mean?"
"You said goodnight…" She raised an eyebrow. "...then you disappeared, I knew something was up with you so I followed you."
I sighed quietly.
"So much for being a detective."
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
"I learnt from the best."
I rolled my eyes.
"Why are you following Jason?" She asked looking at me straight in the eye.
I gave a little nod.
"He is a victim?" She asked freeing moving away a bit from me.
Her expression changed immediately.
"You think he survived Fitball?"
"Not sure, that is why I am here trying to find out before someone bumped in." I replied.
She blinked twice then smiled.
"Then we should keep following him."
"Together?"
She smiled.
"Together."
We carefully stepped out from behind the flower bed.
The corridor ahead was empty.
Jason was nowhere to be seen.
I frowned.
"He was just here."
Jane looked around.
"Maybe he….."
A weird clap interrupted
Both of us froze.
I turned so quickly I nearly lost my balance.
Jane instinctively grabbed my arm.
Standing barely a few feet away was Jason.
Hands tucked inside the pockets of his hoodie.
Watching us.
I felt a bit relieve he was the one.
"Are you guys a couple?" He asked smiling as he walked closer to us.
"You look cute together" He added and he is not wrong actually.
I had absolutely no idea how long he had been standing there.
There had been no footsteps.
No movement.
Nothing.
It was as though he had simply appeared.
Jane immediately let go of my arm and took a small step away from me.
"W-What?" she stammered.
Jason looked at me.
Then at Jane.
Then back at me again.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Jane folded her arms almost immediately.
"We're not a couple."
"Oh?"
Jason tilted his head.
"So hiding together behind the same flower bed is completely normal?"
"We weren't hiding together," I replied.
"We were hiding from you." She
"That somehow sounds even worse."
I sighed.
"You nearly gave us a heart attack."
"I know."
His grin widened.
"That was the point."
He looked at both of us for a brief moment before the teasing expression on his face slowly disappeared.
"You've been following me since we left the rooftop."
"How did you know I would follow"
"I waited for you because from the look on your face I could tell you would but I had no idea you were bring your girl." He added teasing.
"Ohh please"
" We should get going, the patrol will soon be out." He said then turned around and began walking again.
Jane and I exchanged a quick glance.
Without saying a single word...
We followed him.