Jeff shook his head with a slight sigh that Matt didn't notice. Deep down, he was glad that his best friend was watching out for him. Matt wasn't just his friend, he was more like a brother, more like a piece of him that he was afraid to lose.
"Matt, I would be careful. I promise." Jeff said and pulled Matt into a tight hug. "And I also promised to look after Ema" He smiled as they pulled apart and walked out of the room.
"Oh, now he's jealous"
"Didn't cross my mind" Jeff said and chuckled. They walked down the empty hallway, tracing their way with ease to the school farm.
"So you finally figured it out?" Matt asked and smiled sheepishly, showing perfect dentition which sparkled when the rays of light, hanging on the hallway caught it.
"Off course I did, I was just wondering when you will tell me."
"Until I spell her the L-word I guess, not anytime soon though" Matt said and they both laughed heartedly.
"So you would have kept me waiting?"
"Maybe, keeping a secret for just once would have been fun"
"Too bad I found out"
They strode through the night, sneaking as usual, passed the night guard whose snore could be heard ten miles away. The guard was in charge of the first gate. There were three gates in total which any other day would have been heavily guarded, but not this nosy night that was necked with music coming out from the graduation party. They passed the corn field and came into to an open clearing which had the second gate. The light of the moon was bright, but dim enough to enable the guards who were drinking away and playing cards to spot the two people sneaking behind the shadows.
"I want you to have this" Matt whispered and slotted an envelope into his friend's pocket.
"What's that" Jeff asked flippantly, he was sure that there were no guards in this area, but he kept looking over his shoulders, just in case the other two playing cards, had noticed them and decided to pursue.
"Well, let's say it's my way of telling you to return in one piece and also a birthday present."
"Silly, my birthday is two weeks away. You should have said you are invariably buying me to protect Ema."
"The girl is tough; I don't think she would need protecting."
"I hope so, because I don't need baby suckers slowing me down"
They were coming close to the shadows of the second fence, the place where they had schedule to meet with the others. Even from this point the music from the graduation party still filled the air.
"I just want to be the first to wish you a happy birthday." Matt said softly, but Jeff didn't hear.
They were close to the wall and both boys were now able to make out the features of someone moving stealthy, as though she was born with the blending nature of the night.
"You are late" Sandra complained when she saw them. Her torso bore the black jumpsuit, perfectly marching her camouflage. The red streak running down the side, the cuff and the collar of her clothe, appeared blue in the moon light.
"It's better to be late than to be a late, do you remember that saying?" Matt said with disgust, not minding the sarcasm in his voice.
"Mind your tough, am in grade three in this academy and still a prefect that could send your ass scrubbing every toilet in the school if I have to, never forget that." Sandra replied darkly. She moved a little pace and picked up her phone which had been ringing.
"Wow, what are you, a toilet prefect?" Matt asked sarcastically but Sandra was too engrossed with the call that she hadn't heard him.
Jeff was glad she hadn't heard. They would have just ended up arguing like two birds struggling for peak order. He turned a whisper to Matt who was still looking at Sandra.
"I know you don't trust this people Matt, but can you just place a tiny fragment of pretense in your actions? We can't actually figure out what they are up to if you go around pissing them off."
Matt lowered his eye brow with a frown and muttered something under his breath, but remains silent. Just then Pinna, Ema and Ham came out from the opposite direction and they all followed the skinny Sandra who took the lead.
"We would soar north, not so high as to get burnt by the electric orb above, but high enough to pass the second gate. There are no guards here but be alert, follow my trail and do not put on your touch light" Sandra instructed and soared away on her H-board.
Jeff hissed. This was it, the journey begins here, and there is no going back now. He stepped on his hovering board and soared behind the others. It was difficult to concentrate, his mind keeps telling him that something was wrong, but confused as he is, he couldn't tell what. So he soared with the others, wondering if he would ever see this place again.