'Come on, I'm with you, what's the worst that could happen?' Jennifer nudged Raiden as they both stood outside their principal's room. Even though they had learned something unexpected about him, he was still the principal of their school and she needed to take permission before she left for LA.
Raiden sighed before looking at Jennifer.
'You sure you wanna stand here outside and don't want to come in?'
'I'm completely sure,' Jennifer waved her off, 'I think Mr. Gardien should hear it from you.'
'Thanks.'
Raiden entered the principal's room and closed the door behind her. Just like she had been on the first day of class, she was almost blinded by the sudden change in color from black to white. And just like she had seen on her first day of class, the principal was sitting at a table opposite her, looking intensely at his laptop.
'Good morning sir.' Raiden said as she stood there, clutching her bag tighter, her heart beating fast against her ribcage.
Mr. Gardien looked up. He blinked his eyes twice to see clearly before breaking into a small smile.
'Ah, Miss Storm, I didn't expect to see you. I thought you had toned down on the troublemaking.'
All the various reasons to exist, Raiden thought, and this guy goes with troublemaking?
Raiden breathed in deeply, she had come for another reason and not start a fight with the principal.
'I need to speak with you about some matters, sir.' She calmly said.
Mr. Gardien's expression changed on hearing that. It was almost unreadable now.
'Sure, have a seat.'
Raiden did as asked. Mr. Gardien eased back into his seat.
'So, what brings you to my office this fine morning, Miss Storm?' he said, not unkindly, although his eyes seemed like they could put any person six feet below the ground if looks could kill. Raiden gulped.
'Uhm Sir, I need a two-week leave so that I can go back to LA, I have urgent matters to attend to,' Raiden explained, 'Mr. Shadow and Miss Kurosawa told me that I cannot do that unless I take permission from you.'
The principal scrutinized Raiden with a strong glare through his spectacles.
'Why do you need a leave may I ask?'
Raiden explained the situation as she had done many times before to Jayden, Aaron, Jennifer and unknowingly, Zane.
Mr. Gardien reached forward after listening to Raiden's explanation. His expression was one of feigned concern and sadness, yet Raiden could feel there was something else that had been running inside the principal's mind, even though she was not aware of what it was.
'Miss Storm, I am deeply sorry about what has happened.' He said, his voice sympathetic, 'I can only imagine what it would be like for you, for your parents to go away like that. Anyone would be, I don't blame you at all, and I will grant you a two-week leave from school, effective from two days later. When do you leave?'
'Next week,' Raiden replied, 'I'll be staying there for a week to solve all the matters there and I'll be coming back as soon as I can. The police just need me to answer a few of their questions.'
'I see,' Mr. Gardien replied, 'well, good luck on your journey as well, if you need more than a two-week leave while you are in LA, just give your dorm master or someone from your house a call. They can inform me. Have you spoken to your dorm master?'
'No, sir.' Was Raiden's curt reply.
'Well, I suggest that you speak to your dorm master, this leave sanctioning is a two person process.'
'Yes sir, I was just unaware of the proceedings of these matters. I'll be taking my leave now, good day sir.'
'Good day, Miss Storm, have a good day.'
***
'So you have to speak to Miss Renata now?' Jennifer asked her as they were walking back towards the dorm.
'Yeah, I guess.' Raiden replied as she recounted, 'Mr. Gardien said that this leaving thing is a two-way process. I need to take her permission as well, just for formalities.'
'Sounds complex.'
'Tell me about it. and that lady gives me the creeps.' Raiden shuddered as she remembered how her trip to Miss Renata's room had been. The way she had guessed her appearance so well was almost, Raiden hated to use the word scary.
'Chillax, you're gonna be fine. You just have to get that sheet of paper signed.'
'What if she doesn't sign it?' Raiden inquired.
'Chill, she will. Mr Gardien will have informed her. Since you went to him first, he will inform her and she will have to sign the paper automatically. It's just a formality for it to be signed. You don't even need to.'
'I hate formalities.' Raiden grumbled.
'Me too.' Jennifer said chuckling.
***
The thought of even going to the dorm master's room used to send a chill down Raiden's spine. And now as she was standing in front of the dorm master's room, a small part in her could not help but shake from fear.
Calm down, it's not like she's gonna eat you up. She told herself.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
'Come in.'
Raiden walked in. The room was just as dark and ancient as she remembered it to be. It seemed like it had moved further back in time as the days were passing. However instead of sitting on the bed, like Raiden had last seen her sitting, miss Renata was sitting at the study table, surrounded by a huge pile of papers, her eyes immensely focused on a laptop.
'Um, good morning ma'am.' She cleared her throat.
'Good morning Raiden,' she spoke without looking up from her laptop, 'What brings you here?'
'Uhm, ma'am,' Raiden gulped. Miss Renata gave off really scary vibes,' I just needed to get this signed for my leave.'
'Yeah, Mr. Gardien informed me a few minutes back. give me that paper then, honey. Let me sign it.'
Raiden walked forward slowly as she handed over the paper to her. Miss Renata took it quickly and signed it before handing it back to her.
'Take care dear,' Miss Renata finally looked up from her laptop, 'it's a dangerous world out there. Are you going with somebody?'
'I have not decided yet, ma'am,' she replied 'but I'll most probably be going alone.'
Miss Renata eyed her once from top to bottom before speaking again.
'You can't go alone like that honey, it's a dangerous world out there. I think you should take your friends along with you.'
'My friends with me, ma'am?' she asked, sure she had mistaken,' but ma'am they will be missing their classes as well.'
'Jayden, Aaron, and Jennifer are gifted students with excellent records. I think they will be able to handle a few days of not having classes. Besides, you need your friends beside you in this situation. I am still gonna advise you to travel safely, I have heard that the weather will worsen soon.'
'Yes ma'am, I will keep that in mind,' Raiden said.
'Good girl. If you need to extend your leave, all you have to do is call the house, I won't be leaving Schatten for other work anytime soon.'
'Okay ma'am, have a good day,' she said.
'You too honey, have a safe journey.'
***
'What did she say?' Aaron asked while they were having dinner in the hall.
Raiden told them everything about her rounds that day. All three people listened with perfect interest with their famous Pokerface facades.
'So,' Jennifer drawled on at length, 'we get to travel with you? Nice.'
'I've always wanted to go to LA as well,' Aaron joined, 'bet it's better than London.'
'It's just noisy,' Raiden chuckled, 'As if LA wasn't large enough, it needed to show that it was large by so much pollution and loud music playing all the time. And not to add chaos. LA is fuckin chaotic, it was much better when we were in New York.'
'You guys lived in New York too? Damn.'
'Yeah, Xavier's parents and mine had the same jobs so we used to transfer from one city to another together until we finally settled in LA last year. Or probably we used to get kicked from so many schools together.'
'Who's Xavier?' Jayden asked.
'Xavier was my childhood best friend and my partner in crime.'
'Was, what happened? Did you two fall out after you came here?' Jennifer asked concerned. 'you know if that is the matter, we can sort that out since we'll be going back to LA anyway.'
Raiden felt a pang in her heart as she thought of Xavier. She indeed hadn't thought of him in a long time.
'It's not that. We didn't have a fallout. It's just that he passed away one and a half years back.'
'Oh my goodness, what had happened?' Aaron asked.
'They say it was cancer. Bet it explains why he used to fall so sick often.' Raiden chuckled, hoping the tears prickling her eyes won't fall.
'Oh my. You must have suffered a lot, you poor thing. Where was he buried, in New York or LA?'
'I think it was in NY. His parents are there too.'
'I've got an idea.' Jennifer chirped, 'how about we first visit Xavier and his parents and then we can go to LA? It's not like we are in a hurry to be in LA? We can leave early and then we can go to NY first and then we visit LA to answer the questions of the police.'
'Sounds good, I'll book the tickets then.'
'Then it's settled. We'll first go to New York and then to LA. I'm tired of being in a place where it's summer in November.'