I was able to find Amelia's friend at art class. Her name was Maria, a lively girl who seemed to be friends with everyone. I knew I had to be subtle with my questions. I didn't want to scare the innocent child. I hesitated before approaching her. I watched her sprinkling bright paint all over the canvass. It was fun to see. I slowly approached her, looking at the other children's work as I made my way to her. I stopped behind her and just watched her for a while before talking.
"Wow! You're painting is beautiful." I said genuinely. The colors were vibrant and looked warm despite the unidentifiable picture she was trying to paint. Looking at the painting made me feel light-hearted.
"Thank you." She said with a lovely smile.
"You're a friend of Amelia, right? I remember seeing you with her before."
"Yes. My name is Maria."
"It's nice to meet you Maria. I'm Krista." I said. She smiled and continued with her painting. I thought I should ask next time but I couldn't stop myself. "I don't see Amelia here though. Do you know where she is?"
"She's been adopted. She's so lucky. I hope I get a new family soon too."
"Adopted? Did you see her leave with her new family?"
"No. She left while I was asleep. She didn't even say goodbye." She said, frowning.
"Then, how did you know she had been adopted?" I asked putting on a smile.
"The nuns said so. She even left her favorite stuff animal for me. See?" She held out the small teddy bear sitting on her lap.
"I see. I'm happy for her. And I know you'll find a new family of your own too." After I said that, she looked at me with hopeful eyes.
I didn't learn much from my weekend at the orphanage aside from the fact that everyone thought Amelia had been adopted. But why would the nuns lie? That was the question I wanted answered. There was also the possibility that she did get adopted and ran away from her new family. But Amelia clearly said that she escaped from the orphanage. Darn. It was so confusing.
When I got back to school after a week off, I was bombarded with questions from my friends. I tried to answer with as little words as possible so they won't be able to take hint that I was hiding something. It was difficult for me, trying to suppress the desire to share my worries with them. They were my friends, but I felt hesitant. It wasn't that I didn't trust them; I just didn't want them to get involved in case the issue was actually bigger than it seemed. Because they were my friends.
I officially signed up as a volunteer at the orphanage. I wanted to investigate. I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. I tried exploring the premises – to look for anything suspicious. I checked every corridor, room and storage, I didn't find anything. Everything was still exactly how I remembered it. The orphanage lived up to its reputation. The children were healthy and happy there. The setting was too perfect, too good to be true. So, I decided for a different approach and got my eyes on the person in charge of the orphanage's management, Father Sinclair.
"So where do we go after class? I heard there's a new café just a few blocks from here." Jeremy said while getting soda from the vending machine.
"I can't believe they're letting us go home early just because of the teachers' meeting. They should just let us stay for self-study or something." Ethan said, his eyes never leaving the book on his hand.
"All you do is study. You're no fun. Krista? Don't tell me you're going off on your own again. We haven't had the chance to hang out together outside of school in a while." Christian said with pouted lips.
"I'm sorry. I signed up as a volunteer at the orphanage so I can't go with you." I explained.
"Do volunteers have to go there every day? It's like you're more than an employee. They don't even pay you. You don't have to work so hard." Jeremy said.
"I do it because I want to help take care of the children."
"Or maybe you just don't want to spend time with us?" Jeremy asked.
"Oh! How did you know?" I teased him. We both laughed.
"What time will you be going home? Will you be alright?" Kai asked all of a sudden.
"It's fine. I'll just be there for an hour or two. Besides, there are knights and elites who patrol the streets all the time. The city has never been safer."
"But you can't be too complacent about it."
"Alright. That's enough. I'm sure she knows that." Christian said. "You sound like an overprotective brother."
"Just be careful." Kai said softly. He said it in a surprisingly gentle tone. My heart skipped a beat.
We parted ways by the front gate and went to opposite directions. I waited until they were out of sight before heading out another way. I wasn't going to the orphanage, actually. I lied. I walked the street feeling so guilty about lying, but I didn't have a choice. I walked a few blocks and stopped two houses from the big ancestral house where Father Sinclair lives. I stood by the big flowering tree and watched as people passed by. I kept looking at my watch, waiting. Then Father Sinclair came out right on time. I hid behind the tree then followed him as he strolled through the streets. I kept my distance and walked casually. The truth was I had been following Father Sinclair for days. I thought I'd gain some new information if I follow him around. I haven't learned anything of importance yet, aside from the fact that he goes to a bar down the street to drink with Father Donnie every afternoon, just before sunset. Father Donnie was the person in charge of the school built by the Church. It was a small school for children whose parents didn't have enough financial resources for their education. It was a school which offered free education, which kept its operation with the support and sponsorship of numerous powerful individuals and groups. It was the Church's way of helping the poor. They wanted to ensure that every child could receive proper education. Of course, the level was not as high as those in big academies, but it was dependable.
Father Sinclair put down his empty glass and stood up. He excused himself and left the bar. I followed him down the road to the market. He stopped to talk to someone who didn't look like a personnel from the Church. The man was dressed in dull baggy clothes, holding a cigarette on his hand. It was weird seeing a person of status like Father Sinclair having a conversation with the suspicious-looking man. I pretended to check the watermelons at the fruit stand. Father Sinclair looked behind him; I immediately lowered my head and let my hair cover my face from his view. He started walking on ahead, so I put the watermelon back on its box and followed him. I passed by the man he talked to earlier without risking a glance at him. I sensed him staring at me when I passed. It was nerve-wracking. Father Sinclair took a turn and went down a narrow alley. I hesitated. It looked like a place where nothing good ever happened. I swallowed the fear and took a step. I walked quietly with my head down. Then he stopped in front of an old decrepit building. I swiftly stood behind a stack of boxes. I watched him knock on the door and waited until a big man opened it and let him in. When the door was shut, I was finally able to take a deep breath. What was he doing there? It was already getting dark and I had to choose whether to wait for him to come out, or go home and follow him some other time. I was thinking so hard that I flinched when someone suddenly whispered on my ear.
"Why are you being sneaky?" The cool voice sounded so familiar.
I turned to see Kai standing so close. "You scared me! Can you stop appearing out of the blue? You always do this." I accused him.
"Well, I was just passing by and saw you. I thought you said you had volunteer work at the orphanage?" He sounded mad.
"I finished the job quickly. It was easier than I thought." I lied again. I cursed myself on my mind.
The door of the building opened and I instinctively pushed him to the wall and covered his mouth. I heard Father Sinclair thank the big man. Then Father Sinclair started walking towards where we were hiding. I panicked. I was going to get caught. I looked at him. He was staring at me, his eyes filled with questions. Out of desperation, I kissed him.