Her back was so rigid as if it would snap once Millie stretched her body. She had finally done her assignment, despite her stiff shoulders that were killing her. One of these days, she swore she would visit one of her favorite massage parlors. Next, she would have to decide between shiatsu or Thai massage, which of them was painfullest (was that even a word?).
A ping from her lover, Jacqueline, made her smile amidst her stretching session. Was it already time for Jackie to sleep? Millie replied to Jackie's goodnight kisses with a photo of her bare left chest. She imagined Jackie would be hot and bothered and regretted leaving her in the same predicament due to her teasing during their dinner together.
Well, two could play in the game, but it was getting late, it was almost 11 p.m. Her drowsy eyes and fatigue delivered a knockout punch, leaving her with no choice but to crawl onto her bed, defeated.
Something didn't feel right, though. She hadn't heard anything from Renata. She checked her last message from Renata, it was their chat during which they were both at their parents'. No phone calls either. Could it be the doctor told her to stay at the health center?
(Knock Knock)
Millie opened the door and saw a beautiful Hispanic girl, it was Kimberly. "Hi, Mil. Where is Renata? She's not in my check-in report. "
"She went to visit the health center earlier and hasn't come back since. Could you ask the health center if she will spend the night there? Just for affirmation. "
"Sure, I will inform you once they reply to me back. Nite, Mil. " Millie decided to call Renata's phone but it went unanswered. Was she already asleep?
(Knock Knock)
It was Kim again, "I just called the health center, she's not there, are you sure Renata went there, Mil?"
"Yes, she said so to me. I just called her phone, but she didn't answer. I'm worried, Kim. " Millie knew that the school was a safe place, but she couldn't help but think that something might have happened to Renata.
------------------------
James's fingers couldn't stop typing on his laptop even though he wanted to, it was his fault. Actually, it was Meghan's, his cute girlfriend. If plucking a moon and then giving it to her could make her love him more, he wouldn't hesitate, not even for a heartbeat.
Wilson just hung his uniform for him to wear tomorrow, he had finished all his assignments for today and was ready to sleep. He looked at James, giving his side eyes, "Meghan's ass(ignment)? Again?"
"Dude, how could you leave me and hit the sack? Shouldn't you accompany me in my misery, my good friend?" James glared at Wilson with his stink eyes.
"I'm next to you, I Am accompanying you. Besides, you could avoid this useless misery if only you let Meghan do it on her own. However, I must admit, it brings me endless pride. You had learned our lesson last year, and yet, you have never beat my score, not even once. " Not James's score when he was a 10th grader, or Meghan's, which was done by James.
James threw his pillow at Wilson's face and chuckled, "Assprick. " On days like these, James was reminded what a pompous prick his friend Wilson could be. James was always annoyed at Wilson's New Zealand accent; more of envy actually. He wished he had an exotic accent too, girls dug it, even Meghan.
"Ice prick, you mean?" Wilson threw James's pillow back at him. "You know I could report Meghan, right?"
"Dude, your lack of empathy, your artificial brain must be well programmed. Do you post notes to breathe in between your scrupulous daily schedule? God, you are a rare species, I'm telling you, Noah Ekiben Wilson. "
Wilson had many things on his plate as a student president, as a resident assistant, and as a student. He needed to be organized systematically to do his responsibilities, and he reveled in his meticulously scheduled life. Probably Wasabi (Big Hero 6) said it in the best way: I have a system, there's a place for everything, everything in its place. "You are one to talk, I've seen your daily schedule. Who on earth puts his girlfriend's assignment on his own schedule? And, my middle name is Akihito, not Ekiben. Do you even know what ekiben is?" Wilson took one of his manga from his collections, the one and only reward he allowed himself to indulge in after another tiresome day.
"Yeah, an eel. Who doesn't know about it? What I'm trying to say is that you are young. You should enjoy your youthfulness to the fullest, have fun. Fall in love, Wilson. Get a girl, or a man, whichever your ass prefers. Not my ass please, they are unavailable. " For that remark, James got a pillow thrown at his head.
Wilson didn't bother to correct him; ekiben or unagi, it didn't matter. "And having fun you are, so much fun that you are willing to be used. Are you having fun now?"
James shook his head, "How could I convince you to see the world outside of your box?"
"You in your current predicament could hardly convince me, James, do a better job than this. And while at it, you could answer your annoying phone. " Wilson could have continued reading his manga in silence if James didn't sound so concerned.
"Did you turn off your phone? Kim has ping-ed you several times in BBM. Something happened to Renata. "
Wilson turned on his phone again, it was his habit to turn off his phone before he slept. "What happened? Who is Renata again?"
"The girl you yelled at the last time, she is missing. Kim has alarmed the teachers, but no one has found her yet. "
"Ah, that rebellious little kid. I told you that she ought to get into trouble, and Voilà. " Willson placed his manga back on the bookshelf and walked to their shared built-in wardrobe.
"What are you doing?" James was confused when Wilson put on his jeans and a thick cable-knit cashmere sweater complete with a burgundy wool scarf, even more so when Wilson threw James's clothes at him. He was bewildered, but he wore his clothes too eventually.
"Kim will be held accountable for this, no doubt about it. But it could get worse if something happens to that little kid. We need to find her. " Wilson found his flashlight and James followed him out.
------------------------
Wilson and James went to the health center, Kim and Millie were already there, waiting for them. "Millie and I just asked that nurse, he happened to see Renata. He said she saw her walking toward the sports buildings. Should we go there now?"
Wilson looked above them, "Before that, let's go to the IT Department. We can see her in that CCTV camera if she really passed here earlier. Then we can tell the teacher. "
It was a good thing that Wilson and the teacher of the IT department were on good terms, he allowed him to watch the recording of the health center. As that student said, Renata was seen at 7.40 pm, she was heading to the sports building. However, no recording from any CCTV in the sports building captured her. The road to the sports buildings was unusually busy. Three girls from the 11th grade were seen too at 7.35 pm and 8.05 pm. The weird thing was, there was no record of these three girls either from the sports buildings, just like Renata.
"Who are these girls? Does anyone know any of them?" Millie asked everyone there.
"I know them, they were my classmates since the 9th grade. They are fans of our football team, never miss a match, even our practices. Most football players are close to Erica, Lilith, and Karen, especially Lyle. Well, that local Don Juan is close to any girl here. "
"It's late, Wilson. Why don't you kids go back to the dorm? I will assure you that I will inform other teachers about this. " Mr. Kowalski, the IT teacher, sent those students out of his office once Wilson agreed.
Outside the IT building, Millie refused to go back. "Renata was ill, she probably got hurt or fainted somewhere. No, I couldn't go back. You guys go ahead, I have to look for her. Wilson, please lend me your flashlight. " Millie would spend the entire night thinking about Renata; it was pointless for her to lie in her bed and not sleep a wink.
"I'll come with you then. Wil, don't lock the door. You don't mind escorting Kim, right?"
"No, I'm coming too. How can I return when two of my residents are missing?"
Wilson groaned loudly, he really hated to disobey the rules. Once you compromised, there would be a second and next. "It is 12.25 am now, let's look for her until 1 am. If we can't find her, we have to give up and go back. "
They started to walk the path Renata took, everything was pitch black, even though the moon shone so bright with no cloud in sight. Suddenly, Wilson stopped at a crossroads.
"Dude? Why are we stopping? You scared?" Wilson glared at James's question.
"Renata didn't go to the sports building, I don't think we need to visit it. Millie, can you call Renata's phone?"
"I did, but she didn't answer. I don't think she will pick it up. "
"That is not the point. Perhaps we can locate her if we find her phone by the ringtones. You guys need to pay attention to any sounds. " At Wilson's command, Millie started to call Renata's phone. They walked further into the woods until Kim heard something.
"Do you guys hear that?" Everyone could hear a song being played. "Is that Crush, David Archuleta?" Kim turned to Millie.
"Maybe it's Renata's phone; she uses Crush as her ringtone. "
"I think it's this way, guys. " They walked toward the source of the song, and soon they found a blackberry curve 8900 phone with a cracked casing.
Millie instantly could recognize the pink Gudetama case. "Oh my gosh, this is Renata's phone. But where is she?" There was no sign of Renata here. Wilson looked around and saw something in the distance.
"What building is that?" Wilson pointed his finger at a questionable building that looked so small and unkempt. He had never ventured on this side of the woods or any unnecessary places on the school grounds.
"That's our former stable, we don't use it anymore since the school moved the facility in the eighties. Why?" James explained.
"What do you guys think of that white thing?" Wilson asked again, and everyone hid behind him. "Guys?"
"W-Wilson, w-what white thing? A g-ghost?" James was so terrified that he clutched Wilson's sweater so tight, they were talking about the infamous haunted stable.
"What ghost, you silly?" This was the first time Wilson wanted to roll his eyes. Leaving his friends, he approached the stable. His eyes never left the white flag(?) tied to the window's iron bar. As he got closer, it didn't look like a flag anymore. Wilson gave his flashlight to James, and with a jump, he grabbed the window sill.
He got the jacket down with him and suddenly ran toward the door, it was jammed with a thick branch. After he and James removed the branch, they opened the stable door. Under the window, where Renata tied her white jacket, she hugged her knees. They quickly reached her, Wilson shook her arms so hard to jolt her awake.
Wincing, Renata opened a slit of her eyes and stared at Wilson's eyes for a moment, "You found me..... " a tiny whisper escaped from her lips before Renata fainted again.
"Dude, she's burning up. " James placed his palm on her forehead.
"Put her on my back, hurry!!" They moved quickly as Wilson shouted.