It was fortunate that the corridor leading to the principal's office had a storage room for cleaning stuff. The room was perfect for storage stuff and of course too small for two people who hiding inside.
Oxy might be crazy to have asked Argen to hide with her. Through the vent in the door, she saw Mr. Dallas pass through the door. She waited for a while before finally going outside.
The minutes in the storage room were so thrilling.
Argen, the most popular boy in her school was hiding and stood very close to her. It might be a dream of any girl, especially the nerd girl like her
"Sorry," Oxy said, her face already hot and might have been as red as a tomato.
"It doesn't matter." Argen looked relaxed. "It was Mr. Dallas, wasn't he?"
Oxy nodded.
"What did he do? Did he just in the principal office?"
Oxy nodded again. "I saw him go to the office. And.. somehow I can't explain it."
"He looks suspicious, doesn't he?" Argen guessed.
Oxy nodded again. Then the bell for class rang.
"Oh, I have to go," said Oxy immediately. "Sorry for making you... uncomfortable."
Argen even looked confused by Oxy's words. "You know that I also trust the principal, right?"
Oxy was silent. She wasn't even sure if she trusted the principal. And Argen here claimed to trust the principal without any clue.
"If you need help, just call me, Oxy," said Argen, as if reading Oxy's mind. "You look confused somehow."
Oxy just gave an awkward smile, and she nodded.
"Okay. Thank you." She heard how kind Argen was and now she knew he was.
"See you later," said Argen and made Oxy feel happier.
"Yes, see you later," replied Oxy who immediately ran to class.
--
Oxy sat alone on one of the school canteen benches. She ate her lunch while observing the flash disk she found in the principal's office. She wanted to immediately see the files inside the flash disk but she thought to open it later when she got home.
The files inside the flash disk might be very confidential so she might be very careful.
The tinkling of notifications on the cellphone distracted Oxy's attention. She immediately opened a message from an unknown number. She frowned because someone had invited her into a group chat.
What the hell?
How did they know her contact?
Hydroxxx: Hi, everyone!
OxyJ: Who are you?
SelenS : Hey, who are you guys?
Oxy frowned reading the message from ID SelenS. So she wasn't the only one who was surprised.
SelenS : Seriously. Is this a scam?
OxyJ : I don't know either.
Hydroxxx : Hey, girls. Calm down. Don't panic like that.
SelenS : Who are you @Hydroxxx? And you too @OxyJ ?
OxyJ : I don't know why I'm here.
Hydroxxx : I invited you guys.
SelenS : Not polite.
SelenS : I'm going out.
SelenS : Am I polite enough to say goodbye?
SelenS : Well, bye.
SelenS out from the group chat
Hydroxxx : Hey, hey!
Hydroxxx adds Selena into the group chat.
SelenS : Hey, stop!
Hydroxxx: please don't go before I explain it.
Hydroxxx: We are here because Mr. Dome wanted me to invite you guys.
OxyJ : You know Mr. Dome?
Hydroxxx : Yeah, he was the one who told me to find you all.
OxyJ : How did he find you?
Hydroxxx : what?
OxyJ : he's the principal of my school.
Hydroxxx: Shit. Seriously? Where do you live? And what's the name of the school?
OxyJ : I live in Skeleta. And this is Riverwaze High School. Ever heard?
Hydroxxx : Nope. I live in Vaskulaz.
Oxy was silent for a moment. Vasculaz? It was a town on the other side of the island.
Hydroxxx : And Mr. Dome is a psychiatrist that I often go to.
OxyJ : Are you serious? psychiatrist?
It was impossible. How come the principal was working as a psychiatrist too?
Hydroxxx: Bomb serious! Yes, I am serious. And hey, where's SelenS? Did she run away again?
SelenS: I'm still here.
Hydroxxx: So? You must know Mr. Dome too, right?
SelenS: This is crazy.
Oxy nodded in agreement, she was waiting for another surprise from the ID named SelenS.
SelenS: actually... Mr. Dome... if we talk to the same person. Dome is my family name. And Arnold Dome is my father.
What?! Oxy was more surprised than before.
SelenS: My name is Selena Dome. And I live in Arterio.
Hydroxxx : Shit. It's crazy!
OxyJ : I don't know if Mr. Dome has a daughter.
And Oxy tried to remember where exactly the town called Arterio was. It seemed to be quite far away, maybe about six hours by car from Skeleta.
SelenS : Dad hasn't been home since five years ago. He transferred to a school in Skeleta. Yes, your school @OxyJ. And...
OxyJ: And?
SelenS: He is not my real father. He was my adoptive father. He used to be one of the male nurses at the orphanage.
Hydroxxx: Wait. Let me guess. @OxyJ, You are also adopted, right?
OxyJ : Yes.
Hydroxxx : So do I.
SelenS : It's strange.
OxyJ: It's weird. No, I mean... Mr. Dome said he didn't know the other kids. But he knows you all. And have a connection with you. One as a psychiatrist, the other as a father. And in my position, he is the principal.
Hydroxxx : You like to write long, don't you?
SelenS : So? What do you mean exactly?
OxyJ : Aren't you children who survived from Cerebra?
Oxy waited for the two IDs to respond. But almost half a minute they seemed to have disappeared somewhere.
OxyJ: are you guys still here? Ever heard about Cerebra?
Hydroxxx: Yeah, of course. That is the name of the Lost City.
OxyJ: do you have strange abilities?
Hydroxxx : wow. This is insane. And I'm not as crazy as people say!
OxyJ: They think you're crazy?
Hydroxxx: Yup. And you are right. I can do something so weirdddd. I have a strange ability. And don't be surprised. Also, I am tired to be called an insane kid.
OxyJ : Tell me. I won't say that.
Hydroxxx : Sure?
OxyJ: Of course.
Hydroxxx: I can move things only with my eyes or if I want. It's called Telekinesis. But people say I'm a witch. I need to hold back my abilities so I don't have to go to prison again.
SelenS: They took you to prison?
Hydroxxx : Yes. For teenagers, of course.
OxyJ : We have to meet.
SelenS: Wait, that's too fast. What if this is a scam? Dad said if I had to be careful with strange people.
OxyJ: Did you know that Mr. Dome was arrested by the police two last night before?
SelenS : What?
Hydroxxx : Seriously?
OxyJ: Yes. But still, there is no explanation about why he was arrested.
SelenS : Oh no.
Hydroxxx: you didn't know, SelenS? You are his family.
Selena: Maybe Mum already knows. God. She's been looking so sad since yesterday. And I don't know anything.
OxyJ: Sorry I'm the one who told you.
SelenS : It's okay. Well, I have to know. And maybe Mum couldn't tell me.
Hydroxxx: No wonder Mr. Dome asked me to contact you all as soon as I can, after giving the IDs. But I don't understand what to do.
Selena: I can't think either. Dad was arrested...
OxyJ: Do you guys know about Brain Fog?
Hydroxxx : What is that? A disease?
OxyJ: Yes. Something like a disease. A kind of phenomenon too that appeared in our city last week.
Hydroxxx: Wow, I don't know something like that.
SelenS: What is the effect like?
OxyJ: The effect is that people have nightmares when they are asleep. And they could die in sleep with a rotten head.
Hydroxxx: Are you serious? That sounds terrible!
SelenS : Damn... I think I heard someone die in their sleep in my town last day.
OxyJ: Really? Maybe soon there will be news about Brain Fog in your town.
Hydroxxx : Hey, hey. slowly!
Unfortunately, the ringing of the bell for the class had to end their chats.
OxyJ: I have to go to class.
Hydroxxx : Yep, me too.
SelenS : So do I.
OxyJ: See you later, guys.
Oxy took the phone in her pocket. She cleaned up her lunch box, then started to leave the canteen. On her way, she was still thinking about the other kids.
Mr. Dome was not completely honest with her. Didn't he say he was still looking at the other children? But the children had been under Mr. Dome's care all this time, just like she was.[]