After another two weeks of holiday, school resumed activities and students were welcomed back. As I walked down the hallway to class on the very first day of resumption, I saw faces staring at me. People who didn't even have a clue that I existed let alone know I attended the school, had their eyes fixed on me as I took each step to class.
Some had admiration clearly written on their faces, while others had something that was between the borderline of envy and irritation.
Now, for someone like me who is an extrovert, I felt like their stares were going to sublime me into gas. If the ground had swallowed me, I would have been please. But nothing like that happened. I am human, not iodine.
As I was about to step into my class, I heard a familiar voice. My best friend, George, was standing by the restroom door gesturing for me to come over.
As I walked close to him, I saw that his face slowly brightened with a mischievous smile.
We both slipped into the restroom.
" Damn man, how did you do it?" George asked, as we did our unique handshake.
" I don't understand. Do what?," I asked him and got back a broad grimace from him.
" So you don't want to tell?," then his eyes widened as though he had realised something, " Or is that part of the deal? Did she tell you never to tell anyone how you got her to date you. "
It was when he said the last part, it occurred to me that he was talking about Pamela. And Immediately, my mind went back to that night.
A night that I had successfully put behind my head after days of trying. I once again remembered the chase the killers had given us when they realised we had seen them commit their heinous crime. How I had slipped while running and almost got caught. How my bike almost didn't start in time....
" Say something idiot," George impatiently tugged me, bringing me back from my reverie, " How did you do it?," he asked me again.
" Erhm, I don't know," I glanced away from his face because i was about to lie, and I knew he would have easily seen through me if I was facing him. " She and her family moved into that vacant house next to ours. We began talking, and now we are dating." Apart from this last part, any other thing that I was going to tell him was going be a lie.
That was what Pamela and I had planned. It was our elaborate plan. The incident at the field was going to be a secret between the both of us. And to do that, we were going to act like we didn't know each other at home. That way, no one was going to know we had sneaked out of the house that night.
But while in school, we would act like we were dating. This one was just part of the perks Pamela added.
That was the plan. I don't even know which one of us thought about it. But that plan saved us. And at the same time, it's was going to put us in the big problem we got into.
" Just like that?," George's brows creased with incredulity, " You just asked her if she would be your girlfriend and she said yes?." he stepped back one foot and the sized me up, " You opened your mouth and said the keywords?, "
Who could blame him. I myself, I wouldn't even believe it. I swallowed hard and nodded, " Hmmhmm. Something like that."
The bell rang out, notifying every student that classes were to begin.
" I have history now. What class are you having now?," George asked me,
" Chemistry, I think."
" Alright then. Meet you after classes. You are going to every juicy detail. Something tells me you haven't told me everything." George turned to leave, " Remember we have a game this evening, right? "
" Game?," my brows creased, " On a Monday?,"
" Yeah, man. That's the date they picked. Besides, what does it matter. We have you. We are gonna beat them even if they picked doomsday as the date." he walked on to his class, leaving me behind.
I was pressed so I stayed behind to use the loo. When I was done, I went to my class. As I was about to stepped into the class, Pamela came out through the door. It was as though she had timed my entry.
" Hey, how are you doing?, " she asked me.
" I am fine. I am okay," I answered, then got stuck on what next to say.
After a brief seconds of awkward silence, Pamela broke it. " Are you busy this evening?,"
" Erhm, no. I..... No, I am not busy."
In my head, I was wondering at what point did I get so good at lying. You'd could blame it in the desperation to hang out with her. When I noticed that she looked tensed and her eyes kept darting down the hallway checking to see if someone was coming, it piqued my interest, " Why?. Is something wrong? "
" Yes. I think so," her tone suddenly went a notch lower and I knew instantly something had gone wrong, " I met my Dad watching the breakfast news this morning. The police say they have begin investigation on the murder of the person found at the field last two weeks." she fixed her eyes on mine, waiting to hear my response.
" Okay. Erhm, what do you thinkvwe should do. Do we go tell them what we saw?,"
" No," Pamela replied slightly alarmed, " If we go to them, our parents are to find out we left the house that night. I don't know about you, but I am sure I an going to get grounded for life."
" That's pretty much what I would get too. If not worse " " So we stay quiet and let the police do their jobs?,"
" Yeah. But there is one big problem. The guard."
" What?,"
" The police said the security guard who was on duty that night said he saw two kids running out of the field that night. And the next morning, the body was found."
" Oh, no my face." my fingers ran through my hair, " Did he see our faces?" I worriedly asked Pamela.