Chapter 103 Bang the drums

Chapter 103 Bang the drums

\[Charlotte's POV\]
Everyone stared at Margo when she walked in but she didn't care. She flicked her hair from her face and stuck out her tongue. Pretty wild, huh. I love the fact that she didn't care about what people said about her. I couldn't possibly be like that, could I?
'You okay?' Levi asked.
I turned to look at him. 'Yeah. I'm good.'
'Something's up, Melbourne. Tell me.' He called me my last name for the first time in a while. He only does that when he gets pretty serious and that's the exact expression on his face.
'I really wonder how it feels to not give a care in the world.' I slip my hand into his and lean my head on his shoulder.
'Woah. Charlotte wants to learn how to not give a fuck. Okay. You came to the right teacher.' Levi laughed as he put his arms around me.
'How do you do it? Being carefree.' I run my fingers on the button of his shirt.
'Well, it's not about being carefree, per se. Some things are just not worth my attention.' Levi looked at me and winked.
Then came the bigger question. I swear I felt him shiver when he replied. 'How did you handle being accused of murder?'
Levi wet his lips before answering. 'Well, there was therapy. Don't tell anyone. That's my biggest secret and there was God. I remember going to church a lot then. Still do. And what else? My mom. She's a great counselor. It sucks she runs a salon.'
I chuckled at that last part and he kissed my cheek.
'Students, your exam is about to begin. Please, sit properly.' Principal Selena strolls into the hall. I could feel her glare from way over the front.
Levi takes my hand and gives it a kiss. 'Don't overthink. You've got an exam to ace.'
I smile at him and mouth "Thank you" to him.
We pulled away and my hand felt cold. I like the feel of my hand in his. It made me feel safe.
Selena's loud voice pulls me back to reality. 'Start your computers and begin. This is 9 : 30. You have one hour.'
I took a look at Levi who was focused on his system. Everyone else was. I started mine and waited for it to boot. Suddenly, a piece of paper was thrown to the floor beside me. Believe me when I say that I tried so hard to ignore it but curiosity got the best of me. I reached down slowly for the paper and put it on my lap. It was a crumpled piece of paper. Probably a big one that was squeezed so it could look small. I carefully put the paper in the pocket of my skirt, deciding to read it after the exams.


Exams are over for the semester and everyone is taking pictures. Stacy begins her campaign for the Homecoming dance, urging students to participate in the contest for King and Queen, Margo and Adira are taking pictures and the rest of the gang are probably eating in the cafetaria coz I don't see them. And me. I'm sitting on a couch alone in the game room, the paper from earlier still in my pocket. When I heard the last receding footsteps, I whipped the paper from its hiding place. It was a note to me. It reads :
"Dear Charlotte Melbourne, you don't know me but I know you. Who I am doesn't matter for now. I'm just a messenger. The last Hide and Seek for the semester will be the most dangerous and the last game ever as I heard from the school community. You're the Director of Ceremonies. Please, convince the School Director not to hold it. I'm so terrified. I'm scared I'll get hurt. Please, do something."
The paper went limp on my lap and I stared at it, confused. I haven't met the school director before but now, this person mentioned it, I'm curious to know who he or she is. The moment I fold the paper and stuff it in my pocket, Selena walks in.
'I knew I'd find you here.' She said with a smile.
That was a weird way to start but okay. I'm listening.
'Sure.' I sit back down and give her a quizzical look.
Selena sits next to me and heaves a sigh. 'Exams are over. Finally.'
'Yeah.' I reply, looking out the window. This is getting awkward.
She smiles at me and pinches my cheek. 'You look so much like your mom.'
Wait, did I hear right?
'You know my mom?' I ask with a short gasp. That was pretty dramatic of me but I was almost too stunned to speak.
'Yeah. She's my baby sister.' Selena pulls her hand from my cheek.
'Woah. Why didn't you tell me?' I frowned. 'Mom never told me she had a sister. She never talked about you.'
'That's because I told her not to, Cee. When your mom and I served in the army, we did terrible things. I didn't want you to know me like that so I felt it'll be useless knowing.' Selena explained. This was the first time in forever she'd ever spoken this calmly. I'm impressed.
'You served in the army too?' Another shock there.
Selena spent the rest of the hour telling me her life story - how their mom abandoned her and my mom, how they struggled to survive, how they raised themselves without a father. It was terrible. At one point, I even cried.
Selena dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief as she concluded the story. 'You've got great parents, Cee. Don't let them down.'
'I won't. C'mere.' I pulled her in for a hug. This is me, Charlotte Melbourne, a 17 year old highschooler with Coronary heart disease, hugging a 35 year old spinster with 500k in her account. Reality sure knows how to separate the rich strong from the poor weaklings and it sucks.
We both pulled away and she
winked at me. 'This will be our little secret.'
'I really want you to come home with me today. Let's have dinner.' I smile at her.
'I'm fine. Thank you.' She took to her feet.
'See ya. I think I'll catch some sleep here.' I sat on the couch I'm sitting on and she laughed.
'You're the director of ceremonies. Don't you have a prom to plan?' She raised an eyebrow playfully.
I gawn as I laid on the couch lazily. 'That's why the Director of Socials exists. I only moderate or host the ceremony.'
'Correct.' She winked at me and Inc d to the door. 'Do I turn off the lights?'
'No.' I tell her softly.
'Okay. Sleep tight.' She whispered and I heard the door close.
I rushed to the door to see if she had really left and confirmed it. I locked the door and went to my seat, slipping Selena's phone from the back of my shirt. She didn't notice me stealing this when she was so busy crying fake tears. Malcolm told me not to trust anyone and he's right. People are not who they seem.
'I have to get this unlocked.' I said as I pressed the power button and the phone turned on. Thankfully, all I have to do is swipe right and the phone will be open. No password was required.
'Who on earth leaves their phones unlocked?' I whispered as I went through her gallery. There was nothing there. It was literally empty. I went to her WhatsApp. Thankfully it wasn't locked. There were only 2 people she chatted with. Someone named Director Ahmed and Mr Gale. I knew there was something going on between them. I sensed it back at Zurich. It might seem rude but I had to know. I opened the chat and regretted it. There was a flyer for Hide and Seek : Project Bloodhound and my face was in it. I took a screenshot of it along with her chats with Ahmed without reading them and sent them to my phone.
When I heard receding footsteps, I panicked. Was she coming back?
'Charlotte?' I heard my name. Shit. It was her.
Only a few more and the screenshots will enter my phone. I feigned ignorance as she kept knocking on the door. When everything was sent, I deleted it from her phone and turned on the phone's wifi, dropping it on the couch.
'Charlotte!' It came with a bang that startled me. I walked to the door and unlocked it.
Feigning a yawn, I rubbed my eyes. 'Jesus. Aunt Sel, you woke me up.'
'I'm sorry.' She walked past me. 'I left my phone.'
'Oh.' I yawned again.
She went to the couch dipping her hand inside until she finally found it. 'Thank God.'
'Losing a phone will be really terrible especially if you have lots of contacts.' I tried to make my words sound slurred so she'll believe my acting and she did.
'You can go back to sleep but don't lock the door. Just in case.' She tapped the door as she approached it.
'Okay.' I said with a real yawn. Now, I'm really sleepy.
When she left I went back to the door and locked it. Like I said earlier, I can't trust anyone. I collapsed on the couch and kept my phone in my bag, shutting my eyes for 30 seconds, but God knows I drifted to dreamland and didn't wake up till the clock read 5 : 18 pm.