Chapter 9 — Missing

“WHAT happened inside the disciplinary office yesterday?” Rose asked Audrey when they met at school before their first class started. “You refused to tell me yesterday and I am expecting that you’ll tell it to me today.”

Audrey looked at her friend in slightly furrowed brows. “Rose, can I ask you something?”

Rose knotted her forehead. “About what?”

“About yesterday…” she said, then heaved a sigh. “D-did you notice something strange in my actions yesterday? Or did I act weird and not in my usual mood?”

Rose scoffed. “Of course! You freaked out, girl.” She caught her forehead. “Until now I still can’t believe that you really did those things! You flipped the table and slammed the chair to Melinda’s boyfriend—”

Audrey covered her friend’s mouth. “Shh!” She looked around the school ground, there were only a few students around, but all of them were glancing at her. “Gosh… Why are they looking at me as if I’m a criminal?”

“They’re just shocked about what happened in the canteen yesterday,” Rose said, then looked at her. “Why are you acting as if you don’t remember anything? Do you have an amnesia?”

Audrey brushed her face with her hands. “I have stress-induced amnesia, I think…” she lied. She can’t tell Rose about her personality disorder. She might freak out and avoided her. “There are things that I couldn’t remember too these past few days.”

“It’s normal, you know,” Rose said and tapped her shoulders. “And don’t worry about those students gawking at you, at least they won’t dare to pick on you again.”

She frowned at what Rose is trying to say. “Because they’re scared of me?”

Rose laughed. “Maybe?” She hooked on her arm. “I didn’t know that you have that kind of fierce, Audrey.” She arched her brow at her. “You seemed to be a different person yesterday. Braver and bolder Audrey Saavedra.”

Audrey swallowed hard. It somehow helped her get rid of bullies that’s been pestering her life ever since she entered college. “I’m just tired, I guess…” she said and started walking towards their classroom. “I don’t want that to happen again. I feel like I’m not in control—”

She stopped when the group of women standing at their classroom door parted as if giving them the way. She lowered her head and was about to ignore their stares when she heard the woman at the back spoke.

“I thought she was silent and aloof…” she whispered to her friend. “We didn’t know that she turns into a monster when she snaps.”

Rose turned to the group of female students. “Excuse me?” She raised her brow at them. “If you wanted to say something about Audrey, tell it to her face.”

The woman who spoke behind her back lowered her head. Audrey held Rose’s arm and dragged her inside the classroom. All their classmates were looking at her, too, in a way that showed fear and confusion.

“Audrey don’t mind them,” Rose told her when she halted in the doorway. “Let’s look on the brighter side, okay? Because of your outburst yesterday, nobody will pick on you now, right?”

Audrey bit her lower lip and hesitated to speak. “I don’t know if that’s a good impression…” she said and heaved a sigh. “But the ruin has been done and it’s my fault because I didn’t hold back my anger—”

“I didn’t see you tried to hold it either,” Rose said with a laugh. “Come on, girl. I know, it will never happen again, right?”

She didn’t answer. Audrey doesn’t know when or when Althea will take over her again. She was about to go to her seat when she realized something. Justin told her that Althea seemed to remember the last things she said and done while being Audrey…

“Then, maybe… she remembers my childhood, too?” she asked in a low voice.

“Huh? Did you say something?” Rose asked her on a knotted forehead.

Audrey shook her head. “N-nothing—”

“Audrey,” one of her classmates called her attention. “Justin’s looking for you.”

Rose gasped. “Wait a minute, why is he looking for you?”

Audrey shrugged her shoulders. “I-I don’t know…”

She hasn’t told her friend about Justin and how he defended her against Melinda and friends in the disciplinary office. After that meeting, Audrey’s mind was occupied. Many things happened yesterday, and her head was loaded with details and information that she couldn’t digest. That’s why when Rose asked her what happened inside the office, she refused to talk and remained silent for the rest of the class.

When she got home, the first thing that she did is ask her mom. But just like the past years, Audrey received the same empty answers. If her mother doesn’t want to give her the answers…she has to find the one that can.

“Audrey.” Justin waved at her when she went out of the door. “Did you sleep well?”

They heard gasps from the female students in the corridor. They were all looking at them, especially to Justin, who looked dashing and stunning in his crisp vest uniform. Audrey felt a little awkward with the attention she’s receiving from the other students because the university heartthrob is talking to her.

“Do you want to go to a private place?” Justin asked her, noticing that she’s uncomfortable.

“What do you want to tell me?” she asked in a low voice. “My class is about to start…” she said shyly, avoiding his gaze.

Justin looked over her shoulders. “Your professor hasn’t arrived yet. We can still talk for a few minutes,” he said, then pulled her away from the students that were gawking at them.

Audrey gasped at what Justin did. “D-Justin, where are we going—”

“Do you want them to know about your secret?” Justin asked her in a whisper.

“S-secret?” Audrey asked in a knotted forehead. “Are you talking about my…my alter persona?”

Justin nodded. “How do you feel now?” he asked, studying her face. “And did you talk to your parents? Are they going to bring you to—”

“No…” she cut off. “I-I don’t have plans on telling my mom,” she said and heaved a sigh. “I have a person in mind that could fill me with some missing details.”

Justin knotted his forehead. “Missing details?”

She nodded. “I don’t have memories with my childhood,” she said. “And, I have a feeling that it has something to do with… with Althea.”