11 The Riddle Unravelled

Phew, another lecture done. I stretch my limbs still sitting in my seat while all the other students start leaving the room for recess. It's been two days since then and I've made no progress whatsoever in finding Doris after the lectures. Where the hell does he go? I remove a little piece of paper from my pocket on which I wrote his... 'coordinates'.

'Only when there are mishaps do we need it, we seldom go there nowadays otherwise'.... How do I decipher this thing? I sigh in frustration.

Kwan: You're still worrying about that?

Kwan peeks over my shoulder from his seat behind me at the paper.

Ciara: Yeah, I can't find him any other way except tailing him which isn't possible because we're always stuck in classes when he leaves.

Momo: Why don't you just search it on the internet?

Momo who's seated beside me whips out her phone and comments.

Ciara: I did but... I couldn't find anything.

When I searched it on the internet, it showed be hundreds of poem related websites. I went through some of them but couldn't find anything of use.

Ryan: I guess he made this up so you don't bother him.

Ryan turns around in his seat to face me. I hope not, I really need his help too! Marques has been helping me out with some extra exercises however, I can't always keep troubling him so much. I turn my head around to look at Marques who's sitting alone behind Kwan and Jake.

Marques: What?

Ciara:.. Nothing.

There's no point asking him, he'd have already told me if he knew what this meant.

Kwan: She's probably pitying you.

Kwan turns to face Marques and smirks at him teasingly. Knowing what's coming, Marques sarcastically asks him..

Marques: I wonder why that is.

Kwan: 'Cuz you're sitting all alone like a-

Marques:...

Kwan: -Ow, ow, OW! It hurts! L-Let go of my ear! (Q~Q)

Everyone:....

Hahh, they're at it again. I turn my gaze back on the paper in my hand and Marques let's Kwan's ear free.

Hanley: You guys are behaving just like grown up kids.

Ciara: No kidding.

I comment still staring at the paper.

Marques: How can you put me in the same group as him? He started it..!

Kwan: Did not!

Marques: Did too!

Ugh, they're back to doing this again. I give them an irked stare and they both go quiet. Now, that's what I'm talking about. Anyway, only someone good in poetry can figure this out.

As I'm riddling Doris's words, Ryan speaks up to the team in a cheerful tone.

Ryan: Heh, I see what's going on here.

Jake: Hm?

Poets... Poets are philosophers. Wait, philosophy! That's one of the skills Team C excels at! If I show this to them, they can find its meaning!

Ryan: Marques is-

*Bam!*

Ciara: I know what to do!

I bang my hand on the desk and stand up with a start and everyone freezes in surprise.

Momo: What're you talking about?

Ciara: I'll tell you later, I have no time to waste! See y'all after the recess!

I start running out of the classroom as fast as I can.

Kwan: Where do you think she's off to?

Hanley: Beats me.

I race out the classroom and to the cafeteria. Okay, let's see... I scan the room. That's Team D, there's Team F over there... Hmm, I don't know which one of the rest could Team C be. Wait, wasn't that blonde woman Ryan was talking with that day in Team C?

There are only 8 of us so I remember all their groups and names. If my memory serves me correctly, her name was Joanna Lester. Ah, there she is! I timidly approach her and tap her on her shoulder from behind. I hope she doesn't mind.

She turns around and for a second I'm mesmerized by how beautiful she is. Her big, brown eyes narrowed, her silky blonde hair dancing on her shoulders and her plump, red lips slightly parted make her look like one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen.

Joanna: Yes?

I snap out of my thoughts and get straight to it.

Ciara: Um, I'm sorry to disturb you, I just needed your help real quick.

She looks at me for a moment before breaking into a smile.

Joanna: There's no need to be so formal, we're both girls, aren't we?

Huh, she's surprisingly easygoing.

Ciara: I guess you're right.

Joanna: Your name was Ciara, right? You can just call me 'Anna'.

Ciara: Okay then, Anna..? Can you help me figure this out?

Joanna: Sure.

I show her the paper and she furs her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

Ciara: Well..?

Joanna: Hmm, sorry I don't know.

Ciara: Ah, that's okay. Thanks anyways.

I politely bid her my 'thank yous' and start walking away. She's one of the smartest from that team and if she couldn't get it... Hahh, this is hopeless. I should ask Doris about this when I see him next.

I tuck the paper back in my pocket and start walking towards the balcony. I stare out at the scenery in a daze. Hey, that tree over there is awfully big.

The area surrounding it is deserted though. Maybe those cabins over there are storage areas or something. I look up at sky and see that it is cloudy. It's June already... It's going to rain soon. Speaking of rain, there aren't many shelter sheds around the training grounds.

Where do we go if it rains? I bet nobody's prepared with an umbrella. All of a sudden, it begins to shower. I should get inside. However, before I leave, I notice a few trainees running towards the trees for shelter. They got drenched, how unlucky...

Wait, bad luck... Mishap! The rain, it's the mishap he was talking about! Then that place is..! I know where Doris is!! I break into a run towards the place in my mind. This year is very important to me, I can't slack off! I need his help..!