17 Page 17: Connect the dots

By the time the final bell rung in the afternoon, Niko quietly stood up, slung his bag on to his shoulder and blankly stepped out of the room. Our classmates have not seem to mind his silence considering they have already been used to his cold attitude and Miya had successfully convinced the class that Niko had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, but to me it wasn't his usual social detachment anymore. Something tells me that behind that irritable and angry outbursts that promptly comes up with little provocation is a bigger issue that is needed to be fixed.

As soon as I decided that Niko's steps had completely receeded, with no hesitation, I grab Miya, who was in front of me, by the arm, despite her being busy tossing her things inside her bag. She stumbled on my desk quickly finding her balance, and her body leaned sideways, arm arched on the table, sweating nervously from my yanking.

"Wha- Eve!" she complained.

"Miya, do you know anything else about Niko?" I sharply whispered on her ear.

She shot me with a confused look as I stared into her eyes showing how serious I was of my question. Shortly after realizing that she wasn't catching on and that was her sincere reaction, I loosened my grip on her arm letting her get back on her feet.

"Sorry, that was rude of me." I said leaning back to my chair.

"No," she promptly replied, "I was just shaken of your sudden approach. Didn't we talk about this already?"

I nodded, "But I was just curious if maybe you know something...eeeelse?"

I knew saying 'something else' was too vague for Miya to get a clue. She is somehow aware of Niko's past, but I highly doubt she knows the full story of it.

"Something eeeeeelse?" she repeated, "I've already told you everything. He was treated badly by his family in the past and that's how he became very irritable and moody unable to decide on how to treat other people around him."

I slump to my seat, resting my chin on my palm, glancing out to the window. My mind is in a storm. I can't get much out of that, it's too vague. Staring at this big ol' Cherry tree, my thoughts wandered about.

Treated badly by his family resulting to a very moody...no, moody isn't the word. RECKLESS EXAGGERATED SOCIAL RESPONSE, yup, that's it. Based on the novels that I've read, unlike other self serving honor students, Niko doesn't seem to care of how he distresses the people around him with his emotional turbulence that happens frequently. He'd openly do what he wants thinking he's doing something usual.

"But really...what do I know? Books don't tell me much of reality. I'm as clueless as a newborn." I thought to myself.

"What?"

I turn to Miya who was giving me a weird look.

"Did I say that out loud?" my voice faltered.

"Yuhuh!" she strongly replied,

"Eve, what is going on?"

Self restraint is certainly a foreign concept that my body cannot absorb. And that is how my secrets are bound to be uncovered due to my lack of self awareness. One might say that I could possibly leak information in my sleep.

I shook my head, "No time to explain."

Hearing her mini groan, Miya was obviously not satisfied with that answer. I quickly grab my backpack, sling one strap to my shoulder and pushed chair in to my desk.

"Where are you going?" Miya halted me.

"I need more answers." I said looking back at her.

"Answers for what?" she grimaced.

Answers to why Niko has such an abnormal level of emotional stability? Answers on how I can essentially manage his outbursts in case he lashes out during our shoots completely ruining everything? Surely, this girl has noticed that the boy has been in a series of rambunctious outrage, right? But then again, I can't say that. Also, my phone has been vibrating inside my pocket for a while now which is really annoying me.

I gave her a smile, "Don't worry. It's not a big deal." my voice sounding sweet. I pulled her in for a quick hug just so she'd feel at ease, pulling away patting her shoulder. After seeing her smile back, I hurriedly made my way to the door, turning to the corner, then vanishing from her line of sight.

"Alright already!" I yell at my buzzing pocket rushing to the shoe locker to change my shoes the quickest way possible. As soon as I got out of the building, I took a detour and ran to the benches behind the school building. Luckily, there weren't any people around and the spot was perfectly covered by the shadow, away from prying eyes. I put down my bag on the open space and immediately sat down beside it, popping my phone out.

The screen flashed red and green on my face, but more importantly, I glance to the name of the caller and frowned seeing it was just Dave. My palm instantly slams to my forehead but I answer it anyway.

"Hello?" I said.

"Why do you sound disappointed?" replied Dave from the other end.

"That's because you kept on calling me while I'm still in school. Didn't I tell you not to call me when I'm still in LIA? People could trace calls nowadays you know."

"Your class ended ages ago, Eve. And I had some urgent news."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I haven't―know what? Forget it. What's the update?" I realized how pointless it was to argue with him right now. I'm not in the argue kind of mood with the fact my brain is wandering off somewhere.

I hear Dave clear his throat then inhaling sharply before he spoke. "It's already the end of the month this Tuesday and the project team for QueenxHeiress Alice in Wonderland has decided to conduct the sit down meeting by then."

I knew his news should have excited me. I've been looking forward to this project even from the moment it was introduced to me as a gift, but my head was just so out of it that I didn't even notice how I have not responded to his update.

"Eve? Are you still there?" his voice echoed on call which snapped me back from my thoughts.

"Ah yes, meeting this Tuesday. Will I have to be on leave from school on that day?"

"I already called your principal this afternoon, he said you're good to go. The schedule of your shoots will also be discussed this Tuesday so I'll hand Mr. Langley a copy of that after it's been printed and distributed to our side."

This time, I noticed how my mind had wandered off again. Hearing how I'll be excused on Tuesday means Niko will skip school on that day. I'm starting to worry if my classmates are not dumb enough to be seeing an unusual pattern from here on. I was fine being absent a lot last year since I had no one in the same class who had to be absent as much as I did. However, this time, Niko's going to be in the same shoes as I am and knowing how observant Miya is, it might raise suspicion. That's already one, then there's also the fact that Niko's unstable mood swings have been bothering me. Why is it that the more I advance in my age, the weight of the problems I encounter just keep on rising? I don't like this package deal.

"Okay, that has been the fifth sigh since you fell silent. You are starting to worry me, Eve. Is something wrong? Do you want me to pick you up?" yelled Dave with his buzzy voice over the phone. In normal circumstances I'd say he's overreacting again, but I know that this is something not to be taken lightly. I've never been this unfocused before.

I let out a little laugh, "Sorry, I'm fine." my hand touching my forehead, "There's just something in my mind, right now." my voice slowed down in my last four words.

"Is it something you want to talk about?"

I try to think whether the thing that I'm thinking about is something to be really thought through. I can't believe I'm getting engrossed in something other than my own issues. Maybe I just can't let go of the thought that maybe he's still going through something despite him telling me that his reason for being Cherry is all in the past. Or maybe my body recognizes how this now has become a part of my issues. And that if I can't figure this one out, I won't be able to reach my final goal.

"Can I...ask you a question?" was what immediately came out.

"Sure." he instantly replies.

"You do a lot of background checking on people who work with me, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

I purse my lips, "What exactly did you find out about Cherry?"

Dave fell silent.

It was odd enough how Dave did not feel awkward or acted surprised the first time he heard from me about Cherry's real identity. I began to connect the dots from there to who else could possibly give me an answer to these storm of questions in my head.

"What do you need it for?" he said in a low tone.

My eyes widened, my body at the edge of my seat. I did not know what I was expecting from him, but for him to indirectly tell me he knows something then assuming I'm asking for it for me to use is...

"Dave.." my voice shivered,

"Can you pick me up? Now."