TEN

Cole snatched the strip from Alex and inquired, "What's it?"

"Cyanide pills." Alex answered nonchalantly. He wasn't as unconcerned as he looked. Various questions flooded his thoughts and he added, "But why'd she buy these?"

He took the strip back and looked at it closely. 'So she bought these... but why?' he thought.

"Chemistry project. Maybe. Isn't cyanide a chemical?" Vernon said, proposing a certain possibility. His outgoing nature transparent in his tone. Though his words put weird miens of irrelevance on the countenances of the others.

Antony slapped the back of Vernon's head and looked at him disapprovingly. "Bro, don't be dumb. We're in the same grade. We don't have any Chemistry project now."

"You know what, I'll find out myself." Alex stated as he exited the classroom to go look for the Troublemaker. He disregarded everyone, even Jessi, on his way. Alex couldn't wait anymore, he needed to confront Claire as his mind was brimmed with questions.

•••••

She was standing behind the railing of the rooftop. It was the only barrier between her and death. Claire was broken from inside. Torn apart and ready to give up. She stood there, like a body without a soul. She wasn't sad, rather, she was numb. She felt empty. Claire opened her bag to fish out the pills. She roamed her hand throughout the bag. But it was nowhere. She couldn't find the strip. Her eyes widened, she searched for it everywhere. Claire couldn't find it. She was sure that she had put it in her bag, yet, it wasn't there.

Alex appeared from behind her. He saw her looking for something in her backpack. Claire was too overwrought to heed anyone's presence around her. "Looking for this?" he put the strip up in the air with a grimly mocking smile.

Claire averted her gaze towards Alex's hand and she was shocked to see him holding the strip that she had been searching for. "How'd you get this?" she tried taking it back. But Alex put it out of her reach.

"Answer my questions if you want it back."

"I'll not. Now give it back." Claire tried taking it back again. This time too, Alex succeeded in putting the strip away from her.

"Then, kiss it goodbye." he was amused to see the averagely tall girl in front of him, trying hopelessly. And as each second passed by, she was more by his aplomb. It left her with no choice but to capitulate to Alex's demand.

She stopped trying to snatch the strip back and crossed her arms in annoyance, "Ugh! Fine. I'm listening."

Alex smiled, gruntled by Claire's response. He sighed, ready to interrogate her like a police official. "What did you buy it for?" He kept the strip securely in his grip so that she couldn't pull any cunning tricks on him. It was because her gaze, even if it showed defeat, intimidated him.

Claire grit her teeth and looked into his eyes with nothing but bitterness. He would have been lying if he said that her duality didn't give him goosebumps. He had to admit that seconds ago, when she accepted her defeat, she looked winsome. But the change in her expression surely perturbed him.

"None of your business." she said after a few seconds, not blinking once or averting her eyes.

Her words provoked Alex even more and her determination to not reveal a thing made him look less persuasive. His ego, even though he hated to admit it, was hurt. He was someone who could make anyone speak because of his cogency. Every second made him more restless. "Why were you crying when you came out of the pharmacy?"

The question Alex asked made Claire look away. Because it triggered her. She never wanted anyone to know. "I....got dust in my eyes." she made it up. She had to. Claire knew that she couldn't let anyone know.

"Don't lie. It wasn't windy at all." Alex shifted to his side to get a clear view of Claire's face. She turned her head to the other side and he followed her head's trail. He just wouldn't budge and that annoyed Claire.

"Why do you even care?"

"Because I can't just let someone be struggling mentally, for humanity's sake!"

"I'm not struggling mentally! You don't have to get into my business." Claire lost her calm just like Alex. But deep inside, she churned up with nervousness.

"You are. I can see it. Don't act like you're not. Enduring it will make it worse." his eyes softened as he said the last sentence. He wondered whether his assumption was right.

Alex's words ticked her off and so, Claire said, "You know what? Keep it. I don't need it anymore" She walked away being extremely irritated and angry.

That was what she showed. But Claire was caught off guard. So she pretended. To get rid of the predicament.

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