1 1. The suspicious person

"What? Six sterling pounds for just a loaf of bread?" I shout in front of an expensive bakery. Normally a bread would cost less than three pounds. But his man here is looting double of it.

"Yes, man." The man at the counter said calmly.

"Like how? And why? Why is it so costly than the other places." I said. I could have bought it from any other bakery or cafe but this particular bakery is near to my college and I need something to eat now before I faint. My last night task was very tiring and I haven't eaten anytime since yesterday morning. I have no energy to go to any other shop or even move from this place where I am standing now, yet I have the energy to argue with him.

"Well, I can't say it's costly. It's normal if you look at the bakery." The man said. I could feel an underestimation in his voice towards me. I know most of the people won't argue on the bread, neither would I if I would have my wallet with me. I screamed internally. I only have ten pounds in my pocket of pants.

"So you people taking money for the exquisite construction or is the bread dipped in the chocolate fountain?" I said sarcastically. My stomach was eating me inside. I want food...

"Ah..." The man opened his mouth then closed it again. He slightly gaped at me, trying to form sentences in his head to speak.

I looked at his contemplating face and waved my hand in the air. "Forget it." I pointed to the sandwich behind the glass. "How much is that?"

"Five pounds." The man said, again with the superiority in his voice.

I sighed. "Give that." I put ten pounds on the glass counter. "And add anything to drink in the remaining five pounds."

"We only have-" I cut the man in his mid-sentence. I don't even have any energy to stand and argue with him here. "Whatever it is, give it." I just can't eat without any drink.

I took the plastic cover with my food in it and went to the sitting benches we have in front of our college. I sat on a bench and took out the sandwich and began to dig it. I couldn't wait anymore second. When half of the sandwich was finished, I pulled out the bottle and twisted the cap. Without even looking at what it is, I raised the bottle to my mouth. The moment I swallowed a sip, I spur out all the water. "A sparkling salty water! What a tasteless think it is." I said it out loud enough to gain the eyes of people who walked past, and some that were getting in the collage. I stood up from the bench and forcefully threw the bottle in the side bin. I took the remaining sandwich whole in my mouth and threw the cover. I turned my heels and walked straight to the collage with heavy footsteps.

What's wrong with the bakery. How could they sell such a bad thing? Is the bakery only to show off or what? Firstly, highly expensive and secondly no taste at all. I'll just rob that bakery next time. Yes, I should do it. My hunger is not going to forgive them. As I entered the ground of the collage, news popped up on the huge screen that we had in the ground of our collage. Students gathered in front of the screen, some of our lecturers halted too and watched the news. Meanwhile, I stopped on my track as well.

A reporter man came on the screen well dressed in a suit. "Today, we got two new people with phoenix." The reporter announced excitedly. These people are going to join the army from the next week. They and their family will be provided with food and shelter as long as they serve the army. There study and life will go as usual-" I yawned and turned around whilst scratching my head. I can't hear such exaggeration of the government, providing this and that to the people with phoenix. What about the commoners? Don't they need it too? I understand that they are serving the country being in the army. But the commoners are doing it too...

"Ah!" I just let go of the thought. Why should I bother about it? I yawned again and covered my mouth with a book as in respect. A hit of the hand on my back woke me up from my semi-sleep. "Why did you woke me?" I turned around and looked at my friend - friends to be precise. It's Max and Stacy.

"Good morning," Stacy said sarcastically. "Or is it still night." She then added in the same manner.

"You don't know how sleepy I am now," I said and yawned.

"I wonder what you do at night to feel sleepy every time," Max said as the three of us walked to our class.

My mind suddenly went into a daze. What did he ask, I thought. Don't dig about my night. I wanted to say it out loud but didn't.

"Why did you stopped?" Stacy said which made me realized I was two feet behind them. Or they have already walked forward while I was dazing out.

"Nothing," I said and join them.

"Hmm.."Stacy glared at me from the left side.

"What?" I said and leaned over towards max.

"You were thinking about the night right? Do you work at a brothel?" She questioned out of the blue.

My mouth gaped at her question, so did Max's. He raised his brows with wide opened mouth.

"Are you insane!" I pushed her back.

She burst into laughter and held her stomach. "Look at your faces." She said between her laugh. "Do you actually think I would thin-" before she could complete her sentence, her leg stamp on something uneven on the ground. Her leg twisted and she suddenly slipped backward. I forwarded my hand towards her hand. Everything happened so quickly, instead of her hand, I held the front of her shirt. She hit the boy at her back. Our eyes met the gaze of the boy that glared at us. He was a senior and of course the popular one. Stacy was slant back on him. His hands held her by the shoulder. The moment his gaze fell on me, I swiftly let go of her shirt and she stumbled on her feet. He then made her stand properly on her feet by the support of her shoulder.

'Oops!! I thought he caught her.'

I wouldn't have released the grip until she was stable on her feet. But with the boys around, staring at us doesn't look good when you held the shirt of the girl. The boy gave a curd not and left. The nod was because she thanked him. Max's eyes were fixed to his left. I didn't bother to look at him, I was busy checking her twisted leg.

"You alright?" I asked out of worry.

"Yeah," Stacy said in a low voice.

My eyes then found a yellow color ball that rolled back and stopped by hitting one of the pillars of the balcony above us. I went in the direction of the pillar.

"Where are you going?" Stacy asked as I walked past by her.

"Wait," I said and picked up the ball. It was a jumping ball made of rubber. Two inches in diameter. I bought the ball with me and displayed it to my friends.

"Someone did it on purpose," I said.

"It came from the left side," Max said.

Probably, that is why his gaze was fixed towards the left.

"But I can't see the exact person." He said.

I wandered my eyes around in the left direction and looked at each and every person carefully. Everyone was busy with their work. They were walking and moving to their respective classes. A person suddenly hid at the side of the corridor. I marched towards him with the ball in my hand. I then speed up my walk not to lose him.

"Did she found them?" I could hear the voice of Max behind me while I walked in the direction of the corridor. I didn't halt to answer him.

"Probably." Stacy's voice was like a low whispered from the distance.

I already took several steps away from them. I turned to the left into the corridor. My eyes then fell on the person who was climbing up the stairs. The person looked back through the shoulder when the eyes sighted me, the person speeds up the pace. An orange jacket was too easy to recognize in the crowd. I followed the person where they go. The person then suddenly took a right turn and entered the class. I halted my steps at the door of the classroom. They went in and sat on the last bench. The lecturer in the class was faced towards the board. He might have not noticed someone entering the class. I stepped back not to disturb the running class. The class was junior with a different major from mine. It's not a surprise to see a different major, even Stacy doesn't have the same major as mine and max. I know most people don't prefer 'law enforcement'.

......

H. LOCKHART.