CHAPTER 9
STAR'S POV
As I woke up this morning, I realised I had overslept a little. I noticed the morning sunlight streaming into my room, casting a warm glow on everything around me. I felt a sense of calm wash over me as I took in my surroundings.
As I stretched my limbs, I walked towards my window and opened it wide, allowing the fresh morning air and the gentle sound of birdsong to fill my room. I took a deep breath, and I felt a renewed sense of energy coursing through my veins.
After a moment of taking in the beauty of the morning, I lazily made my way towards the bathroom. The cool tiles on the floor felt refreshing under my feet as I walked. I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and was brushing my teeth when I thought I heard my phone ringing. I cleaned my mouth a bit and listened attentively, and I was right—my phone was indeed ringing.
I made my way to the room, and by the time I got there, it had stopped ringing. It was Oliver, and I could guess what he wanted to say. I didn't want to talk about it, but I'd call him anyway. "Are you really doing this, Star?" "Guy, I'm begging you to give it a second thought." I was a second away from dialling his line when I saw that text. I sighed, didn't bother to reply, and dropped my phone on the bed. Almost immediately after I returned to the bathroom, the phone rang again, and this time I ignored it, completely thinking it was Oliver again.
After taking a long, hot bath, I walked out of the bathroom and straight to my wardrobe, where I picked jeans and a hoodie to wear. weekend, and I had nowhere to go. Lying on the bed, I picked up my phone to check how many times Oliver called, but I frowned and sat right up when I saw the number called. I knew something was wrong instantly because Dominic never called unless something was wrong; he was like an announcer for bad news only. I noticed there were some texts from him also, and the moment I read them, I sprang up with the speed of light, dialled his number, grabbed my car keys, and hurried out of the house.
QUINN'S POV
My eyes scanned through the first page quickly because I was already familiar with the basic introduction of the school. I turned to the second page when Theresa's voice stopped me instantly. "All you need to know for now is on the first page; you shall proceed when I say so," she said, and I only nodded my head in response.
"As you can see, the school looks normal on the outside, but only a few know this secret." She paused and pressed the remote again. I now see a new building in front of me. I could tell it wasn't as big as the first one, but it looked way more beautiful. What is this? I wondered in my thoughts, and Theresa answered the question.
"The first campus is just a cover-up to hide this one; this one is a VIP section where important students study, students like Star Moore.
"WOW, what?" was all I could say. To be honest, I found it surprising that billionaires would attend a school that has lots of poor people, and why would William Moore even build that kind of school? I think making it an orphanage would be more fitting.
"Open the second page of the file, Quinn; that way I won't have to talk much," she said, and I finally snapped out of my thoughts. I did, and I was beyond shocked by what I read. I felt dizzy all of a sudden. I hate complicated things. I had a million questions in my head. What the hell did they need me for? Shouldn't they find a specialist instead? I would do anything they ask because of the things at stake, but I don't think I can do whatever this is. Even if they haven't told me what it is, I have a feeling it's really big.
Her voice jolted me out again when she said, "Do you have any questions before we proceed?" Is she kidding me right now? I have a million questions. "Yes," I finally said, "what is the meaning of all this?" I asked straight away, and they looked at me with a kind of eye, but I didn't care.
"What do you mean?" Theresa asked
"I mean, I don't think this step-by-step method is working. Tell me the main thing. Go straight to the point," I said at once, looking at her in the eye this time. I feel like if this is what they're doing, making me read this and digest it one by one is not helping. I'm anxious right now.
"This is how it is meant to be; I don't think you understand the importance of things here; we can't just jump to anything; I mean, we can't skip any part; the normal procedure is... Hold on, Theresa." That was Michael's voice, stopping her from completely making her statement. "This, all this means you have to get to this point," he said, pointing in the direction of the television. I moved my eyes to follow his hand, and truth be told, the screen has changed yet again, and it now shows somewhere that looks like a library. The picture suddenly zoomed in, making a particular spot more bold. I had no idea what that meant.
"Under there, we discovered a huge amount of money hidden; you need to steal it. Michael said it firmly, as if making sure every word was imprinted in my brain. I swallowed hard in fear. So this is it, huh? I'm going to be a thief? Really? I looked up at his face, and he was staring right back at me. I lost words, and before I could think, I ran out of the room as fast as I could. I could hear Theresa calling my name, but as soon as I got into my room, I locked the door, fell to the floor, and cried my eyes out.