Chapter 6 (Whistle Blowers)

The mission was a success. Nearly a failure but a success. Keres ended up with a sprained ankle and Ian feeling relieved she wasn't caught or badly injured than she was took the opportunity once again to mock her.

"Serves you right" he said setting her on the bed

"Ian. Shut up" she warned

"The almighty badass mother fucking mercenary since she was ten ends up with a sprained ankle after one tiny little mission. What a shame" he mocked

"Shut up I said!" Keres yelled kicking him with her good leg

"Ouch" he laughed. He stopped when he remembered the Priest was just two rooms away from them.

"This Reverend Father is weird though. I thought Priests are supposed to be up in the night praying for the touch of the holy spirit on the nation and crooks like Diego" he said

"Your point?" she asked eyebrows raised

"We left when he was sleeping and we came back to find him still sleeping. That isn't normal for God's vessel" he said

"Would you rather he's awake and question our movements?" she asked

"No but why did he even let me stay here?" He asked

"I told him an interesting story" Keres said. She narrated the story she told to him and they ended up laughing at how the Priest seriously thought Ian had no home to go back to. The boy looked tosh for crying out loud.

"He's dumb" he said

"Yeah" she muttered

"What did you say?" He asked

"Huh, no he's not. He's kind to a fault, there's a difference" she said rubbing her ankle

"So, the documents hold everything?" Ian asked going through them

"Seems so" she said

"Tomorrow, we'll send it to Jeff and he'd be more than glad to expose Diego" he said

"Okay" she said. She remembered the voice at the Diego Mansion. "Ian, how many Diego's do we have in North Valley?" she asked

"A few I guess. Why do you ask?"

"I heard a very familiar voice in the Diego Mansion" she said

"I don't think you hurt your ankle, it's your head" he said and laid down

"I'm serious!" she said

"So am I. Go to sleep, it's a big day tomorrow" he said turning to the other side

"I definitely heard it"

First, it was the metal scratch on her cheek and now a swollen and painful ankle. Keres never did anything without inflicting pain on herself. Sally limped her way into the class room and sat on her desk. Everyone was looking at her. She was the center of attention again. If only Ian was there he would have handled their looks but he had to complete the job she had started. Finish off the school's bribery story.

"Sally, why were you walking like that?" Frankie asked after fourth period

"Huh? Like how?" She asked

"Like your leg's broken?" Frankie said

"Or like she had an abortion" Henry said laughing hard. He must have impregnated lots of girls and must have gotten abortions for them for him to know the manner in which they walked.

"I sprained my ankle" Sally said ignoring his comment

"Sorry" Frankie said and walked out of the classroom. Oscar and the rest of Legend's gang walked up to her desk looking all worried.

"You sprained your ankle? Does it hurt badly?" Ray asked

"How did it happen?" Legend asked

"What kind of brother is Ian anyway? Isn't he supposed to carry his sister around?" Sandra asked

"Hey, don't talk about him like that!" Emma shouted. Her man was being bad-mouthed and she wasn't going to stand for it.

"Guys, one at a time" Sally said killing the argument

"I fell off my bed at night and got injured. How's that Ian's fault? And besides, it doesn't hurt that bad" she said. A lie. She wanted to wail from the pain.

"Really? Because I was going to ask you to help me give Mr. Luke my assignment because I can't be submitting late. You know he favors you, right?" Emma said holding her notebook

"Okay, I'd give it to him later" Sally said

"Please can you do it now?" Emma begged

"Fine!" Sally said taking the book from her. She walked out of the classroom, limping. Maybe seeing her in pain made Emma happy.

"Darn that girl. I should pluck out those ugly eyes of hers" Sally muttered as she walked into the Teachers room

"Mr. Luke?" she called

"Yes, Miss Hall?" he answered

"Em..., I came to submit an assignment in. Late" she said handing him the book

"You're lucky I haven't began to score the others" he said taking it

"Thank you" she said and walked out. Her cellphone began to ring. She turned around and walked into the basketball court to answer the call

"Ian?" she asked

"When will you save my number and stop asking each time you pick up if I'm the person calling?" he asked

"How did it go?" she asked

"Diego Enterprise is in for it" he said

"Yes!" she said throwing her hands up

"When are people going to know about it?" she asked

"This afternoon" he said

"Okay, get back to school quietly not to arouse any suspicion" she said. The plan was a success. But it wasn't what she had in mind for Diego though.

"Was that Ian?" Nikolay asked walking up to her

"Oh my God! You startled me!" she said

"Sorry" he said

"Since when did you begin to apologize?" she asked

"Was that Ian?" he asked again

"Why? Do you want something from him?" she asked

"Yeah, he's with my Chemistry note and I have to submit the assignment to Mr. Luke today" he said

"Liar"

"Huh?"

"Mr. Luke teaches Geography not Chemistry. Anyway he'll soon be here" she added and turned around. He saw her birth mark.

"Sally!" he called

"What?" she asked annoyed

"You're limping" he said still staring at her face

"Obviously" she said and continued walking

"Have you gotten treatment?" he asked

"No" she said

"Gosh" he said and held her hand

"Oh! What are you doing? Let go!" she said

"Go get treated at the infirmary" he said. His concern was frightening

"Wow, that decision is mine and not yours to make. And besides, do you have just three months to live?" she asked

"What do you mean?" he asked

"Well, right now you're acting like your family Doctor gave you only three months to live and that's why you're trying to do good deeds. Is it a terminal illness? Cancer?" she asked

"What?!" he said surprised

"Then why are you acting all nice for a tight ass snub like you" she asked

"I hate seeing annoying things" he said

"Really? So you're saying the fact that I'm limping is annoying?" she asked

"Precisely" he said

"Okay, I have a remedy for that. If you hate seeing annoying things, turn the other way and you won't see it again. Okay?" she said and turned around. To her surprise, he lifted her up to his shoulders and carried her out of the basketball ball court surprising the students around

"What's wrong with Nikolay?" Raymond asked seeing them

"What the hell?! Let me down now! Drop me!" She yelled hitting his shoulders as he walked into the infirmary

"What's going on here?" The Nurse asked

"She sprained her ankle" he said and dumped her on the bed

"Ah! Do I look like a bag of rice to you?" She asked

"You said I should drop you" he said

"Are you really injured?" The Nurse asked

"No, I'm fine" she said and made to walk away

"Sit back" he said pinning her down

"Please, get her treated" he said. Diego's son was making a request.

"Right away" The Nurse said and walked out to get the first aid kit

"What's your brother doing anyway? His sister is hurt but he isn't present" he said

"He's running errands for me" she said

"Really? Is he even your brother?" he asked

"Why do you keep asking that?" she asked

"When Emma asked the first day you got here if Ian was coming you asked who Ian was. If he's your brother as you say you should have known he was the one" he said. She did say that on her first day

"Oh, back then as we said before, we didn't want people to know so I was faking it" she said

"Like how you faked the belly ache? How did you even draw blood from your mouth?" he asked

"Why are you suddenly getting so chatty with me?" she asked

"I wonder if you're faking this one too, he said looking out the window. I can't believe I might have fallen for your tricks again" he added

"When we're out of here I'm going to kick you down there" she said pointing at his cucumber. That could be considered sexual assault, right?

"That means you want to see the other side of me" he said glaring at her

"The other side? You mean how you punched Oscar? I bet I can handle that and take you down with just one strike" she said

"Really? We'll see about that" he said

"I promise you, I'll make sure to kick you there" she said

"Kick who where?" The Nurse asked as she returned

"Nothing, it's just a joke" she said smiling

Soon, the Nurse finished her job and Nikolay was helping Keres walk back to class

"What's the time?" she asked

"12.00pm. Why?" he asked

"Can we go to the hall room?" she asked

"What again?" he asked getting pissed

"Fine, get out of my way" she said pushing him aside

"Okay, let's go there" he said defeatedly pulling her to him. He couldn't let someone similar to a cripple be on her own. They walked into the hall room and the big screen was on.

"It'll start soon" she said and sat on an empty chair

"You want to watch the news?" he asked surprised

"No, I'm waiting for a program to pop up" she said. He sat beside her thinking about how dumb he was to be helping out a liar

"Are we supposed to be doing this?" he asked

"Doing what?" she asked

"Waiting for a show when we are supposed to be in class" he said

"Well, it's better than staying out on the field under the sun for the rest of the day or sleeping off in a smelly basketball court" she said

"Why do you even sleep there? What do you do with your night hour? Video games?" she asked

"Perhaps porn?" She gasped What? It could be true though. Boys were like that.

"It's starting" he said turning her head to the screen. He stared at the birth mark again. It was the same as the one he saw on the intruder the other night. He pushed away the thoughts by telling himself it was a coincidence.

"The news at 12.oclock. The head lines. Diego Enterprise is yet again under fire as another evidence to prove the claim of the alleged Bribery and Corruption going on in the school, Delta High, currently owed by Diego Enterprise has been brought to light, plus; the Prosecutors office demands a reinvestigation of the alleged crime" the news caster read

Nikolay turned around and looked at Sally surprised at the news. She turned to him too

"Didn't I tell you? That they'd prove it wasn't a waste of time" she said

He tried his best not to show any sign of being affected

"Diego Lukeman has been called out by the investigating team in North Valley Precinct to cooperate with them as citizens of the lower class are outraged at the crime" the newscaster added

"That's enough, let's go" Sally said getting up

"You said you were waiting for a program to pop up" he said

"Wasn't this better than any program? Let's go" she said and limped away.

It was mission accomplished for Ian when he saw the news being read. After sorting things out with the gate keeper he bounced his way into the school with his hands in his pockets looking all yuppie. One could tell from the look on his face that something good had happened to him.

"Hey guys!" He said walking into the classroom all smiles

"You're late" Emma said

"I know, Keres sent me on an errand" he said

"Keres? Who's Keres?" Ray asked. He realized his mistake. He had called Sally Keres without knowing. That's what happens when you get too excited.

"Uh, just a woman I saw on the street, she needed help so I assisted her" he lied sharply

"Oh my gosh, that's so nice Ian" Emma said drooling

"Yeah, it's what we do" Ian said

"Where's Sal?" he asked

"Sal? Whose Sal?" Legend asked. He didn't make a mistake this time. Come on!

"Sally. It's a short for her name" he answered

"Um, I asked her to help me submit my homework to Mr. Luke" Emma said

"What?! Didn't you see she was limping? She sprained her ankle and you asked her to do that?" he asked angrily

"Well, Legend didn't want to go and besides Sally said it didn't hurt that much. I didn't force her you know" Emma said

"She would have just said no" she added

"And then what? You'd begin to spread malicious comments about her?"

"Look, Emma don't ask any favors from Sally again, do it yourself" he said

"Fine, I've got it" Emma said and walked back to her desk

"That Sally" she muttered kicking her foot about

"I don't think Sally went to submit the assignment" Ray said

"Why do you say that?" Sandra asked

"Because I saw Nikolay carry her out of the basketball court" he answered

"Huh?" Ian asked surprised

"Carried?" Legend asked turning around

"Yes, on his shoulders just like in the movies" he said

"I doubt a snub like Nikolay would do that" Oscar said

Sally and Nikolay walked into the classroom hand in hand solidifying Ray's report.

"Sal" Ian said walking up to her

"I saw it" she whispered

Emma watched them from afar angrily

"I don't think those two are siblings" she said

"Me too" Sandra said

"Stay out of it" Legend scolded watching Nikolay closely

"Here, I got you an ointment" Ian said ransacking his bag for it

"Nikolay already took me to the infirmary to get treated but I could use what you got at home" she said

"Really? Thanks man" Ian said to Nikolay

"It was nothing" Nikolay said and sat down

Legend looked at Nikolay surprised that he helped Sally

"Nikolay took her to the infirmary?" Oscar asked bewildered

"I said it didn't I? I wonder what she's got on him" Ray said

"Settle down every one" Mrs. Andre said entering the classroom

"I can see some students are pairing themselves up the way they like and not how I like, huh?" she said

"Emma, get back with Frankie and Grace sit with Sandra" she ordered

"Yes ma'am" they groaned

"Ray, who was supposed to be your partner?" she asked

"Ian" he answered

"Ian get back with Ray and Nikolay sit with Sally" she said

What?!" Sally let out

"Why? Do you have something you want to say?" Mrs. Andre asked sternly

"Yes" Sally said making to get up to voice her complaint

"No ma'am" Ian said pushing her back in her seat.

"She has nothing to say" he added. Nikolay sat back in his rightfully place and Sally wasn't happy

"Annoying jerk" she muttered

"I can hear you" Nikolay said

"I said it so you could hear me" she said

"Now that's done" Mrs. Andre said and walked out

"Seriously, she walked in here just to do this?" Sally asked astonished

"That's Mrs. Andre for you" Ray said

"You seem to hate the switch, Sally" Emma said

"You have no idea how much I hate it" she said glancing at Nikolay

"Because of Ian?" Emma asked

"Naturally" Ian said smiling

"No, because of Nikolay" Sally said

"Huh?" Ian asked and kicked her seat. Was she ditching her little brother?

"Whatever" Emma said annoyed

"Just for the record I hate the fact that I have to see your face everyday at school but now you're by my side? I feel like throwing up" she said

"I've been here for not less than five minutes and you won't let me be?" Nikolay asked

"Sal calm down. This was originally his desk" Ray said

"Now that I know what a down to earth jerk he is I wish I never sat here in the first place" she said

"That could still be arranged" Nikolay said picking up her bag

"Shut it! I don't want to hear your voice" she said

"So you can talk and I can't? You've got to be kidding me" he said

"Yes, don't make a single noise as long as you sit here" she said

"Stop it you two!" Legend shouted. She felt extremely jealous. Having an argument with someone wasn't a good thing but she wished she had one with Nikolay but Sally was taking it all.

"Darn it" Sally said turning the other way. Mrs. Andre raced into the classroom startling them

"Students get your things now! We're closing the school temporarily" She looked tensed

"Why? What's going on?" Legend asked

"Just do as I say, don't question me" Mrs. Andre said

"No ma'am, we demand an explanation" Legend insisted

"God, I hate it when you do that. The bribery rumors were true. We don't want reporters interviewing you students so we are closing the school" Mrs. Andre said

"Is that a decision the Principal can make on his own? Isn't this supposed to be discussed with the school board?" Sally asked

"Sally Hall, please don't add to my headache" Mrs. Andre begged

"Take your things and leave through the back exit, you'll find other students there too. Hurry!" she said and raced out the exact way she came in

"Come on Sal, let's go" Ian said holding her hand. The school's nemesis themselves.

"Wait!" Emma stopped them

"What?" Ian asked

"Let's all go together" she said looking at their entwined fingers

"Fine, come on" Ian said dragging Sally out

The students walked out of the classroom to find the entire school out on the field heading towards the back exit. They whispered amongst themselves pointing at Nikolay

"I never knew the population of students in this school was this much" Ray said placing a hand across Nikolay's shoulder

"Hey, you look kind of nervous" he said

"No I'm not. I was just thinking" Nikolay said

"About what?" Ian asked

"It's just that our tests were upcoming and then this?" he said

"You're right" Emma said

"Nikolay, Sally was right" Legend said

"About what?" Sandra asked

"She said she was going to prove that the first rumor about the school wasn't a waste of time and it happened today. Look, we're all hiding from the press" she answered. No, she was making it seem like she was responsible for the commotion when indeed she was.

"I didn't say I was going to prove it, I said the person who reported the first case would prove it" Sally corrected

"So, what do you want? He said if that person proves it wasn't a waste of time he'd do anything you ask him of" Legend reminded

"Oh" Sally said remembering their little spat

"What do you want then?" Nikolay asked her

"Ask for a bike, you can ride it when coming to school" Oscar suggested

"Or a scooter" Ray added

"Nikolay's loaded so you should ask for an airplane" Ian said

"No" Sally said laughing

"I can't think of anything right now but when I do I'd let you know" she said and walked on

"She's going to end up not asking for anything" Ian groaned

A student rushed pass her and pushed her in the process. She fell on the grass and the hem of her skirt raised above her knee exposing her tattoo

"Serves you right" Ian sang merrily

Nikolay rushed to help her get up and saw the tattoo. It seemed familiar to him so he couldn't help but stare which was weird to the others

"What is Nikolay doing? Is he staring at her thighs?" Ray asked

He couldn't resist the urge to touch it so he used his fingers to stroke the tattoo wondering where he had seen it before

"What do you think you're doing?!" She asked and hit him across the face

"Ouch!" Nikolay groaned

She raced out of the field counting the number of times she nearly gave out her identity