CONNECTION

The rest of the students started changing their minds and volunteering to give their testimony when the police arrive. Soon, the police arrives and they were amazed to see judin laying dead. What would have pushed this boy to take such drastic step? They approached the students and one of the police officers, the one who was leading the entire police officers at the scene happens to recognize Ella. He was the one who questioned Julie and Alfred the other day at the station.

"Hi kid." Malik greets warmly with a bottle of water with him and noticed she has blood on her hands. "Why do you have blood on your hands?"

"Everyone responsible for his death has his blood on their hands." Ella replies coldly.

"What?" Malik asks and heard one of his underline asking some boys why they have blood stains on their hands. He quickly ignores Ella and walks to them. "What is going on?"

"These boys have blood in their hands." The police officer replies.

Malik looks at them and confirms it. "Why do you have blood on your hands?"

"That's because they are responsible for his death." A female student replies.

"Can you explain better?" Malik asks again.

"Apparently, these boys have been constantly bullying him, and it cost him to take his life." Lola replies and walks closer to him. "Ella claimed to see them this morning seriously beating him up, she told me it was a bully case but all the rest of the classmates refused to say anything."

"Why did they refuse to say something?"

"They were scared of the bullies."

"Scared of the bullies?" Malik asks and scoffs annoyingly. "Even when the bully cost him his life?"

"Yes." Lola nods. "So Ella told me to bring them out and she soaked her hands in the blood then smeared it on their hands and told the bullies that they won't be able to wash his blood away from their hands until they admit their crimes and accept punishment."

"Ella did that?" Malik asks again.

"Yes, with a little convincing speech the students volunteered to speak up, all thanks to Ella."

He understands the fact that the boys were bullies, but why did Ella have his blood on her hands too. Malik looks at Ella as she was staring lifeless at the deceased. "You, question the students." He orders as he points to some of his men. "You, put handcuffs on the bullies and take them to the police station for questioning." He says as he points to some of his men again. Just in time the ambulance came in. "The rest of you should help them clean this place up, make sure you treat his body with care."

Malik stood watching his underlines carrying out his orders, but a black car driving on high speed caught his attention. The passengers of the car came out and it happened to be the deceased's parents. They ran to him as they were cleaning and packing up his body with serious tears and loud wailing.

"Judin please open your eyes." His mom yells.

"Judin your father is here, please talk to me." His father whispers carrying him up and staining himself with his dead son's blood.

Malik watched the unpleasant scenario for a while and noticed Ella again, she was still staring at his body with his blood in her hands and no tears in her eyes. He walks up to her, holds her hand and took her a quiet place, not too far from the scene.

"Ella, tell me without any lies. What really happened today?"

"Nothing much, Judin took his own life due to constant bully form some of his classmates." She replies still maintaining her lifeless look.

"Why do you have his blood on your hands? Are you by any chance related to the case?"

"This morning, I saw them seriously beating him up, I could have called the attention of someone but I didn't. Maybe, if I had stood up for him this morning the situation would have been different."

Malik pours the water from the bottle he was holding earlier on Ella's hands, washing away the blood and brings out an handkerchief from his pocket then wipes her hands gently.

"All thanks to you, he would have a peaceful rest wherever he is."

"I could have saved him." Ella whispers with pains.

"Even if you called the attention of the teachers, he was still sad. Calling the attention of the teachers might not save him."

Malik tries his best to convince her but it didn't seem to work out. So he gave her a hug, a very tight one.

Once again, Ella felt connected just as she did when the school principal hugged her. What is wrong with her? Or was it because she seems very sad? Why did she feel this connection when she hugs the police officer and the principal?

She holds on tight to him, she didn't want to leave his embrace because she found a lot of comfort there.

After everything had been cleaned up, Ella returns to her class but now she wasn't thinking of judin but the strong connection she had when she embraced the police officer and principal. She walks into the classroom and again as usual, the whole students fixed their gaze on her.

Not minding whatever they were saying and looking at, she matches straight to her seat but didn't sit, she planned on doing something.

"Ella, why did you do that?" Abdullah asks.

"Are you by any chance connected to him?" Asma asks too.

"Please say something you are scaring us." Darifa nags.

"You people worry too much, I only did that because I saw him when he was being bullied this morning by his classmates. You all know I am a very emotional type."

Somehow her friends made sense out of what she said but she wasn't still sitting.

"Aren't you going to sit?" Darifa asks.

"Darifa." Ella calls and smiles. "Stand up and give me a hug."