Fifty Three

CHAPTER 53

Main hallway - 9:00 pm

"I had no idea that Nicholas would be that annoying. Really."

Brittany pursed her lips and chuckled as she walked with Alicia down the main hallway. The two of them had just spent their evening hours in the library and were about to head back to their rooms for the night.

"What did you expect? Nicholas is a perfectionist, you know," Alicia said simply. "And me... a rambunctious girl like me would suit him?" She ended her sentence with a bitter smile; it sounded pessimistic.

Brittany just rolled her eyes lazily and scowled. "Not Nicholas, not with Ace." She shuddered lazily. "I think you should date Manu Rios or Justin Bieber instead," she said sarcastically. "You seem very picky too, Alicia."

Alicia chuckled amusedly, unable to contain herself from Brittany's ridiculous joke.

Until suddenly, Amanda and Selena appeared from opposite directions and blocked their way. No one made a sound, until Selena decided to clear her throat;breaking the atmosphere. "Alicia, Noel is calling you."

Brittany frowned suspiciously. "What's the matter?"

Selena immediately shrugged indifferently. "I heard she was going to be questioned about Jake." She glanced at Amanda before turning back to Alicia and Brittany. "Come on, Britt. We've been summoned to the CEO's office, I hear Mr. Wilson really needs us."

Brittany snorted rudely--as if she couldn't believe what Selena was saying. "What is it again?!"

Selena seemed unable to contain her irritation any longer. She girded her loins and glared at the police officer's son. "Will you shut your mouth and just do it?! You're pissing me off," she snapped angrily and turned away.

Not wanting to linger in an argument with Selena, Brittany quickly walked after Selena towards the CEO's office. Meanwhile, Alicia was still in her place, staring intently at Amanda's movements.

"Come on!" Amanda invited suddenly.

"With you?" There was a hint of surprise in the midst of Alicia's question just now. But she quickly brushed it off when Amanda gave her a sardonic glare and said, "Okay."

Before they knew it, they arrived at the main hall. The classical-style room with a Greek concept and replica paintings of world painters was still neatly displayed in its place. However, something odd immediately bothered Alicia.

There was no one in the room but her and Amanda. All of the hall's doors and windows were closed. Plus, Alicia found a lot of papers scattered around the room. What was going on?

"Where's Noel?" asked Alicia, as soon as they got inside.

But Amanda didn't answer. Instead, she stood behind the door after closing it and looked at Alicia straight on.

"Why did you close the door?" Alicia sounded worried. "Where is Noel? Where's the investigation going on?"

Amanda grinned faintly and immediately disappeared as Alicia began to look at her warily. "Why did you leave me, Alicia?" Amanda's tone was calm, but all of her words were able to pierce Alicia's chest.

Alicia was stunned for a while, until something finally occurred to her. "So... this is all your doing?"

A fragment of memory about the past.

"Why did you let mom and dad die?!" Amanda exclaimed;sounding more like a heartbreaking moan.

"Amanda."

"Why did you just leave me and walk away?!" Amanda exclaimed louder. This time, her body began to tremble. And a knife in her hand--which had been hidden under her jacket--was pointed directly at Alicia.

Alicia gasped and hurriedly exclaimed, "It's not like that, Amanda!" because she knew Amanda was an expert at throwing knives.

"They took me and made me suffer all this time!" Amanda screeched without lowering the knife from the air. "All they wanted was you, Alicia! But why me, why was I tortured all this time?!" The brunette girl laughed bitterly. "You must pay for all your sins, Alicia."

Alicia took a deep breath before finally shaking her head. "They deserve to die, Amanda."

And her words just now stunned Amanda. She stared at Alicia in disbelief, but couldn't get anything out of her mouth.

"It was your parents who harmed my biological parents. My memories slowly surfaced every time you scolded me, Amanda. One by one and I knew the truth," she said slowly. "I remember that night... I saw Dad go into the garage and damage the car engine. Unfortunately, I was too young and scared to prevent my parents from going to San Antonia after someone I always called dad and mom sabotaged their vehicle."

Amanda's laughter broke out instantly, breaking the echo of the main hall. "You're so ungrateful, aren't you. My parents adopted you as their daughter and now what?" Amanda shook her head in disbelief. "You're accusing them of killing your biological parents after saving you before you became a hobo?"

"They were mobsters, Amanda!" Alicia tried to tell her.

"And your parents were con artists!"

Alicia's eyes rounded quickly, her cheeks heating up as her hands clenched at her sides. Hearing the word 'con artist' thrown around by Amanda just now, made Alicia's chest tighten; she couldn't take it.

"My parents are not fraudsters," Alicia said, trying to calm down. "They are innocent. Just like our friends in this dormitory, your victim...," Alicia hung her sentence in the air and stared at Amanda's gaze. "They're innocent."

But Amanda chuckled scornfully. "Innocent, you say?" She crossed her arms over her chest and raised one eyebrow. "James, he owes me a lot of money for a stack of cocaine and insults me when I can't pay him. Don't I have a right to be angry? Oh, and Elena, she scolded me in public just because she lost her hairpin, does that make sense?" Amanda took one step forward from her position. "And lastly Jake, I thought he would take my side after all the freedom I gave him. But what?"

Alicia wrinkled her forehead deeply. "But that doesn't mean you have the right to take their lives." The blue-eyed girl backed away slowly, trying to get closer to the row of world paintings behind her without being noticed by Amanda. "They deserve a chance, just like you," she said firmly.

Again Amanda laughed, this time bitterly. "Just like you said for my parents, they deserved to die, Alicia!" she exclaimed irritably. "And so do you!" Amanda pointed her knife in the air, ready to throw it at Alicia. 

But Alicia managed to grab one of the paintings behind her and when the knife came towards her, it stuck straight into the painting.

"Damn you, Alicia!" Amanda screamed angrily.

Alicia hurriedly ran to the other side of the hall, while Amanda was busy removing the knife from the painting before going back after Alicia. But there was no escape for her as this was all planned. Alicia's back collided with the hall door as Amanda stood right in front of her, looking at her with a triumphant grin.

"Amanda, why are you taking it out on me? What did I do to you?" Alicia tried to buy some time as they were now only inches apart.

"You're still asking, what did you do wrong?" Amanda pointed the knife in her hand at Alicia again. "You have everything I have. You took it from me and I'm going to take it back," she said coldly.

"Amanda, it's not like that--"

Alicia's voice was suddenly cut off as Amanda threw the knife at Alicia. The thick red liquid slowly flowed from it. It soaked some of Alicia's bright white clothes.

Their eyes clashed before Amanda returned with a satisfied grin with a lighter in her hand and said,

.

 .

 .

"You deserve to die, Alicia." and the lighted lighter instantly struck the pile of papers around Alicia that had been doused with gasoline earlier. []