SSHS 147 The filing for the request of the fourth year students to be their gift was something that made even the faculty staff scratch their heads, even Dean Malcolm scratched his head while reading the proposal that the Student Council submitted. After some confusion, Dean Malcolm put down the proposal file on his desk and began to laugh. He sounded like Santa Claus from the ‘Rise of the Guardians’ by the way that he laughed. His shoulders shook as he tried to say between his laughs, “Did they really want this? The faculty and I expected for them to request a vacation of some sorts, but an eight hour sleep without interruption? That is oddly specific yet hard to satisfy.” Dean Malcolm pointed at the papers and continued laughing. Damian and Hestia looked at the Dean, watching him laugh and laugh until he stopped. They too would laugh about the matter, but the topic became too common to their ears that it is not funny anymore. “We get told that many times, Dean. even by the thir
SSHS 148 Looking at the posted news on the bulletin boards, it is evident that the graduation is only two days away, the hotel reservations are already done and that the fourth year students may go to L’Auberge de Sedona after the very graduation— it is the best time to relax after all. Another thing that took the bulletin board was the news: since the graduation of the fourth years were to be done by April, they would not be present at the official ending of the school year— May— which is a crucial part of every school year in La Florence Academy. The end of May not only symbolises the end of the school year but also the official transferral of positions from the graduated fourth years and to the person next to them. Therefore, an announcement was made that the fourth years who must perform the transferrals will need to attend the date specified and that to celebrate the transferral and end of school year, a banquet will be held. “Well, that is what is said in the bulletin, it i
SSHS 149 Finally, the day of graduation has arrived. Everyone was excited for it, everyone dressed their best for it. Classes are cancelled for this day, but it does not forbid the younger years to also attend the graduation as spectators— they do deserve to see the fruits of their labours and so see their seniors off with a heartfelt farewell. Following the theme of the graduation: white and gold— all students were wearing white clothes with gold linings to them (all provided by the school) and also their toga which is the traditional black but has white and gold linings. All graduating students were in their best appearance and behaviour for the day of graduation. Some were with their parents and there are others who are just with either their family driver or several servants from their household. Still, everyone is happy to graduate, and everyone is happy to see them graduate. The junior years were silently cheering on the side for the fourth years, they would even shout when
SSHS 150 But there is something that the people present at the grand gymnasium— especially the students of La Florence Academy— there is something they want to know as soon as possible. It can be remembered that before the very day of graduation, they released an announcement that they will have a Guest of Honour who will give an inspirational speech during the graduation. However, the identity of this speaker was not given and remained secret even until now. No one knows who the Guest of Honour is, nor was Dean Malcolm and any other staff present at the stage has yet to give their speeches. The program was different from the usual ones indeed. Guess that is one of the perks of being a prestigious school. Nonetheless, the students were enjoying the graduation day, the food and drinks and the over the top presentation and decoration of the Grand Gymnasium. By the time that the march and the handshakes and diplomas were done, all fourth year students sat down as well as the parents
SSHS 151 It is now the official start of spring. No longer the cold weather and the cold breeze of Monday mornings. The snow was melting and they were letting the green of the grass to be alive and glisten under the sun and glimmer like a new found gold. The birds are back to their cherry self and singing the songs of spring, they are now all hanging around the trees with the new leaves and waiting for the fruits to grow and feast on it. The flowers were painting the walkways and the ground of the La Florence Academy with a vibrant and colourful twist in it that every student walking could only bear a smile. All students welcomed spring like a long awaited day. They all basked in the morning sunlight as they stalled in the open spaces and had a chat amongst each other. That is to say it only lasted— that happiness and contentment only lasted— until someone mentioned the Finals. The spring started at the very end of April and everyone was happy to see the snow melting and the warm
SSHS 152 “Hey Excami?” “I’m in our classroom. Why?” “Nothing, I just want to let you know that we won’t have to do anything for today so, we are free to do whatever we want.'' With that announcement, Excami squealed with an excited glee over the other side of the phone call. “Oh my goodness, really?” “Yes, really. We actually covered all the paperworks needed until the end of the school year so we are good. Unless there are things we need to do urgently and all of a sudden then, I’ll give you guys a call.” Damian said. By the background noise, it was apparent that he was walking through the hallways, probably back from the library borrowing some books. “Okay, copy that brother.” Excami cheerily said as she bid her brother farewell and ended the call. As she put her phone down, she returned to her notes and talked to the student in front of her desk. Apparently, she was using her time to tutor her classmates a little— so that they would be able to navigate the subject on thei
SSHS 153 Far from the range of the students walking by yet close enough to stare at the Student Council Vice President doing her reviewer. Clever position indeed. A clever person too. As the sun went from its glorious peak and down to the horizon, painting the sky a magnificent hues of purple, blues and greens, that also marked the end of the classes for that day. Half of the students went home with a smile on their faces, deeming the day productive and that they deserved a well- earned rest after that rigorous studying and running from one building to another just to obtain some notes or to get tutored. The other half deemed this day not as productive as they thought and so they went home or to their dorms with a downcast face, saying to themselves that they could have done more if not for those other students constantly bothering them for a note or for a tutoring or two. Nonetheless, everyone had their own perspective on this day and made some adjustment of goals in their lis
SSHS 154 Hestia has been perceptive of her surroundings a bit more than usual lately. Even though she has placed all the cameras and listening bugs to all places possible, she still could not catch the person who has been observing her for a long period of time. She reviewed all the clips, all the recordings and even made sure that she knows who is around her at all times and yet, she cannot pinpoint who the person might be. ‘Is it even a person at this point?’ Hestia thought to herself as walked through the pavement and into the familiar office that she goes to whenever she has a thought in need of exploration. But this time, she is not going here to ask for help for exploring her thoughts. This has become something very concerning at this moment. Entering that familiar hallway, exactly seventeen steps then reaching that familiar Narra door with simplistic carvings. Knocking four times, she waited for a response from the person at the other side of the door. “Come in.” Said that
SSHS 247After the Thanksgiving dinner that night and that mission, the two rookie undercover spies went on with their days. They went on being the ‘normal’ third years that they are and continued being the third years that they are. No more missions were given to them after the mission about the Montague couple and they do not know if the headquarters of the ISO where sympathising with their shock or if there is really no more mission for them to do. But either way, they are glad that they were able to finish the mission in such a short time and also experience being students as they are.They went on and experienced things as if they were normal people and not some spies who were trained at the very young age. Not some undercover people who are in there for the sake of completing their mis
SSHS 246After the game it was already time for dinner, Damian and Excami won because none of them were able to find out what kind of thing they had and they were all tagged out of the game. It was fun for the most part but what everyone waited for was the thanksgiving dinner and it was satisfying. They enjoyed every bite and they waited for the dessert because it was the star of the dinner the dessert.Then after eating, they lounged a little longer by the dinner table and talked about all the other things, like the fun times that they had in school, the love story between the Montague couple how they met how they fell in love and then almost talked about how they conceived the children but thankfully damien and Excami stopped them before it happened. The Montague siblings almost asked about the families of Hestia and Albertand what kind of stori
SSHS 245Sometime later, it is already the Month Of October and things have been going smoothly both for the Montague siblings and for the two rookie undercover spies and for the Montague couple. for the course of the month of october, Hestia and Albert had been invited for dinners and lunches by either Damian or Excami and would always result for a dinner together with their parents and with that the bond between all of them had grow and become stronger and they were more close with each other than ever before.But there is something that the two rookie undercover spies can not pinpoint at all. because most of the past missions they have been assigned to, they are always making the opportunity to get close to the target; they are always making the opportunity to do something, to create a movement, a pattern, a path for their mission t
Sshs 244The next day, Hestia and Albert walked side by side to their classroom. Apparently, the whole school knew of the incident yesterday: Mrs. . Montague pulled them out for the whole day and never came back until the wee hours of the night. Some people tried to block them and ask a ton of questions about what happened yesterday; questions like: what happened? Where did you go? What did she say? Was she generous? Was she kind? Was she loving and sweet and like a saint when she visited back at the beach house? What did you talk about with her? Such a ton of questions were asked to them and yet they remained silent about it. No comment, no answers, just complete silence as they went through
SHS 243 They ate in silence, up until dessert. No one spoke a word and it stayed that way until they were brought into the library. No one spoke as each of them were encouraged to pick a book in the vast collection of books inside the library. As they sat into the chairs available at the library, only then did the conversation start at the pretence of wanting to know what book they found. “How about you, Hestia? Albert? What book did you pick?” Hestia and Albert then lifted up the books that they picked. Mrs. Montague cooed at the books in their hands and proceeded to analyse them. “Wow! You live up to your personality. Unlike someone else.” Mrs. Montague threw in the shade as she briefly looked at her children who were silently reading with their father on the other side of the library. It was not quite far, but it seemed that the Montague siblings were so immersed in what they were reading that they did not notice the shade that was thrown at them by their
SSHS 242 As the three of them sat in silence without any of them taking a bite of their food, they tried to process the information that was at their table. The Montague siblings have been showing two different personalities and all between being inside the school and at school. If at school, they were glorified as students who are the top role models; a fun and energetic one and a gentle ruler, both were on ground and knew how to touch some grass. At home, they are the arrogant siblings who think they are better than anyone and will not even go down to their current level. It was as if they know the a person with the same name and yet still different by how they act.&nb
SSHS 241 A new school year started right before their eyes. Without any mission to worry about, time passed by the two rookie undercover spies and with barely any notice, they were in their third years. There were a lot of things that happened but they were used to it and it passed by them like a flash of the camera and after that, it was already in the middle of the month of September. The voting for the new Student Council began and the whole school was bussing with noises and the representative of the running Student Council President was shouting and getting people to vote for their candidates. “Please vote for…” one student shouted. “No, please vote for…” another student shouted. It was the start of the shouting battle between the two parties running for the Student Council President position. It created so much commotion that Damian had to step up and break the commotion apart. “Enough with this! This is so immature of you! Can’t you go and make your da
SSHS 240 As the surroundings dimmed into darkness, the light sensors in the gymnasium began to light up. Freya’s eyes adjusted from the dark and into the light that the sensor lights brought up. She shielded her eyes with her hands from the sudden light and that was Albert’s cue to remove himself from the sight of the Senior Cheerleader and go behind her. This is not to catch her off guard--- oh she was already caught off guard by the time she mentioned the Pandora’s Box--- but it was his way to not let Freya do anything anymore that will put herself into more danger. It is better if she just surrenders to them in a plain and simple manner.&
SSHS 239 “By the way, how were the Montague siblings? I have not heard from them after that incident with Arthur.” Albert asked. The two rookie undercover spies were roaming around the campus, taking a leisure walk as they passed by some of the students who were headed for their extra curricular activities. The two of them do indeed have some activities too but it was all done. Hestia is done with her paper works and scheduling for the Student Council and Albert was also done with his portfolio for the Photography Club with the theme of ‘After Christmas’. There was a moment of silence to the part of Hestia before she answered the inquiry of her spy partner. “They have been normal, acting as they always have as far as I am concerned. Although Excami now has her guard up always and was weary of everything and everyone, she is as cheerful as ever. Well, it is Damian who changed. He became more strict and protective of his sister, and he also became colder.” Hest