Uninvited Visitor

  Chapter 3: Uninvited Visitor 

  IT WAS a fine morning when she woke up. Everyone is awake, unlike in the city, people usually function at ten in the morning. But here, you can already hear your neighbor sweeping their backyard. She placed her new paintings on her wall. She ordered a few pieces of furniture and it was continuously arriving. 

  She heard a loud knock so she went open it. When she saw who it was, she attempted to slam it back. But he use the huge box to stop it. 

  She unwillingly opened her door and let him in. Before someone spotted him there. "Are you dying?" Fera retorted, didn’t bother to greet her visitor.

  "You're father just died, you can't handle so much pain." His solid rebut affects her more than it seems. Her dead expression was still in place and she manage to maintain her cool.

  "What do you want?"

  "Don't be so sensitive, I was just catching up with you." He place the huge box on the floor and perused every inch of her place. "What a gigantic place," he commented.

  "I know."

  "How's my favorite cousin doing?" 

  Fera rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Just spill everything you want and get your ass off my pad." Her cousin seems unaffected. "And I'm the only unfortunate cousin you have."

  He chuckled and he find the small couch to sit on. But it was followed by a loud thud and they both looked at the broken foot of the poor couch." Fantastic." 

  "You should pay for that, Fred."

  "I can buy you a mansion. So! you'll be staying here, for how long?" 

  "I don't know. You're not here for lil' chitchat, are you?"

  "I can feel that you missed me so much, why don't you give me a hug?"

  "You're feeling bad, then. Get your self-check, you're wake would be costly."

  "Thank you for your concern, I appreciate it but no thanks. I am perfectly fine, I don't know about you." 

  Fera remain standing and didn't answer anymore. So he pulled something from his back and hand it to her. 

  "I don't need that."

  "I know you do. You're father made more enemy than he knew." Fred placed the handgun on the center table and stood up. 

  Fera's eyes widen soon as she heard something roaring downstairs. They both bolted out to see what had happened. "Freddrick!" His mustang was blocking the way. And something hit it, causing it to roar annoyingly. 

  "Seems like, I need to go." Fred gave her a soft embrace and a kiss on her forehead. "Take care."

  "Whatever." Though, Fera somehow felt glad, knowing her cousin drove all his way to her location. 

  After her cousin pulled out, she could see all her nosy neighbors being their selves. Before she could even get in she heard a quiet remark.

  "Big time." 

  She didn't bother to look who it was, it was her neighbor next-door who forgot the word privacy. His vocabulary must be malfunctioning. Fera silently ranted. Don't they know the word privacy and learn to stick their nose out from someone's business. 

  She hurriedly fix herself up, when she remembered her class. Everything she need was in the box. She followed the minimap and found her new school. She easily found the principal's office and gave her portfolio. She's running late good thing the campus wasn't huge for her to get lost. 

  "Good morning, ma'am." She greeted to get the teacher's attention. 

  "You're the new transferee, I presume." The teacher doesn't look old. She's young with a classy aura. 

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Come in, come in. Kindly introduce yourself, honey." She sounds sweet and nice. Petite with big glasses and glossy lips.

  "I am Fera Luzares, sixteen years old. And I just moved into Mama Tes's apartment." 

  "Wow, you have mentioned, you just moved in. Where did you come from, if you don't mind?" 

  "I came from Cebu." She responded. "And it's a long story." Before anyone could ask, she quickly dismissed the topic. 

  "And, we don't have much time. You may sit, Fera." The teacher got it well and didn't insist on the topic. "And I am Jasmine Velmonte, you can call me 'Miss Jasmine'.

  Before she could take her seat, she noticed someone throwing her sharp gaze. She took her seat and didn't mind him. It was her dear neighbor. Nick Kingston.

  She was filled with numbness to getting bothered by his stares. After a few classes, she decided to go get something to drink in their small canteen. It was not difficult to find it since several students were on their way to it. 

  After a few sips of her fresh orange juice, she heard a loud thud. She turned to see what happened. Only to find a girl kissing the ground unmoved. Her dead serious emotion was still on her face, she just blinked in puzzled and took a step back. 

  Another girl saw the sleeping girl on the floor and immediately widen her eyes. Then she started screaming for help. 

  "Help! Help! " She started crying and trying to wake her up. "We need to bring her to the clinic! Marisa? Marisa?"

  Fera took more steps back as the crowd went panicking. Some carried her to the clinic. While she bumped into someone from taking steps back to give them away. 

  "Move away." That low voice won't stop bothering her, was it? Didn't even bother to look who she bumped with and started walking away. 

  But suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist and harshly pulled her to face him. "You don't practice a simple respect mannerism, don't you?" Said in a low tone but ranging. "Is it hard to say sorry?" Fera looked straight at him and she took a step back.

  "To someone unworthy, yeah," Fera answered in the most bored expression she can. Turned her back again as she expected, and he grabbed her again to face him. 

  "I'm not done with you."

  "The next time you grab my hand, I'll think that you have dear admiration towards me." She harshly took her hand back and walked away. 

  Nick sighed in frustration while Fera smiled in triumph. He never bothered her again until the last subject of the day. 

  "Excuse, Miss Fera Luzares is summoned by the guidance counselor." A student interrupted their intimate discussion. It was followed by multiple murmuring. Fera confusedly stood and picked her bag up. "As well as Mr. Nick Hernandez." 

  They both walked outside to the side, with no exchange of words through the entire walk until Fera stopped for a second. 

  Nick almost spits some poisonous words but manages to keep his cool. He knew why Fera did that. Fera was confused about what room was the guidance counselor's office. Not wanting to start an argument he silently led the way. 

  They found the office and it was wide open. They obligingly entered and two police officers, and some of their schoolmates. As for Fera, she hadn’t paid attention to what exactly was happening, she found a couch to sit on and sat.

  They started the discussion immediately, it was about the girl who died at the canteen hours ago. The five of them were summoned since they are the primary person of interest. First was the best friend, who approached her first, the best friend's boyfriend that carries the victim, and the Canteen server, who served the victim. Fera was the nearest person when the incident happened and Nick was next to Fera.

  Everyone was asked to deliver their alibi, while Fera was bored looking somewhere else. They all delivered an emotional speech, some even cried but Fera.

  "I was busy mending my dried throat." She spoke, and that was all she got.

  "Could you please elaborate, Miss?" The policeman asked trying to hold his temper.

  "After several classes, I craved for something to drink. I went down to the canteen and bought fresh orange juice, though it was packed and preserved. While enjoying my fresh orange juice, someone kissed the floor." Fera did try to deliver a heart-melting speech but end up sarcastic. She was too harsh for emotional speech. My best friend's boyfriend cracks into laughter but immediately shut his mouth. 

  "Someone died you mean. What did you do after seeing the victim on the floor?"

  "I step back at let them take care of everything. I am not her aunt or some relative."

  "What exactly happened from your perspective?"

  "Nothing much since they blocked my view, I saw her kissing the floor and her best friend immediately fell on her knees and started crying. They brought her to the clinic, didn't even bother checking her pulse if she was already dead or somewhat breathing."

  The officer has gone interested in Fera's description. They asked for more, "Do you notice something unusual or misplaced?" 

  "Well, a tiny glass tube under the counter. If it was glass or plastic, I don't know." The police had searched the whole canteen for evidence but one asked the other one to search again. 

  "Go find that glass tube." 

  "No need, she has it with her." Fera pointed to the best friend of the victim.

  "Idiot! Why would I bring a syringe with me?" She frantically shouted, her smudged eyes widened when she realized her mistake. "It was obvious, isn't it? She describes it as a syringe!" 

  One of the police grabbed her bag and checked every inch of it, so as her pocket. The best friend seems tensed but smirked when they found nothing. 

  "See? I am her best friend, how could you accuse me! You should doubt her, she's new! She must be the one who killed my best friend Marisa. " Aggressively pointed to Fera who was unbothered. 

  Everyone turned to her and police officers started doubting her credibility.