I realized that and I Keisty had classes that barely met. I took science classes, Keisty took commercials. My practical subject was technical graphics whilst Keisty took fashion. The only thing that we shared was the art club, which was only on Wednesdays.
Every face was new in my class. The girls would oftentimes look at me then whisper into each other's ears. The boys seemed to be avoiding me now. l didn't know what news had spread about me but whatever it was, it was helpful. l didn't come to school to make friends with everyone.
The dismissal siren rang signalling the end of classes for the day. Everyone stood up packing their books in their bags. The classroom was filled with excited voices of people ready to go home. I knew l was supposed to wait for auntie to pick us up at the entrance hall but first l had to find Keisty.
I was busy arranging my books in my bag when someone dropped a note on my desk. It was written in a pink ink. I looked at it debating if I should read it.
I hated to think that some boy had written the note. After a moment of looking at it, l decided to read it.
"I know who you truly are. If you are curious to know who l am, meet me at the auditorium after classes"
I had never been so confused in my entire life. What did it mean by 'who l truly am'? Start to think of it, my memory only dates from the hospital, who was l before that?
Something was telling me not to trust the person who wrote the note but more than anything I was curious to know.
I took the note and scrunched it then shoved it into my skirt pocket. Now l had to find the gymnastics auditorium, with no idea of where to find it.
As soon as l got out of the classroom, l found Mark waiting leaning beside the door. When he saw me he smiled and stood up straight.
"What are you doing here Mark?", l asked him in irritation.
He just smiled and walked to take my bag from me.
"What are you doing?", this time l didn't suppress my anger.
"Why?, just walking you to the parking lot princess", he said it with easy already taking the lead.
"I don't need your help", l said gritting my teeth.
He didn't seem to listen, he just walked without looking back. I was forced to run after him whining and chasing my bag. He wouldn't stop, everytime l would try to reach for it he would raise it higher. Despite the heels l was wearing, l couldn't reach it. Some of the students in the corridor stopped to look at as. Mark always causes a scene. He didn't care but l did.
I was starting to give up when someone snatched it from him. Mark was surprised. We all turned to look and saw Stewart standing with his arms crossed whilst holding my bag. His face was so serious, not the person to play around with.
After a long moment of a tense look between the boys, Stewart final looked at me.
"Are you ok?", he asked in concern.
I nodded. He gave a little smile of relief then turned back to look at Mark.
"I thought after you almost got expelled, you promised to never harass anyone anymore, should we meet the principal again and ask him if he have permitted you to harass again.", Stewart said with his unsettling seriousness.
Mark scoffed a bit before shaking his head, "l wasn't harassing her."
Stewart raised his eye brow, "then what were you doing?"
"I was just escorting her to the pickup front, she's new."
Stewart eyed me then turned back to Mark, "if l ask her if what you are saying is true and she gives me a different answer, l will take you to the principal. The best that you can do is walk away, l don't want to see you near this girl again."
Mark was a bit taken aback by the deathly tone in Stewart's voice. His eyes sparkled in a new realization.
"Oh, l see. That's because we are both chasing for the same..." Stewart stepped closer to Mark cutting his sentence.
"You would be wiser if you just leave now before l change my mind", Stewart said.
Mark smirked and shook his head. He turned to walk away and shouted when he was half way down the passage.
"You know, you don't have to pretend to be who you are not!"
Stewart acted as though he hadn't heard what Mark said. He walked closer to me and returned my bag to me. I thanked him then turned to go. I was expecting him to have continued with where he was going but he ran to my side.
"So you are going home?", he asked.
"Yes, but could l ask you where the gymnastics auditorium is?"
"Yes why?"
I need to go there, something personal".
He nodded. "Come with me, l can show you where it is".
We walked out and cut through the loan that had a sign of restriction prohibiting students from it. But l wouldn't be afraid since l had the principal's son with me.
We entered a small rusted gate that was leveled with the hegde. A few meters ahead stood a large brick walled hall. It looked deserted like it was no longer in use. The large metal doors had streaks of rust looking like tears from the handles.
I stopped and turned to look at Stewart when we were halfway to the building. He stopped and gave me a questioning stare.
"Thank you for showing me the auditorium and accompanying me. I think I can go alone now", l said knowing that the person who had called me definitely required me to be alone.
Stewart looked like he could not believe what he was hearing. "I know you said there are personal reasons why you are going there but that place might not be safe, especially for a girl like you. That auditorium has been unused for about a decade."
" I will be fine Stewart, l promise. You can go back now. I need to be alone in this.". I was trying to convince him but he kept looking at me like I had lost my mind.
" I don't think it's a good picture for me if you get hurt and l being the last person that people saw you with. What would they think", he tried to reason.
" And l don't think it's a good picture for you if people saw us coming out of a dark and secluded place alone ", l argued.
He stared into my eyes for a moment and he saw my unwavering resolve. He sighed and looked away at last.
"I will forever feel tormented if anything happens to you", he said then then turned away defeated.
I felt sorry for his ego but l couldn't change my decision. I wouldn't want to involve him if it was something dangerous or ruin his reputation on my first day. He might hurt me forever.
I walked to the metal doors. A rusted lock and a chain was hung on one handle. The doors seemed to have been unlocked recently. No doubt that it was the same person who wrote me the note.
The doors creaked as l pushed them open. I stepped into the dark room barely seeing a thing but I knew that my eyes would soon adjust after l close the doors.
I blindly took a few steps forward hoping not to stumble and fall. My groping hands felt a cushioned seat beside me. I stopped and tried to make my sight adjust to the blackness.
After a minute l finally started to see the outlines of the objects in the large dark room. I was standing behind an audience seat. Far ahead was a stage with purple curtains drawn to the sides.
"You have come, l thought you wouldn't", a feminine voice echoed in the auditorium causing my heart to jolt.
" Who are you?", l asked trying to not let my voice shake.
" That's not what's important for you to know, you should be asking yourself that question", the voice echoed again.
I couldn't tell where the voice was coming from until l spotted a shadowy figure of a girl from the stage. I was a bit far away from the stage but l noticed that she was wearing a black coat that ran down to her ankles and she was wearing the school formal heels. Her hands were in her pockets.
From where l was standing, l could not see her face. Her hair was casting a shadow on her face. I couldn't tell the color of her hair neither, nor how long it ran because it was running into the the collar her coat.
I hadn't realized that I was walking closer to her until she raised her hand.
"Stop there!, don't come any closer."
I stopped mystified. She turned her face to look in my direction. The shadow was still casting a dark veil upon her face.
"What do you want?", l asked.
"To help knock some sense into your head. You have become painfully naive", she said then started pacing from left to right on the stage. Her heels constantly echoed on the hard floor.
I couldn't contain the suspense so l objected to ask, "what did you mean when your note said, 'who l really am".
She stopped pacing then turned to look at me. "What can you still remember about yourself before the hospital?"
I frowned thinking but to no avail. No matter how hard l tried to crack into memory, it all became blank when l tried to think of the time before the hospital.
She seemed to be looking at me expectantly. I looked up at her blankly and she immediately knew the answer. I heard her sigh in disappointment. She slowly and gracefully walked to the stairs that led down into the audience.
She stopped at the last step down the stairs and lifted her face to look at me. "Still, you haven't remembered anything?"
I shook my head quietly. She paused on the spot as if she couldn't believe me. I noticed her hand deep into the pocket of her coat. I tensed a bit at the possibility that she might draw out a weapon but instead she took out a blue surgical mask. She wore it so close to her eyes in a way to make her face unrecognizable. She then started to walk in my direction.
My instincts started to sense danger although her movements were not threatening. I started to slowly step back. She noticed me recoil at her advances and she stopped too. I could see a smirk in her eyes.
"Stop moving away or else l will have to hold you in place", her words came out flat and expressionless. Moreover l couldn't see if she meant what she said or didn't because her face was masked.
My heart started pounding loudly in my ear. For whatever reason l followed an unknown person in such a lonely place, l started regretting. There were many chances that l could get hurt to say the least.
She continued her steps but l couldn't remain standing and waiting for my trespasser to catch me like a wounded lamb. I started to step back even more quicker than before. At the same time l was looking around for anything that l could use as a weapon. I thought that running couldn't be a good option especially when you are uncertain of the person you are dealing with.
The girl might have noted what I was attempting to do because she suddenly quickened her pace towards me. My mind became desperate for a way out but then felt the back of my legs hit something cushioned behind me. I turned back and saw that l had reached the last role of seats at the back of the auditorium.
I turned back to look at my trespasser. I found out that she had intended to lead me into a trap. She took advantage of the opportunity and swiftly lunged at me like a demon.
She jumped and quickly put her hand over my mouth to muffle my screaming. She then pushed me down on the role of seats and set straddling me. In a second my hands were pinned at my side. Her legs were pressing them into the seat making it impossible for me to free myself.
I winced at the amount of force that was pressed on my body. With such swift skill and strength, the person who has sieged me is capable of doing anything to me.
As she was towering on top of me, I looked into her eyes with shock. Being unable to do anything else, I could only wait and see what she wanted to do next.
I looked at her eyes. They were just looking at mine without giving away anything, neither emotions nor expressions. Her thin eyebrows were straight and she wasn't making any sound.
For a moment we stayed locking eyes as though she was trying to imprint a permanent trauma in me. I started to shiver thinking of what she might be planning to do with me in the vulnerable position .
Suddenly a sound came from the metal doors and l turned to look. I saw two white torch lights from phones entering the room. A familiar voice called.
"Arielle, Arielle!", l heard Keisty's voice calling. "Stewart were did you take my cousin?", Keisty's asked in an accusative tone.
"I swear, she entered this building. l wanted to come with her but she didn't want me to ", Stewart's voice was a bit shaky.
I looked up to see the girl who was looming over me already gone. So swift and unnoticed had she disappeared. It was now almost like l had imagined the entire scene. How stealth and subtle were her movements.
"I'm here", l said rising into a sitting position. When they both heard my voice they ran to where I was. They found me at the time that I was straightening up my shirt. I pulled down my short skirt that had drifted up a little during my encounter with the mysterious girl.
Both Keisty and Stewart looked at me and then looked at each other. Keisty ran to me and put her hands on my shoulders. She was trying to look into my eyes but l was averting them. I didn't want her to see my confused look.
"Arielle, are you ok. What happened, you can talk to me?", Keisty asked in concern.