Life Within The Halls

Chapter 6: "Let Go of the Past"

LIFE WITHIN THE HALL

Victoria

Wednesday, February 11, 11:40 a.m.

It took what felt like an eternity for me to come to terms with the fact that I would be stuck alone for a week with two people I couldn't stand, alongside the new girl, Sandra, who seemed to have nothing better to do than interrogate people. Well, she wasn't all that useless, considering she was at least brilliant enough to make it to the top four in the math test.

In the prefect room, the soft hum of the three ceiling fans created a soothing background noise, filling the room with a tranquil ambiance.

"We've been here for a while. Is anyone going to talk?" Jayden looked up from his phone's screen, breaking the silence. "Let's make good use of our time."

"And what good can we make use of?"

"Since you're holding a..." He tilted his head to get a better look at the book I was holding, "biology book, why don't you give us a practical lesson on human reproduction? I'm quite fond of that topic," he said with a smirk.

"Sure, I can teach you about reproduction. But be warned, it might get a bit... intimate!" I retorted cheekily, covering my mouth in mock shock.

"Oh, I didn't know you were such a loud talker. What else are you hiding from the public eye? Spill the beans. There's no teacher, principal, or students who look up to you here."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're still holding a grudge from our sophomore year?"

"Enough!" Sandra silenced us, and we both turned to face her. "Can't you two see that Gideon is not himself? When he came to the principal's office, he looked disturbed, and now too." She pointed to Gideon who sat on the middle sofa, chewing his thumb and tapping his foot on the tiled floor rapidly.

Jayden scoffed. "Gideon doesn't see you as a friend, Sandra. He views you as a threat because he thinks you might surpass him as the class topper. So, if I were you, I'd stop bothering myself."

"Maybe it's true, Gideon doesn't see me as a friend just like I don't see you as one, but we can't let him lose it," she said. "Don't you remember the Principal's words?"

"'Unity is strength'," I repeated the Principal's words. "Fine! Ask Gideon what's troubling him, and let's see if we can help."

Sandra tapped Gideon's shoulder twice. "Hey, what's up?"

Gideon snapped back, saying, "It's Daniel."

"Aw," Jayden chuckled. "Bro has only been separated from his best friend Daniel for a few hours, and he's already missing him."

"A few hours? Daniel is nowhere to be found," Gideon interjected. "He's still missing!"

"What do you mean by 'still missing'?" I asked. Daniel had been found the day before so I was confused by what he was saying.

"I don't even know if you three will understand me. The guy found isn't the real Daniel; he's not my real best friend," Gideon explained. "He's his... look-alike."

"What? Look-alike? Not the real one? What's making you say that?" I questioned.

"Daniel and I studied each other's palm lines, and I-" Gideon began.

Jayden burst into laughter, covering his mouth with his hand. "Sorry, I couldn't control myself," he said, scanning our serious faces. "Carry on, please go on."

"I can identify him with his palm lines, and he can also identify me with mine," Gideon continued. "Daniel's palm lines are different from the guy found. He's not the real Daniel."

"Can I say something?" Sandra chimed in. "I felt something was off about Daniel today. When I waved at him, he acted like I didn't exist."

"I noticed something too," I added. "Daniel always has his bag slung on one shoulder, but when I saw him today, it was on both."

Jayden came in, "So you three are drawing conclusions that the guy found isn't the real Daniel based on his palm lines, ignoring you, and how he wore his bag today?" he asked, and they all nodded in agreement. "Gimme a sec." He swiped his phone open, checking his messages. "It's true, the guy found is fake. He's not the real Daniel Blay."

"And what's making you say that?" I poked his chest with my finger.

"I texted him last night-about an Instagram ad he agreed to help me with during the semester break, but my message is still unread. Daniel doesn't take that long to reply to me," Jayden shared.

I chuckled, my hand instinctively covering my mouth. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself," I said. "Go on, continue."

"Are you mimicking me?" he raised an eyebrow.

I feigned innocence with a shrug.

"So, you all believe me, right?" Gideon sought confirmation.

"Yeah, it seems that way. What do we do now?" Jayden asked, reclining on the sofa.

"What do we do? You guys aren't planning to take matters into your own hands, are you? We should inform the police," I suggested. "It's their responsibility to-"

"No way!" Sandra cut me off. "The police won't take us seriously. We'll sound insane. Why don't we search for the real Daniel on our own? That is, if he's still missing?"

"So, how do you suggest we find the real Daniel on our own?" Jayden inquired.

"Here's the scoop," Gideon outlined eagerly. "We'll split up and gather intel on Daniel's look-alike-where he goes, who he talks to."

"May I ask a question?" I raised my hand, interrupting.

Gideon sighed. "Go ahead."

"Are we forming some kind of covert operation? Like a spy club? Last I checked, there's no '007' listed in the school's extracurricular activities."

"Thank you for the concern, Victoria, but we're not exactly playing by the rulebook here," Sandra cut me off again.

Gideon continued, undeterred. "I'll also create a WhatsApp group, so whoever gets any information can report back to the group."

"But how do we gather intel on Daniel's look-alike when he's stuck in class right now?" Jayden pointed out.

"We'll start during the lunch break," Gideon replied, glancing at his watch. "Which, conveniently, is in two minutes."

"So we're ditching our free period, courtesy of Principal Wilson, to play detective?" I questioned incredulously.

"Since you mentioned 'free period', yes, but if you're not up for it, feel free to sit this one out," Gideon replied, locking eyes with each of them. "I know we may have our differences, but let's let go of the past and work together on this."

"Alright, count me in," I conceded. "I'm doing this for Daniel's sake." Daniel was the epitome of charm, the heartthrob of our class. His smile could light up the room, and his kindness knew no bounds. So, naturally, when he needed help, who wouldn't jump at the chance to do it?

A minute later, the lunch bell rang, and we all left the prefect room, ready to embark on the mission to get clues that would lead us to the real Daniel Blay. 'That was if he was truly still missing,' Sandra's words.