Celestine stepped into the classroom, clutching her books tightly against her chest. The room buzzed with chatter, but the moment she appeared in the doorway, the noise thinned. Dozens of eyes turned to her—curious, whispering, giggling.
Her pulse thudded. She lowered her gaze and walked down the middle column of desks until she reached the very last row. Without hesitation, she slid into the seat and placed her book on the desk.Little did she know that she had actually set it upside down. Either way,she opened it and started reading.
The giggles around her grew sharper, tickling her ears. Heat rose to her cheeks. She propped her chin on her palms, pretending not to notice, and tried to study the text.
But the letters weren't still—they jumbled, rearranged, shrank into tiny dots, then multiplied until the page looked like a sea of ants crawling across paper.
She squinted harder. The words blurred, danced, and mocked her.
"Are you sure you're gonna read it that way and understand?"
She glanced sideways. Luke stood there, holding his bag, one brow raised in amusement. He slid into the chair beside her.
"Yeah… of course. It's very… easy and interesting," Celestine replied quickly, forcing a grin.
Luke chuckled and leaned over. "I don't think so. Lemme help." He gently flipped the book upright. "There. Better?"
She looked again. The letters weren't stable now. They now chased each other across the lines like children playing tag. She sighed and grinned sheepishly.
"I think I'll just… study the diagrams for today."
Luke tilted his head, half confused, half amused. "Okay, fine."
After a short pause, Celestine asked, "Hey, can I ask you something, Luke?"
"Sure."
"Do you happen to know someone by the name Mike?"
His expression shifted. "Mike… Mike Harrison?"
"Y-yeah. Someone like that."
"He's in this class too. But he hasn't been around since last week."
"Oh," Celestine murmured, her chest tightening.
"You know him?"
"Yeah," she said softly. "We've been friends for a while." Luke couldn't tell if she was smiling or grinning at him.
"I see." He replied.
Before Luke could say more, three boys swaggered toward them. The one in the middle was taller, broader, with sharp cheekbones and dark cropped hair. His two friends—also lean, Chinese-looking, shirts untucked—flanked him like bodyguards.
"Wow, wow… what do we have here?" the leader drawled, yanking a chair and sitting directly in front of them. His eyes slid over Celestine, then narrowed at Luke. "Hey Luke.Looks like you got yourself a new girlfriend."
Celestine dropped her gaze to her book, the letters on the page writhing like worms. Her stomach tightened.
Luke, however, didn't flinch. "Hey, Big Sam. How about you see us after class? We're kinda busy here."
For a moment, the taller boy stared him down, weighing the defiance. But Luke's calm eyes didn't waver. Finally, Big Sam smirked and pushed back the chair. With a shrug, he and his crew strutted off.
Celestine let out a small breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Good morning, class!" a female voice called.
The chatter hushed as a woman strode in. She wore glasses perched low on her nose, her hair tied in a neat bun.
"I'm Madam Kira. Today I'll be taking you through Environmental Science. So, let's begin." She turned briskly to the board and began writing.
As chalk scraped against the surface, the door opened again. Two students walked in—a boy and a girl, both in prefects' blazers. Their resemblance was unmistakable: sharp blond hair, tall frames, eyes that gleamed with something more than authority.
"Rockie and Ruksy," Madam Kira said without looking back. "Please don't be late again."
"Yes, Madam," they replied in perfect unison, their voices carrying a strange weight.
They moved to the front row, middle seats. But before sitting, they both turned—slow, deliberate—and their gazes locked on Celestine.
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to still. Rockie's eyes glowed faintly, like embers beneath the surface. Ruksy's lips curved in the smallest, knowing smile.
Then, as if mocking her, they lifted their hands and waved.
Celestine froze, her skin prickling. She didn't wave back.
The letters on her textbook blurred again until all she saw was a single number, pulsing faintly between the lines.
54.
Her locker number.
She blinked hard, but it was gone.
A shiver raced down her spine.
TO BE CONTINUED.....