Seven
Alrisha's POV-
I couldn't focus my attention in my class. I tried to concentrate on the discussion but the topic just wouldn't sink into my mind. Something unnecessary was bothering me but I felt like it was kind of important.
A few hours before I went to my next class, I was in the control room with Francine. Watching Kieffer and his company at the monitor to witness their reaction. But unintentionally, the principal saw them and that was out of my plan.
[Flashback]
"Look at their faces." I burst out in laughter.
"I can't find the right word to describe how funny their faces are!" Francine laughed out loud while holding her stomach.
"I never expected that kind of expression existed in Kieffer and his company," I said between my laughter.
"And even the word 'embarrassing' is written all over their face," Francine added.
We continued to laugh our lungs out while holding onto our stomachs as if we were going to roll on the floor. I just couldn't stop myself. Call me rude but it's just that funny that they still have a little shame on their faces.
Later, Francine took a deep breath while her hands were on her stomach and she leaned on the wall, "Enough for that Alrisha, I can't take another big laugh."
"Okay," I nodded.
I was still on the verge of laughter but I tried to prevail considering that my stomach already hurts.
"But wait, is that really their underwear?" Francine asked with a big smile on her face.
"No, it's just the same as theirs," I replied.
Her eyebrows meet, it seems that she was puzzled.
"I ask someone to go to their dormitories to check their underwear, buy the same style, color, and brand, and attach their names," I continued.
"Oh, I see. I thought you went there and stole it," Francine joked
I raised my voice in response, "Very ridiculous, Francine! Why the heck will I do that?!"
"Just kidding." She chuckled, "But why not buy randomly?"
"The thought that it's their underwear will be senseless. I asked to buy the same so they would think it was theirs," I clarified. But I noticed her change of expression.
"Hey look!" She said, pointing to the monitor.
And I looked at the monitor where she was pointing and found the principal talking with Kieffer and his company.
"This is getting interesting," I said.
"Then we should get going, it's almost time. Let's leave the rest to the Principal," she stated with a smile.
I nodded and also smiled at her and went out of the control room to go to our classes.
But while we were on our way, I saw Kieffer running so fast going to the fire exit.
It was only a glimpse of him so I wasn't sure if it was him.
I was about to follow him when suddenly, all the lights went dead. It's completely dark. And right after the lights were gone, something hit my shoulders.
'That hurts.' I thought to myself while I was massaging my shoulder.
I didn't see who it was but I was sure it wasn't Francine. She was standing next to me and didn't make any move.
A few moments later, the lights went back and I hurriedly went to the fire exit but I didn't find him there.
He was gone? In that very short time? He just suddenly disappeared? Where did he go? How did he disappear in that very instant?
[END OF FLASHBACK]
At that moment, my mind was full of questions. I wonder how he disappeared into the darkness.
I tried to explain everything to Francine but she didn't seem to believe it. She said that I might just be imagining things but I wasn't convinced. I need to prove it.
Francine also told me that the whole campus is covered with CCTVs. So I just thought of going to the control room and checking it out. It would be very useful. I know Francine would help me since she's the daughter of the co-owner of this school.
Finally, the bell rang for the last class, which was my economics class, and that class is next to the Physics building. Almost in the last room. Or maybe 2nd to the last room. And the worst part, it's on the 3rd floor.
Geez! I was already tired.
And since the 2 elevators of the Economics Building were under maintenance, I had no choice but to use the stairs. What a pain.
Why did it have to be now?
I was getting exhausted. My knees lose their strength and my eyes were very sleepy. Like they were about to shut down any time.
Just a little more and I would be there.
But when I stepped on the last stair, My right foot slipped and my forehead hit the floor. Then I fell rolling on the stairs, and my head hit the floor of the 2nd floor.
Feel like my whole world is turning. I tried to open my eyes but I really can't.
The last thing I heard was footsteps coming to my place and the voices of gossiping students before I lost consciousness.
====
I heard a voice calling my name, softly... Maybe, trying to wake me up.
"Alrisha," the soft and familiar voice kept on repeating.
I gently openned my eyes and looked around. I saw Elaina and Francine on my right side, sitting on a chair. They were pretty worried.
"Alrisha, what happened?" Elaina asked.
"We heard that you fell rolling on the stairs," Francine added.
"Don't worry, I just slipped and fell rolling because of being careless," I answered, "But anyway, where am I?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're in the clinic," Elaina replied on a sharp tone.
I frowned and slowly sat up. But the pain in my head hurted like hell.
"Be careful, your head still hurts," Francine reminded me.
I touched my head and realized there was a bandage around it.
I sighed, an irritating sigh. "Does it needed to put a bandage on it?"
"Of course," Francine immediately answered.
"It didn't seem to be necessary," I rejected.
"Stupid!" Elaina's tone was sharp and her brows furrowed.
"But it's just a scratch, you know," I insisted.
"Stop insisting and listen," Francine emphasized.
"Anyhow, can I ask you something?" I changed the subject.
"Sure. Anything."
"If the lights of the whole campus was turned off, would the CCTVs be also turn off?" I looked straight to their eyes.
"Of course!" Francine exclaimed.
"You're dead wrong, Francine," Elaina objected.
Francine and I exchanged look in confusion. It didn't make sense.
"The electricity used for the CCTVs, the functions and lights of the whole campus didn't have the same fuse box," Elaina started to explain.
"How could it be?" I asked, incredulously.
"Simple. There are two fuse boxes here in school but only one electric meter. And please, don't tell this to anyone. This is a secret," She continued.
Francine and I both nodded in agreement.
"As I had said, there were two fuse boxes here in school but only one electric meter. The first one was on the fire exit and the second one was on the control room," She paused, "The fuse box at the fire exit was used for the lights and functions of the campus while the fuse box in the control room was used for the CCTVs"
"So that means, the red dots that I had seen on the hallway, back there, while the lights were off were the CCTVs," I concluded.
"That's it." She agreed, "Those CCTVs were very modernized. We just bought it from Korea, for security purposes. Those CCTVs had their light to light up the place where it was placed, even without the lights on that certain place or even if it was put in dark places."
"So even though the surroundings were dark, if we looked at the monitor, it was so crystal clear," I added.
"Cool. I didn't know about that," Francine stated.
"And there's another secret, all of the students, even the staff and teachers here didn't know that the control room also has CCTV, except me, my father, and the co-owner of this school. It was posituoned in a place where it couldn't be found easily." She added.
"This means, if we look at the monitor in the control room, the truth about what I saw, recently, would be revealed," I hinted.
"That's right. However, I'm still concern about your head," Francine sounded worried..
"It hurts a little but I can manage," I smiled.
"Can you walk?" She asked again.
I smiled, "Yeah."
"Shall we?" Elaina invited.
"By the way, how did you know about that, Elaina? My father never mentioned something like that to me," Francine was curious.
"I was there when the CCTVs were bought and for the other information, I just overheard it from my father when talking to someone on the phone," Elaina explained with a smile.
"Excuse me?" I said in a puzzled tone. I don't understand what they're talking about.
"Oh, the owner of this school was Elaina's father and the co-owner of this school was my father," Francine clarified.
I just nodded.
Yea, I remembered that Francine did mention that she was the daughter of the co-owner of this school.
At that moment, I carefully stood and they guided me. After a while, the nurse came and we asked permission if I could walk around. And luckily, she said it was fine so she let me depart from the clinic with Francine and Elaina.
After that, we went straight to the control room for the truth. It was a relief that the attendant wasn't around so it was easy for us to view all the video files.
"50 monitors," Elaina uttered.
"In short, 50 CCTVs," Francine continued.
"Wow! This school is really rich," I complimented.
"So which monitor shall we start?" Elaina was getting excited.
"In the hallway, going to the fire exit," I told her.
As we've decided, we started viewing the files on the monitor connected to the CCTV in the hallway going to the fire exit.
"So it's true that you saw Kieffer but I didn't notice it," Francine mumbled.
"He ran swiftly," Elaina uttered as she was focus on the monitor.
"Hey guys, check this part." I approached them, "Something's odd here."
"I also noticed it," Suzy spoke, "The time doesn't seem to match."
"Look here, Alrisha," Francine pointed at the monitor where we watched recently.
"Hold it!" I commanded.
And she paused it, on the time where Kieffer and his company arrived at the flagpole. I looked closely at the time.
"The time that they arrived was 12:45," I paused and told Francine to play it.
The video keep playing until 12:50, the time when the Principal came but…
"Hey, could you play it slowly?" My eyes were fully focused on the time.
"Sure," Francine played the video in slow motion.
Then a mischievous smile went off my face, "Just as I thought."
"Thought what?" Francine and Elaina both wondered.
"Observe the time," I pointed to the time at the upper left corner of the monitor.
"I see. 12:50 was the time the Principal came but it became 1:00 right after," Elaina muttered.
"In short, a 10-minute gap is missing," I stated.
"Ladies, I saw something interesting," Elaina called. She was standing in front of the last monitor.
Due to curiosity, Francine and I went to Elaina and stood beside her.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Watch this. Everything you need is here," Elaina said as she played the video backwards.
"Wait, why are we there?" I was curious.
"Because this one is for the control room," Elaina was grinning from ear to ear.
Then I nodded with a smile, with serious a eyes fixed on the monitor.
"And what's that 'something' you found interesting?" Francine walked towards us.
Elaina played the video that she saw, from noon until 4:00.
After we watched the video, I smiled and turned to them "Can you transfer it on a Compact Disc?"
"It will be my pleasure," She smiled back.
"Maybe our dads will get angry about that. Transferring some files without any permission," Francine reminded.
"Don't worry I already texted my dad and he replied okay, he will also tell your dad," Elaina stated.
"But I don't have any blank CDs."
"I have mine," Francine looked at her back, "But I left my bag in my classroom."
"Is it okay if we use a Flash drive?" I suggested.
"It will do. Do you have any?" Elaina answered back.
"Yea," I said smiling. But I got disappointed when I looked at my back, "Oops, I left it at my locker."
"Let's just use mine," Francine offered. she pulled out her Flash drive from her pocket.
She handed it to Elaina. Elaina connected it to the computer and she copied the video that we just watched and pasted it into the Flash drive.
It only took a few seconds and we already have a copy.
"So what will you do next?" Elaina asked as she handed the Flash drive to me.
"I'm not going to report this to the principal, now. I'll talk to him first," I answered.
"To convince him to confess?" Francine guessed.
"Yeah right. But if he insists on denying, I'll take it to the Principal's Office," I told them.