Chapter 8: Sarkon's Answers

The explosion rammed his ears. Sarkon jolted forward in his seat. He turned to his left, and his secretary looked back calmly but confused. "Something wrong? Do you want to pull out? We can still–" "No." Sarkon gripped the hand resting on his lap into a fist to steady his thumping heart. It's all in your head. It's all in your head. He inhaled deeply and exhaled carefully, he then replied calmly, "My headache's back." Sanders handed over a small glass bottle. "Here. Just one. Maria's orders." "Shut up," the handsome giant growled. He shook out an aspirin and popped it into his mouth. As the pill melted his nerves, Sarkon wiped the cold sweat from his brows as he stared at the horizon. Don't worry, Alfred. Maria's doing well. I'll give her the best she deserves. ***** "Hey, Country girl, move aside." Maria ignored the mocking tone and stepped away. She peeped into the depths of her bag as her hand searched through her stuff. It's a card, Maria, how difficult is it to find? She got to the ground and upturned her bag. Notebooks, notes, stationery, and everything else fell like flies on the marble floor. There was still no sign of her student card. Panic erupted inside her. How was she going to attend her classes now? Maria shook her bag again for a glimmer of hope. But there was nothing. She stared at the ceiling, rummaging her memory. She was sure she had slipped it into her bag last night. "You there!" Maria looked up. Julie was smirking down at her. "Aren't you pathetic enough? What the hell are you doing on the floor?" Crestfallen, Maria muttered helplessly, "Did you see my student card? I put it in my bag last night." "Oh dear, you lost it?" Julie smiled, a tiny corner of her lips curled up like the devil's horn. Maria scanned her belongings once more and let out a hopeless sigh, "Yes." Julie tapped her card on the detector. It beeped and the door unlocked itself. "Too bad they don't allow people in without an ID. Sorry. Can't help." Julie shrugged and left. I guess there's no other way, Maria concluded miserably. She had to go to the admin office and get a new one. She had to miss this lecture. Turning from the door, she came face to face with the professor. "You're usually punctual. Something wrong?" "I'm sorry, Professor. I lost my student card, so I need to get a new one now." The old man pursed his lips knowingly. Different person, same trick. With a heavy exhale, he stepped past her. Maria adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and walked quietly to the exit. ***** The lady in the admin office issued Maria a slip of paper as a temporary ID until her new card was made. "You must have messed with the wrong people." She shook her head with her lips pressed in a sympathetic line. Maria creased her brows. She had been keeping to herself this whole time. How could she offend anyone? It was when she returned to her room and saw her student card on her table, in perfect condition, she understood. Julie's smug expression flashed across her mind. It can't be her. Maria shook her head in denial. Why would she steal my card? Then, she saw a handwritten note beside it. LEAVE. Bile rose in her throat. ***** Maria stared at the sandwich and sighed. She couldn't find her notes. It was on the table when she left the lecture hall for the washroom. It was gone when she returned. Of course, no one knew what happened. Not even the guy who sat a few seats from her. He was minding his own business, he told Maria when she asked and added that he didn't want any trouble. Maria instantly knew it was Julie. A few days after the student card incident, Maria found her blue dress torn and tattered in the bushes behind the dorm. Another few days later, her books went missing. She searched all the possible places until Julie suggested that she take a dip in the pool to cool her nerves. True enough, she found them at the pool, floating defenselessly in the waters. Since it was already past midnight, she had to fish the books out on her own. Even so, they were thoroughly soaked and ruined, so she had to borrow from the library and rush through her assignment, missing sleep and almost missing the deadline. Why didn't she call home for money to get new ones? Because it was about time she started solving her own problems. Or Sarkon will never see you as a woman. You don't want to forever be that whiny kid who cries whenever something goes wrong. Maria took in a deep breath and straightened with a newfound motivation. She'll find those no– SPLASH! Something icy and wet slammed into her face, sending spikes of shock up her spine. When she opened her eyes, she was drenched. Her white blouse had ugly blotches of blue all over. Her sandwich was sitting in a puddle of blueberry juice. "Oops." Maria lifted her gaze to Julie's unapologetic face and smug smile. "I thought this was the bin." She flashed an innocent grin. Laughter erupted from the horde of people behind her. Encouraged, Julie crossed her toned arms across her busty chest and raised her nose proudly. "Go back to where you belong, country girl." The cafeteria exploded in a cruel chant, "Go back, country girl! Go back, country girl!" Ignoring the bitter taste in her mouth, Maria stood with her hands balled in two tight fists and continued with her politeness. "Can I have my notes back, Julie? There's a test tomorrow, so I need to study." Julie's eyes grew for a brief moment. How dare she make her look like a bully! What a scheming slut! "Are you accusing me of stealing?" Julie shot back an incredulous look. "N-no. I'm only asking if you could return them to me," Maria continued in a polite tone. "The test is really important to me." "I didn't take them." Julie greeted her teeth. She glanced at one of the girls in her clique, and the girl sneaked off. "You can't frame me like that! Apologize this instant!" Maria stared at the pretty girl for a brief moment, she then grabbed her stuff and bowed, "I'm sorry, Yani." "Pfft! What a snob you are, Maria. You sound like the test is only important to you." Maria kept still and silent. Her gaze was on her forlorn sandwich. "If you truly belonged here, you won't have to be the nerd you are now." Julie frowned in disgust. "Pathetic." She scowled and strolled off. Amid the merciless murmurs and snickers, Maria lowered her head and walked off to the washroom. The lonely brunette sat on the toilet in silence, staring at the mobile in her hands as if staring at it would recharge her. She sighed and rested her head against the cubicle wall and closed her eyes. In the darkness, those crystal blue eyes looked back at her, filling her with warmth. A familiar snigger came from outside her cubicle and disrupted her peace. Maria's eyes flew open with apprehension. A waterfall of the stickiest and smelliest warm fluid came down on her. ***** Maria sat at her desk, all freshened up, cleaned and dry… This afternoon, after throwing a bucket of dirty water onto her, they—likely Julie's clique of friends—locked the door from the outside and in cackled like hyenas. "You'll need time to cool off. We'll let you out at the end of today." They sniggered some more and added, "If we remember." They then left. Old school tricks, childish even, but Maria decided to wait until they released her. She wasn't going to fight back because she was no match for them. Plus, everyone at home would have been upset if they learned about this. It's just a prank. I'm not hurt, so there's no need to trouble anyone unnecessarily, she encouraged herself. She would have to work doubly hard, likely miss sleep again, to catch up with the classes she'd miss for the day. Perhaps she could seek help from that professor. No, it was better to stay low. If Julie knew that the professor had helped her, she might get that poor man fired. As coldness seeped through her skin, sending chills up and down her spine, she crouched on the toilet seat to harness every bit of warmth when the door clicked open. Maria scrambled to her feet to catch the good Samaritan, but there was no one. Staring at the mobile, Maria couldn't help but wonder who that person was. Why did he/she help her? Maybe it was just a nice passerby. She smiled at the thought. There are good people around after all… Her fingers reached out for the mobile. It was dead. No matter what she tried, she couldn't switch it on. Silence enveloped her like a thick blanket on the warmest day of summer.