JANE'S POV
I could tell something was wrong the moment the Principal called me into his office, although I could not really place my hand on what exactly it was.
I had not attended class all day.
I had spent almost the entire day cleaning like some underpaid janitor because of my punishment, so hearing that the Principal wanted to see me immediately made my chest tighten slightly.
As I approached the office door, I noticed something strange.
Andrew and Vivian— or as she preferred to be called, Gossip Queen —were walking hurriedly down the hallway toward the same direction.
Both of them looked disturbed, not confused but disturbed. Andrew's expression alone was enough to make me nervous. Before I could call out to them;
The Principal shut the door.
GBAM!
The loud sound echoed through the office instantly.
The moment I turned around, I realized we were not alone.
The same police officers from the Founder's Building were inside.
My stomach tightened.
One of them sat comfortably on the chair like he owned the office. A man probably in his late fifties with a strange beard style, a weird haircut, and the energy of an overexcited child trapped inside an old man's body. His whole appearance made me feel like I was in a toy shop.
And somehow… his pot belly annoyed me.
"Have your seat. Where have you been all day?" he said.
I stared at him briefly before glancing at the Principal with a silent look of;
You know these people?
The Principal avoided eye contact immediately.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious, I thought as I kept staring at the Principal.
"I'll go straight to the point," another officer said calmly as he stretched his hand toward me. I turned to his direction. "I'm Jesse."
I shook his hand carefully.
"I'm Jane."
"Well, Jane…" his expression became serious suddenly. "Your roommate was poisoned today."
For a moment, my emotions became confusing even to me, like they were a mix of shock, relief.
The guilt for feeling relieved.
All at once.
Emma poisoned?
Part of me felt terrible.
The other part silently whispered;
Maybe now she would finally leave me alone.
"I know you've been here since morning," Officer Jesse continued, "but according to reports from your roommate and a few other students, you are currently our prime suspect."
"What?" The word escape before I could think
"For the meantime," he continued calmly, "you will be placed under Isolation."
"But why?" I cut in immediately.
"So we can figure out the full story."
My anger rose instantly.
"And you also have to vacate your room temporarily."
That was where I drew the line.
"That I cannot do," I replied sharply. "Why should I leave? She's the one who doesn't want me there. She should be the one leaving."
The older officer sighed dramatically.
"Young lady"
"No," I snapped. "This makes no sense. I've been cleaning all day!"
"Jane," the Principal finally spoke quietly. "Please cooperate."
Something about his tone irritated me even more, 'he knew what was going on and he let them question me and isolate me.'
I clenched my fists tightly.
"Fine," I muttered bitterly.
The officers exchanged glances before Jesse stood up.
"You are not allowed to leave the hostel area without permission," he said. "And until investigations are complete, interaction with other students will be limited."
"So basically," I replied dryly, "school prison. I didn't even kill anybody. You are the Police you should know better than collecting bribes"
"Jane!" The Principal called out angrily.
"What!! tsk" I fired back.
Nobody laughed.
The tension in the air was so thick and choking.
I know so well that I can not win this, not even close. Emma got power, I was brought here an orphan there is nobody I have to run to and that is why it hurt more.
The Principal finally opened the office door for me.
I walked out like I just defeated a wild lion. Outside, my eyes immediately searched for Andrew and Vivian, but both of them were gone.
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
ON getting to the administrative block, close to the Human Resource Office I saw some students, murmuring, so loud I could tell what they were saying,
"Isn't that the girl?"
"They said she poisoned Emma."
"I heard they found evidence."
I ignored them and kept walking. For a while, it felt good to walk and people turn their heads just to look at you, but mine was not for a good cause. I walked faster, to avoid them and I wasn't in the mood for fake sympathy or curious gossip. Besides, if there was one person capable of finding the truth, it was Vivian.
That girl probably had spies hidden inside the walls.
Outside, I met them, Andrew and Vivian...they were talking….
But as soon as they saw me, they both went silent, stared at me like it was their first time seeing me.
Somewhere deep within the Senate Building, something metal fell to the ground with a loud,
CLANG.
The sound echoed slowly through the halls.
Deliberate, as though the school itself was watching everything I do.
I said nothing and started to walk.
They were silent and walked behind me. When I got to my dorm, I turned to them, had a very brief conversation and then left.
Not so far from them,
I paused,
"Find who did it Queen." I said to Vivian without turning back.
"I will." She replied and I continued my journey.
I pushed my room door open....
then froze immediately.
It was scattered.
My clothes were on the floor.
Books thrown carelessly around.
My drawer left hanging open like someone searched through everything aggressively.
Emma's belongings were gone. Her side of the room was empty....
To me it was good news.
I stood there quietly for a few seconds, anger slowly building inside my chest.
"What is wrong with this girl?" I muttered.
Part of me wanted to scream. Another part wanted to destroy something but instead, I shut the door and started rearranging the room.
Cleaning helped me think.
I folded my clothes neatly, stacked my books properly, arranged my table,
Then suddenly,
I stopped moving….
The investigation board.
Gone.
"No… no, no, no."
I rushed toward the corner where I hid it carefully behind loose papers and an old wooden frame.
Nothing.
It was gone, completely.
That board had everything.
The timelines.
The deaths.
The connections I had been piecing together for weeks.
If someone took it, then someone knew I was investigating.
I immediately turned and pulled the door open,
Only to nearly run into two security guards standing directly outside my room.
I blinked.
"What are you doing here?"
Neither of them answered. I tried to walk outside but they pushed me back in.
"I have to go somewhere important," I said quickly, still trying to move past them.
One immediately blocked my way.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Are you guys serious right now?"
Still silence.
My frustration exploded instantly.
"I didn't even kill anybody okay!" I snapped angrily. "How am I supposed to clear my name if you lock me up like this?"
One of the guards, probably in his late 40ths, tall, huge muscular, looks like someone who lives in the gym finally sighed before speaking.
"Girl, you are under isolation."
My stomach dropped slightly.
"You cannot leave this room," he continued coldly. "And nobody is allowed to speak to you."
For a moment, I just stared at him.
Isolation?
Like I was some dangerous criminal?
I clenched my fists tightly.
Then without another word, I slammed the door shut so hard the walls trembled slightly.
I paced around angrily.
Why would Emma frame me?
And my board;
No.
I had no idea what to do, think, or how to react.
If Emma planned this then she must have known that it is a case and …..
It just didn't make any sense in my head.
Another terrible thought slowly crept into my mind.
What if Emma is involved? Like what if she was working with dem bag guys.
The thought made my skin crawl.
Exhausted, I threw myself onto the bed and stared at the ceiling angrily….like it had a gladness solution in mind,
Then suddenly;
One of the light bulbs went off. The room became dimmer immediately.
"At this point, nothing in this school surprises me anymore," I muttered and then ignored it, but curiosity got the best of me.
I dragged a chair beneath the bulb and carefully unscrewed it. Though it was hard to unscrew but I just kept trying.
The moment it loosened, something small dropped directly into my palm.
A folded white paper.
My heartbeat immediately increased
The culprit finally noticed me.