Adventure in the World of Crimes

1.6 Self-Proclaimed President

"I-it's Earl! Earl Buenaventura! In the Nursing building's rooftop!"

Laura felt her heart leaped as the girl dropped the name of the one whom she said died and committed suicide. She felt like her ears became deaf and her mind couldn't process the situation, it's her supposed to be the first target, he's now dead. She was frozen on her seat like a statue, she had planned on finding Earl Buenaventura the next day since it was the official start of the semester and they'll meet in the nursing building, but how would she do that if this happened?

Her gaze turned across her when she heard a loud screeching of moving chair, and the next thing she knew, Eloise was now running out of the canteen. That's also the time the other scholars race out as well not because of worry but to have a good sight of what was happening.

She couldn't see even the slightest worry on their faces, fear was there but mostly, they were being giddy and smiley in excitement when they shouldn't have. Laura didn't know which one to be more scared of.

She reached the nursing building's rooftop with a lot of scholars blocking the front door and the view so she had to squeeze herself in until she got in front where the bloodied deceased body of Earl Buenaventura laid on the pavement, the knife used to stab himself was still intact in his chest, he was holding it tightly as if trying to remove it, but what confused her was the tear stain on his face that she could tell that he cried before he died but it opposed the peacefulness of his face with his lips curled upwards like he was then smiling.

Her eyes landed on the left, her forehead slowly creased upon seeing the guy they were just talking about earlier, seriously looking at the body with his hands on his chin and looking like he was too immersed in the scene before him, he's wearing a white shirt and a black sports shorts, his one foot was slightly raised as he was stepping on a soccer ball, his eyes started roaming around the place, looking at every corner and even at his back as if he was looking for something.

Laura didn't realize she was looking at him for a longer time and was too late to look away when their eyes met.

"I knew you'd be here." He said with a boyish smile, his soccer ball was now on his hip as he approached a glaring Laura and seemingly warning him not to go near her but he still did.

"If you're trying to get into my nerves, stop now before I make you eat that ball of yours." She sternly replied, rolling her eyes at him as she started looking for Eloise whom as far as she knew ran to there as well.

She heard him let out an airy chuckle, "Chill! You really seem so capable of doing that to me so I'm standing a foot and a half away from you." He said, gently combing his brown silky hair with his gaze still on the dead body.

"Glad you know that but it is still not enough, you should have stayed where you were or even out of my sight." She answered a bit rudely, now facing him to let him know her enormous displease.

But he didn't falter, he looked at her for a while and gave her a smirk then looked back at facing forward, "I have a bet to make--"

"No."

"Just listen--"

"No."

"Did he commit suicide or he was murdered?"

Laura snorted in amusement, "I see now, Mister Self-Proclaimed President. Everything Eloise told me about you is right. Oh, well not all since I still don't see you as the 'good guy' as she described you to be, but it is shocking to know that you're really into mysteries." She mocked, crossing her arms.

He smirked and was about to reply when someone interrupted him and the chattering noise, by a loud voice of which she believed was the president of the Student Council with three guards or sentinels as what Eloise had told her as well earlier, carrying a stretcher and a white blanket. "Get out of the way! Go back to your own errands!"

The crowd moved to the side so Laura also had to move that made her stand beside the self-proclaimed president. She watched as they placed Earl's body on the stretcher and covered him with a blanket but the knife created a bulge under.

The mass of scholars was also starting to disperse, following the command of the president as they all descend on the stairs and back to where they were before the commotion happened. She observed the lady in orange, she looked at her from head to toe, she's a beauty. Her eyes particularly caught a glimpse of her white shoe, her eyes creased as there were like splattered red blood on it. But she assumed it was from when she stepped on the blood on the floor.

"I see that Eloise has already introduced-- Hey! Where are you going?" He called out Laura who was now walking towards the door out of the rooftop.

"Down? I'm not interested in whatever you will say." She nonchalantly replied without even looking back, he was not one of his prospects in the university so she's just wasting her time with him. She needed to find Eloise and make sure that she will not end up like Earl Buenaventura, she's her starting point with the task, though it was supposed to be Earl, but changed of plan.

One more thing, she needed to find the anonymous sender whom she bet knew something more than Eloise does, but she doesn't know where to start, and this guy sure does not know anything.

She was one step out of the rooftop when she felt again the change of air on her back, she immediately looked back, bent down when the ball darted fast approaching to her face as she raised her right foot to hit the ball back to its annoying owner who caught it through his chest and even tossed it back and forth using both of his knees with a victorious smile plastered on his face.

"Are you really trying to get on my nerves!?" Laura exclaimed, gritting her teeth in annoyance two days in a row with the same guy.

"Woah there, Miss." He cooly replied, chuckling at the sudden rise of voice, he raised both of his hand and waved it slowly, trying to calm her down, "I just want to talk to you but you won't pay me attention and so I have to use my unique way of getting someone's, I mean everyone's attention."

"And that is by breaking their skull? Can you just.. save whatever you want to say for someone else? I'm busy." She irritatedly said, pushing her hair backward and then ruffling it. This guy was starting to get into her nerves and she really was tempted to show him how people ended up after messing with an agent. He should be glad that Dany was not the one assigned there, he would be with Earl now if ever.

"Nope. We are bound to meet, Miss. What's your name by the way? I'm Blake Foster." He stretched his hand forward though he was too far from where Laura stood. He might be acting bubbly and childish but he's still scared of the girl.

She sighed, finally giving in to whatever this git was up to. She sat on the pavement and glared at him, "Laura Simpson. Let's end this quickly, what do you want?"

Blake beamed, "Originally, I want to have a bet of what happened to Earl, but I'm sure it's suicide so let's throw it overboard and I would just ask you straightforwardly to join my club." He grins after, even wiggling his brows playfully much in Laura's disgust.

Laura snorted, "You're really going to this extent just to save your poor club? Begging the woman you rudely welcomed yesterday? How pathetic." She spat, standing up again to walk to where the previous body lay, she picked up a white stone and started drawing lines that Blake couldn't figure out what at first but then when she's halfway through he realized that it was exactly Earl's position.

He clapped once, "Impressive! You should join my club."

Laura threw the stone and shook off the dust from her hands, crossing her arms as she stared blankly at Blake and pointed the drawing, "I will join your club if you explain to me your theory."

"You should be the one appealing to me and not me, the president of the club." He remarked, but Laura only gave her a raise of the brow as if telling him that she will go if he won't start now. "Right, so, this is suicide unlike what happened in the past four months where there was possibly foul play hap... I mean, well, this is sui--"

"You know something." Laura interjected, squinting her eyes as she looked at Blake suspiciously, "Who are you?"

"I said I'm Bla-- Ugh!" He didn't get to finish his sentence when Laura grabbed his shirt and formed her fist, ready to punch him onto his face.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Mr. Foster," Laura uttered intimidatingly, pulling more of Blake's shirt that almost made him choke.

Blake smiled, not showing any fear because why would he? Laura needs him.

He cleared his throat, looking straight to her eyes, "I.. am the anonymous sender."