Adventure in the World of Crimes

1.5 A Club Without a Member

"What happened back there? I saw you getting sorted out, orientation wasn't like that before." Eloise curiously asked a famished Laura who was now devouring the food they bought in the fancy canteen just now like a lion. They decided to eat first because the 'finding who the culprit is' took a very long time until they got past noon and everyone was complaining of hunger.

They only let them go when her husband meddled in, saying that it may only just the broken phone that had access something before it broke, so though Mrs. Sarah was skeptical about that idea, she let them go, like as she should. It was also the only time they heard Mr. Paul's deep voice wishing them to enjoy their lunch, in a scary tone.

Laura swallowed the food in her mouth first before answering, "Typical boys fought and someone broke a rule and this director came gushing over this matter and even starved us. Is she normally like that? She's cruel!" She complained, frowning while munching a big bite of boneless fried chicken soundly.

"She's not really that scary, she's more of annoying and vociferous, nothing compared to her husband who rarely speaks but when he does, you'll feel like you were in Antarctica." Eloise picked up one piece of potato fries and bit on it, "He's also our professor since he is a doctor. We sometimes go to his hospital for more realistic learnings." She added.

Laura only nodded as she straight up drunk her strawberry milkshake and even made a refreshing sound after which made Eloise looks at her weirdly and felt the pain for Laura instead because the drink was a cold one.

Agents have always had an appetite, after they did a task, they will go straight to a restaurant no matter how gore the scene they came from and eat all they could consume there, but they still keep their healthy figure through heavy exercises the next morning.

"On that note, are we classmates? What year are you in by the way?" She asked, realizing that she didn't ask about that last night.

"Third as well. I'm in class A, you?"

She rolled her eyes in disappointment, "Class C."

Eloise gave her a small smile, "Sad to know that, but I think even if we're still in the same class you'll rarely see me there. We often got pulled out to train all day, especially that the annual competition is on the corner."

"How're your studies then? Don't you have grades to maintain to be a scholar and athlete at the same time?"

"You must not have made your research about UOE, Laura, that's also why you ended up here. To tell you frankly, this school is the worst." She spat, not even filtering the word she described the school that provided her home and education, "Erudites means knowledge gained from books, and the people here, the teachers, the principal, took it literally. They're making us memorize everything from the books, even the most insignificant detail, I'm not exaggerating but academic scholars are not allowed to hold anything but a book and do anything but to read, except of course when you eat, take a bath, and sleep, the only people allowed to hold sports equipment were the sports scholars obviously, we can do whatever we want, we can still play even if we have failing grades, all we just need to do and secure is the first spot and collect the championship trophies, also, to warn you now, there are bullies here, and they are amongst the sports scholars."

Well, sounds like 'the worst'. Laura thought to herself, even wanting to finish her task now.

About the bullies, she thought of someone when she heard the word. "Is this little soccer guy I met yesterday in the field a bully?"

"Sucker?"

Laura coughed up in surprise and looked at her chillingly, "Soccer, Eloise, the sports where you kick the ball to the goal." She explained, gesticulating it for a better understanding.

Eloise laughed, "I was just messing around. Anyway, soccer guy, you mean, this six feet tall, perfectly build body, the handsome captain--"

"Looks arrogant which I know he really is, too nosy for a big guy like him, attention-seeker, kicked the ball to my side and even threw it at me when I ignored him. Yeah, I think we're talking about that guy." She continued since the latter appeared to be a fangirl and would never say a bad thing about this certain guy which she should be.

"He did that to you?" Eloise asked in surprise like a guy like him would never do such a thing. "He's a gentleman, he never hurt anyone in this school intentionally."

"Well, you're speaking in a fangirl's point of view and I'm speaking as a victim, who do you think should we believe?" She simply replied, silently telling her that she wouldn't believe her.

"No, really Laura. I admit he may be weird sometimes but he is a good guy. He's not one of those bullies I was talking about. He is even the president of a club!" The latter explained, eyes almost forming into a heart which annoyed Laura a little because what she witnessed was the complete opposite of what she's describing him.

"Wait, club?" She curiously asked, "You have that here?"

Eloise rolled her eyes, "C'mon Laura, almost all of the school have that. Didn't they discuss it in the orientation? You have to have a club membership in one of the clubs in the school within your first week."

She didn't know if it was not discussed or she was just not listening, most probably the latter as she was busy planning earlier. She nodded in realization and understanding, "So, this good guy for you but not for me is a president of which club?"

"Believe it or not, a Sleuth Club."

Laura snorted, "That's for the lazy scholars here right? Is there even one?"

Eloise rubbed her eyebrow, watching Laura laugh and being judgmental. "That's not the kind of sleuth he means by that club. Sleuth as in a detective."

Laura stopped laughing, her brow raised as she squinted her eyes, "Are you for real? That git is into that kind of thing?"

She nodded, "Weird, right? But you know what's weirder and amusing?"

"What?"

"The club has no member."

A beat.

A boisterous laugh cracked the silence of the place that echoed in the whole canteen and snapped the scholars' attention from whatever they were doing as they eyed the woman laughing like a lunatic on the side while the other girl was hiding her face in embarrassment, whisper-yelling to her to stop.

"Laura! Every place here is a library! Stop it."

Laura let out a series of coughs first before finally calming down. She couldn't believe a club without a member would make her laugh like that, especially that it's the club of the guy who rudely tried to get through her yesterday, "So, anyway, a self-proclaimed president, huh?" She chuckled again, shaking her head.

"Wasn't there any rule like you have to have this certain number of members to be eligible in forming a club, something like that?"

"Well, there is. But Blake had members before. Not until.." She cleared her throat, "Actually, I don't know what happened. Anyway, I think his club will be demolished if he does not gather at least one club member. It's very easy if it is another club, however, no one here is interested in that kind of club."

Laura leaned back to her chair, arms crossed, and now thinking of this unfortunate club, it was not surprising to know that no one was interested in a mystery club, it was even more surprising that there was a club like that in this school. "What does this club has done so far?"

"I don't know, really. It is like a non-existent club and I think was only made by.. Blake's group of friends."

Something's hindering Eloise to say the whole information about the club, Laura noticed. She looked like she was thinking every word she'll say thoroughly and carefully.

"What's your relationship with this Blake guy?" She curiously asked, squinting her eyes as if interviewing her.

"He knows me, I know him. We're acquainted?" She answered, unsure. She sipped on her milkshake and looked out of the glass window.

Laura hummed, not believing her words even a bit, but let it go. "Do you have any suggestions on which club should I join in?"

She thought of it first. finger on her chin and nibbling her lips. "I think all of the academic clubs you could ever think of is here, arts, math, dance, choir, etc. You can check it on the announcement board later. Instead, I highly suggest that you avoid joining fraternity and sorority."

"What? These book monsters got time to join that kind of group?" She asked in disbelief.

Eloise nodded, "Sadly, they do that to avoid being the target of bullies, which actually works, but they become their slaves after."

"Egotistic, problematic young fellows." Laura muttered under her breath, "Should I start creating my own club that protects these poor bullied scholars?"

The short-haired girl chuckled without humor while shaking her head, "Many tried that, Laura. But look. there are still bullies."

'They only need a good beating', Laura wanted to say but stopped herself as it may raise suspicion and confusion about her identity.

They were talking and taking their time in the canteen as they decided to just have their tour later at around two in the afternoon. They are laughing about something when a girl came rushing in, breathing heavily, horror visible on her face, and looked like she was about to combust.

"S-someone.." She breathed and gasped for air, "Someone is dead!"