GRIEVOUS VENGEANCE

CHAPTER 12

"Janine, Jackie," Mark called their names. He's with Marvin, waving his hand to greet them. "Good morning, Sir." SPO3 Arthur Alistair nodded to greet him back.

"Mark, what are you doing here?" Janine asked. "It's too early for you to visit the school."

"I transferred here," he simply replied. "I'm back to first year."

"You what?!" Janine said in shocked." Why? We do not have Engineering course here."

"I shifted to Commerce." He grinned.

"Is that because of someone? Are you sure with your decision?" Jackie asked. She's laughing and teasing Janine. She gave her best friend a strange look.

"That's one of the reasons," Mark said, scratching his head. "Second is to be with my cousin here. Third is that, Engineering's not for me. We have a business I need to take over once I graduated college."

"Janine, let me leave you here first," Arthur said. "I need to talk to several people to conduct an investigation. I'll go ahead."

"Sure, Papa, be careful." Janine waved her hand to her father.

"Your father is dedicated to his job. He's a role model," Mark said.

"He's my hero. I look up to him." Janine smiled. "I'm proud of him."

"By the way, have you heard what happened, guys?" Marvin asked. "One of the students here died in their house."

"Yeah, we watched the early news. It was creepy." Jackie hugged herself. "Sandy died late afternoon then that guy died last night."

"Do you think someone is behind the killings?" Marvin excitingly asked. "Or is this some kind of paranormal case?"

'Why are you so hyper about it?" Jackie laughed at him.

"I love paranormal events. Curious on how they happen and what triggers them." Marvin explained. "See, I have high regards to people with special ability."

"I can see that." Jackie and Marvin walked ahead of Janine and Mark as they talk. They both just shook their heads while looking at those two.

"Jackie seemed found her match," Janine whispered, laughing while looking at her best friend.

"Like me, I found you." Mark cleared his throat. "I mean..."

Janine laughed. "Are you really serious about me?"

"Yes, I am. I will do everything to prove to you about what I feel, and I'm serious." Mark gazed at Janine's eyes. "I want you to get to know me more. I'm not rushing things."

She saw sincerity and passion in his eyes. Her cheeks became hot and she choked. "Breathe, Janine, breathe," she said to herself. She exhaled deeply before speaking up. "Thank you. L-let's get to know each other then."

"Thank you, Janine," Mark replied.

"Let's go ahead and follow them." Janine pointed at Jackie and Marvin. The two already reached the main building and seemed still talking over something.

"Right." Mark laughed. They were about to walk towards the building when Janine accidentally bumped someone. They both dropped their stuff on the floor. Their books and papers got mixed up.

"I-I'm sorry, sorry," the girl said. She panickly picked her things.

"It's okay, you didn't mean it," Janine replied. She picked their books and Mark helped them up.

"Hey, you're Sandy's friend," Janine said. She recognized her.

"Y-Yes," she replied hesistantly.

"I-I'm sorry about what happened to her," Janine said in apologetic tone. "She was so fine in the clinic before it happened. I doubt she would commit suicide."

The girl's face lit up. "Do you really think so?"

"I mean, she had her wound tended so why would she jump to get more wounds or worst, die like that, right?" Janine stood up. "I think something might really happened, I just don't know what."

"Thank you," the girl said. She started sobbing. "Almost everyone says she committed suicide. She's a strong woman. She won't do that because of bullying."

Janine held her shoulder. "Don't worry, my father is the assigned police to investigate what happened. I'm sure he will find out the truth."

'Thank you," she said. "I want to know the truth. She's my one and only best friend."

"If you need to ask something or you need someone to talk to, message me or call me." Janine looked for her pen and paper, then wrote her number. "Here. Janine Alistair."

"I'm Nadia Perez," she said. She offered a handshake to Janine. "Nice meeting you, and thanks for this." She raised the paper with Janine's number.

"You're welcome. We'll go ahead first," Janine excused herself. They walked towards Jackie and Marvin who are waving their hands to them, telling them to hurry up.

"What took you so long?" Jackie asked. She glanced at the girl she just bumped into. "She's Sandy's friend. I remember her kinky hair and her deep scar on her forehead."

"Right, she seemed bothered over something that's why she's in a hurry. Probably because of Sandy's sudden death."

"Janine, is this yours?" Mark handed a notebook. It looks like an old slum note, where you need to fill in your basic information, likes, dislikes, hobby, motto and crush.

"No, this isn't mine," Janine replied back. She took the slum note and opened it. Suddenly she felt dizzy, almost about to fall on the floor, but Mark caught her immediately.

"Janine!" all three of them shouted.

Janine saw Sandy in her vision. her bloody face appeared on a phone screen and started coming out from it. Her hand is reaching towards Janine, about to choke her.

"Janine!" Jackie shouted. She immediately took the slum note from Janine's hand.

"J-Jackie," Janine said in between catching her breath. She held her neck and coughed hard.

"What happened? What did you see?" Mark asked. He brushed her hair on her forehead and held her hand.

"I saw Sandy coming out of a phone not familiar to me, and she choked me," Janine replied. "S-she's probably after someone again. T-the phone is the same as the one we see in Korean dramas, a folded smartphone. I-I haven't seen one myself personally." Janine was about to get up but she immediately collapsed in Mark's arms.

Janine!" Mark shook her a little but she did not respond.

"Let's bring her to the clinic," Jackie suggested. "Nurse Jen will take care of her."

Mark carried her and brought her to the clinic, Jackie and Marvin followed.

"Is this what always happens to her whenever she's about to see something in her vision?" Marvin asked.

"Yes," Jackie said. "I'm not yet used to it. She can't touch whatever and see visions accidentally beause she always loses consciousness. Glad Mark is here." She sighed as she's looking on her friend being carried towards the clinic.