Searching Student X [ COMPLETED ]

Great Play

Neiza Tuazon Pov

XO Club. That was what we call them. They were a group of students that the Supreme Student Council didn't recognize. All they did was ruin the peace here in the campus. For some reason, we couldn't trace nor find them, they were too mysterious, leaving disturbing codes, doing foolish pranks, and threatening students.

There were instances where the Student Council wanted to locate the mysterious group, but the XO Club became more wrathful. The Supreme Student Council couldn't get the point of the group, where in fact, they just wanted an attention, but their idiotic actions were very disturbing to the whole academy.

"Paano mo nalaman na nasa loob ng locker ang kaibigan mo?" tanong ko sa lalaking nag-send ng message kanina sa akin.

I looked at the student, checking if he was still breathing or if he fainted already, because he did not respond to my simple question. He was too occupied with what was happening.

"Nakatanggap ako ng text message mula sa isang unregistered number. Sinabi niya na nasa locker room ang kaklase ko, pero hindi ko inaasahan na may bomba pa silang iniwan," he replied while handing me his phone. His face was pale and sweating like crazy.

"Y-You were the one I called first because I know you are the only one who knows about this case."

Liam, it said on the phone. Maybe that was his name. I thought to myself.

What's with him? It felt like he showered me with a pail full of cold water with some ice in it. I shook the thought away and brought my attention back to the phone and read the message.

I cannot be made, borrowed, or given, you see, but you can wait for me, have me, and be me for free.

"Really?" I hissed. At this early hour, they were going to make me solve this riddle?

These students are insane!

Don't they know that they are disturbing the students' lives?

I was supposed to be sticking print-outs at this time. My chain of thoughts was cut off because I heard Mr. Lou, the gymnasium janitor, said, "One minute left!"

I knelt once again and touched the old phone device, then I instantly let go of it because it was burning hot. The device had seven blanks flashed on the screen.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __

There were only numbers on the keypad of the device, ranging from zero to nine.

I assumed that it was just an ordinary phone device with keypads on it. I imagined that there was a letter in every number and it was just a simple substitution, which was basically needed.

"Phone keypads allow us to write messages in multi-tap, T9 code, vanity, and can be used as a cipher. The multi-tap code is the name given to the telephone input technique that consists of writing a letter by repeating the corresponding key on the mobile phone keypads."

Slowly, I pressed the four numbers which were the answer to the riddle.

Thirty seconds remaining . . .

8-444- 6-33

"Time," I whispered.

I pushed the okay button, the timer stopped at fifteen seconds.

Maingat kong inalis sa tapat ng pinto ang improvised bomb para mabuksan nang maayos ang pinto ng locker room.

"Mr. Louie? Nasaan po ang susi nitong locker room?" tanong ko sa kaniya kahit na obvious naman na nasa kaniya ito dahil isa siyang janitor ng school, pero nagkamali ako, wala sa kaniya ang susi.

"Kanina ko pa hinahanap. Nawawala na iyon kanina pang umaga," seryoso nitong sabi.

"Liam! Come here," I called him and he quickly walked towards me.

"Do you know how to pick a lock?" I questioned, but he hastily shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"May usok!" sigaw ng isang babae na umalingawngaw sa buong gymnasium.

Napalingon kami sa improvised bomb sa gilid at totoo nga na naglalabas iyon ng usok.

Mabilis na kumilos si Mr. Louie na paalisin ang mga estudyante sa loob ng gym, maging si Liam ay itinulak ko na para umalis at sumunod sa mga iba pang estudyante.

"No! I was the one who called you, so I will stay here with you!" he demanded.

The bomb was still producing smoke that rapidly scattered throughout the whole place, but fifteen seconds was still flashed on the timer. I immediately formulated a plan in my head. We have to get out of this gymnasium straight away and of course, with Liam's friend.

"We need to force the door open," I seriously said. Mr. Lou gently pushed me away from the door.

"On the count of three, one . . . two . . . three!" Liam yelled as they forcibly hit the door of the locker room. But it won't even budge. I touched my head because of the pounding headache.

It's your entire fault, XO Club!

Suddenly, I felt something on my hair.

"Hairpin!" I screeched, causing them to look at me.

I ran towards the door and inserted the hairpin through the hole. I tried to unlock the doorknob as much as I could, even though I didn't know what I was actually doing. I twisted and turned the hairpin warily. I could feel my sweat trickling down my forehead.

"Please, open up!"

Gosh, I really am going to kill those members of XO Club.

In the middle of my ranting, there was a gentle hand that tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Just focus," he muttered. It was Liam.

"Can you not!" I swatted his hand away from my face.

"Go away! I'm trying to concentrate here," I responded to him.

Click!

The lock was finally unlocked. I anxiously turned the doorknob and opened the door further, revealing an unconscious girl who looked like a mess, but you could still see that she was attractive. Both of her hands and feet were tied, her mouth was covered with a duct tape, and she was lying on the cold, cemented floor of the locker room.

I was rooted from where I was standing. I did not notice the medics that came rushing through the entrance and the police who said that the bomb was not a real bomb. It was just some improvised bomb that was full of powder that could be mistaken as a smoke.

What a great play, XO Club.

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