The Technique

Chapter 11: Winner

I didn't expect mom to stop in here. Mr. David didn't tell me he'd invite mom. Like the rest of the people, mom was looking at the man who almost broke his lungs from shouting. Her eyebrows were hesitantly raising. Her hands were slightly covering her hanging open mouth. That was the very first time I saw mom that shocked. 

"What are you talking about?" I heard the organizer ask. 

It was as though he didn't believe in what the man just said. He was looking at the audience and the students back and forth, and it was obvious he didn't want this day to be ruined. 

"Oh no," Stella whispered next to me. "There's no way I'm seeing a corpse." She immediately turned her eyes away when a group of a man appeared carrying a body bag with blood splotches. 

Everyone uttered something like a curse. They seemed so surprised to witness a dead man in an event like this. Except for Greg, who casually watched the group of men while they carried the dead man out of the room. 

"You don't have to see this! We're sorry," a man shouted while trying his best to cover the body bag before going out of the room. 

"I'm sorry," the speaker apologized. "I'm sorry you had to witness that thing. We will take full responsibility for what happened today. But we shouldn't let that ruin this wonderful event." He rubbed his wrist and breathed deep. 

"This whole situation is awkward," Stella whispered. 

"Okay," the speaker continued. "Now, I want to call the students from Colbie University to come here with me and receive this award. Congratulations." 

We walked up in the front with the speaker as everyone clapped most awkwardly. I was sure everyone didn't know if they would clap after what they had just seen, including the energetic fat guy. Stella held the trophy and tried her best to smile in front of the photographer. Greg smirked. I plastered a fake smile. After the weak photoshoot, Stella uttered, "Thanks." 

The speaker told us to go out of the room as fast as possible to give way to the policemen. My heart throbbed so fast when they walked past us since they were going to investigate the crime scene. But Greg didn't show any emotion as if he was certain his fingerprints or any evidence wouldn't be seen. 

"Nathan," mom called behind me. We were standing outside the room and were waiting for Mr. David to come to pick us. "Mom's here." 

I smiled as she gave me a warm hug. 

Greg sat on one of the benches as Stella's mom appeared, too. 

"Mom, you didn't call," I said. 

She smiled. "Your teacher called me. Maybe, to give some moral support?" 

"I never saw you the whole time. I didn't receive your moral support," I joked awkwardly while looking back at the front door to check if the policemen found anything. Or if they were searching for me and Greg to take to the police station at any moment. 

"By the way, congrats to all of you!" mom shouted. She heaved deeply and looked at the front door, too, looking scared. 

Stella smiled at her. Greg didn't give a damn. 

"Did you see the corpse? That looked so awful," Stella's mom said, putting her hands on her chest. 

"Oh yea, that was my first time," mom replied. 

"Mom, can we please stop talking about it anymore? That's not helping. It would haunt me to sleep," Stella said. 

Suddenly the door opened and came out two policemen with their puffy eyes. My body began to tremble once again. What if they were out to look for us? 

"Oh my... did you find the killer?" Stella's mom asked at one of the police. Stella rubbed her mom's hand with her fingers. 

"No," the police answered. But that didn't make me feel at ease. "It was not a murder. We think it was a suicide or an accident." 

I breathed deeply. I looked at Greg, and he was still sitting motionless. How could the police conclude that quickly? But anyway, that made me feel comfortable. 

Stella's mom kept her hands on her chest. "How could he do that? In the middle of the competition?" 

"Maybe, he was going through something, you know." Mom crossed her arms off her chest. 

Stella's mom looked like she couldn't move on from it. She checked her wristwatch and looked surprised. She kissed Stella on the cheeks. "Stella, I need to go now." Stella nodded and hugged her. 

"Nathan, I think I have to go now, too. I have plenty of backlogs," mom said. I knew that mom was a total workaholic woman. She could spend all night with all the paperwork around her. She was always busy. 

"I understand." I hugged her. 

She quickly walked up to the car. I actually wanted to ask her for any update about dad, but I didn't want to bother her. I knew she was thinking about a lot of things now. I believed she'd keep her words. 

Stella sat next to Greg. I also went up to them. 

"Where're your parents? I want to see them," Stella prompted. 

Greg stayed at his position as if he was a statue, "They're busy to even come for this kind of event," he responded. 

Stella nodded. The policemen got out one by one, and I'd been at ease. I was still mad at Greg. I couldn't look at him as an ordinary person. The night when I caught him watching the Night At Jackville, I concluded that he got ideas of killing from the show. I'd been watching the Night At Jackville for a very long time, and I knew that the show contents were all gores. There were no lessons, just killings. They killed for nothing, they killed without purpose, but people, including me, liked it as it was. But I would never do such things in real life. Now, I knew that Greg was dangerous and evil. Anywhere he went. 

"Hi, guys!" Mr. David shouted. "Are you ready to go back? I know you're probably pretty shaken by what happened just earlier. Unexpected things really happen." 

Stella stood up and exhaled noisily. "I thought you'd ask, Are you up for a treat?" 

"Actually, there would be a party." 

"What?" I asked. 

"For us?" Stella asked, her jaw slacked. 

"Yea, you ready?"