UNRAVELLED: Silent Syndicate

Chapter 5

I don't know why these cops decided to confront me at school, but I'm somewhat relieved they did it here rather than at home. I can't let my mother find out about my intentions anytime soon. "We are dating." His words gnaw at my mind, and I subtly shake my head to brush them off. The officer raises an eyebrow—he must have thought I was denying the statement—so I quickly respond to clear up the misunderstanding. "Yes... yes, I know him," I clarify.

"And how exactly do you know him?" he inquires, his tone stern.

"I... I..." I stammer, the words catching in my throat. I take a breath, and suddenly, his words creep back into my mind. It makes sense now—it finally makes sense.

A few minutes ago, after Ms. Patterson informed me to go to the Chancellor's office, I left the classroom. Just as I was passing by the lockers, I saw Matt in the hallway. I was surprised to see him, and as soon as his emerald eyes met mine, he confronted me. "What... what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"I'm transferring schools. I'll be attending here from Wednesday," he informed me.

"Oh, okay... uh, I'll see you then. I have to run to the Chancellor's office," I said.

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled, but I chose to ignore him. I didn't want to waste time asking questions when I was being requested elsewhere. I attempted to leave, but I stopped in my tracks once he called my name. "We are dating," he claimed. I turned and looked at him in confusion. He turned around, just as I did, and walked away, leaving me standing there, stunned. I eventually shook my head and started walking again, assuming I hadn't heard him right.

It all makes perfect sense now—he knew the cops would be here. "Uh... we are... friends... sort of," I say awkwardly and sigh, "We are dating," I continue. The cop with short blonde hair widens his eyes in surprise, while the dark-haired one scoffs.

"Of course you are," he says sarcastically. "And how do you explain the fact that you two don't seem that close on camera? We've seen footage of you at his workplace and in front of some nightclub. Ms. McKeilly, what is your business with Matt Smith?" His voice rises slightly. This dark-haired officer gives me the creeps—there's something unsettling about him.

"Like I said, officer, we're dating. I confronted him at his workplace because I was pissed. He didn't answer my calls after threatening to tell Luca about us—another guy I'm dating. After scolding him, I didn't talk to him. We met at the club a couple of days later, resolved the matter, and enjoyed ourselves for a bit. If you want closure, Mr. Rick," I say, noticing the tag on his chest, "why don't you check the footage from when we were at the back of the club?" I inquire. He raises an eyebrow, clearly amused by my tone and choice of words. Realizing I might be stepping out of line, I fall silent, darting my eyes around in embarrassment.

"How do you explain that you seem to have been together only after your father's death? CCTV footages.." the blonde-haired officer asks before I chime in.

"We keep things private. I don't like being seen by people, especially since I haven't decided who to keep and who to let go. We've been meeting privately, where there are fewer people, and I don't think there are cameras there," I explain. Mr. Rick asks where we meet, and I tell him we meet at a secluded shore.

The officers inform the Chancellor they're done for today, and I'm dismissed to return to class. The blonde-haired officer, Mr. Curty, tells me to be careful. I nod and exit the office, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. It felt like I was in an interrogation room—wait, Was I just interrogated?

I head to class, and as I grab the door handle to my History class, I spot Matt across the hallway. He winks at me. What is wrong with him? He turns around, running his hand through his hair, pushing it from back to front, looking shy. Is he serious right now? I push the door open, wondering what's going on with him. I'm welcomed back to class by eyes staring at me, and I'm starting to feel so uncomfortable. I ignore them and take my seat. The history teacher continues teaching, and I jot down some points in my summary book.