The Girl Who Couldn't Kill

Chapter 5-Introducing Chrome

"Here," Ajax hands Rory a petite-sized pineapple helmet with Disney stickers of princesses and animals. Green stems sprouted from the top, making the object comical and outstanding.

"I am not wearing that." Rory blinked, "And I'm definitely not getting on that." pointed at the scooter.

"What? You don't like my sick-ass bike? Too cool for you?" Ajax teased with a toothy grin.

"Why are you smiling, this is serious," She frowned.

"Okay, but would you rather walk 20 minutes back to school in this heat?"

The heat was coming in waves and the humidity was rising to an unfathomable temperature. It was only February and the air was already sticking to her skin, damping the inner creases of her elbows and knees. She lifted her baggy linen pants and sat behind Ajax. From his back, his t-shirt perfectly outlined the contour of his body, spiraling down to his jeans. His fashion sense was not too shabby compared to all the designer studs at her school who cared only about the materialism in being rich with money.

For a second, her arms urged to wrap around his waist, not because of her reimbursing hormones coursing through her body, but because she yearned to feel safe, to hold onto something. The thought haunted her and tapped something deep within her heart.

Instead of her imaginations, Rory grasped onto the bars from behind the seat as Ajax started to gain speed, cornering back to school.

"Everything alright?" He asked, looking from the rear mirrors.

"Yeah." Rory smiled. And for the first time, her life felt liberating, a bit more bearable, as the wind blows against her cheeks, she let herself appreciate the simplicity and nature around her befire the chaos that's about to arrive.

————————————

"Hmm, nothing was outta ordinary that day..." Marley stared into the void, although she seemed to contemplating thoughtfully. They had entered the gym, watching Marley throw hoops with her headphones until she noticed them waving frantically.

"Anything is helpful, Marley," Rory said.

"Hmmm," her nose scrunched slightly. "I guess the kid that delivered our late night bentos was kinda odd."

"What do you mean by that?" Ajax insisted.

"Well, he came in and told me to deliver a letter to someone with the codename of "Chrome." It seemed like that stupid game like Dungeons and Dragons or something, so I just complied.

"Did anyone show up to pick up the letter?"

"No one actually end up showing up. I didn't give it much thought, it was already around 10 pm and was probably the kid's last delivery," Marley blinked. "Aren't you a suspect right now? You shouldn't stay at school right now, it won't look good."

10 o'clock. That was just a few hours before the murder. Could someone be sending a message? Did this killer have an accomplice? If the infamous "Chrome" didn't show up, then where did the message go?

"Just one more question. Where did you leave the letter? Is it still in the library?" Rory was leaning in closer to Marley, shoulders grazing Ajax's forearm.

"I locked it in the main desk." She inhaled slowly, still trying to relax from her workout.

————————————

Marley jigged the lock into the keyhole of the hidden cabinet of the old-fashioned desk that lay in the corner of the modern library. The glass that line up the wall was tinted shades of coral and lime, giving the room a soft texture of relaxation and motivation. People were glaring at Ajax, walking at a distance of a 3 feet radius from him. The air conditioning settled into the library of jittering nerves.

"It's gone." Marley shoved her hand into the tiny drawer and flipped up notepads, strayed erasers, and scrap paper. "I'm one hundo percent I placed it here."

"This is impossible," Rory said. "Someone must have taken it."

"But I locked up the library. There are 3 spare keys, one for the librarian, the janitor, and me. The librarian and I are the only ones who have access to this desk." Marley toyed with the lanyard in her hand. There were numerous important files stored on the library desk, it was woody and old, filled with historical documents and library data. It wouldn't be easy to gain access to such a valuable asset of the school.

Glancing anxiously around at the agitated crowd, Ajax said, "Personally if I was planning a murder, I'd get fewer people involved and someone who has the most advantage."

"Our next target, the librarian."