Erudition of Doyle: Volume One

CHAPTER 8: CASE III - HAPPY FACE HIDES EVERYTHING

Case 3: Happy Face Hides
Everything (The Welcome
Party Turned Horror
Chapter, Part Two)

ROSALINDA

Today is Saturday. As usual, I'm watching videos from the YouTube channel Eternalised, this time “The Dark World of Franz Kafka.” Raleigh sits next to me, eyes closed, still scowling. All of us are heading to Harley's mansion for tonight’s welcome party. We’re in Doyle’s van. Harley and Doyle are sitting close, happily playing together. Harley and I don’t talk much; there’s an awkward distance between us. I don’t blame him—so much time has passed, and the bond we once had has faded.

Seeing him alive and happy with his adoptive family is all I could ever ask for. A smile found its way to my face when I caught him laughing with Doyle, it felt like everything was finally right.

But still, I must protect him.

"Man, please move!" Ajax pleaded with the guy who’d been staring blankly ahead, mind clearly wandering somewhere far away. "I want to sit next to the woman I’m going to marry, so shoo!" he insisted, but Raleigh stayed rooted to his spot.

I glanced at Harriet and Clark, sitting side by side in silence. Neither seemed interested in talking. They just sat there, quietly observing while everyone else filled the room with noise.

“Hey, Raleigh, you want to be alone, right? Come on, move your butt. Let’s switch seats,” Ajax insisted, but the guy still didn’t budge, frozen like a statue.

Ajax couldn’t resist playfully tapping Raleigh’s face to get his attention. The taps turned into light slaps as he tried to annoy him.

“Ano ba?!” Raleigh snapped, swatting his hand away.

Ajax immediately backed off, covering his face like a scared kid. “Please, don’t hurt me!”

“Ano bang gusto mo, ha?!” he snapped, jaw tight and brows furrowed. “Kanina mo pa ’ko kinukulit! Gusto mo bang makita si San Pedro, ha?”

“Let’s switch seats,” Ajax said with a forced smile.

“So that’s what you wanted. You could’ve just said so without the slapping!” He stood, and they quickly switched seats.

His grin stretched ear to ear the moment he sat beside me. “Ikaw ’yong hindi nakikinig, ulol,” he muttered under his breath.

“Mi amor, you look so pretty today. Did you wear that dress for me?” he asked softly, but I ignored him.

I turned up the volume and kept my eyes on the window, letting his words fade into the background.

As we stepped out of the car, Ajax clung to my arm, still unwilling to let go. My younger brother looked at me, his smile fading fast. He rushed over, shoved Ajax’s hand away, and gripped my arm tightly.

“I’ll meet my family with you!” he said.

“The kid who’s excited to meet his adoptive family, huh?” Mr. Ivaldez said with a smile.

He rang the doorbell, and moments later, a couple appeared at the door.

“Harley!” called the elderly woman, her orange hair and wrinkled face lighting up with a wide smile that nearly hid her eyes. She glanced around before looking back at him. “They’re your club members?”

“Yes, Mon, and this is my older sister! She's the one who I always mentioned to you before!” Harley said, making her turn to me again.

“What a lovely girl. Do you have a boyfriend?” she asked. I forced a smile, keeping my brows from furrowing.