Dear Diary||The Story of Emma Edwards

2020/09/01

The squeaky alarm clock rang at exactly 6 am. With my eyes closed, I groped for my battered slippers and went down to the first floor. I poured ice water over my face and started making breakfast. The TV was already on... The TV program I was watching was interrupted by the morning news, a handsome presenter appeared on the screen, who read out a long boring text.

– Today, at midnight, a jewelry store was robbed. Several people were injured. The culprit has not been found! – the presenter turned the sheet over.

"The culprit has not been found..." – I whispered, pouring tea into a mug.

After the meal, I put on my school uniform and went outside. I missed the bus, so I had to walk. I was lucky enough to meet Frank today. This is a boy from a parallel class.

– Did you know that today we will have a combined chemistry lesson with a new teacher? – Frank asked.

– Yes, Chloe told me, – I replied.

We were walking along a shopping street when we saw glass fragments and the police. Looking around, Frank said:

– What happened?

– I heard on the news that a jewelry store was robbed here, – I replied.

Frank was walking behind me, the whole street was covered with yellow and black ribbons.

– Emma, look! What is it?! – Frank picked something up from the ground.

– It's a jewelry box! Also I want to add that this thing was very old. Perhaps it was a rarity....

– Look, the signature here... belongs to... Belongs to C.D., – Frank read.

I took the box from Frank and put it in my bag.

When we left the shopping street, I took out the box again and shook it.

"It looks like there's something there," – I thought.

Frank took the phone out of his pocket and handed it to me.

– We're late, we're late... – he said, putting the phone back in his pocket.

A few minutes later we were at school. We went into the school, it was empty. There was no one there... When we went up to the third floor, we met our homeroom teacher, Mrs. Day. She grumbled at us as always and sent us to the rest of the chemistry lesson. Frank came to the office first, and I followed him. My friend timidly knocked, to which he was answered:

– Come in!

We opened the door and saw our classroom. Everyone had flasks of blue liquid in their hands. A girl of about twenty-five stood in the middle of the class. She had a black bob and brown eyes. I sat down at my desk and put the open bag on the floor, the box was slightly visible from it.

– My name is Mrs. Davis. I'm the new chemistry teacher.

– I'm Emma Edwards, this is Frank Bridge, – I replied.

Mark sat at the same table with me that day.

– Good morning! Please note, you were late today, not me, – Mark said with a grin.

I just took a deep breath in response. That was the end of our mini-dialogue, as the teacher ordered us to split into pairs. I sat down with Chloe, and Mark sat down with Frank. We did some nonsense with chemicals, and then they let us go to the next lesson-physical education. Today we played sports in the park, which is located near the school. The whole class of us ran after each other on the asphalt. Robert runs slower than me, but today he ran almost on a par with me. He started to overtake me and pushed me with his whole body. I fell down... My friends ran up to me and picked me up.

– Who pushed you, Emma?! – Mark asked, looking around.

– Robert...

– Robby?! Don't talk nonsense! He runs the worst and is not visible on the horizon, he would not be able to escape from the crime scene in 5 seconds!

My knee was injured. We went into the doctor's office, she put a bandage on me and sent me back to class. I spent the rest of the time sitting on the bench watching Robby, but I didn't notice anything strange.

* After lessons*

Mark ran up to me.

– Well? Will you come to my place today?.. To visit, – the guy asked.

– Of course, there is a topic that needs to be discussed.

– Okay, let's figure it out, I have to go home, – Mark rattled and ran on.

The place of our meeting is the garden. Chloe and I got there first, Frank was late. Mark took us to the garden, which is located behind his house, and he went to wait for Frank. Frank came in 15 minutes later. We went into our tree house and sat in a circle.

– Well, is everything in place? Mark asked.

– Yup! – we answered in unison.

– Today, when Emma and I were walking to school past the robbed store, we found a box with the signature "Belongs to C.D." Emma, show them, – Frank said.

I took the box out of my bag and placed it in the middle of our circle.

– Wow, my grandmother had a similar thing, – Chloe said in amazement.

– Maybe it opens somehow? Mark asked.

– As far as I know, you need a key for such boxes, – Chloe replied.

After a few seconds, Mark's mom called us, and we left the house. She gave us watermelon-flavored fruit ice. We sat down in a clearing and put the box down.

– Should I knock or shake her? – Frank asked.

He tapped on the box and it turned green.

Chloe said with her mouth open:

– What's next?!

– How can I open it further?! – Mark said.

– The owner of this box must have the key, – Frank suggested.

– Oh.. You've discovered America too! – Mark interrupted him.

Our conversation was interrupted by a loud sound...