bapa: from here to eternity

chapter 26: strange

Chapa POV:

As I stepped into the classroom, the familiar scent of paint and charcoal filled the air. I headed straight to my seat, where my half-finished painting awaited. This one was different—darker, more mysterious. I wasn't sure where it was going yet, but that was part of the thrill. I let my brush guide me, letting the images form naturally, layer by layer.

My focus was interrupted when Ms. Ambrose called out, "Mia, could you walk over to the sculpture classroom and tell Lizzy Brown she needs to go to Mr. O'Brien's office?"

Mia glanced up from her work, clearly engrossed in whatever she was doing. "Yeah, sorry, could it wait? I'm in the middle of this," she said, sounding more annoyed than apologetic.

Ms. Ambrose sighed, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Fine then. Chapa, could you get her?"

I nodded, setting down my brush. "Uhm, yeah, sure," I replied. I'd never been to the other classrooms before. There were five different art rooms in total, each with its own focus and teacher. I'd seen the students from the other classes at the art exhibition, but we hadn't really interacted. Our groups were separated by the sections in the hall.

I made my way to the sculpture classroom, the unfamiliar surroundings making me feel slightly out of place. As soon as I opened the door, a dozen pairs of eyes turned to me. "Uhm, hello," I started awkwardly. "I'm here on behalf of Ms. Ambrose to tell Lizzy Brown she needs to go to Mr. O'Brien's office."

The teacher nodded. "Alright, Lizzy, you may go."

Lizzy, a petite girl with a nervous look on her face, stood up and walked over to me. As she stepped out of the classroom, I turned and started walking back to mine, my mind buzzing with curiosity about why Bose—Mr. O'Brien—would need her in his office. He usually left that kind of thing to Bridget, Andrew or the department managers.

"Hey, uhm, do you have any idea where his office is?" Lizzy's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, I do," I said, explaining the route as best as I could remember. "You have to go all the way down with the elevator to the lobby, then to your left. You'll see the halls where the events are held. Next to it, there are a few tiny stairs. Go up those, then into a hallway with offices. His office is at the end of the hallway to the right."

Lizzy looked relieved. "Oh, could you please walk with me? If your teacher doesn't mind?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll walk with you," I said, figuring Ms. Ambrose wouldn't mind. I was too curious about what was going on to pass up the chance to find out more.

As we headed to the elevator, Lizzy broke the silence. "So, since when are you here?"

"About a month and a few weeks now. Not too long. What about you?" I asked.

"Only a week," she said. "I was also at the art exhibition, but of course, I didn't have anything there since I'd just started. Mr. Lopez—my teacher—told me I might want to take a look to see how others are doing."

We stepped into the elevator, the slight hum filling the silence between us. "So... do you have any idea why you need to be at Mr. O'Brien's office?" I asked, trying to sound casual but really itching to know.

Lizzy hesitated, then said, "Yeah, but I don't think I can tell you. I'm sorry." Her nervousness was evident, and I decided not to press her, even though my frustration simmered under the surface. Why was Bose calling her to his office, and why was it so secretive?

As we walked into the lobby and headed up the stairs, I spotted Andrew coming out of his office. He looked at me with that annoying curiosity of his. "Where are you heading?" he asked.