Mystery Loves Company

Chapter 6 - File #2.4: The Alleged Thief

Avery

All I wanted was to give this folder to its rightful owner, get my own folder back, finish the application, nail the interview, and go home proudly because I just secured a spot in Bensworth.

Oh, come on. I didn't need to wait for the acceptance letter to come in my mailbox to know that I've been accepted. A student like me was one in a million. Bensworth should be lucky that I chose them over Stanford. Freaking Stanford University.

But for the first time in my life, things weren't going as I planned. Well, second time.

It was a pure luck that I encountered the guy I've been looking for on my way to the student dorms. It wasn't just as lucky as it sounded, as Rhett Carver was more interested to whatever he was doing behind a trash can, than to hear my explanation about our swapped folders. He was indeed surprised when I approached him, but it was probably because he didn't want to be seen by whoever he spied on.

Things we learned from Rhett Carver #1: a trash can was a perfect place to cover yourself and no one would even notice you.

I didn't want to lose another chance, so I patiently waited for this dark-haired guy to at least said, "Oh, okay. Here's your folder, sorry for taking yours." It never came out, not even an apologize. Still, I had to be patient. I only cared about getting my folder back as much as he cared about the man he had been watching, which was the reason why I was standing on the side of the road now, panting heavily.

Things we learned from Rhett Carver #2: when you chased a man who ran around the same place, you should keep chasing him instead of cutting his way.

I could've just released my outburst at him, but he exploded first. He looked mad, really mad, for someone who got himself in this situation because of his own idiocy. I meant, what was his deal? Why was he suddenly yelling at me for following him? I only wanted to get my folder back, for crying out loud! And, like I said, I couldn't possibly let him get away with it, so I had to follow him to remind him that.

It all reached the turning point when he suddenly threw his folder—the one I had been holding this whole time—to the lake. Things we kept learning from Rhett Carver #3: he's an idiot.

Of all people, why should he be the one whose folder was switched with mine? He was clearly not a bright man and it just took more brain works to interact with people like that. If I could, I would just let him chase that man and forget about this admission thing. But I just couldn't. I needed that scholarship. And I couldn't lose to Danna.

That was probably why I suddenly had a change of heart when I saw him pathetically kneeling down while grabbing the fence bars like a desperate criminal in jail. I had never put people's business ahead of mine—until now.

Bus 05 arrived and some people got out of it. This was our cue to get in, but this guy didn't even move an inch and looked at me doubtfully.

"Are we going to get him not?!" Yeah, I just couldn't hold it anymore. Either I spoke too fast or his brain worked real slow, just like most of the students in Bridgewald High.

Ah, I was being too nice. All of the students.

"A-absolutely!" He exclaimed, and then quickly got in. I followed behind.

Just like I predicted, we arrived at the first stop not long after. There was no one here, and we were the only ones who actually got out from the bus.

"This is hardly a bus stop," Rhett commented about the improper bus stop, where the bench couldn't be occupied at all. Graffitis were all over the place, and the roof was... No, there wasn't even a roof. It was just basically a broken bench on the other side of the street, with the unused iron frames—since the roof went God-knows-where. The bus driver might still stop here because it was just a formality.