Ways To Go

WAY 8.0

Joe Evans

We are here – once again- at the football field. Not that this is the perfect place to hang out with your friends in campus. Not that the wooden benches are that comfortable. Not that you wouldn't hear people shouting around or laughing out loud. The football season is away behind the distance. I can confidently say we spend more time here than our team.

The trees blessingly surround the field. I smile seeing the tall tress moving gracefully with the presence of a breeze. It was like a wave, a green one! I think that's why. That is why this is my favorite place.

Noah has put it upon himself to read the whole dean's speech that the campus's blog has recently published. After two sentences, my mind has already betrayed me. I move my eyes around trying to escape the task of paying attention. Alvaro is sitting next to me; While Noah has been standing up on the poor bench underneath. I slowly move my eyes and take an observing glance on the two girls sitting before me, Mia & Diana. I still can't help it but wonder, wasn't that girl who I met this break is Diana? She has the same blond hair and the same blue eyes. I shake my head, I am definitely sure. Maybe she just simply forgot? Maybe.

I glance back at Alvaro who started to talk now. It seems like Noah has long ago stopped reading.

"Mr. Aust is simply telling everyone to forget about it."

With a reckless move Noah jumped of the bench and said "Exactly!" with that tune he always used whenever he was excited, which was all the time.

"But I really don't understand all of you.. why are you so skeptical about this?" Diana said narrowing her eyes a bit.

"Uh!" Noah shouted shaking his head left and right then he added, "A dean.." he whispers and then raises his voice gradually "who didn't care about security in the first place until our paintings got stolen," he talks moving his hands with every word "Of course, he can never be trusted."

"This time it's just the paintings, next time what is it going to be?" Alvaro adds.

Diana nods her head without saying anything.

"That's true! I don't know if this is a stretch but this says a lot about the university's system," Mia says with a quiet tune and then she adds "If we didn't care no one will care."

I can feel Alvaro nodding his head to every word she said from here.

I cough a bit and say "We have to think about our next move!"

A silence fall upon this scene of five college students who are trying to solve the mystery!

That was the impact of the question that we all knew yet didn't have the right answer to. I sigh unable to think of anything myself. What can we do? In reality it's bigger than us. We are dealing with thieves here. Thieves in an educational institution where there is thousands of people around. Not to mention the department's poor security. The security cameras are only there as a decoration!

Mia then says with a bright expression on her face she starts to talk faster than her usual pace "We simply wanted to raise awareness about this matter by posting in the campus's blog as a first step, right?"

We nod.

"It is not all about that, if we made our own small website?" She pointed at Noah "Noah can help promote that!" We are still looking at her confused.

"And the best part is that we will start our own investigations there! We will put pictures of the paintings on our website and use flayers everywhere! If they stole it, it means they sold it."

"But isn't that a wide range?" Alvaro questions and I nod.

"True, but it's still a good start, if only one person saw one of the paintings it can lead us to something."