Write Me a Cliché

Chapter Four

~RAENI~

Eight Weeks Ago
Holy Wood High School

When Eira walked away, Baylor looked at Sazil. "You're in my biology class, Sazil, right? I've heard you're name during attendance and when you got a 100% in math last year for four tests straight."

She nodded, a blush creeping up to her cheeks with all her earlier annoyance forgotten. Sazil straightened up in her seat, squaring her shoulders when she responded, "It was actually six tests."

Baylor's lips curled upwards into an easy smile, the sight so odd that I had to blink a few times to confirm I hadn't imagined it. He moved his foot on the ground, making continuous circles as he talked. I couldn't look away from his seemingly new pair of Nike Air Max 270. I wondered who designed the shoes. The blue soles reminded me of the sky, as if they could allow me to walk on air. "Impressive... so I came here to ask you and Raeni something." Milan whispered something to me, but I didn't listen. I was focused on Baylor. "You guys both got an invitation to the Forest of Seven, right?"

The smile on his lips turned into a mere grimace as he moved around in his spot. Usually, his anger was what made others uncomfortable. Sazil and I nodded, while Milan asked, "Why didn't I get one?"

I didn't even know Sazil got one. She showed it to me after biology and when Sazil realized I recieved one too, she gloated in front of Milan.

I shrugged, playing with the strings of my black hijab. "You could take my invitation. I wasn't even going anyways."

Baylor shook his head. "See the thing is, I need you and Sazil to show up."

"Why, because you sent the letter?" Sazil asked, her brown eyes unwavering from his face as she tilted her head, like studying him. There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere, both curiosity and anxiousness igniting inside me as I wondered what could possibly be so important about any of this that Baylor Tegan himself would come make a request.

"No, just trust me on this," he said, his eyes sweeping over the faces in the hallway. Students were looking; they were beginning to wonder why Baylor was talking to us. It didn't matter to him as he pulled out a letter from the inside pocket of his leather jacket, showing it to us. I was about to point out that we all received the same letter, then realized it had something different written on the inside.

Congratulations,
You've been assigned a task.
Make sure the invitees: Eira Carlisle, Mea Ferrari, Raeni Aziz, Roxas Garcia and Sazil Bijan, all show up to the Forest of Seven, at 10pm exactly or one will pay.
The photograph is not all the evidence I have of the misdeeds happening at Holy Wood High School.

"What photograph?" Sazil questioned, always quick on her feet, needing answers and explanations for any situation she found ambiguous. I could sense the constant rhythm of her sausage-like fingers against her side, a habit of hers when she was stuck. Baylor Tegan was leaving shapeless marks of mystery in not only my mind, but hers too.

The letter disappeared out of our sight when Baylor quickly put it away. "It's nothing for you to worry about. You two and Mea are the only ones I need to confirm are coming. Roxas and Eira will happily go to any party."

"If you're not going to tell us-" I started but he cut me off.

"Listen to me," Baylor said, his tone seeping with anger. He folded his arms across his chest and in the process I caught sight of his bruised knuckles. "I'm asking you both to do something for me and now I expect it to be done. I'll give you both a ride, if that's what you need. It'll just be for a bit and then I'll make sure you guys get home safely."