When Trouble Comes ✔️ (Republished; Completed)

58 : Reveal

The next day at school, Alyssa found Jacob bitting under a tree in the garden. Classes hadn't begun yet, but Alyssa had already had two girls following her around everywhere. Word had finally gotten that she wasn't a crazy girl, but Karson's real sister and Fiona Magellan's biological daughter. Apparantly, a guy seen them together and taken a picture to sell to the news channel. The media had done a good job of digging out her identity overnight.

Of course, Alyssa knew that the truth would eventually be revealed. But to think that it would be done so soon was a bit overwhelming.

In the morning, Alyssa had found her phone spammed with messages from her Mel's Town friends. Alyssa hadn't had the guts to face their queries. The truth had been revealed and it was her fault for having lied to them in the first place.

Alyssa hated to admit it but she knew all too well that denying would do no good. So she openly accepted it - things had started going off track again. As much as she hated her, she couldn't kick off the sick feeling in her guts from time to time.

"Hey," Alyssa said, faking a smile as she noticed Jacob sitting under the shadow of a tree in a far-off spot from their school playground. She plopped down beside him.

Jacob turned to look at her. He smiled. Alyssa sighed with relief. She knew she could count on him to act normal before her, and expect her to be her usual self too, now that the tension between them had dissolved.

"So where are your friends or your sister?" Alyssa asked him, glad to be able to start a normal conversation with at least someone.

"They haven't arrived yet. And Penny is coming with some girls she had had a sleepover with last night. Why are you here so early?" Jacob asked, leaning against the tree.

Alyssa shrugged. "I guess I didn't want to be late again, so I had to drag Karson. I swear he spends more time in front of the mirror than a Queen does." Alyssa bit her lips, contemplating whether to bring up the subject - that had been residing on her mind for a long time - to him or not. It wasn't about her identity or her life. Jacob couldn't help with either of those. But the thing he could help with... She gritted her teeth. She must ask him.

"Her Jacob, I've got a question for you. It's about the history substitute, Miss. Flora Jan. So you know her well?" She asked, clenching her fists to hide the tremors.

"Eh, why do you ask?" He inquired, confusion etched in his face. "Look, if you're worried about the way she treated you, it's not a big issue. She doesn't have any personal grudge against you. She's like that will all students."

Alyssa grimaced. Like hell Flora didn't have anything personal against her. After all, Alyssa was the daughter of Ander and Fiona. "I'm just curious. What subject does she usually teach?"

"Physical Education. You'll be having her class last period anyway. But let's not worry about that now. Are you ready?"

"For what?" Alyssa asked, confused.

Jacob have get a smirk, and somehow that smirk made her really uncomfortable. It was an evil smirk. It meant nothing but bad news. "Ready for the history class today of course. The weekly test is today."

Alyssa felt like she just got hit by a rock.

***

Alyssa submitted her nearly blank paper with a forced smile. She was supposed to have studied Renaissance history yesterday. Instead, she'd ended up studying Jason's history. And she'd done a pretty bad job at it too.

The period ended, and Alyssa immediately picked up her books, stumbling out of the class. She yelled at Jacob that she'd find him later. Then she left on her own. The hallway was crowded with students. Alyssa hailed a random one and asked if the girl could tell her where the Grade 10 classes were.

Yes, Alyssa had decided that she did want to know about Jason's past, as stalkerish as that sounded. She wanted to know what he had been like before and what had happened. So far, Skyon was her best option.

Pushing through the crowd of sweating people, elbows and jabs that gave her a strange sense of nostalgia, Alyssa eventually entered one of the classes, almost breathing a sigh of relief. She saw two girls talking and laughing nearby. They looked friendly enough. So Alyssa decided to ask him.

After much inquiries, Alyssa finally managed to find Skyon just as he was leaving his class.

"Skyon, I need to talk to you!" Alyssa said, careful to keep her face absolutely blank to not reveal her desperation. She didn't need rumors now, and she was pretty sure that teenage fanboys and fangirls would cook it up if they even saw a desperate senior talking to a cute sophomore. She needed information from Skyon and she had to get them without trouble.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, seeing her. "What is it?" He looked very much surprised and a tad bit awkward seeing her there. Of course, it seemed that he had seen the news too.

"Tell me more about that guy, Jason Rios. You said he was your brother's friend. You must've known him well," her voice had a force of compulsion which she knew she would need at that time. She needed answers.

Skyon cocked his head to the side, considering her words. "Why are you so interested in a person you have never even met before and who might as well be dead?"

Alyssa sighed, thinking. There was only one answer she could give now which would secure Skyon's help. "Because, I have reasons to believe that he is still alive."

***

It was their last period, the period Alyssa hated and yet, could not help but wait for. She couldn't deny. She was intrigued by Flora Jan. They would probably never even talk apart from school related matters, but that didn't stop Alyssa from trying to read deeper into Flora.

She wondered. Did Karson know that Flora was a teacher in this school? Did Fiona know?

As Alyssa ran the laps, these thoughts plagued her mind.

However, she did not notice that she was no longer paying attention to the track. Her mind was too occupied.

Suddenly, she tripped against a rock and came to a standstill, her knees buckling under her as she crashed to the ground. Her fists clenched the grass and mud under her fingers, and her legs trembled in her bent position. She was feeling breathless. Her head was hurting. It was as if the world had stopped moving.

The ground beneath her blurred, and just as it started getting dark, she heard shouts. Among those shouts nearby, was the sneering voice, "Ander Taylor's daughter. So weak."

She wanted to get up. She wanted to find the speaker. She wanted to scream at her that she was not weak. She had survived her parents' death! She could not be weak. She could not...

Before she could think anything else, it was pitch black.

A/N : Argh, my butt hurts after sitting for so long. Goodness I'm glad I finished typing this. Heck, I just wanna lie down now lol.

See y'all later. Have a great day!