Power 35

Chapter VIII: At Them In Glee

Lianne Angelita Hacinto

I have no problem with gore. I'm a person that watches gross and violent animes and movies, and I can sit through all of those while having a straight face. Blood doesn't scare me either. I don't flinch when seeing it. I just become confused and a bit worried. Which is why I still can't understand why I blacked out when I saw Xio.

Maybe it was because she was someone I actually knew and trusted, even for a bit? Or maybe it was because of the events at the party beforehand? Or maybe... Because I knew something like this was going to happen. I just didn't know when. But all of those things don't matter right now. All I could think of was Xio, who I hoped was doing okay... Even if I knew she wasn't.

When I woke up, the first thing that greeted me was bright lights from the ceiling. Along with the worried voice of Mariya calling for a doctor. He came in quickly and started checking me but I was too tired and overwhelmed to notice what he was saying. After he went away, I went back to sleep.

It wasn't until later, when I woke up again, that I finally had control of my thoughts. Although a bit disoriented, I managed to sit up and become aware of where I was. It seemed that they had moved me to the dorm room, as I was laying on my own bed. With no one in sight, I stood up and went to the bathroom.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I splashed water on my face. All the events of the party came rushing back to me. The Sultan Gammas. The dancing. Julian. And... Xio. I feel bile climbing up my throat and I throw up in the sink. Was she really dead? Did that nightmare of mine actually come true? As I continue pouring my guts out in the sink, I heard the bathroom door open behind me.

"Lianne? You're awake!" Mariya gushed and almost ran to me. I shake my head at her. I wanted to be alone right now. It looked like Mariya understood so she closed the bathroom door again. I stared back at my reflection. I looked like a mess. My cheeks were hollow and my skin was deathly pale. My eyes held no light and my hair was like a bird's nest. Spotting something, I inched my face closer to the mirror. Specks of dried blood could be seen from the tips of my locks and I flinched when I washed them away. Right, I blacked out next to a pool of blood. Xio's blood.

It was still hard for me to believe that she was dead. That my dream came true, and not in a good way. Xiomara Everleigh, the Vice-President of the Student Council and Class 1-Alpha, the cheerful, friendly tour guide who had showed me nothing but kindness, was truly gone. A wave of sadness overcame me. She didn't deserve to die. She was too young. What happened to her was inhumane. Soon, my sadness morphed into guilt and anger.

Guilt, because I knew something was going to happen and yet I didn't do anything to stop it. If only I had warned Xio and told her to be more careful, maybe she would've been alive much longer. We weren't that close but I think it's safe for me to assume that she had been my friend. But anger was also there.

Anger, because I couldn't avenge her like I wanted to. I know she was murdered. I know somebody from this school killed her. I know that it was a girl. And I feel frustrated because I don't know who she is. She killed one of the people I was actually starting to care about. She killed the fucking light that shone in Class 1-Alpha. I can't even imagine how bad the others feel right now. They've been with Xio longer than I have. They've had deeper bonds with her.

Why?

Just why. Why did she have to die? From what I've seen of Xio, she's not the type to have enemies. She was sweet and kind. Is there something I'm missing? Just what is it. Why was she murdered?

After spending about twenty minutes in the bathroom, I went out to find Mariya sitting on her bed, staring at the phone in her hand. My phone was pinging like crazy on the nightstand and I went to check it out. It was the class group chat.

Veronica just released an announcement that we were all going to meet up and talk about what happened later this evening. But she also said that the dean refused to let the police investigate on Xio's death because it turned out to be a suicide and news of it would only taint Everleigh Institute's perfect reputation. I gripped my phone tightly. A student just died and all he cares about is the school's reputation?

Apparently, my classmates had the same thoughts as I had as they reacted harshly to the dean's decision. The whole chat was full of their anger and complaints. They were also debating about something. Whether Xio really took her own life or someone else came and killed her. Nevertheless, everyone agreed to meet up at the Class 1-A lounge later at 6 pm.

"I'm worried for you, Lianne." I heard Mariya say and I turned my head to her direction. When I asked her why, she gave me a sorrowful stare. "You were the first one to witness Xio's death. It was your scream that alarmed the others. And since it's always the first witness that becomes the main suspect-"

"Do you think I'm the one who murdered Xio?" I asked dryly.

"No! Of course not! I trust you. And I know you're not that kind of person." Mariya said, frantically waving her hands around. "I also know for a fact that Xio did not commit suicide. But you are not her killer. I just wish that's what everyone thinks. Sadly, not all of our classmates and schoolmates trust you."

Sighing, I looked at the time. It was 12 noon. Six more hellish hours. As I sat on my bed, I considered what Mariya said. It was true. I was the new kid. I hadn't done anything to gain the whole class' trust. I don't know what goes in their minds when they think about me. Besides, I was one of the people who hung around Xio this past week. I was the first one to see her corpse. Of course they'll suspect me.

"Don't worry, Lianne. I'll try my best to convince them you're innocent." Mariya assured, sitting beside me. I just stared at her. She looked determined. But there was also an underlying sadness in her eyes. Xio was a close friend of Mariya's. They had been together since junior high. How she felt about her death was understandable. Pitiful, even.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened – after I blacked out?" I asked her and Mariya nodded.

She said a random college freshman from Beta heard me scream and went inside to investigate. When she saw me sprawled on the floor, surrounded by Xio's blood, she immediately went to the nearest student council member, which was, coincidentally, Carlos. Carlos then told the others and all of them found Xio and I. Mariya told me it was Carlos who brought me to the EI Med-Clinic and that was when the other Class 1-Alphas were alerted.

The party was then put to an end abruptly and students were forced to go back to the dorms. A few hours later, the dean made his announcement which earned a lot of backlash from the students. The entire EI was on lockdown and no one was allowed to come in or get out. I was transferred to the dorm shortly after the announcement.

As Mariya finished, she looked ahead of her. I observed her face. She was trying not to cry. With how things happened so quickly, I guess it was difficult for her to accept everything. Slowly, I hugged her and I felt her cry against me.

Returning the hug, Mariya's tears were moist on my shoulder. She sobbed quietly, filling the room with a gloomy aura despite the sun shining brightly. I let her grieve.

I thought of Xio as I watched the sun's rays seep through the gray curtains. She, too, was a small ray of sunshine in my life. Gone too quickly, but still a ray. She made everything feel brighter for a while.

I will bring the truth into the light. I'll find out who did it and why. I won't let Xio's death be in vain. As much as I know it's impossible, I'll try to prevent more deaths. But first, I have to clear my name.