Maris POV

I stretch loudly as my back ached from the position I slept off.
Channelle didn't come home yesterday, as long as I stayed awake.

By the way, I stayed awake waiting for her, I think I'm qualified to be a night watch woman because ehnn...

Maybe she got home immediately I slept off, I hurriedly stood up
"ouch" I cried as I  felt a sharp pain in my neck,
"you would pay for this!" I muttered, as I opened my door and made my way to her room.

I opened her door and peeped inside "empty" I nodded in observation,

I saw a stack of littered paper on her table, and was about to pick one when I freaked out in fear,

"Maris!!" My mom yelled from downstairs

Geez can this woman keep it quiet

I came out of her room, " you would be late for school!!" I heard my mom yelling again

"Argh" I groaned, " can I just close this chapter of my life, the school partly because I am tired!"

I freshened up and went downstairs,
"Good morning Dad, Good morning Mom"

"Good morning, hope you slept well?"

I didn't sleep a wink

I nodded in response.

I looked at both of them, did they know that their first daughter did not sleep in this house yesterday?

"Mom" I called

"Yes dear"

"Channelle didn't sleep at home yesterday," I said

"Ohhh, that's why you have your face worked up, did you even sleep a bit last night" she examined my face,

"Not really, I slept well though," I said quickly

"Well, she texted that she wouldn't be coming home" Mom explained

"Really?"

"Yes and this time, she texted in abbreviation only that it was through the messaging app"

My Dad chuckled " Elle used the messaging app?"

"Oh yes, Maris was quite surprised yesterday, I'm quite surprised today, guess you'll be quite surprised later in the day," Mom said

"And we all will be quite surprised tomorrow" Dad added

"Where did she spend the night?" I'm fuming already

"At Lami's"

Wow! So much for a caring sister like me

I ate in silence, we would see in school

"Bye Mom, bye Dad" I stepped out of the house

"Good morning sir"

"Morning Maris" we drove to school in silence.

"Thank you sir" I ran to the main gate with speed, I'm so late.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw Senior Jason standing at the gate,

"Oh boy! Cynthia wasn't joking at all. He doesn't look friendly, and the crying part? I think I'm ready to start crying " I walked slowly towards the gate, my heart beating fast. I can feel the tears knocking at the door, one shout, I'll just start crying.

I got to the gate" Hey you!" The other prefect called me

"So you can't run abi? Go back to the main gate and start running" she commanded with anger in her voice

"Ahahn Senior please na," I begged
Omo, I'm not the cause of your problem oh

"Run there and run back here to kneel"

"Ah!" I exclaimed, with my mouth open.
"See Senior, I cannot run my leg is paining me. There's one big dog in my Estate, it chased me yesterday and I mistakenly sprained my ankle, that was why I was walking slowly" I threw a bomb(lies)

"You better-"

"Aishat just let her go" I heard Jason say,

she took some time before the words rolled out of her mouth

"You can go" Aishat rolled her eyes

Eyes that looks like a frog, I eyed her- inside my head

"Thank you Senior Aishat, Thank you Senior Jason " I bowed lightly.

I walked majestically inside the school.
I can't run, remember, I sprained my ankle.
I smiled to myself as students who were in the corridor stared at me with surprise, when Senior Jason is on duty, no one comes inside the school like I did when late.
My smile suddenly vanished when I thought of Cynthia. She's topping the position for The potential Late-Comer. I hope she doesn't come late, cause Senior Jason isn't going to spare her one bit.

I entered my class, with my head up high. I reached my seat but not without giving Tina a Presidential Wave.

"Wow, how did you survive?" She asked

"Your brother is the worst, no offence though. Cynthia wasn't lying at all"

"I never lie," Cynthia said unexpectedly, causing me to jump a little. She came from behind me. I didn't hide my shock

"Why are you in school this early?!"

"Well, I couldn't risk my life. Somebody posted that Senior Jason is on duty. So for this week, I am a born again"

I laughed, "I guess we switched roles"

"How was the devil?"

Tina hit her " My brother isn't a devil"

"Girl! I can't call him a beast, he's handsome. 'Devil' is the one"

"You don't wanna know how he is. He saved me though, from the hands of Aishat the evil witch.  Can you believe that girl told me to run back to the main gate and run in? " I explained

"Did you beg?"

"I did. Then I had to throw in some lies"

"Hmm, maybe the Devil isn't that bad after all," Cynthia said.

"So!!" She dragged on

"Cynthia it's too early for gist!" Tina tried dragging her up

"Abeg, leave me. So tell me, how did yesterday go. What did Channelle tell you?"

"Well, she didn't come home yesterday. Mom said she sent her a text saying she slept off at Lami's place" I said

Cynthia and Tina shared a look, I noticed it " What is it?"

"I guess we have a problem here," Cynthia said

"What do you mean?" I asked

"I came to school with Lami, she offered me a ride. Channelle wasn't in the car she was complaining about how her line wasn't going after she sent the message. She also said something about the message, something similar to what you said, Message app and abbreviations" Cynthia poured out

What exactly is going on?

" It's not a guessing time, we have a problem," Tina said,

"I think we should go to the garden"

"The Math Teacher? We have Math remember" I pointed at the big timetable hung on the wall.

"Yes, we know but there's a meeting going on," Cynthia said

"Let's go then"

We went to the garden buying some popcorn and coke from the cafeteria.

"Okay, so what's wrong?" I asked

Tina looked at us carefully,

"Wait, is somebody pregnant?" Cynthia asked

"No"

"Then talk now" I urged

"Okay, don't freak out"

"We won't"

" Jayden didn't take Elle out," Tina said

"Ehnnn!" Cynthia shouted

"Wait, I don't get"

"How about the girls that saw them running to the gate?" Cynthia asked

"He said he took her to the gate like those students saw but she came back to school because she was pressed she had to use the lavatory. She never went back to him, he assumed that maybe she dumped him or didn't want to go out with him. So he took Vanessa out instead" Tina explained

"Vanessa" Cynthia snorted

"She wasn't the one who sent those messages" I mumbled, "she didn't send them to my Mom either"

I guess I'm the one quite surprised not my father

"So where do you think she is?" I asked

Is she in trouble?

"Do you think she is missing?" Cynthia asked, then shakes her head replying herself "Two people can't go missing"

I was about to ask what she meant by that but Tina beat me to it,

"Who was the first person?"

"A girl in Ss1"

"Victoria?"

"If that's her name, yes"

"She didn't go missing," Tina said

"Why would you say that? Even the teachers confirmed she was missing."

I looked at both of them as they talked to each other

"She ran away"

"How did you know?" Cynthia asked

"I saw her that morning, she told me she was going to run away, that she didn't care what people would think. At least if she ran away while in school, she wouldn't have people looking for her" Tina explained

"Wait, does this means..." they both looked at each other

"What does this means?" I stared at them

"It means a lot, it means we are in big trouble,"

"I still don't get. What exactly is going on?"

"This means your sister has been kidnapped" I heard Jason say as he walked towards us with the rest of the crew.

I chuckled "Kidnapped in this school? You must be joking"

"No, she has been kidna-"

"I heard you the first time," I said with venom in my voice

"Calm down" Tina came closer, grabbing my hands softly.

" I need an explanation. Why has my sister been kidnapped?" I felt my voice cracking

Janet cleared her throat " Every year, a student goes missing. Elle somehow knew something was wrong in this school before she found out what happens"

"Tha-that was the weird feeling she was talking about" I stuttered, I felt tears rolling down my cheeks

"Yeah" Tina rubbed my right hand

"I didn't even listen to her" I cried " I, I didn't even try to hear her out, I called her selfish!" I sobbed hardly

"It's not your fault," Cynthia said, rubbing my back. "But I have a question oh. Why was it, Elle? There are other students"

"There's something I need to tell you guys" Jayden appeared from behind

"Great! Is there anything else we need to know before we start strategizing?" Lami asked wiping her tears

"Remember the day we went exploring?

"Yes, the day she said she was forced to come to school " Amarachi reminded us,

"Oh. Continue" Jimmy nodded

"Well, something happened. We were locked in the classroom" he continued

"We heard who we think is Mr X talking about kidnapping Channelle and how she's the best target" he confessed

"What?!! Why didn't you tell us!???" Janet and Lami looked furious

"Why didn't she tell me?" I asked weakly, whimpering softly

"She didn't want anyone to worry about her" Jayden said

"Guess who's worrying now" Lami chuckled,

"I'm sorry!" I cried loudly resting my head on Tina's shoulder, I continued whimpering  " we forced her to come to school, we should have just let her be, we could have stayed to watch Netflix and chill like she wanted" I sobbed

"It's not your fault," Lami said

"What do we do now. We can't let her go like that" Amarachi said

"Let's list out the suspect" Jimmy suggested

"Suspect? Who can we suspect?" Tina asked

"Number one suspect should be Vanessa," Cynthia said

"I second that," Jimmy said immediately

"Wait, why Vanessa?"

*******

There's a part 2. Next chapter.

Please Vote.

Is it right to suspect Vanessa?

How do you think Maris feels?

Comment. Wanna read your answers and what you think.

RQ: Pap(Akamu) or Custard.