Sunday
April 13, 2014

 8:00 am

I woke up groaning as I contemplated the warmth that reached me from sun even though it was not much since windows were closed .

"Zee! You there ?" I asked after carefully checking that Cistella was asleep.

"Uhmm..yah" She yawned.

"Did you find in which form was Ava enlisted?"

"Same form . Fourth form.  She is currently staying in dorm 160-B with a girl who doesn't exactly like being in her room so is rather out most of time. That is how she was able to track you most of time. Now why are you asking about that so early?" She wondered.

"It is 8:00 am . I think I can hardly call it early at all . Well ! Anyway, today second package will arrive at gate . Send Adrial instructions to pick it up at 5:00 pm if he decided to join us and if he hasn't, then inform me ." I told her as she hummed in understanding.

Now ! Time to put on normal routine. Well normal is definitely subjective. Either way .

It was about 12 pm when I went to meet with Claude.

"Glad to see that you are getting on very well . When I heard about your proposal yesterday, I thought that there was no need to wait any longer so let's move ahead with establishment of the club" I smiled.

"Really! I mean if you are so eager to, fine . Let me get started on one." She squinted her eyes surprised.

"Good! You do that . If you need anything, contact me on my email. You already have it ." As she nodded .

"Now ! Selica! You there. Tell me what are you up to ?" I asked with my hands in pocket as I headed towards a different section of campus.

"Well! I contacted Adrial .I think he is up to work for us on the condition that he should one day off per day at least." She informed me.

"He sure is funny guy." I chuckled.

Zee:"Yeah ! Like he would be doing jobs for more than two days a week at best ?" Me:"Like he would ever get a holiday."  We both said at same time as there was utter silence.

"Umm Max , what do you mean ?" She asked confused.

"Relax! I am sure I will manage to give him one day off as he wants and some amount of money as his pay . But if we are going to recuirt more members and pay them as well, we need money . I have formulated a plan for that . Go to Section A-7 on  "Nexus" in your Drive D on your laptop and open the file there . Read it throughouly and do exactly as instructed. Also ,can you send me Zoe's number . You can log in as Stallion and then message her " Closet No". She would understand and send her number on the web in a code. I am sure that you will be able to figure it out and if you don't, then send it to me as it is .Think you can manage all that ." I straightened my hair.

"Sure ! But you know you do ask a lot and as much as I would want to do all this, I .." She began.

"If you do that today, then I will ask nothing very strenuous or major for next two days and I would go out with you for a bite in Raul's place tomorrow for relaxation. " I offered.

"Say no more . Done . Just one question, would that be like a date ?" She asked.

"Uhm! Sure if you want that . Just do it ." I sighed turning off my comms. What is so different about date and eating food with someone and just random talk ! I  really don't grasp the concept of date being such a big deal .

Either way, I had other stuff to do . Now that was dealt with , I needed to recuirt someone. Even Selica had no idea as to whom but I had been keeping my eye on her for a while.  Isla Inghram! Apparently, she didn't have much problem i.e.  generally you go looking for something to exploit in anyone so that you can offer them bait but she was different. Ever since second year , I saw her steadily doing anything she took to the end and as perfect as she could. Some could just rule her out as a perfect schoolgirl but that wasn't just it . When I had met her in second year, I had gotten a glimpse into her vast deduction prowess but she had declined my offer even after being selected due to work.

She was similar to Kate in popularity respects  and had managed to obtain a prominent position in third year but then she decided of her own accord to avoid them and then eventually  simply restricted herself just to establish some friends shying away from attracting large crowds . As far as everybody knows , she has a good family background with no problems with everything  seemingly perfect and yet I always see her yearning for something more too . It is as if she was seeking for something higher than a simple material existence. She was also a kind of mediator among most of the fights in school where she used tothrow herself into peril  willingly . Yet, I don't exactly see her driven by a motive to help others. No ! That was not it . It was much more like being stuck in such kind of situation was a compensation for her existence as a honest hard-working student with good friends. 

Our interactions over years had only been brief and awkward and all I could do was speculate on her character and way of thinking . But now, I would need her on my team.  I need to very careful while approaching her . One wrong move and she would slip right away from my grasp in jiffy . I can't just hire her by offering money or something like a pointless futility of my actions which worked for Adrial .

 No! I need to make sure that I convince her because if she wasn't, then she would escape with information into public masses that I was building an organisation of operatives . But then again , she didn't reveal my secret last time . Alright! Max , don't think too hard. That can also harm you.

"Hello Isla! I was wondering if we could have a chat for few minutes?" I entered Raul 's place and stood near her table.

"Sure, Max . How did you even know I was here ?" She asked surprised. 

"Oh! I just put a tracker on all students and wanted to check out yours here. Just kidding." I added seeing her frozen.

"So anyway, I know it will come as a particularly quite strange but I was wondering if you could help me with an assignment that I am having a bit of a trouble with ." I opened the folder I was carrying.

"You are having a problem with some assignment?" She blinked in disbelief.

"While my analytical prowess may have been proven quite useful at times, I am afraid people do seem to overestimate my capabilities because of that at times ." I chuckled at which she smiled.

"Yeah ! I bet you have to deal with that everyday. It must be annoying." 

"Well! It is not too bad unless someone decides to randomly push me into something that I am not prepared for because of such absurd overestimations" I took out the assignment.

"I suppose so . But why come to me ?" She raised her eyebrows.

"You certainly are quite inquisitive." I remarked.

"Figured you of all people would appreciate that being in your kind of skills ." She facepalmed herself.

"Touche! Well! You are one of the top students in Academy plus you are really great at your subjects .I really don't have any friends who are like that so I just thought on whim to come here and see if anyone suitable would be here.  Did I satisfy your curiousity , Isla?" I explained.

"Well! Guess that explains it . So what would you like help with?" She fondled her hair . First step : Let her think that she was needed in a way which doesn't matter significantly or stand out .  

It was about twenty minutes and we had completed the assignment by now . As we were getting up to leave , someone came running.

"Max! I am stuck on something that is really up your area I think. I mean you must be great at language arts obviously so want to help me out , buddy?"

"Well ! Guess we have to part our ways here unless I want to be ostracized by whole school for not helping out someone in need even though it was already pre determined." I sighed as she nodded in understanding. Second step : Make her think that you are stuck by rules not created by you like her if you want to earn her nod in order to spend more time together.

I paid him some cash as he left .

"Good work, Zee. I am glad you sent him in time." I smiled.

"No problem. But Max, umm I would suggest you to not involve yourself with Isla."

"Hmm! Why is that?"

"I don't know why but I just got bad vibes from her as she was talking." This wasn't like Zee. It was like she was trying to make up some excuse.

"It was just a strategic move , Zee. No need to lie because of jealousy or something. I am very interested in her but it is not like that  if you are wondering . You got it?"

I heard a long sigh but she affirmed all the same.

"Now I am not going to answer such type of questions again concerning my relationships. We have very little time and I can't be bothered to think about these fidélités. So you got Zoe's number yet . " I clarified.

"Yeah ! I got it . Sending it to you . " She oblied as I recieved a message.

"Thanks." Well! It is almost time . I mean few minutes left but still . I had to spend quite a lot of time doing research in library after parting ways with Isla . I didn't fancy telling Zee about it that much so she might be wondering why I was so quiet for so long  but telling her would have been no better since it was too much information to comprehend for anyone.

5:10 pm

"So Adrial! Where is the package?" I asked  him as he arrived at Raul's place

"Well! I couldn't exactly place it here now, could I ? I kept it inside your room." He answered.

"What ? No ! I mean you shouldn't have. Oh well! I am sure Cist would never open it without permission probably." I sighed drinking apple Martini.

"So am I gonna be your delivery boy ?" He sat down in a chair.

"No! I mean sometimes but not like mainly. I am still figuring things out and it has only been a week . It will definitely take time and is not something that can be just rushed . So even if it seems boring and tedious, one thing I can promise you that the journey will have its moments and the goal that I am pursuing will be worth it or it could all just mess up and turn out to be pointless like you think living is ." I smirked to which he gave a slight smugness.

"Hello Zoe ! I recieved the package. And umm.. just wanted to thank you in voice. Hope you don't mind ." As it went to her voicemail.

"Hey Max! So what is in the package this time? I haven't exactly had time to check in with getting Zoe's number and reading your plans to raise money and sending that guy on time to you with that statement?" She had said it quite nicely but I could hear her groan as I entered her room.

"Quite an assortment of materials to be in fact but mostly weapons to be equipped by all members of our society. Of course, I will make them ." I sat on bed relaxing my legs.

"Sounds interesting but Max!  Remember when you said I have supreme authority to breach your privelleges and do what I like ?" She reminded me .

"Yeah ! Vaguely" I yawned.

"Yeah well! You are not doing anything tomorrow. You are going to call sick tomorrow and take rest ." She said.

"No way I am gonna do that ." I got up frantically.

"Yes! You are. Because I said so  and you are super tired . After all you did promise me a date tomorrow so I guess you can see it as getting out of it too if you want to .You have over exerted yourself so you are going to follow what I say or I will block your cellphone, laptop and make things really quite hard for you in presentation during classes and all ."  She warned me .

"Fine! You meanie." I pouted looking away .

"Your guilt tripping move and sad voice effect won't work on me . Nope ! Not falling for that , Max." She firmly stated as I faded into oblivion of slumber.

Au revoir readers! Keep posted for the next chapter