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Another Conundrum

---

"GIRLS, GISING!" A loud, booming voice shouted from just outside the girls' dormitory, followed by a succession of rough knocks on their door.

Ann did not stir from her bed at first, ignoring the loud voices that seemed to be coming from the corridor, not until the knocks turned into loud hits.

"ANN! QUEENIE! SERA! BABA NA DAW GALIT NA SI PROFESSOR ZALDIGA!" A familiar voice yelled, at sakto namang bumukas ang pintuan ng kwarto ni Ann.

"HOY LOBRIS GUMISING KA NA DIYAN." Tulirong sabi ng dalaga at agad na hinablot ang kumot ng dalaga.

"ANONG ORAS NA BA?" Ann groaned in irritation, curling her body into a ball as Queenie quickly opened the blinds in her room, causing Ann to wince from the sudden sunlight." ANG AGA-AGA PA ANO BANG PROBLEMA NILA?!" She snapped as she sat down on her bed.

"Nakita yung pandesal na pinakain ni Sera sa aso ni Kuya Guard Tino kagabi nung papunta kami sa dorm nina Rein." Queenie snapped back, pulling a startled Ann out from her bed.

"Now all of us girls are being investigated. Either iniimbestigahan kung may tumakas sa'tin kagabi, o kung may pumasok dito sa girls' dormitory nang wala paalam." She said grimly, before calling out to Sera to wake her up as well.

"SERAPHIM LOUISE MADRIGAL GUMISING KA NAAA!" Bulyaw ni Queenie bago binalikan ng tingin si Ann.

"I'M UP OKAY, HUWAG KA NANG SUMIGAW!" Sigaw pabalik ni Sera mula sa kaniyang kwarto.

"Magbihis ka na. Kanina pa tayo ginigising nina Mira." Queenie told her, throwing a pair of the Castillo uniform towards Ann.

"Alam mo Q, huwag kang mag-alala," Sera suddenly said out of the blue, popping her head into Ann's room.

"At p'anong 'di ako mag-aalala?!"

"Chill, okay? Tinapon ko na 'yung pack ng pandesal sa basurahan nina Jarrell kagabi. Any evidence that we snuck out last night has been disposed of because of moi, so calm down." Sera frowned as she combed her hair.

"I'm not worried about that. Madali namang malusutan 'yung pandesal." Queenie muttered as Ann washed her face in the bathroom adjacent to her room.

"Then what are you worried about?" Tanong ni Ann nang matapos itong maghilamos.

"QUEENIE!! BABA NA DAW!" Another voice yelled out from outside.

"WE'RE COMING!" Queenie thundered before looking at the two girls gravely.

"Alam niyo ba kung bakit tayo pinapababa? Pinapa-assembly tayong mga babae sa labas ng dormitory para iinspect nila isa-isa ang mga dorms natin." She said gravely, dahilan para mapatigil si Ann.

"Now tell me, p'ano natin itatago yung mga pieces of evidence na nandito sa kwarto natin??" Queenie demanded, which was enough to wake the two girls up.

"Okay, listen." Ann said quietly as she zipped her skirt. "Queenie, iwanan mo lang ang mga pigments dito sa kwarto. Hindi nila papansinin 'yon. They'll just think it's an invention of yours, or something you're researching for academics."

"And Sera??"

"Queeni, you and Sera have nothing to hide because your parents have nothing against you having connections with Rein, Quinn or Jarrell. I on the other hand..." She exhaled before reaching out from her drawer to show her small burner phone. "...Can't let anyone see these conversations between me and Rein. Do you girls have any ideas?"

"I-iinspect rin ba tayo sa baba?" Sera asked grimly.

"I'm not sure, hindi na-mention nina Mira."

"I can't bring it with me. And I definitely can't leave it here unless may maganda tayong hiding spot-"

"GIRLS! WHAT IS TAKING YOU SO LONG?" A loud, shrilly voice boomed. Napatigil agad sa pag-uusap ang tatlong babae nang na-realize nila na si Vice Principal Leila Castillo na ang nagsalita.

"Here," Sera whispered quickly, snatching the burner phone. "Ako na bahala." She said, slipping the phone in her skirt pocket.

"B-BUT-"

"Our apologies Vice Principal Leila," Sera said out loud, immediately opening the front door of their dormitory room. Agad na bumungad dito ang Vice Principal, pati na rin ang discipline officer na si Professor Simon Zaldiga.

"Ang tagal po kasing gumising nitong dalawang kasama ko, napuyat po kakaaral sa English test namin ngayon." The young girl said somberly, at agad na pumeke ng hikab ang dalawang babae.

"Very well." The vice principal said haughtily. "Join the girls below."

"We're sorry Vice Principal Leila." Ann and Queenie apologized simultaneously as the three girls stepped out of the room, walking down the stairs and joining the rest of the girls who had now assembled at the grounds in front of the girls' dormitory.

Kasunod nilang bumaba ang dalawang matanda, at nang nakapila na ang tatlo ay nagsalita na agad ang katawan ng punong-guro.

"Ang tagal-tagal niyong bumaba. Buti nalang at 'di pa gaanong mainit ulo ni Vice Principal Leila." Mira, their classmate, whispered to the three girls who went at the back of the line.

"Tulog mantika kasi si Queenie kakaaral kagabi." Sera explained grandiosely, making sure that Tyra, who was a few persons away, could hear.

"Last night, someone left bread at the foot of the dormitory's staircase for Tino Domingo's dog to eat. Clearly, someone either snuck out at night, or snuck inside the dormitory. Rest assured, we care for your safety and will be conducting an inspection right now of everyone, as well as all of your rooms." With that, the woman then turned around and snapped a finger at a few twelfth graders who were beside the two adults.

"Half of you inspect the girls, the other half will inspect the rooms with us. Come along now." Vice Principal Leila said sharply, at agad na sumunod ang mga ito.

Ann immediately saw that her older cousin Calista was amongst the girls that the vice principal had trusted to obey her commands.

"Great." The Lobris heir muttered as Calista and her fellow twelfth-graders started inspecting the girls, starting with the seventh graders.

Dahil rito ay hindi mapigilan ng dalaga na mas kabahan. She knew that Calista had an eye on her for the whole school year now, and one little mistake from Ann herself would bring nothing but the outmost pleasure for the very competitive Calista.

"Hello dear cous. You look a little tired." Calista greeted Ann who returned her greeting with a fake smile.

"Hi Cal. Say, aren't you supposed to be starting with the younger ones?" Ann asked, raising an eyebrow at her cousin who grinned.

"Well, lahat na sila nagsimula sa mga seventh graders so why don't I start with you tenth graders for a change?" Calista asked innocently, and Ann could swore there was a devilish glint that lit in her eyes.

"Suit yourself." Kibit-balikat ni Ann, masking her nervousness - something that she was an expert on. "Gusto mo simulan mo na sa'kin eh, tutal lagi ka namang atat sa paghahanap ng mali sa'kin." Ann scoffed, causing Sera, who was right behind her, to cough.

Dahil dito ay nawalan na ang ngiti mula sa mata ng kaniyang pinsan, at napalitan na lamang ito ng irita. "You talk too much for someone who should be careful with her words." Calista spat out as she roughly grabbed Ann by the arm.

Agad na kinapa ni Calista ang kaniyang pinsan simula sa balikat nito. "Turn out your pockets." The older girl demanded. To her disappointment, Ann's pockets were as empty as the flashdrives that the culprit had hacked.

"Don't think I don't know that you've been up to something little cous." Calista frowned. "I'll find out soon enough."

Ann didn't respond though, merely shooting daggers at her cousin as she watched the older girl move to Sera was examining her red-polished nails.

"Pockets." Calista said dryly.

"Oh sorry," Sera said in a fake, high-pitched voice before turning out the pockets of her burgundy red skirt. Unlike Ann's, Sera's pocket was filled with a few feminine essentials, such as lip gloss, powder, hair gel, and perfume. To Ann's surprise, her burner phone was nowhere to be found in Sera's pockets.

"What are you, a walking drugstore?" Calista snorted before moving on to Queenie, with Sera giving Ann an obscure wink.

---

"How on earth did you do that?" Ann demanded as soon as the three girls were alone and walking to their homeroom.

"My pockets actually have another pocket inside." Sera whispered to the two. "Hindi lang kasi siya halata. That's where I put more of my makeup essentials because God forbid women can't have larger pockets!"

Dahil dito ay natawa naman ang dalawa, with Sera promising to return the burner phone to Ann later at night when the three are safe and alone in their dormitory room.

"Sera, you sneaky little vixen!" Queenie laughed as they winded up into another hallway.

"They don't call me a deceptive angel for nothing." Sera grinned.

"But still, we need to be more careful." Sambit naman ni Ann as she glanced around, paranoid that anyone could hear them. "You guys heard my cousin. Hindi yun titigil hanggang sa mailantad niya lahat ng baho ko."

"No worries Ann. Tuloy naman ang plano na napag-usapan kagabi diba?" Queenie asked, to which Ann and Sera nodded.

"Good. I'll leave you girls then." Queenie grinned, waving the two goodbye and exiting through the left hallway.

"I guess dito na rin ako." Sambit naman ni Sera na napatingin sa kaliwang corridor. "See you Ann-ehem-Lobris." The young girl said before turning around and sashaying away.

Ann didn't bother to wave a goodbye, though she did have a little smile on her lips. After all, this was all part of their plan last night.

"We have to act like we're still fighting." Ann could remember Rein saying last night as they gathered in the boys' dormitory. "Kailangang bumalik tayo sa dati na hindi nagpapansinan at walang pakialam sa isa't-isa. This will make the culprit feel confident and lower his or her guard. It will also make us less attractive or susceptible to suspicion, lalo na't nakabantay na rin pati ang student council sa atin."

"Less susceptible." Ann whispered through her breath as she entered 10-Fortitude. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Queenie and the three boys were already at their seats, ignoring each other.

"Hey babe!" Javier greeted her as usual as she walked to her seat in front of Alyssa Malino. Just as she sat, napansin niyang kakapasok lang ni Sera who didn't even dare glance at her.

"Not only are we nosy sleuths poking in other people's businesses," Ann thought cheekily as she pulled out her notebook. "We'd also make fine actors."

---

The day passed on without any falter as the six continued their front of ignoring one another. With this silence, both Rein and Ann had taken this as an opportunity to continue writing their novel entry separately, as what they've agreed from last night's meeting.

"PASA MO DITO!" Ann could hear the boys who were playing basketball in the open court from where she sat in the library, pausing from her writing to glance at the glass windows that showed the school grounds bathed under that Wednesday afternoon's light.

Dito ay nakikita niya si Jarrell na kalaro sina Javier.

Ann smiled to herself before returning her gaze to her laptop where she was proofreading Chapter 14 and 15 of their entry.

Halos tatlong oras na rin siyang nagsusulat dito sa library simula ala una ng hapon dahil puro pang-umagahan ang kanilang klase tuwing Miyerkules.

The young girl felt very productive, but also tired because of this. Aside from writing, Ann had also resorted to researching about iconic mystery novels throughout history and how they became so popular to readers.

Most that she had found were Agatha Christie novels of course, and then the Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. There was one common denominator that Ann had noticed from all the books she had gathered.

"Cozy British mysteries." Ann had murmured earlier, leaning back on her seat as she read about that particular genre of mystery in the internet.

"The 'Cozy British Mystery', which also referred to as 'Cozy Mysteries' or 'Cozies' is the gentlest subset of the broad genre of crime writing where sex and violence occur offstage, the detective is an amateur sleuth, and the crime and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community. Cozies thus stand in contrast to hardboiled fiction, in which more explicit themes such as violence and sex are central to the plot. The term 'Cozy/Cozies' was first coined in the late 20th century when various writers produced work in an attempt to recreate the Golden Age of Detective Fiction." Ann read, interested with the lores and genres within the mystery genre itself.

"Interesting." Bulong ng dalaga as she thought of the premise of their novel. Since the plot was based more or less in their situation with the Writers' Schism culprit, Ann couldn't help but let out a chuckle when she realized that not only their novel was a "cozy British mystery", but their reality as well.

"Crazy how much literature mirrors real-life." She muttered, scanning Chapter 14 for any plot holes and grammatical errors.

With a sigh, she then glanced at her watch and was surprised to see that it was already four in the afternoon.

Dahil dito ay agad na sinave ng dalaga ang kaniyang gawa, slightly pausing when she realized she'd need to back up the file before the culprit ever tries to hack them again.

"Well I guess may oras pa namang pumunta sa mall." She told herself, packing up her things to exit the library, planning to drop by the Ylando StarMall.

---

By the time the young girl had arrived at the mall, there were only a few buyers since it was an afternoon on a weekday.

"Isa nga pong USB flash drive." sambit ng dalaga sa loob ng TechValley, isang technology shop sa loob ng StarMall.

"Actually kuya, gawin mo na pong dalawa," Ann added quickly. "Tapos isa pong external hard drive."

"Anong GB nung USB flash drives?"

"32GB each nalang po kuya."

Pagkatapos bumili ng dalaga sa TechValley ay napadaan naman ito sa Books and Brews, isang coffee shop na bookstore rin.

While buying herself a hot, tall latte, Ann went to browse through the books on the shelves that were for sale.

As she walked through the aisles, her eye immediately caught an Agatha Christie book in the mystery section.

"And Then There Were None," she read the title out loud, flipping the cover to read the blurb on the back.

"Hmm. Interesting." She pouted while nodding. She then glanced back at the shelf and grabbed another book, this time it was entitled, "Murder on the Orient Express".

Without another word, Ann then soon left the shop with the latte, and two Agatha Christie books with a certain person lingering in mind.

On her way back to school, Ann decided to just walk to enjoy the sun setting in Ylando city - the street lights soon starting to glow.

Involuntarily, napabuntong-hininga ang dalaga. This was the most peaceful afternoon that she have had so far in this school year, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling that this calm state of mind would soon be gone.

Habang naglalakad sa kalsada ay napadaan si Ann sa subdivision nito, pausing to stare at her house that could be seen even from afar because of its large and grandiose architecture.

Napakurap ang dalaga bago tumingin sa Castillo High. She then glanced back at her house.

She didn't know why but there was something urging her to visit home.

Napakibit-balikat ang dalaga. "Might as well follow the instinct." She told herself, walking up to the Lobris mansion.

"Hello?" Ann called as soon as she had entered the large gates.

There was no reply, and Ann noticed that her mother's car wasn't in the garage. Her father's vehicle however, was there.

With a frown, Ann then entered the mansion. Katulad sa labas, tahimik rin ang loob ng bahay.

"Hmm. Nasa'n kaya sina Kuya Norman?" Tanong ng dalaga, pertaining to the family butler.

As Ann then walked up the stairs to the second floor, her ears had caught attention of a faint, quiet conversation.

"Yes, I'll be using that name." A low voice muttered as Ann slowly crept on the second floor.

Peering from behind the wall, she could see her father on the second floor balcony with a phone attached to his ear.

"Of course," sambit ng kaniyang ama. "You'll get your percentage."

Ann's forehead immediately creased as she watched her father engrossed in his phone call.

"Percentage??" She murmured quietly. Ann then glanced towards the opposite side of the floor where she could see the door of her father's office slightly ajar.

Without another word, Ann then dived towards the office, taking opportunity of her father's back turned around.

Hindi alam ng dalaga kung bakit siya pumasok sa opisina ng kaniyang ama, as her gut merely told her to.

Glancing nervously at the door, she then lurked around the office with a grim expression, wondering what on earth could her father be up to this time.

"What secrets are you hiding, papa?" She whispered, walking towards his desk and letting her fingers trail atop the glass.

The young Lobris heir then paused when she caught sight of a particular document next to her father's penholder.

It was a formal-looking document with the words "EliteBank" in its heading.

Mas lalong napakunot ang noo ng dalaga as she saw that a whopping number of 40 million pesos was highlighted on the paper.

"What in the world??" She muttered under her breath when she saw that on top of the unfamiliar name, she could recognize her father's own signature.

Slowly but surely, the young girl's heart sank as she realized that it seemed as if it wasn't just her mother who was cheating on her partner.

"Babae mo ba 'to pa?" Ann asked bitterly, craning her neck when she heard her father's tone grow louder.

"Siguraduhin mo! Alam mo namang importanteng walang makakaalam nito."

With panic-stricken eyes, Ann snatched her phone out of her pocket and took a photo of the document.

She didn't know who Jamie Eruca Roland was, but whoever she is - whether she was a lover of her dad or not, Ann knew she had to know the truth somehow and investigate it later.

But for now, she had to escape before her father could see her.

Holding her breath, she slowly crept across the room and peered through the slit of the office door's hinges, sighing in relief when she saw that her father was still talking to the phone.

With one last glance at her father's office, Ann then made a quiet run for the stairs, slipping out of the mansion as undetected as she had entered.

---

NOTE: Hi sleuths! Just a disclaimer, none of the codes or set of numbers used in the bank account form found above are real. They are simply randomized digits.

Do not ever attempt to use these digits or hack another person's account through these numbers. An act like that is illegal and I do not condone any type of action I've mentioned. Furthermore, the bank account form is a template I just copied from searching up various templates in Google and Canva.

The bank "EliteBank" is also fictional. If in any case there is a real bank with the same exact name (no space, capital E and B), or in the case that the logo and form I have created is similar to any existing logo or form, please reach out to me and I will gladly take it down and change it.

Also, please know that I am not and will never be responsible for any issue that may befall upon you if you fail to heed these warnings and become entangled in any legal situation concerning any possible use of these digits. Remember, you are what you choose to consume, but you are also what you choose to do. Please learn to separate fiction from reality.

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