[Mayu]

"WOULD you please take it slow in pulling me, Pete? I can walk on my own, you know." I attempted to joke around about the way Pete was pulling me at the moment.

But I knew it was a futile effort. Especially when I couldn't help feeling nervous because of this guy's serious aura. If Pete was already known even before as the serious type, it doubled up when he caught my attention as soon as he entered the room and pulled me out of there.

With that, I already figured out that something happened. I only needed to know what it was.

He stopped pulling me upon reaching the right end of the hallway. We were near the balcony just beside the fire exit. I saw Pete heaved a sigh before facing me.

"Is there a problem? Why the unusually serious face?" I asked.

"He's been missing... since last night."

Missing? Who? But my mind didn't take long to rake out the possible answers. "You mean Brent?"

He nodded. "That's the reason why Neil and I didn't go to school today. We were all busy looking for Brent, especially when we know that he still has fever. He would end up straining himself."

What the heck? Why didn't Neilson mention anything about this to me?

"But why did you look for me? Weren't you looking for your brother, as well?"

"I came here to ask you something?"

"Ask me something? About what?" This boy was getting really weird by the second, if you'd ask me.

"Did you know about what happened to my older brother back in high school? About Carol?"

"I'm one of the few who knew about it." Seriously, where would this conversation lead us? Until I realized something. "Wait a minute. You're not telling me..."

"Brent is a type of person who doesn't easily forget an event that has a big role in changing his life drastically. So I came here to ask you if you know the place where my brother found Carol."

Oh, boy! Don't tell me... Brent was at it again? When would this issue come to an end? Margie, I thought you'd done something for Brent about this?

Speaking of Margaret...

Oh, right! I left here in the classroom. "Pete, wait for me for a while, okay? I have to check on my cousin."

"Cousin? You mean... the girl who punched Brent on the start of the semester?"

I looked at Pete in surprise. "You knew about that?"

"Duh? Who wouldn't know about that? It was the first time that a girl didn't fall on my brother's face value and charms. Not to mention, that girl was brave enough to defy my brother and actually punch him."

Well, I guessed that truly was a news. An unbelievable one, at that. "To answer your question, yeah. It was indeed my cousin who did that to your brother."

"But why do you have to go with her?"

"It's because there's a possibility that she can help us in finding Brent. It seems that her radar is strong when it comes to your brother."

"Seriously?"

I just responded with a shrug. "It's just an observation. Since November last year, those two would clash almost every day." But it wasn't just my observation that I used as a basis for me to say that.

I could still feel that Margaret would find Brent. Especially when that cousin of mine already knew the secret that Brent tried his best to hide from the world— the secret that has a possibility to ruin more lives if that guy doesn't want to stop.

Pete accompanied me in returning to the classroom to look for Margaret. But confusion and surprise filled me when I saw my cousin's empty seat.

"Where is she?" Pete asked as he looked around.

Duh? I was supposed to ask that question. But then, this guy sure was acting as if he knew what Margaret looked like with the way he searched the place just by looking around. From what I knew, he hadn't met my cousin yet— personally or even through a picture. Not unless Brent managed to steal a picture of Margaret.

"Benedict, have you seen Margaret?" I asked to one of my classmates on that subject. If so happened that he was Margaret's seatmate.

"She left as soon as she took her things after following you and Peter outside the room. She looked like in a hurry, though. Maybe she needs to chase after something."

I couldn't help facing Pete after hearing that. Both of us had the same expression on our faces.

Confusion.

"Mayu, do you think it's possible that... she heard what we were taking about a while ago?" Andz ventured.

My gosh! Margie, what was running in your mind at the moment. What in the world was going on with you?

I grunted upon realizing something. "It looks like the two of us are not going to look only for Brent, Pete."

And no doubt, the boy got my message.