Layna was not early today. After literature class, she would only respond with small talk. I get the feeling she had been avoiding me. I tried looking for her at the storage room but there was no sign of her.

          “Are you okay?” Harvey asked while we were hanging out the bleachers besides our school running track.

          “Yeah. I am just thinking about Layna. I think she had been avoiding me.”

          “Why’d you say that?” Donald asked.

          “Well, she was not in her usual hiding place. When I tried approaching her, she seemed like she wanted to run away.” I stretched my leg as it was getting numb for crossing it for some time. “I hoped I didn’t make her feel bad or anything.”

          “Something happened to you guys during the contest?” Harvey asked with a mischievious tone.

          “Nothing really,” while trying to back track my memory on what had happen that night.

          “By the way, where did you guys hid? I heard from the people who played aliens they looked everywhere and couldn’t find you guys anywhere.” Donald inquired. I couldn’t divulge Layna’s secret space as it was her only getaway place at school.

          “Well, we hid in a room that was locked. Not sure what floor that was. But we locked it.” I lied.

          “Come to think about it. There was a room on the 3rd floor that they couldn’t open aside from the teacher’s room and principal’s room.” Donald’s statement gave me a slight relief. We turned to the track in field as a whistle was blown. The football players were having their warm ups.

          “Hey, I think that guy was the one who Layna said was courting her.” I said as I saw him running through the course taking a lap.

          “Oh! You mean Jackson? Yeah. He has been hanging out with her lately.” Donald said.

          “I just saw him dating with someone at the cafeteria and it wasn’t Layna.” Harvey responded with a shocked expression as if realizing something.

          “Yeah, heard it from Layna, that he was hitting on her even though he was already with someone.” We all got quiet again.

          Donald turned to me and said, “Because you’re my friend, I am giving you this info. Layna is good person. Something... you... outta... know...” As if he was placing a threat against me. 

          “I will do my best not to screw it up, Don,” I assured him.

          He looked around as if he was trying to share an information from a CIA intel. Donald lowered his voice as if he is about to share a life or death information and said “A little birdie told me that she’s at the library.”

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