CHAPTER 5

FRIDAY, I WAS READING THE DIARY, IT WAS LUNCH BREAK.

"LIV!" NICOLE CALLED. "YOU'RE COMING TO THE GAMING HOUR" ANN ASKED. "WHAT HOUR?!" I WAS CURIOUS. "THE GAMING HOUR AFTER SCHOOL" NICOLE REPLIED. 'LIST THE GAMES" I SAID. "CHESS, CARROM" ANN REPLIED. "CHESS! CARROM!" I WASN'T IMPRESSED BECAUSE I WASN'T GOOD AT ANY OF THESE GAMES. "COME WITH US!" NICOLE INSISTS. "AT LEAST SIT WITH US" ANN AND NICOLE BOTH WERE REQUESTING.

"FINE," I SAID.

CARROM, AT LEAST I HAVE PLAYED THAT GAME ONCE IN MY LIFE BUT CHESS, JUST THE FACT I KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME IS THAT THE BISHOP GOES DIAGONALLY. I TURNED BACK AND SAW ROMAN WHO WAS WITH JHON. HE JUST SMILED AT ME. WE HAVEN'T TALKED SINCE MORNING BECAUSE OF MY STUPID AND RECKLESS ACT OR IDEA. THE BELL RINGS. THE NEXT CLASS WAS HISTORY. BOTH OF US KNEW MR.JONZ WOULDN'T SHOW UP. "GOOD AFTERNOON CLASS. I AM ALAIN MARTIN YOUR NEW HISTORY TEACHER." HE INTRODUCED HIMSELF. WE LOOK AT EACHOTHER, PERPLEXED. "I KNOW THE ACTUAL PRONUNCIATION IS AA-LA-IN BUT IT'S AA-LAWN" MR. MARTIN BEGIN WITH THE CLASS.

AFTER SCHOOL WE; I, NICOLE AND ANN WENT FOR THE GAMING HOUR. THERE WERE A FEW STUDENTS. SOME PLAYING FOOTBALL, SOME CARROM AND OTHER'S CHESS. THE FOOTBALL TEAM WAS FULL BUT ANN MANAGED TO GET IN AND SO DID NICOLE. I HAD ONLY ONE CHOICE CHESS. I HAD TO SIT BESIDE ROMAN. 'LUCKY ME' I THOUGHT. "AND WE MEET AGAIN" I EXCLAIMED. "DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO PLAY?" HE ASKED. "IF YOU WANT I CAN LEAVE...NICOLE AND ANN ASKED ME TO COME ALONG. I SORRY" I SAID. "NO...HAVE A SEAT"HE REPLIED.

THEN ROMAN EXPLAINED ME, HOW TO PLAY. WE STARTED THE GAME I CHOSE BLACK AND HE CHOSE WHITE. "YOU DON'T TALK MUCH OR IT'S JUST ME" ROMAN MOVED HIS PAWN FORWARD. "IF YOU WANT AN HONEST ANSWER... IT'S JUST YOU," MOVE MY BLACK PAWN TO E5. "AND WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?" HE MOVED HIS WHITE PAWN TO F4. "BECAUSE YOU ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS BY SAYING EITHER YES OR NO. AND IT SHUTS ME" I CONTINUED KNIGHT TO F6. "YOU DON'T TALK EITHER" HE CONTINUED PAWN TO E3. "ASK ME ANYTHING I'M AN OPEN BOOK," I SAID MOVING MY BLACK PAWN TO E6. "JUST DON'T ASK ME ABOUT THE WEATHER," I ADD.

"FAVOURITE COLOUR?" HE PLAYS KNIGHT TO F3. "RED AND BLUE...YOURS?" I MOVE ONE OF MY BLACK PAWN TO E5. "I DON'T KNOW MAYBE BLACK OR GREY" ROMAN MOVED HIS PAWN TO C3. "FAVOURITE SONG?" I THOUGHT FOR A WHILE AND MOVED MY KNIGHT TO C6. "ROSYLN BY BON IVER AND VIOLET HOUR BY SEA WOLF, YOURS?" A FINE STEP WHITE BISHOP TO D3. "LEAP OF FAITH BY CHRISTOPHER AND IMMORTALS BY FALL OUT BOY" I MOVED MY BISHOP TO D6.

"FAVOURITE FOOD?" HE ASKED AND WE BOTH MOVED OUR KINGS TO G1, HE THEN MOVED HIS KNIGHT ON B TO D2. "PASTA OR TACOS, I WILL EAT ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR BOILED BROCCOLI AND AVOCADO" I MOVED MY PAWN TO B6. ROMAN CHUCKLES AND THINKS FOR A WHILE. "YOURS?" I ASKED. "EVERYTHING OR NOTHING" HE CONTINUES WITH KNIGHT TO E5.

"DO YOU READ BOOKS?" I ASKED. "YES," HE MUMBLED. "FAVOURITE BOOK?" RATHER THAN JUST CAPTURING THE WHITE KNIGHT I MOVED BISHOP TO B7. "THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, YOURS?" MOVING HIS WHITE PAWN TO G4. "THE MAZE RUNNER" I MOVED MY QUEEN TO C7. ROMAN CHUCKLES AND EXHALES SHARPLY. "WHAT?" I INQUIRE. "NOTHING...I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ROMEO JULIET" HE CONTINUES WITH PAWN TO G5. "ROMEO JULIET...I AM NOT INTO THOSE" BLACK KNIGHT TO D7. HE REMAINED SILENT AND MOVED HIS BISHOP TO D3. THEN WE CONTINUED THE GAME AND I CAPTURED HIS KNIGHT. "FAMILY?" HE MOVED HIS PAWN TO G6. "WELL...UNLIKE MOST PEOPLE I LIVE IN A JOINT FAMILY" I REPLIED. "MEMBERS?"HE ASKED AND I REMAINED SILENT. "JUST ASKING" HE ADDS. " SO THERE IS MY ELDER AUNT NATASHA SHE IS CUTE. HER HUSBAND LIVES IN EUROPE, SHE'S GOT TWO DAUGHTERS SHAWNA AND NINA. NEXT IS MY DAD RICK AND MY MOM AUDREY THEY ARE BOTH DOCTORS. ME AND JENNIFER. LAST IS UNCLE HOLLAND AND AUNT ZOEY, THEY ARE LIKE 8 MEMBERS" I LAUGHED. AND KEPT THINKING ABOUT MY MOVE. "WHAT ABOUT YOU?" I ASKED. "I...LIVE WITH MY AUNT JESSICA AND MY UNCLE DAVIS" ROMAN SIGHED. "YOUR PARENTS?" I INQUIRED. "THEY PASSED AWAY WHEN...I WAS SEVEN" HE MOVED HIS QUEEN TO H8. "CHECKMATE" HE EXCLAIMED. "I AM SORRY," I SAID.

NEXT, I WAS GOING TO THE RECEPTION TO RETURN MISS OLIVIA'S BOOK WHICH SHE HAD LEFT YESTERDAY. "EXCUSE ME CAN YOU PLEASE GIVE THIS TO MISS OLIVIA" I REQUEST. "MISS OLIVIA IS ON LEAVE TODAY JUST LEAVE IT HERE" REPLIED THE LADY WHO I HAD NEVER SEEN. MISS OLIVIA NEVER TAKES A LEAVE SHE'S THE RECEPTIONIST. IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE. BUT I LEFT HER BOOK AT THE TABLE.

TILL THE TIME I REACHED HOME MY PARENTS HAD LEFT BECAUSE OF THEIR NIGHT SHIFT. I HAD DINNER, THE ONE WHICH AUNT NATASHA COOKED. I DID MY MATH HOMEWORK WITH SHAWNA AND NINA. THEY SAT DOWN TO WATCH A MOVIE, A HORROR MOVIE SO I WENT UPSTAIRS TO MY ROOM. I WAS BUSY DOING MY HOMEWORK. I WAS DISTRACTED BECAUSE OF A PHONE CALL. IT WAS AN UNKNOWN NUMBER. "HELLO?" I ANSWERED. "HEY, LIVANA IT'S ME ROMAN. I CAN USE A FAVOUR RIGHT NOW. PLEASE." HE SAID. "HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?!" I INQUIRED. "NICOLE GAVE ME....." HE REPLIED. "SHE WHAT?!" I WAS SUPER PISSED. "LISTEN I NEED YOUR HELP. ONLY IF YOU COULD COME OUT. CAUSE I AM STANDING OUTSIDE" HE SAID AND I LOOKED OUTSIDE MY WINDOW. ROMAN WAS STANDING OUTSIDE. "HOW DID YOU GET WHERE I LIVE?" I INQUIRED. "ANN TOLD ME" HE REPLIED. "DON'T MOVE," I SAID AND AND WENT DOWN STAIRES. AUNT, SHAWNA AND NINA WERE BUSY WATCHING THE MOVIE. I GOT OUT. "THAT WAS QUICK" ROMAN REMARKED. "YOU ARE GOING TO GET ME KILLED" I YELLED. "GET IN THE CAR," HE SAID. I GOT IN THE CAR. "PUT YOUR SEAT BELT ON," HE SAID. I WAS PISSED, CONFUSED AND SCARED AT THE SAME TIME. "WHERE ARE WE GOING?" I ASKED. "TO YOUR PARENT'S HOSPITAL" ROMAN REPLIED. "AND WHY ARE WE GOING TO MY PARENT'S HOSPITAL," I ASKED. " I GUESS YOU DIDN'T READ TODAY'S NEWSPAPER. YOU SEE THERE ARE LIKE 6 OR MAYBE 7 PEOPLE WHO DIED. THE REASON IS FOOD POISONING AND THEY ALL DIED ON THURSDAYS. THAT CAN'T BE A COINCIDENCE, THEN THE PART WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP. ALL THE PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO YOUR PARENT'S HOSPITAL." HE EXPLAINED. "WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO?" I ASKED. ROMAN HADED ME A TINY CAKE. "WHAT'S THIS?" I ASKED. "SIMPLE YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN AND GIVE THIS CAKE TO THE PERSON ON THE RECEPTION, THEN I AM SURE HE OR SHE WILL LEAVE. AFTER ALL THIS YOU'LL SIT AND GET SOME OR ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT PREVIOUS FOOD POISONING" HE EXPLAINED. "YOU'RE GOING TO GET ME KILLED" I MUMBLED WITH A FACEPALM.

I WENT INSIDE THE HOSPITAL, A MIDDLE-AGED MAN WAS SITTING ON THE RECEPTION, HE KNEW ME. "GOOD EVENING!" I GREET. "GOOD EVENING" SMILED THE MAN. "HERE" I GAVE HIM THE CAKE. "PLEASE GIVE IT TO EVERYONE ON THIS FLOOR AND ENJOY," I SAID WITH A COLD SMILE AND PRETEND TO LEAVE. THE MAN THEN LEFT. THE SYSTEM WAS ON. I SEARCHED FOR PATIENTS RELATED TO FOOD POISONING. I GOT A LIST OF THEM. I TOOK A PICTURE THEN CLOSED ALL THE FILES. IN THE LIST I SAW MISS OLIVIA'S NAME.

I GOT OUT, "DID YOU GET IT?" ROMAN ASKED. I GAVE HIM MY PHONE "LOOK FOR YOUR SELF" I REPLIED. WE GOT IN THE CAR. "SO WHAT'S YOUR THEORY?" I ASKED. "SIMPLE THIS IS THE PUNISHERS DOING. TWO OF THEM, MOST SPECIFICALLY THE KNIGHTS ARE USING SOME HERB TO KILL PEOPLE" HE EXPLAINED. "WHERE DID YOU GET ALL OF THIS?" I INQUIRED. "YOUR SISTER'S DIARY" HE HAD JENNIFER'S DIARY IN HIS HAND. I SNATCHED IT. "SORRY I TOOK IT" HE APOLOGIZED.

"SO YOU ARE GOING TO?"

"VISIT MISS OLIVIA, WHO CLEARLY LIVES ALONE AND IS NOT AT HER PLACE. AND YOU CAN COME ALONG" WE REACHED MY HOME. "THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO COME UP WITH A LAME EXCUSE" I GOT THE CAR.

INSIDE, EVERYONE WERE SLEEPING WITH THE T.V. ON. I SWITCHED IT OFF AND WENT UPSTAIRS.