Chapter 7

"SOFIA's belongings aren't in the room," Charlotte said.

"Miguel's belongings aren't there either." Carlos also said after swallowing the food in his mouth.

While Alyssa and Maggie exchanged glances. Their minds were also blank with the disappearance of the two students. The two seem to like each other. But they may not think of escaping.

Alyssa choked on her last thought, she immediately took the glass filled with water and drank it.

"Are you okay?" Maggie asked her worriedly. "Slow down, Alyssa, there's a lot of food on the table," Maggie giggled.

Alyssa scolded her friend. "Hmph! you are not funny,"

Maggie just laughed at what she said.

"Finish the meal first. Then later, work together to find Sofia and Miguel. Maybe they were just here in the mansion, maybe they just slept somewhere." Said Gregorio, continuing to eat. "Or later, I'll tell Mang Nestor to go to town to ask questions there, maybe the two just went for a walk." He added.

Everyone agreed, they still had a good breakfast.

After breakfast, they started looking for the two students. They walked all around the mansion but they did not see even a shadow of them.

In his room. Gregorio held the two devices tightly, which were called cellphones. It belongs to two missing students.

First, Gregorio tampered with Sofia's cellphone, he saw a lot of calls and messages for the student that also came from fellow students inside the mansion.

He read a message, it was from Charlotte and the two were roommates.

"Sofia, where are you and Miguel? We've been looking for you, guys!" This is one of the messages Gregorio read.

He picked up his eyeglasses that were inside the drawer. He immediately put it on. He responded to the message from charlotte, pretending to be Sofia.

"Miguel and I left earlier in the morning. I went with him to town, because one of his friends was from here. Suddenly we couldn't say goodbye. Please, tell Sir Gregorio that we apologize to him." After sending the message, he turns off Sofia's cellphone.

Next, he focused on Miguel's cellphone. It also received messages from fellow students at the mansion. He read the messages in the inbox.

"Bro, where did your desire for Sofia take you? We've been looking for you, show up!" This is the new message from Noel. Gregorio replied, he pretended to be Miguel.

"Bro, I'm sorry, Sofia and I have bothered you. I found out that one of my friends was from here. I haven't seen him in a long time. He picked us up early this morning. Please, can you tell Sir Gregorio and the other students in the mansion that I apologize? Thanks, bro!"

Gregorio immediately turned off Miguel's cellphone. He threw the cellphones in the trashcan inside his room near the door.

He also ordered Mang Nestor last night to burn the belongings of the two students.

Mang Nestor took advantage of the fact that the students were asleep, he made sure that no trace of the two students could be seen by the fellow students.

Gregorio stood up. His hands were in the pocket of his denim pants. He walked to the window, he barely pulled back the thick curtain. From his bedroom window, he sees seven students searching and shouting the names of his two victims.

The students are currently in the garden, constantly searching for the missing two companions.

"You'll just get tired of looking for the two but neither Sofia nor Miguel will show up!" Gregorio whispered to himself. He was pleased to see the efforts of the seven students to find Sofia and Miguel.

"Sofia!" Charlotte shouted. "Sof-" she stopped shouting when she felt her cellphone vibrate in the pocket of her denim shorts. She grabbed her cellphone and turned on the screen.

"Sofia!" Exclaimed Charlotte. She received the message from Sofia. She waved to her companions. She shouted, "I received a message from Sofia!"

The six students quickly approached Charlotte.

"What did you say?" Maureen asked as she wiped the sweat off her forehead, using her hands.

"What did Sofia say?" Asked Noel.

"Just wait, I will read," Charlotte replied. She opened her inbox and read the message from Sofia and started reading.

"Miguel and I left earlier in the morning. I went with him to town, because one of his friends was from here. Suddenly we couldn't say goodbye. Please, tell Sir Gregorio that we apologize to him." This is the message Charlotte read.

"Sofia didn't even wake us up, just to say goodbye." Maureen's complaint in an irritated voice. She is also one of Sofia's roommates. "We're all worried about them,"

"Miguel also sent a message," Noel said and started to read the message. Carlos stepped closer to him.

"Bro, I'm sorry, Sofia and I have bothered you. I found out that one of my friends was from here. I haven't seen him in a long time. He picked us up early this morning. Please, can you tell Sir Gregorio and the other students in the mansion that I apologize? Thanks, bro!" This is the message that Noel read from Miguel.

"It's weird. They didn't even say goodbye to us, that they're going to live- in," Noel said, shaking his head.

"Can you read?" Carlos joked to Noel. "Bro, they just went somewhere, they won't be together as a couple. "Carlos corrected what Noel said and punched him lightly on the arm.

"Bro, that's where they're going too!" Noel replied and laughed foolishly.

"You think too much!" Maureen replied, and she left. She ran to where another girl was sitting on the bench. Charlotte followed her.

"Let's rest first," Alyssa said to her companions, she glanced at the wristwatch she was wearing. It was only ten o'clock in the morning, they spent a few hours looking for Sofia and Miguel.

"It's a good thing Sir Gregorio canceled his teaching with us this morning. We still have time to rest." Daisy said she used her handkerchief to fan.

"Yes." Maureen agrees. "But at three o'clock in the afternoon, Sir Gregorio will continue to teach us," she added.

Noel and Carlos approached the girl's students sitting on the bench, they also sat down.

"So you girls, if you have any plans to date Carlos and me. Oh, just forget it!" Noel jokes with them. The girls frowned at what he said.

"Yuck! Excuse me, that's not in my vocabulary! you are not my type," Maureen said raising her eyebrow.

"Sofia and Miguel aren't going to be together as a couple, are they?" Charlotte asked her fellow students.

"Noel is just a gossip, so he's good making up stories," Maureen replied to Charlotte.

“That’s also where they go,” Noel said. That was his suspicion for the two students.

"See?" Maureen said. "He's gossipy," she pointed out to Noel.

Everyone laughed at what Maureen said.

Noel scratched his head, he also joined in the laughter of his fellow students, he wasn't picky, he was just a joker.

"I made you laugh didn't I? your tiredness is gone." Noel laughed and winked at Maureen.

"Tse!" Maureen sighed hard at him.

"Come on guys, let's go inside the mansion, it's pretty hot here." Said Alyssa and she stood up. "Let's just continue to rest in our rooms, Sir Gregorio also needs to know about Sofia and Miguel before he can tell Mang Nestor to go to town."

The students stoop up. As they walked into the Mansion, Noel still didn't stop teasing Maureen. Other students are also teasing her. They did not notice the eyes watching them who were none other than, Gregorio.

They went straight to the living room and sat on the sofa. They saw the artist coming down the stairs, they quickly stood up. They exchanged glances with each other, which one of them would tell the artist where Sofia and Miguel.

Alyssa felt Charlotte tap on her shoulder. She frowned when she refused. When she turned her back on Maggie, next to her was Noel. Maggie gestures with one of her fingers, pointing at Noel.

"Why me?" Noel pointed to himself. In a low voice, he spoke again, "You Maureen,"

Maureen's eyes widened. She showed a fist to Noel. "I don't want to,"

They were still figuring out who would tell the artist, so they didn’t realize that Gregorio was already standing next to Charlotte.

"Yes?" Gregorio said suddenly, the students were surprised. "Do you have anything to say? Because I'm just going to look for Mang Nestor so that I can tell him to go to town. It looks like you haven't seen Sofia and Miguel."

"No need Sir," said Carlos.

"Why?" Gregorio pretended to ask even though he already knew why.

"Because they left together, maybe they're ashamed to say goodbye to you, Sir," it was Maggie.

"Where did they go?" Gregorio pretended to ask.

"It's in town, but no address was mentioned," Maggie answered again. "They were picked up by Miguel's friend,"