Evan (P.O.V.):

"Where the hell is she?" I said to myself, feeling frustrated.

I have been looking for Faith for a while now. 

One minute, she is in front of me; the next, she's gone just like that. 

I don't know where she could have possibly gone, and that too without telling me anything. 

This club is full of freaks, so I hope nothing happens to her.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, calling her for the twentieth time since she disappeared.

'The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please, try again later.'

I sighed heavily, hanging up.

"Evan!" Zack exclaimed, approaching me.

"Did you find anything?" I asked.

"No, I couldn't find any address. Her name and the year she joined is there, but there is no address. I will try again tonight, though."

"Zack, it's alright. You already helped en-"

"But, I want to do this. This Adalyn is a mystery. I have never had a hard time finding anybody before. That's why I must find her now, no matter what."

"Okay, if you want to give it another go, then alright. I appreciate the help."

Zack started to look around.

"This place is getting wild!" He exclaimed. "Where is your friend?"

"I have no idea," I said, looking around again.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know...She was just here...I have been looking for her for a while now.."

"Evan, this place is crazy! We need to find her."

Zack went by the bar while I looked around the dance floor.

The place is crowded like always, making it hard to find her.

I ran my hands through my hair, searching for her everywhere.

 After five minutes of nonstop searching, Zack and I met at the same spot.

"I don't know, Evan," Zack said. "I looked for her everywhere, but she's not here. Maybe...Maybe she left."

"She can't leave just like that," I said. "Faith would never go without saying anything to me."

I'm only saying because she's nowhere to be found. What if she left in a hurry and couldn't tell y-"

"She's here. I know she is...She has to be...I...I can feel it."

"Okay, if you feel that way, we should look near the rooms."

Zack and I went to the room area and looked around, but she wasn't there either. 

"Let's look in the rooms," Zack said. 

"She can't be in the rooms," I said. "She has no business in the rooms."

"Then where else can she be? We looked everywhere possible. Well, except the bathrooms."

I nodded, and we both headed there, but suddenly, I stopped.

Zack stopped, turning around.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

For some reason, I felt Faith's presence. 

I get this weird sensation whenever she is around me.

I am getting the same weird sensation now, so she has to be somewhere here.

"Evan, what's wrong?" Zack asked, walking back to me.

"I don't know..." I said, confused. "I...I think she's...she's here somewhere."

Zack looked at me confusedly.

"I just feel like she's around me..." I said. "I feel like she is here some-"

My eyes widened as soon as they fell on a corner near one of the rooms.

I was right. Faith was there. 

She is in the corner near the room, but she's unconscious.

I rushed to the place where she lay unconscious.

"Faith!" I exclaimed, sitting her up. "What's wrong? Open your eyes!"

"Shit!" Zack muttered.

"What's wrong with her? How...how did this..."

Zack handed me a water bottle. 

I took the water from him, removing the cap.

"Now, what do I do with this?" I asked.

"Pour some water in your hand, then sp-"

Before Zack could finish his sentence, I took the bottle and poured the whole thing on her.

Zack smacked his hand with his forehead.

I tuned him out when he said to pour the water in my hands. 

There was no way that I was going to do that.

"You can't be pouring the water all over her like that," Zack said.

"It worked, though," I said, looking at Faith, who is moving now. 

Faith slowly opened her eyes. 

"Faith, are you okay?" I asked, putting my hand on her cheek. "What happened to you? You just disappeared. Then we found you unconscious. How did this happen?"

Faith looked at me confusedly, putting her hands over her head.

"Ahh..." She winced.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My head...Evan, my head...it's like somebody is hitting a hammer with it...It's throbbing with pain..."

"We'll get you home then. We'll talk about what happened t-"

"No! The pain...It's...It's really hurting me.."

"It's probably because she was unconscious," Zack suggested.

"Evan...It's awful..." Faith said, starting to cry. "It's hurting me so bad...And I can't...I can't bear it...I can't bear the pain...Please, Evan, do something...Stop it...I can't take it...Please..."

Zack and I exchanged looks.

"Evan, she looks serious," Zack said. "We need to get her help."

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," I said, helping her stand up.

She couldn't balance herself when she stood up, but I wrapped my hands around her waist just in time.

"Careful," I said, still holding her waist.

Faith looked into my eyes as if all her pain was gone. 

The lines between her eyebrows were still there, but it didn't look as bad as when she first woke up. I felt relieved to see that in her eyes.

Zack cleared his throat.

"Um...Should we..um, get going?" He asked, looking uncomfortable.

I nodded my head, helping Faith in walking with us.

~*~

"Can we get a doctor?" I asked one of the nurses when we reached the hospital.

"What's the matter?" The nurse asked, looking at Faith concernedly.

"She has a terrible pain in the head." 

"We will get her help, but you must fill out these papers first."

"I don't have time to fill out papers." 

"Then we can't help her."

"What the f**k do you mean by that? She needs help, and that too now. Can't you see her condition?"

"I know, and I under-"

"You don't understand sh*t! If you did, you would have got us a doctor instead of wasting time our time."

"Sir, I am just doing my job."

"F**k your job!"

"Evan, it's okay," Zack said. "It will just take two minutes."

I shook my head at him.

"That two minutes could be used to help her!" I interrupted. "Why will I waste my time filling out a paper when she is in so much pain?"

"I know she is." The nurse said. "But, we cannot help a patient without the pap-"

"I need a doctor right now! I will turn this place upside down if I don't get one. After that, I will make sure everyone employed here loses that job, and I promise this is not a mere threat."

The nurse looked around nervously.

"What is going on here, Pam?" A doctor said, approaching us.

"Dr. Kay." She said. "This young man here wants to get help for his girlfriend, but he refuses to fill out the paper."

I rolled my eyes, feeling annoyed.

The doctor examined Faith. 

She is lying on my shoulder, half awake and half asleep.

"Her condition is bad." The doctor said. "Get a stretcher now."

"But, Dr. Kay.." The nurse said. "What about the pa-"

"That can be filled out later. But, at the moment, we need to help her, or else her condition will worsen."

Two ward boys came with a stretcher. 

Zack and I helped Faith get on the stretcher.

You're going to be okay," I assured Faith, squeezing her hand.

"Don't worry." The doctor said to me. "We will do the best we can to help her."

The doctor disappeared into one of the rooms with Faith and the stretcher.

"In the meantime," The nurse said, handing me papers. "You can fill out this paper."

I sighed heavily, looking at the papers.

"Just fill out the information about the patient so we can give her the best c-"

She stopped when I held the papers out in front of her.

"Sir, what are d-"

I tore the papers in half.

The nurse gasped.

I tore it again and threw it on the floor; pieces of paper were scattered everywhere.

"What are you doing?" The nurse said. "You were supposed to fill it o-"

"This would have been you if anything happened to her because of your stupid papers." I interrupted.

"But, sir...It is the rule here to f-"

"F**k your rule! F**k your job! And f**k your papers too! I don't give a hell!"

Everybody in the hospital looked from the nurse to me.

"Okay...Let's wait out the door." Zack said, changing the subject. "Until...um, the doctor comes out."

The nurse crossed her arms over her chest, looking confused.

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pocket.

Zack and I sat down at the chairs next to Faith's room.

"I'm sorry...You had to spend your day like this." I said to Zack. "First, the search at the club, and now this."

"It's okay, Evan," Zack said. "I love mysteries, and how many mysteries you have to solve is interesting. I wish mine were like that. Suspenseful and mysterious. But, the good part in being your friend is doing all these crazy searches for you when you have a problem to solve."

I sighed, nodding my head.

The door to the room flew open, and the doctor came out.

"Gentleman, please come in." He said.

We both stood up and went into the room.

Faith is lying conscious on the bed.

I sighed, feeling relieved to see her awake and okay.

"Are you okay?" I asked, touching her hand.

Faith nodded her head.

"Does your head still feel funny, Ms..."

"Davis," Faith answered. "And yes."

"Alright, because you only need rest. You will feel fresh and new after you get plenty of rest."

"What happened though?" Zack asked curiously. "I have seen many bad headaches, but that one...It looked strange...Her condition was so bad."

The nurse, hell-bent on me filling out the papers, walked into the room with another set of documents.

"Thank you, Pam." The doctor said, taking the papers from her.

"Mhm..." She said, looking towards me.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

She walked out of the room, looking angry.

"Well, I want to share the information with you two gentleman." The doctor said, examining the papers. " But our hospital is strict about the patient's privacy. I can't share her information with anybody but her."

"What if I want you to tell us what happened to me?" Faith asked.

"Well, if that is your wish, then alright. What is the last thing you remember?"

Faith raised her eyebrows confusedly.

"The last thing..." She trailed off, holding her head. "I don't...I don't remember anything...I...I don't know what happened the last...The last four hours...All...All I remember is the hallway...The hallway with Max..."

"What!?" I exclaimed. "How is that possible? What about when Zack came?"

"Zack?" Faith said, looking at me confusedly. "Who...Who is Zack?"

"Zack, my friend. Remember, we went to the club together to look for the girl with the rose tattoo?"

Faith shook her head confusedly.

"Faith, try to remember," I said. "There's got to be a reason why you were unconscious."

"I...I don't know..." Faith said as tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm trying...I am trying, but I don't remember anything...Everything is blank... After the hallway...I don't remember anything after that..."

"Don't do that!" The doctor exclaimed, startling her.

Faith looked up at him.

"Please, don't think so hard." He said. "Your headache will return, and this time, it will be worse than the first. Trust me, you don't want the headache you just endured."

"But I don't remember anything," Faith said. "How is that possible?... How can I n-"

"Faith, calm down." I interrupted. "He's right. There's no need to think hard. It's okay."

"This is a very strange case," Zack said. "What is it? A short-term memory loss?"

"Great question." The doctor said, examining the papers once again. "Ms. Davis, you must stop taking whatever you are taking."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"She is putting her life in danger. She can seriously get hurt if she does not stop taking this thing."

"What thing? Do you know what you're saying? She is not out of her mind. She is not taking anything."

"Well, these reports say something else because we found something in her body."

"What...What is it?" Faith asked nervously.

"We found five pills in your body."

Faith gasped, putting her hand over her mouth.

Zack and I looked at the doctor confusedly.

"Five pills?" Father said. "But...I...I don't...I don't take any pills."

"Are you sure?" The doctor asked. 

Faith nodded her head.

"What kind of pills?" I asked.

"They are drugs." He said. 

Faith's eyes widened.

"Yes, they are drugs." The doctor said. "Drugs that can be administered through anything. It can be added to milk, juice, water, or drink. Some people take them alone. They play with the mind and damage the nervous system. People take it to get over their sorrows or sadness. The effects it has is the stomach flu, constant vomiting, looking very tired and sick, and lastly, it slowly takes away your memories one by one. First, you forget what happened four hours ago. The next thing you know, you're unaware of what happened in your life for the last 24 hours. Sometimes, you do things you're unaware of, and other times, you're aware of things but still not in your senses since they spread all over your body."

Faith and I looked at each other.

It sounded so much like the drug that Ray was being given, too. 

Ray has been like that lately. He has been very forgetful about the things that happen to him and what he says to people. 

Is it possible that Faith was given the same drug? But, even if she was, how is it possible? How would Faith be given the very same drug? At the same time, it makes sense because she was unconscious when we found her. 

What was she doing there? Who did that to her?

"The reason for your headache is because your body refuses the drug." The doctor said, interrupting my thoughts. "This must have been your first time. Your body is not used to the drug, so it is reacting in strange ways, like the terrible headache that you had. Please, don't take it hereon. It will damage you badly."

"Dr. Kay, where can we get this drug exactly?" Zack asked.

"It is scarce since it comes with nasty effects. However, there is one store in San Diego that is the only store selling this drug."

"What store is that?"

"I don't remember it now, but I can look that up for you now." 

The doctor got up, heading for the door.

"Thank you," Zack said.

The doctor nodded his head and walked out of the room.

"Evan," Zack said. "When we were in the car, you told me that your friend Ray is getting drugged by Adalyn. From the way you described his situation, it seems as though the drug that was given to Ray is the same one that was given to Faith."

Faith looked at Zack confusedly.

"Oh, sorry." He said. "You must be thinking that it's weird. I know you, and you don't know me, but I am Zack. And you knew me. Only about four hours ago. But, yeah, you still knew me."

Faith slowly nodded her head.

"You're right, Zack," I said. "That is the same thing that I was thinking. It's the same drug Adalyn gave Ray."

"So, do you think Adalyn is the one who drugged Faith as well?" He asked.

"I mean, there is no other explanation for how she forgot everything out of nowhere."

"Who's Adalyn?" Faith asked.

"Adalyn is the girl with the rose tattoo," I answered.

"Evan, did you find her?"

"Actually, my friend Zack, Software company guy..."

"Oh, so that's him."

"Yes, he found Adalyn."

Dr. Kay came back into the room with a paper.

"Here is the store that the drug was sold at." He said, handing the paper to Zack.

"Hillcrest Pharmacy." Zack read aloud.

"Yes, that's the place."

"Wait..." I said. "You said the store the drug was sold at."

"Yeah, that's right."

"What do you mean by was?" Zack asked.

"The pharmacy got closed like three months ago."

"What!?" I said.

"Yes, the owner, Mr. Reddy, hasn't said what exactly happened. But, all I know is that the pharmacy closed."

"This...um, Reddy, where is he nowadays?" I asked.

"I honestly haven't heard of him since then."

"Are you sure you don't know anything that can help us find Mr. Reddy?" Zack asked.

"No, I wish I could help, but I know nothing. However, you can try going to the pharmacy's address and see if you can find anything that can help you."

I sighed heavily.

The doctor focused on Faith once again.

"Are you feeling good, Ms. Davis?" He asked. 

Faith nodded her head.

"Great, because you can go home." He said. "Make sure your discharge papers are signed at the front table, and also make sure you take an Advil or Tylenol, drink lots of water, and get plenty of rest. You need all the rest that you can get. Stay away from that thing, and you'll be good to go."

"Thank you," Faith said, smiling.

"My pleasure. But, the person who deserves that thank you is the young man who fought for you to get treated."

Faith smiled at me.

"Stay healthy and take care of yourself." He said. 

"Thank you for taking your time to bring this information, Dr. Kay," Zack said.

"Anytime." He said, heading out the door. "Have a nice day."

Zack handed the paper to me.

I looked at the paper, wondering how to fix this when it seems to be getting more complicated.

~*~

"Faith, don't overthink," I said at Faith's doorstep. "Just take a rest and don't worry. I'll handle everything."

"Thank you for everything you have done for me today." She said, touching my arm. "I don't know what would have happened to m-"

"Nothing would have happened to you. You know that I would never let anything happen to you."

Faith smiled, wrapping her arms around me.

"I know you wouldn't." She said.

I sighed, wrapping my hands around her waist.

"I can't help but think what would have happened if we didn't find you," I said.

"I know, and I feel so bad." She said, pulling away. "I feel like I know something that can help us, but in my mind...Everything is just so blank."

"Why are you thinking about that? I know it's all blank, but it's not your fault. It's the drug. I'm sure you will remember when it's out of your sys-"

"What if it is the type that never brings back anything?"

"We will still find her. And when we do find this Adalyn, I will punish her for not only screwing Ray but also for making you go through all that today."

"So much for me?"

"Well, that...that is what...um...what friends are for, right?"

Faith smiled excitedly.

"You want to be friends with me?" She asked.

"Well, um...isn't..isn't that?... Didn't you want to um be f-"

"Of course, I want to be friends." 

I smiled weakly.

I don't want to be friends with her. 

I never wanted to be friends with her. 

She wasn't entirely wrong when she said we don't know much about each other, and I want to get to know her. 

I want to understand her. 

If being whatever she calls it means I will get to know her better, I'll do it. 

Other than that, there would have been no chance for us to...you know...be...um...whatever it is called. 

It's too weird for me.

My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts.

I pulled it out of my pocket.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Evan, please come home," Lisa whispered.

"Why?"

"Because...I...Look, just please come home."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine...I need you to come home."

"Then why are you whispering?"

"I'll tell you when you come...Are you almost near?"

"I haven't even left yet."

"Evan, please leave now. Come here as soon as possible."

"Okay, fine! But stop whispering like that."

"Just come h-"

I rolled my eyes, hanging up the phone before she could finish her sentence.

Faith raised her eyebrows.

"Did you hang up just like that?" She asked. 

"Uh... Of course I...I wouldn't." I said, scratching my chin. "That's rude and inhuman to you, so why would I do that before you?"

"Right, as if me being in front of you ever stopped you from being rude and inhuman."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. 

"You should go inside," I said. "Before your Grandma starts lurking at us like before."

Faith chuckled, shaking her head.

"Oh, and Faith," I said before she opened the door. "I know whatever happened today is a big deal, but can you try not to tell your Grandma anything yet? I know you should tell her and all. I think this is not the right time. At least until we have Adalyn."

Faith nodded her head.

"See you," I said.

"Bye," She said before walking into the house.

I sighed heavily, heading for home.

~*~

When I got home, I met Frances outside. 

He looked agitated.

"What's wrong?" I asked after I walked out of the car.

"Mr. Owens...It's Ms. Lisa." He said.

"Why? What's wrong with Lisa? Is she okay?"

"Yes, she is fine, but...Mr. Oakes and his parents are here for dinner, and nobody is home. Master Owens and Ma'am don't come until midnight, and you were gone. She feels very embarrassed that nobody is home when her in-laws are here. So she told me to send you inside when you come immediately."

I sighed heavily.

I am not in the mood to have dinner with the Oakes. 

I have no problem with them. They are very chill, but I can't do dinners. 

The Owens have messed it up for me so badly that I'm not too fond of any family dinner. 

I don't want to have dinner. I honestly don't. But if I don't, Lisa will not talk to me for life. And this time, it's not 'Evan, you got a tattoo' type of not talking to me, but 'Evan, you disrespected my in-laws.' 

Her in-laws mean a lot to her. 

Just like I had made Ray's parents mine, she has made Johnathon's parents hers. 

I can't afford to lose Ray and his parents because, other than my sister, they are the only people who have acknowledged me. And she can't lose Johnathon and his parents because they are the only people who have acknowledged her. 

Thus, I have to go to the stupid dinner.

"Do you have anything decent for me to wear?" I asked.

Frances nodded his head, picking up a box off the swing on the porch.

"I know you very well, Mr. Owens."He said, handing it to me. " I knew you would agree, for Ms. Lisa's sake. So I picked you out a shirt beforehand."

I took off the black short-sleeved button-down shirt that I had on and handed it to Frances.

"Put this with the dirty clothes pile," I said.

Frances took it from me, nodding his head.

I put on a black T-shirt.

"Mr. Owens, the house is a little chilly today," Frances said, handing me a black jacket. "The air conditioner needs to be fixed, so I got you your black jacket."

"Thank you," I said, putting the jacket on.

Frances handed me a small mirror, and I used it to adjust the front of my hair.

"Here, take my keys to the room with you," I said, giving him the keys after we headed into the house.

Frances nodded his head, heading towards the stairs.

I saw purple lilies in a vase near the table by the stairs. 

They reminded me that Johnathon's mom is fond of them. She said that constantly when I met her. So, I went to the table, took the lilies, and removed the vase off the table, setting it aside.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

TO: Frances

FROM: Evan Owens

I need you to buy brand new purple lilies and put them in the vase at the table near the stairs. Make sure it's there before Dad comes back home.

I sent the message to Frances and put the phone back in my pocket.

I sighed heavily, getting ready to put up an act for the Oakes.

When I got to the living room, I saw they hadn't started dinner yet. 

The four of them sat there, chatting.

"Elizabeth, Brad!" I feigned, walking into the room. "It's so great to see you guys! It's been a while! How are you guys?"

"Evan!" Mrs. Oakes said excitedly. "We are great! How are you!?"

"Oh, I'm great," I said, hugging her. "This is for you."

"Awe, thank you so much! They're beautiful!"

"Brad, how are you?" I asked, shaking his hand.

"I'm great young man." He said, patting my back. "How are you?"

"I'm great."

I looked towards Lisa, who sighed heavily, mouthing the words 'thank you.'

I nodded my head at her.

"Evan!" Johnathon said, hugging me. "It's been a while, bud! I have wanted to meet with you, but work got me so busy."

"You're good," I said after we pulled away. "How have you been?"

"Very busy, and with the wedding fast approaching, even busier."

"But it's all worth it," Lisa said, wrapping her hands around Johnathon's waist.

Johnathon smiled, kissing her on the forehead.

His affections must always be out there in front of everybody, grabbing everybody's attention. 

I sat down, and so did everybody else.

"Evan, how is video game designing so far?" Johnathon asked.

"It's coming along good," I said.

"Have you heard of the internship that is being held?"

"Yes, I am preparing for that."

"I am proud of you. I am one hundred percent sure that you will get this."

"Did you design a new game?" Mrs. Oakes asked.

"No, Elizabeth," I said.

Lisa looked at me angrily.

She hates it when I call her in-laws by their names. She always wants me to address them as Mr. and Mrs. Oakes. 

When I found out how badly she wanted me to do that, I always called them by their first name. 

It annoyed her, so it brought me peace.

I smirked at Lisa.

"I haven't designed a new game but got a sketch for the internship." I continued.

"That's amazing!" Mrs. Oakes said. "I am sure that you will get accepted." 

"Dave and Dianne are not home yet?" Mr. Oakes asked.

I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes.

"Uh..Mom and Dad are in New York." Lisa said. "There was a business conference. They only come back at midnight."

"It would have been nice to see them today." Mrs. Oakes said, disappointed. "We haven't seen them in four months now because of the busy schedules."

"It's alright, Mrs. Oakes. You'll get to see them soon. We...should um...We should eat dinner now."

"Yeah, I'm starving," Johnathon said, standing up.

Everybody stood up and walked to the dining room.

"Thank you for coming here on time," Lisa whispered.

"It's okay," I said. "You can pay me back later."

Lisa rolled her eyes, ignoring me.

We sat down for dinner and got ready to eat.

Johnathon got excited as soon as he saw Spaghetti with Pork Bolognese.

"Lisa!" He said excitedly. "This...This is the same dish from when we met."

I groaned, feeling annoyed already.

"You know, Evan, when we first met." He said. "It was at an Italian restaurant. I was with a friend, and Lisa was with Mackenzie. They ordered the Spaghetti with veggies, and I ordered Spa-"

"Spaghetti with Pork Bolognese." I interrupted.

"YES!"

Johnathon started to laugh out loud.

Lisa chuckled, nodding her head.

Mr. and Mrs. Oakes smiled, eating their food.

"So the wrong order came to me." He continued. "Right when the food came to my table, I freaked out. It was Friday night, and I had a tradition of eating Spaghetti with Pork Bolognese every Friday. I haven't missed in all 26 years of my life. I just needed it, so I asked the waiter. He looked at me dumbfounded. I ended up creating a big scene for my Spaghetti, and that's when L-"

"Lisa walked over to you with your plate of Spaghetti and said your order came to her." I interrupted again, feeling annoyed.

"Right! I fell in love when she approached me with that Pork Bolognese. She had saved my Friday night. My tradition didn't break, so we ended up c-"

"Combining Spaghettis and since June 6, 2013, your bond is unbreakable." 

The number of times I have heard this. 

"That's right!" Johnathon said excitedly. "Lisa, I love that you and your whole family have accepted me. Evan knows our first meeting by memory. He even remembers the date of our meeting. It just shows how much he appreciates our relationship."

Of course, I know their first meeting. And it isn't by choice, I was forced. 

Johnathon forced me to remember their stupid meeting and date. 

I heard the story a million times. 

Every time we meet, he tells the same story repeatedly. 

Like I know, I understand that you guys bonded over Spaghetti. 

So what? What's the big deal? There is no need to make it national.

"FRANCES, WHY IS THIS HOUSE SO COLD! WE HAVE DIED ENOUGH DUE TO THE COLD! TURN IT OFF THIS INSTANCE!"

Everybody except me put their forks and spoons down.

I sighed heavily, rolling my eyes.

Mom and Dad entered the dining room with huge jackets, mittens, and furry hats.

"Dave, Dianne!" Mrs. Oakes said excitedly.

"Elizabeth!" Mom said shockingly, dropping her bag.

"Brad!" Dad said disappointedly.

Frances came and picked up Mom's bag off the floor.

"Frances, I need to warm up," Dad said, removing his huge jacket, hat, and mittens. "And turn off the air conditioner."

"Me too," Mom said, doing the same.

"We have been having difficulty with it, Master Owens, but we are trying our best," Frances said.

"No excuses!" Dad growled. "I want it fixed now!"

Frances nodded his head, taking the stuff they threw on the floor.

"New York must have been freezing." Mr. Oakes asked.

"Yes," Dad said coldly. "It was freezing, Brad!"

Lisa put her hand on her head, feeling embarrassed.

Mr. and Mrs. Oakes exchanged looks.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned it on.

"Mr. and Mrs. Owens," Johanthon said, changing the subject. "How was your trip?"

"It was good, Johna-a-a-th-thon," Dad said bitterly, stretching Johnathon's name. 

Johnathon glanced at Lisa confusedly.

He knows the Owens don't like him but acts oblivious to it. 

He acts like he doesn't know it and always tries to keep it a secret from his parents as he doesn't want to hurt them.

 I have to give him props for that, though. 

He knows they don't like him, but he still respects them and tries to live up to their expectations, and he does all this for Lisa.

"Mom...Dad..." Lisa said, chuckling nervously. "Please come and join us for dinner."

"Lisa, we're tired!" Dad exclaimed.

"Dave is right." Mom said. "We're exhausted. We  can't eat dinner now."

"And that too Italian food. We don't like Italian food. We can't even stand it."

"Dave is right. We don't."

I rolled my eyes at her lie. 

She likes Italian food—no, she loves Italian food, and now she is lying nonstop because Dave Owens isn't a fan of Italian food. 

She sneaks Italian food into the house when he isn't around. 

She eats it secretly and throws the evidence away before he returns. 

She thinks nobody knows her deeds, but she is wrong. I know everything that goes around me. She is not even that slick to be sneaking under my nose like that—maybe her husband's, but not mine, though. 

Now, I am waiting for the right moment to blackmail her with this. 

I have a recording of her doing that. I will use the recording to benefit me when I get the chance.

"It's okay." Mr. Oakes said, pulling out his phone. "I'll just order something for us to eat."

"There is no need for that," Dad said bitterly.

"Dave is right." Mom said. "We are tired. We would love to chat, but there's an important meeting tomorrow an-"

"Mom, please..." Lisa pleaded. "Sit down for at least 10 minutes."

"10 minutes!" Dad said, freaking out. "Time is money, Lisa! It's money! I need to rest for my meeting tomorrow!"

"But, it's just 10 m-"

"Lisa, it's okay." Johnathon interrupted. "Mr. and Mrs. Owens just came back home. They must be tired from the flight. And the meeting is also important. Let them rest. Dinners will always come, but work holds more importance than it."

Dad rolled his eyes, feeling annoyed.

"Johnathon is right." Mr. Oakes said. "Dave and Dianne are hardworking. Work is important, so let them rest."

Mrs. Oakes smiled, nodding her head.

I sighed heavily.

Dad's eyes suddenly fell on me. 

He gave me a disgusted look.

"Evan." He said coldly. "You're here too."

I rolled my eyes, putting my phone in my pocket.

"I don't see you around when I have family dinners with my business partners." He said. 

"Just like Dianne and you can't stand Italian, I can't stand business dinners," I said coldly.

Dad clenched his fist.

"Let's go, Dianne!" He said, looking at me angrily. "I hate that I had to see this evil face before going to bed. Now, he will haunt in my dreams."

I scoffed, shaking my head. 

He rolled his eyes, walking out of the dining room.

Mom walked right behind him.

The Oakes seemed confused and lost.

"I'm so sorry you had to see all that," Lisa said nervously.

"Oh, it's alright." Mrs. Oakes said, standing up. "There are problems in every family, darling."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Mr. Oakes said, standing up too. "We should get going now."

"You guys didn't even eat much," Lisa said.

"Oh, we're full, honey. And it is also getting late."

"It was an amazing dinner!" Mr. Oakes said excitedly.

"We have an order for a birthday party tomorrow." Mrs. Oakes said. "We must leave early to bake cakes, cupcakes, breads, and everything else."

Lisa sighed heavily.

"Alright." She said, hugging Mrs. Oakes. "You guys take care, and good luck with your order."

"Thank you, sweetie!" Mrs. Oakes replied, kissing Lisa on the cheek. "And you take care of yourself, too."

"Bye, Mr.Oakes."

"Take care, Lisa." He replied.

"Evan, good luck with your internship, and take care." Mrs. Oakes said, picking up her purse.

"Thank you," I said. "Have a nice night."

"See you, young man." Mr. Oakes said.

I smiled, nodding my head.

Mr. and Mrs. Oakes headed outside.

"This dinner was such a disaster!" Lisa exclaimed, starting to cry. "I'm so sorry, Johnathon, that your parents had to see all that. It was supposed to be a nice dinner, and now everything is ruined."

"Lisa, it's okay," Johnathon said, touching her cheek. "You tried to make it a nice dinner, which is more than enough. And it hasn't failed. The food was nice."

"Until my parents walked in! I thought they were supposed to come home at midnight. What are they even doing here this early? It's not fair that...They ruined everything."

"Lisa, it's no big deal. We will have bigger and better dinners. One dinner does not make any difference. Plus, Mr. and Mrs. Owens looked very tired."

"God, what must your parents be thinking?"

"Look, Lisa," I said, annoyed with her crying. "Johnathon is right. It's just one damn dinner. It doesn't make a difference."

"You guys don't understand how I am feeling now.." Lisa cried. "I feel so bad that Mom and Dad were behaving so rude and monstrously."

"Trust me, my parents didn't feel bad," Johnathon said, consoling her. "It's just that we have a very important order tomorrow."

"But, Johnathon, did you see their faces when Dad said...."

Lisa's voice trailed off when I walked into the hallway.

She was not going to stop complaining, and Johnathon was not going to stop consoling her. 

She will argue and cry at every point he makes; it just takes hours. 

This makes me wonder if all girls are the same. 

I haven't seen it in Brittany's case because she was selfish. 

But, I wonder if...If Faith is like that.

 I hope she is nothing close to that. I can't deal with that. I already feel sorry for Johnathon. He has to put up with so much. Right now, it will take him forever to console her. 

See, Faith is a little easier than Lisa. 

When she gets mad, she yells a lot and makes me realize my mistake. 

But, when it comes to consoling her, it's pretty easy. 

I have to tell her a couple of soft things. 

Maybe throw in a lie or two, and she's okay. 

She's understanding, unlike Lisa. 

I wasn't up for Lisa's bull, though, at the moment. 

I have my own problems to solve.

My phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah," I said, answering it.

"Evan, we should go to the Hillcrest Pharmacy together tomorrow," Zack said.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Alright."

"You find anything about Adalyn?"

"I found an address. I don't know if it's right, but we should check it out."

"Alright, then, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, bye."

I sighed heavily, hanging up the phone.

I went to my contacts and dialed Faith's number.

"Hello," She answered.

"Are you still awake?" I asked.

"No, it's my ghost that just answered the phone."

I rolled my eyes.

"Faith, you should be sleeping," I said. "Remember Dr. Kay said that y-"

"I know Evan." She interrupted. "But, I am not sleepy at all. It is as if the drug took my sleep from me."

I sighed, lying on the bed. 

"You have to try," I said.

"I was until you called." She said. 

"Alright then. You get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Why did you call?"

"I...um...I was just..."

"Checking on me?"

I sighed heavily.

"Well, isn't um...isn't that what friends do for each other?"

Faith got silent on the other end, and so did I.

We always have things to talk about. 

We either argue or usually talk, which is rare but happens occasionally.

I could hear Faith's breathing on the other end. 

I scratched my chin, sitting up.

I had no idea as to what to say to her. 

I couldn't think of anything to say.

I groaned in frustration.

"Evan, the search today..." Faith said, breaking the silence. "I'm pretty sure it was...Um, interesting...You know, like, um, always."

"Of course," I said. "Why wouldn't it be? The search will be good if your partner is an excellent company."

"So much confidence? And you're also complimenting yourself?"

"Why? Don't you like my company?"

Faith got silent on the other end.

"You don't?" I asked again.

"Evan...I..." She said. 

" 'Evan, I' what?"

"I...I have to go to sleep...I can't rest if you're on the line... So I'm going to bed...Good night."

"At least answer my qu-"

Faith hung up before I could finish my sentence.

I sighed heavily, plugging my phone into the charger.

~*~

"Good morning Evan!' Dad said in a bored way, standing next to my car.

I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Where are you off to?" He asked.

'Why?" I asked. "Why do you care?"

"Because I am your father, and you're my son!"

I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"The father that you don't know how to respect!" He said. "And now, I am getting sick of it! Evan, how dare you order my servants to avoid my phone calls! My servants! Who the hell do you think of yourself!?"

Who has the energy for this so early in the morning? 

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I am getting late," I said, looking at my watch.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" Dad exclaimed, shaking his index finger. "You are not going anywhere."

I looked at him confusedly.

"You're not going anywhere!" He snarled. "At least not in this car!"

I sighed heavily.

"You have lost the privilege to drive in this car!" He said. "Not just that, but I feel like ripping that denim shirt and black jeans off you now! I feel like taking those black Sperrys off your feet! Because you don't deserve it and It's all from my hard work! It's all mine! You disrespect me too much! You don't deserve any of that!"

"I hear that all the time," I said, annoyed. "The clothes, the car, the shoes, everything belongs to you! I'm getting sick of hearing it all the time! Your right. It's all your hard work, but don't you always say you are my father and I'm your son? As your son, I have a right over your money."

"Don't you feel ashamed of yourself!? I am trying to exclude you from my money, and you're not budging! Don't you have any shame? Any integrity? The strength to work for your own money?"

Wow, I can't believe I have to deal with this now. 

"You're right," I said, putting my hands in my pocket. "I have no shame at all. I am shameless. But I thought you figured it out by now."

Dad clenched his teeth in anger. 

"Why do I need to sweat it and work when your business deals bring enough money into my life?" I asked. "You work, and I enjoy. You know, like it's always been these past 17 years."

"That will not continue anymore!" Dad exclaimed. "I will not work like a slave while you throw my money around like crap! That is why I am taking away the car keys! I have never been embarrassed the way you embarrassed me in New York! I lost face in front of so many people! And that too because of you! Then you dared to tell my servants not to answer my calls! Evan, I have had enough of you! Now, I will punish you for everything you do! Starting with your car!"

I sighed, looking for my car keys in my pocket.

"Are you looking for these?" He asked, jiggling something.

I looked up and saw him with my keys.

"Shocked!?" He exclaimed. "You must be wondering how I got these right?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. 

"Don't forget that Frances works for me before you." He said, putting the keys in his pocket. "That is why I am Master Owens, and you're only Mr.Owens."

I rolled my eyes, feeling irritated.

"Now, how will you go?" He asked. "How will you ever go out without your car?"

I clenched my fist.

Dad chuckled, shaking his head.

"You think you're very smart, but you're not." He said. "Don't forget that I am your father, and you're my son, so I will always be two steps ahead of you. This is your punishment for getting a tattoo without my permission and ruining my New York Conference!"

He chuckled one more time and headed for the house.

"I will go," I said.

I could hear him stopping in his tracks.

I turned around to face him.

He looked at me suspiciously.

"I will definitely go," I said again.

"Oh really!?" He said. "You will? How so, though? How will you go? By biking? By bus? By running? Or worse, by walking?"

Suddenly, he started to laugh hard.

"Oh lord!" He exclaimed, holding his stomach. "I can just imagine you walking, and it is pathetic! Lord! Evan, you are nothing without my money! Noting at all!"

"I won't go by bike, bus, running, or walking," I said.

"Then how will you go?"

"By my car. Just like I do every morning."

He started to laugh again. 

"Is that so!?" He said. "And how will you get the keys?"

"I won't do anything," I said. "You will give them to me, and that too with your own hand." 

He rolled his eyes, laughing hard.

"Over my dead body!" He laughed, getting ready to leave.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and punched in the numbers.

"Hello," I said. "Jacob, this is  Evan Owens."

Dad stopped in his tracks once again. 

He turned around with widened eyes. 

"Yeah, that's right," I said. "The son of your new business partner, Dave Owens."

Dad quickly walked towards me.

"No..." I said, looking him straight in the eyes. "Actually...I wanted to talk to you about something...Something very important...No...No it's not. But you'll probably back out of this deal if you hear what I say to you..."

Dad shook his head aggressively, gesturing me to hang up the phone.

I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Actually, my dad..." I said. "He hid something very important from you...I think it's more like he lied to you...And that too purposely..."

"Evan!" Dad said, low enough for me to hear. "Evan, please hang up the phone!"

I scoffed, ignoring him. 

"The truth is that I recently got a tat-"

"Evan, please!" Dad pleaded. "Please, hang up the phone!"

I held my hand out in front of him.

Dad looked at me helplessly.

I gestured for him to pass on the keys.

He sighed heavily, sadly removing the key from his pocket.

He held them out in front of his face, looking at the keys helplessly.

"Yes, Jacob, I am still here," I said. "Sorry, I was saying that Dad hid from you the fact that I g-"

Dad slapped the keys in my hand before I could finish the sentence.

I smirked, shaking my head.

He looked away angrily.

I chuckled, hanging up the phone.

"I told you that I wasn't going to go by bike, bus, run, or walk," I said, putting my phone in my pocket. "I said I was going to go by my car, and you would be the one to give me the keys."

Dad looked at me angrily.

"And look!" I said, holding the keys out in front of him. "You did just as I predicted. Now, I will be the responsible son I am supposed to be and leave for school while you explain to Jacob what you hid from him."

Dad's eyes widened.

"Well, you have to!" I said. "Now, Jacob has a lot of questions in his head. He was freaking out about what it is that you have hidden from him. And me hanging up the phone on him like that has probably made him more suspicious. You might want to call him and clear everything up."

Dad groaned, clenching his fist.

"You have ruined my life!" He exclaimed. "Now, I have to explain myself to Jacob! He must be having so many questions! I will lose this deal if I don't fix this! Evan, I can never find peace as long as you exist! You have ruined everything,  and I hate you for that!"

"Hate all you want," I said. "I don't give a damn, but don't you forget that I am your son, and you're my father, so I will always be two steps ahead of you."

Dad rolled his eyes, running back into the house. 

I shook my head, got into the car, and headed for school.

~*~

During lunch, I started to look around for Ray. 

I haven't seen him since the day he went all weird on me. 

We needed to talk. 

I never met to hurt him in any way. I didn't know he felt invisible whenever he was with me. 

I never knew he felt like I kept him under my shadows all these years. 

Faith is right that it was the drug that was affecting him, but people always speak the truth under influence, and I am pretty sure Ray was telling the truth that day. 

Everything he said came from the heart. 

It was hard to hear all that from him. 

I never thought that, of all people, Ray would ever say something like that. 

But it is what it is. 

I need to find him and fix things before Adalyn brainwashes him more.

I entered the hallways and started to look for him there when I felt a tap on my shoulder. 

I turned around to face who it was.

"Hey, are you looking for me!?" Faith asked excitedly.

"No," I said, still looking around.

"Evan, it's okay. I won't say anything if you're looking for m-"

"I'm not looking for you. I'm looking for Ray."

Faith frowned, looking down. 

"Okay, fine." She said sadly, getting ready to leave.

"I was just kidding." I lied.

She looked up at me.

"I was...um...I was looking for you." I said. 

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, but by the look on your face, it seems like your 'let's be friends' theory is not working. Now that we are just friends, we can't feel upset at the other person for small things like that."

"It's...not like that..."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm mean...I'm not upset or anything."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I was about to go meet Ma-"

CLANG...CLANG...CLANG...CLANG...CLANG...

Everybody in the hallway was startled by the loud fire alarm.

"Start exiting the building now!" Teachers yelled as soon as they got out of their class.

The hallway became crowded as people made their way to the exit.

"Fire alarm at this time?" Faith said confusedly as we walked.

I shrugged my shoulders, putting my hands in my pockets.

"It's very strange." She said. 

"Maybe there's a fire in the cafeteria," I suggested.

"In the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, I mean, why not? The people who work there don't know how to cook."

"They are not that bad."

"Then this is probably the fake drills that Dean does."

"Maybe."

"Owens, Ms. Davis, chop chop!" Wong exclaimed, walking past us. "Let's go!"

We picked up our pace and exited the building.

The alarm rang for a whole 56 minutes. 

People complained and whined about leaving their food incomplete or staying outside for too long.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to send a message to Ray.

TO: Ray Wyatt

FROM: Evan Owens

Where are you? We need to talk. Call me back as soon as possible.

I sighed, putting my phone back in my pocket.

I tried to look around for Ray. 

For some reason, he is nowhere to be found. 

The whole school is outside except him. 

He is neither replying to any messages nor answering any calls, and it just frustrates me that he is being so unreasonable.

"Attention, students and staff," Dean said on the intercom. "This is Principal Dean. The fire alarm that went off was a false alarm. I am sorry for the inconvenience. I know that at this moment, all of you are wondering what is happening. The same question is going on in our minds. There was neither a scheduled fire drill nor a real fire today. Yet, the alarm still went off. You know, it upsets me to know that one of you has put the lives of your classmates in danger. This behavior is highly inappropriate and unacceptable. The fire alarm is to be used in times of need. It is not meant to be tempered or played with. I am disappointed in the person who has pulled off this stunt. Whoever has done so will be found, however. We will do everything in our power and will to find the person who has put everybody's life in danger. We will work out something if the person who has done this comes forward and confesses. If you know or have seen the person behind this false alarm, please do us a favor and come forward with the truth. We would appreciate that. Thank you for following the rules and exiting the building. I'm sorry that your lunch hour got messed up. There is nothing we can do about it. But please go on ahead to your fifth-hour class. Have a nice rest of the day!"

I shook my head in disbelief.

Whoever has done this is so foolish—56 minutes got wasted just like that. 

I could have used this time to look for Ray. But everything got ruined due to this stupid false alarm. 

People don't value time at all. Nobody seems to understand how important it is and that every second counts.

I was headed for Bloom's class when Faith came before me with her arms crossed across her chest.

"What?" I asked.

"Last time I checked, our English class is in the academic building," She said. " For what reason are you going to the arts center?"

"Why do you care?" I asked, feeling annoyed that she was all up in my business.

"Why not? We're friends now, and as a friend, I must make sure you're not failing any class anymore."

"Look, stop your bull-"

"You stop your bullsh*t."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I don't care about failing and passing," I said. "Now get out of my way."

"Well, I care if you don't." She said. "And now, we are going to class."

"I need to take care of something."

"That can be done later."

"Faith, you can go to class if you want. Why are you on my ca-"

"Because it's about time that you start giving school importance."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, I am, and now we are getting late for class."

"I don't want to go to cl-"

Faith pulled on my arm before I could finish talking.

I sighed heavily, following her.

~*~

When Faith and I walked into class together, everybody gasped as if they just witnessed a ghost.

I rolled my eyes at their reaction.

Faith sighed, letting go of my arm.

"Ev and Faith!" Wilhem exclaimed.

Everybody gasped once again.

"Yeah, I'm feeling annoyed now," I said to Faith, going to my desk.

Faith sighed and sat in her seat as well.

"Whoa, this is juicy news!" Wilhem exclaimed. "I never thought there would be a day where Ev and Faith would be walking in class tog-"

He stopped as soon as I shot him a cold glance.

"I...I...I...mean not...not that it's...it's any of my business..." He said, looking away.

Faith rolled her eyes at Wilhem.

"Alright, let's move on now!" Wong exclaimed, changing the subject. "Because of the false fire alarm, we have missed five minutes of class al-"

"La alarma de incendios was scary! Like, who would do something loco like that?"

"I know. That was crazy! Who do you think did that?"

"Ms. Martinez, Ms. Michael, please continue your discussions outside my class," Wong said. "Now, we don't have time for it. We need to begin our presentations. We don't have much time."

Everybody began to move around, getting ready for whatever Wong was expecting from them.

"Ev, today is presentation day," Wilhem said, approaching my desk.

"So?" I said, not looking up from my phone.

"We will get an F if we don't present anything today."

"So what?"

"Ev, I can't fail. We need to pass this project. If I fail, then I will have to retake the class next ye-"

"Well, that's a personal problem, Wilhem. Find a way to pass if you want. But, I could care less about it."

"Ev, don't say that. Please, think of something. Think of a way for us to pass this p-"

"You can do that yourself. If passing is so important, then do something to help yourself. Leave me out of it."

"Ev, come on! Come on, please! Think of s-"

"Get out of here!" 

"What?"

"I said get out of here!"

"But, Ev..."

"Get out of here, Wilhem!"

Wilhem frowned, looking down, and disappeared to his desk.

I sighed after he left, unlocking my phone.

Wong made one more announcement, and people went up one by one, talking nonstop about this and that. 

I listened to half their words but mainly remained on my phone. 

People kept talking about revenge, and hearing all of them talk about the same thing started to get annoying. 

"Who's next?" I heard Wong asking.

"Faith and I will go!" Someone else replied.

I put my phone in my pocket, looking up as soon as I heard Faith's name.

Faith sighed heavily when she got up to the front of the room.

She and the geek girl she is partners with exchanged looks.

"Well," Faith began. "We will be beginning our presentation differently. We will begin with our thesis and move on to our argument topic."

"Faith will do the first part." The geek girl said." I will do the second, and we will combine the end."

"That could have been me and you, Mary!" Wilhem called out. "But you decided not to be my p-"

He stopped talking as soon as he saw Wong looking at him. 

Faith shook her head, running her fingers through her hair. 

"We chose Hamlet's 'To Be or Not to Be' soliloquy as our thesis." Faith said." The thesis we developed is that in this soliloquy, Hamlet reflects on whether to live life and fulfill his dreams or end his suffering by dying. The point of the debate that Hamlet has with himself is because, through his father's ghost, he learns that his uncle, Claudius, has murdered the father of Hamlet's mother. Now, King Hamlet wants Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet is stuck in this situation where he wants to avenge the death of his father but, at the same time, can't bring himself to do anything. In the opening of the soliloquy, Hamlet says, "...slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." In this quotation, he compares life to a war. This shows the way he feels about living. He feels as if he is fighting this war; thus, he is battling the temptation of death. In another quotation, he talks about the way he feels toward death. The realization that death is a place a person can never come from hits Hamlet when he states, "The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveler returns...' He goes back and forth through the whole soliloquy but ends up deciding to stay strong and confident so that he can avenge his father's death. In other words, he goes for living and taking revenge."

"Which leads to our topic." The geek girl said, holding up a poster. "On our poster, we drew what revenge has done to everybody in the story. Everybody ends up dying one by one due to their hunger for revenge. We drew a sword to represent the duel that King Claudius planned in which Laertes and him will kill Hamlet. We drew a bottle of poison to represent their second plan, so the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes is arranged. The match starts, and King Claudius and Laertes are waiting for Hamlet to get thirsty to drink something, so he dies due to the poison in the drink. But everything is ruined when Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, takes the drink and is killed by the poison. Hamlet gets wounded by the sword that has the poison, but it does not kill him immediately. In fact, Laertes gets wounded by his own sword and dies from the poisoned sword, exposing the fact that King Claudius killed Gertrude before he died. That is when Hamlet stabs King Claudius with the poisoned sword and makes him drink the other poisoned wine. Shortly after Hamlet kills King Claudius, he also dies."

"Our moral of the story is that Hamlet did get his revenge. He avenged his father's death, but at the same time, all of them ended up losing their lives." 

" If it weren't for their hunger and desire for revenge, they would have died only when their time came."

"His lust for revenge so blinded Hamlet that he ended up going on the path of being evil. This did not only end his life, but also the life of his mother, the woman he loved, and it destroyed the throne of Denmark."

Everybody started to clap for them when they finished presenting.

They both nodded their heads and went to sit back down.

"That was excellent! Amazing job, ladies!" Wong said. "Who else wants to go for it? We have time for one more."

"I'll go," I said, standing up.

Everybody looked back at me, exchanging looks.

"Owens?" Wong said, sounding disappointed.

I nodded my head.

"Where is your partner?" He asked.

Wilhem sat up with excitement at the mention of the word partner.

"This is a one-man project," I said, looking at Wilhem coldly. "I don't need a partner."

Wilhem frowned, putting his head back on the desk.

I rolled my eyes and went to the front of the room.

"This won't take long," I said, putting my hands in my pocket. "So, everybody is talking about revenge being the theme of whatever the story is called. I want to call the theme of this story madness. I think everybody is mad. The first example is the King Claudius. The only reason why he murdered his brother is to marry his sister-in-law. That is weird and insane. A sane person would never turn to something like that. Next, the lady who married her brother-in-law. That's a very cheap decision. Her husband hadn't died that long, and she married her brother-in-law. That just proves that she is insane, too. Third, the supposed main character. He shows madness the most. He feigns madness to get revenge. He acts like he is not in his senses. His act of lunacy ends up killing him. It hurts him and the people around him until they are all out to get each other. Third, Laertes. This guy is a lunatic, too. It is through the madness of his father's death that he conspires to kill the main character. And the insanity of all these characters is driven by the murder of a King, which his own brother commits. My moral of the story is that madness can end lives as it has killed everyone in this story." 

The room was silent when I finished. 

Everybody looked at me in shock. 

Some with widened eyes, while others had their hand over their mouth. 

Wong dropped his pencil and looked at me with his jaw dropped.

Faith is the only person to clap. 

She clapped with a big smile on her face.

I sighed heavily, walking back to my desk.

"Well..." Wong said, picking up his pencil. "That...Um...That was...Everybody that was Owens."

Everybody came back to reality and clapped after he said that.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

"Mr. Wong," Wilhem said, raising his hand. "Since me and um...me and Ev were um partners...Will I...Um, will I also be getting the same grade as him?"

"It depends," Wong said. "Does Owens want to share grades with you?"

Everybody looked back at me.

"This partnership was over long back," I said. "So no. I don't want to share grades with you."

Wilhem's eyes widened.

"Did you just look at me like that?" I asked angrily.

"Of course not, Ev!" He exclaimed, looking down quickly.

I scoffed at him, rolling my eyes.

"Alright, " Wong said, changing the subject. "Moving on..."

~*~

"EVAN!"

I heard Faith calling after me when class was over.

I turned around to face her.

"When did you become so smart?" Faith asked, pinching my cheeks. "Such an amazing presentation! And that too from you! How did this miracle happ-"

"Faith, stop!" I interrupted, putting her hand down. "You need to stop doing that! And what do you mean by when did I become smart? I have always been intelligent."

Faith sighed heavily.

"Wait..." Faith said. "Did you read? When I was your partner, you didn't do one thing. You didn't even turn one page in the book, but you read when you were on your ow-"

"I didn't read anything." I interrupted.

"Than?"

"Well, I just listened...I guess..."

"To what? People's presentations?"

"I guess."

The story was just stupid as hell. 

Thus, there was nothing complicated about the presentation. 

"Anyway, I am proud of you!" Faith said. "You're starting to give school import-"

"Yeah, let's not get ahead of ourselves," I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

I received a message from Zack.

FROM: Zack

TO: Evan Owens

Are you ready to leave for Hillcrest?

TO: Zack

FROM: Evan Owens

I'll be there in five.

"What's wrong?" Faith asked.

"You're still here?" I said, looking up. "What do you want? Don't you got someplace to be?"

"Where?"

"Uh...I don't know...Class?"

"Why? You're supposed to go to class, too."

"Why do you care about what I do?"

"Why aren't you going to class?"

"That's my business...I have things to do."

"Things like what?"

I looked away, feeling annoyed at her interrogation.

"Evan, if you have a lead on the girl with the rose tattoo, and you're purposely choosing to exclude me from it, that's unfair," Faith said, crossing her arms over her chest.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"So what?" I said. "You don't even like missing class anyway. So why are you worried about it?"

"Because I also want to find her." She said. "Not just Ray, but she also drugged me. It made me forget four hours of my life. Evan, you have no idea as to how bad I feel. I feel helpless because I do not remember what happened during those four hours. I feel like I heard or saw something important that she is trying to make me forget. Something that can help us pull Ray out of the mess that he is in so that I don't have to see you lost, upset, and heartbroken."

"Thanks for the concern, but you got drugged yesterday. What if something else happens to you?"

"You're with me, right? As long as you're by my side, I know nothing can happen to me."

I sighed heavily, nodding my head.

~*~

When we got to the Hillcrest Pharmacy address, the pharmacy was no longer there. 

Many other stores are around it, but the store is not there.

"Excuse me?" I asked a man from a store nearby. "We are looking for a pharmacy that closed down. Can you help us?"

"Well, what kind of store are you looking for, mate?" The man asked in a weird accent.

"It's called Hillcrest Pharmacy," Zack said. "We were given this address."

"Oh, Hillcrest Pharmacy!" The man exclaimed. "That place is long gone, mate. The owner left this place a long time ago."

"Do you know where we can find him?" I asked.

"Old Reddy is not in contact with me anymore." The man replied. "I have not heard from him in a while."

"When was the last time that you talked to him?" Zack asked.

"Last time..." The man said, thinking awhile. "I think maybe three weeks after he left this place."

"Did he give you any number or address?" Faith asked.

"Well, I think I still have the number I used to contact him with, but I am unsure if he changed it."

"Can we have that number?" I asked.

"Yes, mate." He said, opening a small notebook.

He looked through the notebook a little. 

They wrote down something on a paper, handing it to me.

"Here you go, mate." He said. "This the only number I have of Old Reddy."

"Thank you," I said, shaking his hand.

"No problem. Hope you find him."

"Thank you," Zack said, nodding his head.

I pulled my phone out when we left the man's store.

"Evan, do you think the number has changed?" Faith asked.

"Hopefully, it still isn't," Zack said. "Evan, call it so we can know."

I nodded my head, punching in the numbers.

I put the phone on speaker after I dialed the number. 

All of us waited impatiently for the call to go through.

"Hello," We heard after a while.

All of us exchanged looks.

"Hello," The voice on the other said again.

"Hello," I said, clearing my voice. "Is this Mr. Reddy?"

"Yes, speaking. Who is this?"

"Mr. Reddy. My name is Evan Owens. My friend and I have been trying to find you for a while now. But then we found out that Hillcrest Pharmacy had been closed."

"Yes, that pharmacy has been closed three months ago."

"I need some important information from you."

"What kind of information?"

"This certain drug was sold at your pharmacy three months ago."

"What kind of drug?"

"Drug for forgetfulness."

"Forgetfulness?"

"Yes, we need information about this. Somebody's life is getting ruined due to it. We would appreciate it if you can help us."

"What is the name of this drug?"

"We are unaware of the drug name. The doctor who told us did not inform us of the name. But I know for sure that three months ago, a girl by the name of Adalyn Rose bought this drug from you."

The man got silent on the other end.

We could hear his loud breathing, but he didn't say anything.

"I have never heard of that name you mentioned." The man said. "It's been a while. I would have to check in my old book."

"Is there any way that we can meet you?" I said.

"Yes, I will message you my address. Please, come meet me there."

"Alright, thank you, Mr. Reddy."

I hung up the phone after Mr. Reddy ended the call.

After a while, I received a message from him.

"Is it the address?" Zack asked.

I nodded my head, getting ready to leave.

~*~

After five minutes of driving around, we found the address.

I put my hand on the doorknob when we got there.

"Evan!" Faith exclaimed.

"What!?" I said. 

"At least knock. You can't walk in just like that."

I rolled my eyes, knocking on the door.

Mr. Reddy opened the door from us.

"Hi," I said, extending my hand. "I am Evan."

"Hello, Evan." Mr. Reddy said, shaking my hand.

"This is my friend Zack," I said.

"Hello," Zack said.

Mr. Reddy smiled, nodding his head.

"And this is Faith," I said. 

"Hi," Faith said.

"Hello." Mr. Reddy said. "Please come in and sit down."

We came into the house. 

It is a very small, simple, and ordinary house. 

He had three couches and one small TV, and his walls were very naked. 

There is not much on there. T

here are only some weird idols on the wall above the TV.

"What can I help you all with?" He asked after we sat down.

"My friend is in a huge problem." I begun. "He is being drugged. It's the drug I told you about over the phone. We know who is doing all this, but we don't know why she is doing this or how to stop her."

"We need her address to confront and possibly hand her to the police," Zack said.

"We tried to find her address but can't find anything," I said.

"Well," Mr. Reddy said after a while. "After I talked to you, I looked through my old book. The problem is that many drugs have been sold at the store without my knowledge. I don't know which one you are exactly talking about."

"I have been administered the same drug," Faith said. "One of the effects is this terrible headache. It is as if a hammer is hitting your head. The pain grows more and more. It doesn't lessen. Another effect that we have seen is constant vomiting and the stomach flu."

"It can also be added to any drink," I added.

"Hmm..." Mr. Reddy said, looking through his book. "The drug you have described was sold at my store, and it is the reason for my store getting shut down. One of my employees betrayed me. He sold the drug secretly behind my back. He sold it to a couple of people to get money. One day, he accidentally sold it to the wrong customer, and after the effects kicked in, that customer reported it to the police. My store got searched. After they found the drug, it got shut down. However, one girl bought it the most out of everyone."

Faith, Zack, and I exchanged looks.

"Is it Adalyn Rose?" Zack asked.

Mr. Reddy looked down at the book.

"No." He said. "It's not Adalyn Rose."

"Who is it?" Zack asked.

"It is Wilma Lewis."

"Wilma Lewis?" I said confusedly, looking at Faith and Zack.

"Yes, her name is Wilma Lewis." 

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I am one hundred percent sure."

"How is this possible?" Zack said. "Wilma Lewis. Now, who is she?"

"She's Adalyn Rose," Faith said.

"Adalyn Rose?" Zack said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Maybe Wilma Lewis is Adalyn Rose's real name," Faith said.

*** End of the Chapter ***

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