Aro was quiet that morning in church. She could not believe Mrs. Anselm would still let them go to St. Vera after what had happened to Bianca. She wouldn’t blame the woman though; she did not believe in the supernatural. Aro on the other hand, knew there was something more sinister at play. She was not allowed to stay with Bianca at the infirmary and it annoyed her.
She listened as the old pastor that conducted every Sunday’s church service for them at St. Vera droned on and on about the dangers of not paying offering. She tuned him out and continued thinking about the possibilities of a spiritual entity being on loose. A squeezed ball of paper hit her and jolted her out of her reverie. She picked it up from the floor, opened it up and saw the message “Are you okay?” written on it in an almost illegible handwriting.
She looked around to see who threw it and she caught the gaze of Preston, the Senior Prefect of St. Vera. He waved at her and nodded at the paper in her hands. Scowling, Aro squeezed the paper, faced the pulpit and pretended to listen to the old crone complaining about miserliness from the students. She was very annoyed. She would never deny that Preston was a very good looking boy, but it was also common knowledge that Zendaya had her sights on him, and Jennifer and Abimbola meted out punishments on her behalf, to anyone who would dare look at him, let alone speak to him. For some reason though, ever since she defeated him in a game of Scrabble, on one of the game Saturdays at St. Benedict, he wouldn’t stop talking to her. A fact that didn’t escape the terrible Trio.
The rest of the church service passed in a blur for her, and it was time for the one hour socialization between the boys and girls. Aro was contented with sitting by the side of the Gothic church building alone, while others roamed the school grounds together. When she was sure she was alone, she opened her backpack and brought out a small hand mirror. She stared at it for a while, threw it back inside the bag and stood up.
She began to pace. “This is a bad idea.”
She stopped pacing. “How else can I communicate with this person and ask her why she keeps showing herself to me and why she attacked my friend?”
She took a deep breath, approached the bag in purposeful strides, picked it up and brought out the mirror.
“Abiola Arogundade. You can do this.” She looked at her own reflection in the mirror and began. “Miss KoiKoi.”
Nothing happened and no one came running. Gathering extra courage, she continued. “Miss KoiKoi”
“Miss KoiKoi” She called out in a final breath.
A mist suddenly started forming at her feet and a strange coldness descended on her. She was frozen to a spot and could barely make a sound. The mist suddenly cleared when she heard footsteps approach her. She looked up to find the terrible Trio accosting Preston, as he looked exasperated. He raised his head and spotted her, the same time the girls did.
He smiled at her as soon as he got to her. “Arogundade.”
“Arogundade?” Abimbola echoed. “Your full name is Arogundade?”
Aro nodded. “Yes.”
“And Preston knows this how?” Zendaya asked.
“Why did you lie to me when I asked?” Jennifer asked at the same time.
Aro looked helplessly, trying to decide whom to answer first, but Preston came to her aid. “We used her Scrabble dictionary during one of the games. It had her full name written on it.” He turned his smile to Aro. “You never answered me in church. Are you okay?”
The Trio glared at Aro, but she knew whether she answered Preston or not, she was doomed. She might as well commit the crime.
Giving Preston a coy smile, she answered. “I’m sorry, I was preoccupied. Yes, I’m okay, but I am sad because my friend, Bianca, she’s sick.”
“Oh, I am sorry.” He said. “I was going to ask about her. I have never seen you without her close by.”
“Preston.” Zendaya whined. “Why are you talking to an SS2 student? You promised to show me how to play the guitar.”
Preston looked at Zendaya. “I’m sorry, maybe some other time. Arogundade here needs my company and I wouldn’t want to be ungentlemanly.”
“Oh for God’s sake.” Jennifer snapped and pulled Aro by her ear.
Aro screamed in pain while Preston called Jennifer’s name, but it all sounded so far away as she saw the faceless woman standing beside the church. In a blink of an eye, the weather suddenly changed and a strong wind began to blow. Clouds rapidly gathered in the sky and by a strike of lightning, followed by the boom of thunder, the stained glass window by their side shattered and Jennifer screamed in agony, letting go of Aro.
Aro stepped back and screamed in fear, mingling with the screams of Zendaya and Abimbola. Jennifer was shrieking as her exposed body parts were covered in pieces of stained glass embedded in her skin.
Shouts and several footsteps could be heard as everyone approached them while showers of rain began to pour. That was not what caught Aro’s attention though.
For looking transfixed at the spot where the faceless woman stood, was Preston.
