A Beauty With Multiple Masks
It was only after Wendy tabled her inquiry that she realized that Elisabeth may not recognize Arielle.
Thus, she quickly pulled out her phone with the intention of showing her a photo.
But before she could do that, she heard Elisabeth say, “Arielle Moore? Oh, do you mean the pretty girl
who‘s great at translation and playing the piano?”
Wendy‘s face soured at that. Nonetheless, she had no choice but to nod in acknowledgment. “That‘s
her.”
Without noticing how Wendy‘s expression has stiffened, the librarian replied warmly, “Head over to the
first floor school archive. You’ll find her inside.”
“What? The archive?”
Wendy‘s inflection elevated a notch. Since time immemorial, the school archive had been a place of
restricted access. Never mind the students, even the average teaching staff were not allowed in there
without the express permission of the school‘s leadership.
In her eagerness to reach the archive, she did not catch the last part of what Elisabeth said. “Arielle‘s
allowed to enter because she was handed the key by Mr. Brown, but you‘re not permitted inside.”
Wendy‘s legs had already carried her to the archive‘s entrance in a jiffy.
The door which was usually shut tight there was left partially ajar, and out eked a stream of light from the
resultant gap. Someone‘s indeed inside!
Pushing past the door, Wendy started to holler the moment she stepped through. “Arielle Moore!”
Arielle, who was flipping through the staff profiles, was caught out by this voice that came out of
nowhere, and she lifted her head only to see the smug–looking Wendy strut up to her.
Amidst her perturbation, Arielle asked, “Wendy? What are you doing here?”
Wendy scoffed as she towered over her. “Shouldn‘t I be the one asking that? How dare a student like
yourself trespass into the archive? Are you looking to get expelled?”
Arielle guessed as much that Wendy had shown up to split hairs with her. Sometimes, she felt that she
had to hand it to Wendy for her resilience in coming back at herself repeatedly in spite of her extended
losing streak.
Wouldn‘t this sort of perseverance be better served in some paid side–gig? Kids these days simply have
too little homework and too much time on their hands!
Arielle offered up a shrewd rejoinder. “I have my own reasons for being in the archive, but come to think
of it, aren‘t you in here too? Why, are you looking to get expelled as well?”
“You…” Wendy was so pissed she started to stomp her feet. “I‘m here to chase you off, Arielle. You‘re
not
supposed to be here, so hurry up and get out!”
Arielle crossed her arms akimbo. “What if I say that I won‘t?”
“You won‘t, huh?” Wendy‘s brow lifted mockingly. “Then, don‘t blame it on me because you‘re the one
asking for it!”
Her counterpart nodded brusquely. “Yeah, yeah. I really had it coming. Do whatever you have to and get
it over with. I‘ve still got work to do.”
Wendy‘s saw red at Arielle‘s blasé attitude.
“You don‘t know what‘s good for you! Oh, how I‘d love to see how cocky you‘ll be after this!”
While she spoke, she strode outside the archive and dialed Marcus‘ number on her phone.
The attention of the many students studying or reading on the first floor was quickly drawn toward that
walking commotion that emerged from the archive‘s doors,
Once Wendy noticed their reaction to her, she purposefully raised her voice when the call got through.
“Mr. Brown, I‘m Wendy Greene from the preparatory class. Could you hurry over to the school library‘s
archive? I‘ve discovered someone who has sneaked inside and also refused to leave when I advised her
to. Please come quickly!”
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