Chapter 70: Let’s act fast
Andria’s POV
"Chill now, girl," Arlo remarked and started walking towards Becca’s room door.
"It’s a surprise that you two aren’t under Tracy’s spell by now, because it is fast spreading around the school like a flu," I said in a low tone, following them inside the room and shutting the door behind me.
"Spill the gist already. What’s going on in school?" Becca asked, with her attention fixated on me.
"Tracy has gotten almost the whole school population wrapped around her finger, including Larissa, my roommate, and it’s affecting the campaign."
"Her loyal supporters even claimed we staged all these acts to frame her and disqualify her from the contest, and the scary thing is that, not only are the students biased, but also the teachers are getting roped in too." I paused and exhaled, pacing around the room.
"Aria, you know you can sit down. You look upset. Does the issue look unsolvable, and why do you think that the teachers are also involved in this whole charade?"
"Well, I was called in by Prof. Garrich after classes today, and by the way he spoke to me, I can’t shake off the feeling that he is on her side. I was even attacked in the locker room today. Liara happened to walk in on the scene today."
I explained. I was obviously restless, and I thought Becca and Arlo didn’t see the gravity of the situation.
"This whole election, unlike the previous ones, is so distinctively interesting and dramatic," Arlo said in his usual nonchalant tone, raising his hands in the air.
"Arlo, stop, can’t you see that she is actually serious? This can be dangerous, knowing that Tracy must have made a deal with the vampire, and if she wins, who knows what the vampires will be up to," Becca scolded Arlo, worry etched on her face.
"This is not just an ordinary election or a rivalry between Aria and Tracy. It is a fight to stop the vampires from infiltrating our school using Tracy as their medium," she said, shoving his right hand back and forth playfully but with a serious appearance on her face.
There was silence for a split second before I broke it. "Exactly, Becca. Something worse than the incident of our abduction was about to happen, and we needed to stop it from happening or be ready for it when it eventually happened."
"You were attacked in school today, that means, they will be after your fans too," Arlo chipped in, noticing the magnitude of the situation at hand.
"Now, you realize what’s at stake, those who aren’t under her hypnosis will still be pressured by the hypnotized ones to join her campaign," I explained in a voice too low that even if I were being eavesdropped on behind the door, whoever it was wouldn’t be able to hear a word.
"So what do you suggest we do, besides where is Tracy now?" Becca asked, growing increasingly restless as time passed.
I know it wasn’t a good idea to burden her, since she just recovered from the vampire, or should I say, Tracy’s attack.
But if I don’t let her know, she wouldn’t be armed, and she might fall for the spell, or worse still, find out about it in a way that will make her lose her trust in me. I’m not taking any chances with my last loyal supporters.
"Tracy is currently in the detention room, yet she has supporters still willing to run her campaign for her. If, with the help of whatever charm she is using, she wins this election, she will free herself from facing her trial before the supreme tribunal for having dealings with a vampire."
I paused and exhaled. I was panicking and choking on my words, a feeling I never wanted to feel again—this feeling of helplessness, of being ganged up against and trying to weave my head around it.
But you are not Andria Falcon anymore, you are Aria Wolfsburn, and you don’t have to panic over issues like this, you have me and some loyal friends now," Athena whispered to me in a calm and soothing voice.
They were also silent for a while, their faces dead serious, contemplating what I had just said.
"My worst fear is that she might have made a bad bargain with these vampires, and what more does a vampire need from a gullible and over-ambitious werewolf, if not more access to more people like her. And if they infiltrate this academy, a war is likely to start. We have to stop it now from happening," Becca said, concern laced in her tone and countenance.
"Yeah, that exactly is my concern. The school is in potential danger, and if we don’t stop it, I fear what’s going to happen," I concurred with what Becca said.
"We have to find the students still loyal to us and cannot really be traced to us, we plant them as spies in the network of her supporters," I suggested, placing my hands on my waist, while pacing frantically.
"I think the Alpha successors will come in handy this time around," Becca voiced out, and somehow it made my blood boil.
I have needed their help so much for the past few days, and soon I’ll start feeling indebted to them. But I hated to admit it; I really needed their help, at least this time, and I hoped it would be the last time I would have to ask for their help.
"I hate to involve them in this," I retorted
Becca, reading my countenance, stood up and approached me, holding my elbow. "We don’t just need them; they also need us. This whole thing is not just your affair; it’s theirs too, it’s a kingdom affair, therefore they aren’t doing you a favor, it’s a reciprocal alliance."
"That’s a valid point, and a good reason to need their help without feeling like a burden," Arlo remarked sarcastically.
"Meanwhile, Larissa, my roommate, was also summoned to the council earlier today," I said, and I was surprised to see an amused expression on their faces.
"Why are you acting so surprised all of a sudden? Larissa was never a friend to you either, so there’s every probability that she is linked to the abduction, and most especially not to your advantage," Arlo hissed, his tone so savage as if he could kill Larissa if he ever had a chance to fight her.
"Let’s hope she was not summoned as a witness, but rather summoned as a suspect. Because if it were the former, we are in so much trouble; she will never say anything in our favor," Becca said.
"I suspected that she would take sides with Tracy in the forthcoming election, but I never would have suspected she would even support her in trying to exterminate me. That was a bit too extreme for a one-time friend, with whom I didn’t even have a major fallout," I said.
"Well, my suspicion is that she played a role in making the abduction plan work, remember, she is your flat mate, and she is the only one who could have let the abductors in," Arlo explained.
He spoke with so much meaning, unlike the nonchalant Arlo I had become used to. Come to think of it, the student whom I met in my room wasn’t so skillful; I could easily manoeuvre him, so how did he gain access to my room?.
"Moreover, I also suspect that my flat mates, who are die-hard supporters of Tracy, could have also played a role in making the plan successful.
"Yes!" I exclaimed all of a sudden, startling Arlo and Becca.
"What is it this time?, What is it to be excited about?" Becca asked, astonishingly shifting her gaze from me to Arlo repeatedly in bewilderment.
"Have you found a clue or something?" Arlo asked, staring at me with mock disbelief written all over his face.
Their expressions were priceless. I wanted to laugh out loud just looking at them, but I had to remind myself that we had a serious case at hand.
"Mel is my other flat mate, she is one of my loyal supporters that I can trust, and she is also friends with Larissa. Mel is someone who stands for the truth, so I think I can squeeze out some information from her."
"And you are so sure that you can trust Mel?" Arlo asked, "I mean, she is good friends with someone who is now regarded as your enemy, and you feel comfortable with that."
"Besides, don’t forget too soon that Mel was Larissa’s friend before you came into the picture. Now, how do you even believe those thoughts that Mel will betray Larissa?" Becca chipped in.
They were beginning to sound like good parental figures that I never had.
"I see what you both are saying, but I’ll have to find out first. I don’t trust that she will betray her friend. Still, I trust that she will spill the exact information I need, whether intentionally or unintentionally, when I engage her in a discussion. And she has given me her word of assurance, let me give her the benefit of the doubt."