Zein's Point of View
I watched with a frown as Dora climbed the high hill with Boots.
"Ace?"
"Hmmm?"
I was even more annoyed when he didn't even look at me. His full attention was focused on his laptop, his fingers busy typing away. Today is Sunday and there is no school, but instead of going out, we stayed at the condo as Ace requested. I thought we would bond, but it turns out he's going to let me watch Dora all afternoon while he's buried in his work.
I understand that he needs to work hard to help Raze, but what about me? For two years, it's been like this. We are in our third year of college now, and nothing has changed between us except for this growing distance.
I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. As usual, Ace ignored me.
*From: Cedric*
*"All the course presidents, we have an emergency meeting today."*
I felt a surge of irritation. I'm the President of the HRM Department, but it's annoying to have a meeting on a Sunday. That SSC President is a jerk.
"Ace?"
"Hmmm?"
"Hmmm" again? It's officially annoying. I might as well leave; I'm bored to tears. "I'll leave first."
Suddenly, his gaze lifted. Finally! "Where?" he asked, reaching for the cookies I had baked earlier.
"A meeting."
I stood up from my seat and went to my room. After showering and getting ready, I stepped out. I found Ace leaning on the sofa, but when he heard me, his attention snapped to me. He examined my outfit with a frown.
"Meeting or date?" he asked.
I walked to the mirror next to the TV. It was normal for a girl to dress up; I still wanted to be presentable.
"I'm coming with you..."
I glared at him. He was standing in front of me with his arms folded, wearing shorts and a gray shirt. His forehead was still creased.
"No need. Just finish what you're doing."
"No, Darling. I'll go with you."
I winced as he marched off to his room. I quickly grabbed my shoulder bag and ran out. I almost slipped on the marble floor in my haste. It's too much—he feels like he has to accompany me everywhere. I hailed a taxi and gave the address of the cafe.
Ace's Point of View
I shook my head when I found the living room empty, save for my laptop and the TV still running. That girl! She better not meet any other men. Don't test me, Zein. I'll seriously tie you up.
I changed into different shorts, turned off the TV, and tidied up the papers scattered around. I was almost done when my laptop beeped. A notification popped up on Facebook. A friend request caught my eye—the profile picture was a knife covered in blood. I was about to delete it when the request suddenly disappeared.
Weird. I refreshed the newsfeed, and one status caught my eye. I gulped when I saw the profile picture.
"Shit," I whispered.
I opened the profile and was shocked to see we were already friends, even though I hadn't accepted the request. It was strange; the account was brand new, and I was the only friend listed. I tried to unfriend the account, then tried to block it, but the site wouldn't allow it. Who is this?
I bit my lip as I read the status: *"I know you have gone through a lot but trust me, it was just a glimpse of something worse than a nightmare."*
I swallowed hard before looking at the username again. I whispered it to the empty room. "Hell..."
**Zein's Point of View**
I didn't let him see how annoyed I was while he sat there smiling. What a jerk.
"Don't you want it to just be the two of us, then?" Cedric asked.
If Ace finds out about this, you're dead meat. I thought this was a real meeting, but it turns out there wasn't one at all.
"What do you want?" I asked.
He leaned back and sipped his coffee. I was holding back my temper. I'm grateful I stayed calm, because otherwise, I might have thrown my hot coffee in his face. Calm down, Zein.
"Just a little conversation with you?"
I leaned back as well. "Fine."
He practically clapped with joy. His actions made me smile despite myself; he looked stupid. He and Ace are so different—Ace is serious and possessive, which is why I love him. But this guy? Never mind.
"So? Where did you go to high school?"
"Hell University."
He choked on his coffee, standing up quickly to dry his wet pants. "I'm just going to the restroom..."
I laughed as he disappeared. He probably thought I was joking. Sometimes, people should be careful what they ask if they aren't prepared for the answer.
My phone vibrated. It was a text from Ace: *"Where are you?"*
I quickly replied: *"I'll be home soon."*
I hid my phone as Cedric returned, smiling again. "So? Back to our topic. Where did you go to high school?"
"I already answered you."
"Seriously?"
I rolled my eyes. "I won't force you to believe me... but I'm telling the truth."
He laughed weakly. I couldn't tell if he was insulting me or not. I'd better leave; this conversation is going nowhere.
"Wait!" He stopped me as I stood up. "Look... I just want to be friends with you."
I grinned. "I think you should ask my boyfriend's permission."
"Who?"
"My boyfriend. And if you don't know him... well, there's no hell of a chance we could be friends."
Those were my last words before leaving the café. I knew he was pretending; everyone knows who my boyfriend is. If he wanted to be friends, why not just be upfront? I don't stop myself from making friends, but I know who is real and who is faking. Cedric is an annoying jerk, but I think he might be a good person deep down. Just as long as he doesn't cross Ace.
Once I was inside the taxi, I felt my pocket—no cellphone. I closed my eyes, remembering I must have left it at the café. I hoped Cedric would find it. I didn't go back; I knew if he saw it, he'd return it to me.
When I arrived at the condo, the place was empty. Ace's laptop was still open. I checked his room, but he wasn't there. I sat on the sofa and noticed an unopened message on his screen.
*Cassandra?*
I opened the message, not knowing how to react. *"Hey, babe. I'll wait for you. See yah."*
Ace's Point of View
I started the car and sped down the road, following the GPS signal. I was terrified; my heart was racing. I remembered the message I got from Zein's phone earlier: *"Ace, help me!"*
I reached the location and jumped out of the car. It was night, and there were barely any lights. I realized with horror that the GPS had led me to a cemetery.
"Zein!" I shouted, my voice echoing.
I walked among the tombs, using my phone as a flashlight. I tried calling her phone; it just kept ringing. I was about to hang up when I heard a sound nearby. It was her ringtone. I followed the noise, turning pale when I saw light coming from an open tomb.
Why is this tomb open?
I peeked inside. It was empty except for Zein's cellphone, which was still ringing. The lyrics of the ringtone sent shivers down my spine:
"Mom, dad, I want bread. Sister, brother, I want coffee. You will obey everything I ask. When I count to five, you will hide...
One...
Two...
Three...
Four..."
The recording was terrifying. Before it could reach five, I climbed into the tomb and turned the phone off. I was about to climb back out when the tomb suddenly slammed shut.
"Shit!"