บท 18: 18. Sophie
After April fell asleep, I carefully got up so as not to wake her. I walked to my desk, turned on the computer, and watched her calm, innocent face for a moment as she slept in our shared room. I couldn't help but think that there was something suspicious about Daniel. It wasn't possible that he was just a simple farmer with so much intelligence, fighting skills and, most surprisingly, his talent for playing the piano.
"If April discovers that Daniel is the mysterious pianist" I thought "surely her love for him would be assured."
I could not allow this. I decided to investigate further.
Hours passed as I hacked into the school's server and Daniel's various accounts. As I progressed in my search, I realized that I found nothing but information that pointed to Daniel being a simple peasant. Could it be possible that someone had hidden something about him? If so, that person must have been very good at what he did. However, I could not believe that there was anyone smarter than me.
Frustrated at having found nothing conclusive, I closed the computer and lay back on my bed, going over in my mind everything I knew about Daniel. There had to be more to it, but for now, it seemed I would have to settle for the idea that, perhaps, he was simply a peasant with amazing skills and talents.
I thought I'd enlist Ethan's help in unraveling the mystery of Daniel, grabbed my phone and sent him a message:
"Meet me at the usual place, same time." She knew he was always up for a mission, especially if it involved protecting April.
I got up from my bed and put on the black suit I always wore to move around at night without being seen. As I adjusted my hood, I glanced at April, sleeping peacefully in her bed. I didn't understand how she could be so weak-minded being such an efficient assassin. Sometimes I wondered what I would do if I didn't have the order to watch and protect her from her parents; maybe I would stop pretending to be her friend.
I left the room, making sure no one saw me as I made my way through the dark hallways of the school. Finally, I reached the secret place I shared with Ethan, behind the sports building. There was a hidden room there that only we knew about. I opened the door and walked in, checking to make sure no one else was there.
"It's always the same" I thought with irritation when I saw that Ethan still hadn't arrived. I sat behind one of the desks, propping my feet up on the surface and crossing my arms over my chest. I grabbed my phone and sent him another text, "I'm here, where are you?".
It had already been an hour since I sent the message to Ethan, and my patience was wearing thin. The secret room was plunged into gloom, allowing me to hide in the shadows while I waited.
Suddenly, the door opened slowly, letting in Ethan with a blank stare. His eyes were red and he wore a smile that failed to hide his state. It was clear he had been getting high, something that irritated me deeply. If we were on a mission, he wouldn't be able to cover for us in that condition.
"You're an asshole!" I said as soon as he closed the door behind him. "I've been waiting for you all this hour and you come in like this."
"Come on, Sophie," he replied with a mocking laugh. "I was just having a little fun. Besides, you were the one who tipped me off out of the blue. I didn't have time to prepare."
"And you think that's an excuse?" I retorted annoyed. "I'll fix the problem with April by myself if I have to. I won't stop bothering you until you understand that this is serious."
When I heard April's name, I noticed how Ethan was startled. I knew he was in love with her and I decided to take advantage of that detail to push him.
"All right," he finally said, sighing. "I'll take care of this properly. But first, tell me what exactly the problem is."
"The problem is Daniel," I said to Ethan, slurring each word with disdain.
"What can that redneck bother with?" asked Ethan, a mocking expression on his face. "For as long as we've been here, April's been ignoring him."
"True," I admitted, feeling frustrated as I realized I was right. "But lately, April and Daniel have been getting pretty close. Apparently, she has feelings for him and that could change things for all of us."
Ethan smirked, as if he knew something I didn't know.
"Don't worry, Sophie. April won't give up anything. She's too afraid of her parents to do anything so stupid."
"This time may be different," I insisted, looking him in the eye to make sure he understood the seriousness of my words. "Daniel seems to be more than just special to her. He's the mystery piano guy and if April ever finds out about that, she'll go crazy."
Ethan frowned thoughtfully as he processed the information. It was obvious that my revelation had surprised him, but he was still trying to maintain his composure. He spent a few seconds in silence, analyzing the situation before responding.
"Okay," he finally said, nodding slowly.
"The solution is easy," Ethan told me with a smug expression on his face. "Just kill Daniel, make it look like a suicide, and no one will investigate anything. Then April will go back to the way it was."
"Stop being such a jerk," I replied unable to contain my irritation. "If he dies, we'll lose April for real. She's no fool to think Daniel killed himself. The best we can do is have Daniel break her heart, but we need to find a way to accomplish that."
Ethan sighed, aware that I was right, but still unwilling to give up.
"It's okay, I'll take care of everything," he assured, trying to sound convincing. "It's not about killing Daniel. I'll find another way."
"I hope you do," I said, staring him straight in the eye. "But if you're going to face Daniel, remember that you already lost last time. Don't make the same mistake."
"Trust me, Sophie," he asked, holding my gaze. "For the first time, trust me. I'll make things right, I promise."
"I'll give you this weekend," I finally agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "But don't screw it up. I have to stay best friends with April so she'll tell me all her secrets."
"Understood," Ethan nodded, and I could see in his dark eyes that he was determined to deliver what he had promised.
After the tense talk with Ethan, I headed back to my room. As I opened the door, the first thing I noticed was the faint glow of the moon illuminating April's face, who lay asleep in her bed.
"Will she really be asleep?", I thought as I approached cautiously. Any talented assassin would never let her defenses get so low as to not be alert that someone might attack her in the dead of night. But there April was, so vulnerable and innocent in the moonlight. I couldn't help but think that, if she wasn't our bosses' daughter, she would surely have been dismissed from her duties long ago. A basket case, a case she will never lose.
I walked over to my desk and turned the computer back on. I still couldn't trust Ethan to keep his promise to get Daniel away from April without causing harm.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and scheduled an email to our superiors with Daniel's picture. I explained that he was a problem for April and awaited instructions. I scheduled the mailing for Monday morning, giving Ethan time to act.
"This is the best thing for everyone," I mumbled through my teeth as I watched the message get saved in the outbox.
"Sophie?", I heard a sleepy voice behind me. I turned quickly and saw April sitting up in her bed, eyes squinting in sleep.
"What are you doing up at this hour?" she asked curiously. A lump formed in my throat, fearing he had overheard some of our conversation.
"I had some work to do," I replied evasively, closing the computer before I could see what I was doing. "Don't worry, I'm done. You should go back to sleep."
"Okay," April said with a yawn and lay back down on her bed. "Good night, Sophie."
"Have a good rest, April," I replied with a forced smile as I turned off the light and crawled into my own bed. I stared at the ceiling, feeling caught up in my duty to watch over April and what little loyalty I had to her.
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