Gabriela looked around the bus stop with her breath still in her throat. The motorbike was nowhere to be seen, but the anxiety that had been building up in her chest had not gone away. Wiping sweat from her forehead, she realised how hard her body was shaking. His legs stung, and the pain began to radiate down his thighs.
Slowly, she tried to stand up from the bus stop bench.
'Ouch...' Gabriela winced. As her eyes looked down, she gasped.
The usually smooth skin of her thighs was now scarred, chafed from the friction with the gravel during the fall. The cut was small, but deep enough for blood to start seeping out.
'There's no way I'm taking the bus in this condition,' she muttered weakly as she felt her sore knee. The thought of walking home seemed impossible. Gabriela took her mobile phone out of her bag with trembling hands. The screen vibrated in her hand as she opened the online motorbike taxi application.
It took her a few moments to order a ride, her fingers moving slowly as if her strength had run out. When the notification 'Driver is heading to the location' popped up, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on the bus stop bench, trying to compose herself.
In his mind, the incident just now kept playing like a broken record. The speeding motorbike, the baseball bat in the rider's hand, the shouted warning, his falling body... all seemed to prove one thing: someone wanted to threaten his life. And that was no coincidence.
'Who would do this?' Gabriela asked herself, her eyes staring blankly at the road. Fear and curiosity mixed together. Did this have anything to do with Catherine? What exactly was she bothered about that others wanted to silence her?
Not long after, a motorbike taxi rider stopped right in front of him. The man lowered his mask and smiled kindly.
'Gabriela, yes?' he asked.
Gabriela just nodded slowly as she stood up. Her legs ached, but she tried to walk to the motorbike. With the motorbike taxi driver's help, she managed to get on, although she had to grimace a few times because of her injured knee.
'Be careful sitting, Ma'am. Don't let it get worse,' said the rider, noticing Gabriela's condition.
'Yes, sir... thank you,' Gabriela replied quietly, her voice barely audible.
All the way home, the afternoon breeze hit Gabriela's face, but it didn't bring the least bit of peace. The wounds on her legs were like symbols of something more dangerous lurking in the shadows. Gabriela knew one thing: this was no longer a matter of curiosity.
Now, she was truly involved in something that could endanger her life.
Upon arriving home, Gabriela hobbled into her room. She took off her dirty school uniform and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the wound on her thigh. The red welts throbbed, but Gabriela didn't care. In her mind, there was only one question:
'If someone wants me to stop... does that mean I'm getting closer to the truth?'
A question whose answer she might not like. But Gabriela's mind is made up: she must find out who is responsible for Catherine's death even if it means risking her own life.
The next day...
Although her body was still sore and full of wounds, Gabriela forced herself to go to school. Every step she took was painful, but her determination to finish what she had started was stronger than the pain.
After the break bell rang, Gabriela walked to the schoolyard. There, she saw Arvin sitting on a bench under a tree, as usual. Melissa, like the shadow that always followed her, was also beside him. Gabriela approached them with steady steps.
Arvin looked at Gabriela questioningly as he saw her condition. The wounds on Gabriela's hands and knees were clearly visible, although they were partially covered by her uniform.
'Gabriela... why are you covered in wounds?' asked Arvin, his voice sounding worried.
Gabriela was silent for a moment. She took a deep breath, thinking quickly. Should she tell the truth? But finally, Gabriela decided to tell the truth.
'Someone tried to kill me yesterday afternoon,' Gabriela said quietly but firmly.
Arvin looked surprised at Gabriela's confession. His eyes widened, and his brows furrowed as if trying to understand the situation that had just been revealed.
'What? Someone tried to kill you?' he asked in a serious voice, a worried tone clearly audible there.
Meanwhile, Melissa who was standing next to Arvin looked a little different. Her face briefly showed a strange expression like someone who was holding something back, a mixture of shock and guilt that she was trying to hide. However, Melissa quickly returned to her usual demeanour: cynical and full of pretence.
'Oh, so now someone wants to 'kill you' too, huh? What kind of drama is this?' she said, her tone sounding sharp and dismissive. Melissa folded her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes, as if she couldn't believe Gabriela's story.
Gabriela gave Melissa a sharp look, but chose not to reply. She realised there was something suspicious in Melissa's reaction, as if the girl was hiding something behind her haughty attitude.
Arvin, on the other hand, was still focused on Gabriela, his eyes full of questions and concerns. 'Are you serious, Gabriela? Who did it? You've reported it to the police, right?'
Gabriela sighed softly, staring at the two without answering at once. There was so much she wanted to say, but for now, Gabriela knew she would just have to keep quiet.
Gabriela stared intently at Melissa, analysing her every move. The expression on Melissa's face was difficult to hide a glimpse of guilt, but she quickly covered it up with her haughty demeanour. In her heart, Gabriela was sure: There is no doubt that the perpetrator is related to Melissa. But how can I prove it?
Her mind raced, organising what steps to take next. Gabriela knew accusations without evidence would only make her look like a troublemaker.
'I have to find something,' Gabriela thought.
The main questions that came to mind were:
1.Who was the man with the motorised Kawasaki Ninja?
2.What was Melissa's relationship with the man?
Gabriela thought to start monitoring Melissa secretly. Perhaps, if she paid attention to anyone who interacted with Melissa, she would find clues. In addition, she also considered checking the background of Melissa's close friends, family, or anyone who was often with the girl.
Not only that, Gabriela felt she had to dig deeper into the Catherine beating incident. Did Melissa really have a motive to harm Catherine out of jealousy? And if so, could the motorised man be Melissa's accomplice?
Step one, Gabriela decided to be around Melissa more often without looking suspicious. She would look for opportunities to overhear Melissa's conversations or observe the girl's behaviour.
Step two, Gabriela thought of going back to the place where Catherine was hit. Maybe there was something the police had missed, something that could provide a new clue.
As she walked out of the classroom, Gabriela muttered under her breath, 'I have to play smart. If Melissa is really involved, sooner or later, she will definitely make a mistake.'
Gabriela now had a clearer goal: to slowly dig out the truth without letting Melissa realise it. However, despite her determination, Gabriela realises that it's not just about Catherine anymore. Now her life is also at stake.