"He could have something to do with your past. For now, he's a suspect, let's keep an eye on him." Shaun suggested.

"Claire, I have been looking everywhere for you." Emily came in.

"I'll see you later." Shaun took his leave.

"Aren't you hanging out quite often with him these days?" Emily asked as Shaun left the room.

"We are doing a project together, that's all."

"I see, Claire, I got an idea. How about asking Shaun to act in the play along with you?"

"No, Emily, don't even think about it." I shook my head in disapproval.

"Why? You guys seem comfortable with each other now. Please, Claire, we don't have much time left. Try asking him."

"He would never agree to do it."

"Then you should urge him to partic.i.p.ate. We have no other choice." she pleaded.

"Emily I am sorry but I can't, I don't want him to a.s.sume that it is something I want and that I still have feelings for him." I earnestly reasoned.

"I understand, I'll find someone else."

We were walking back to our cla.s.s when I saw Joseph going to the hallway.

"Emily, do you know anything about Joseph?" I thought of getting some information about him from Emily.

"He was my maths teacher in freshman years. He has an agreeable personality but he's a misanthrope. People reckon that he is brash, c.o.c.ky, and arrogant when he's just unsociable. There's nothing more about him that stands out." she briefed me about Joseph." Why are you asking by the way?"

"Nothing, I just saw him and got curious," I replied.

I went to the staffroom to handover Ivan the a.s.signments he asked me to collect from the students. As I was giving the a.s.signments to Ivan, I took a little peep at Joseph's desk. I saw him working on his computer, and there was a bundle of papers on his desk. Within those papers I caught a glimpse of that paper I got the notes on.

Suddenly his phone rang, he got up and left the staffroom. I followed him out. He didn't stop in the hallway to take the call rather walked all the way to the staircase. I stood behind the wall at the edge of the staircase far enough to hear him talking.

"I told you not to call me during school hours. Are you threatening me now? I told you I'll take care of it." he took a pause. "Okay I'll meet you tomorrow night at the same place." he hung up the phone.

I pattered to the hallway before he would walk up.

It was time for the rehearsals of the play so I went out of the school to the auditorium. I couldn't stop thinking about the phone call. Who was he talking to and about what? What place are they meeting tomorrow? I need to follow him to know but tomorrow's weekend, what should I do?

"Claire, I talked to Miss Mary about the replacement. She said she'll help us find the lead, she might send someone to today's rehearsal." Emily said offering me a cup of coffee. "I'll set the props for you to rehea.r.s.e."

"Okay," I said thoughtlessly.

I went up the stage to practice my lines when Shaun entered the auditorium.

"What are you doing here?" Emily asked him as he approached the stage.

"I thought you needed me." he glanced at me. "Miss Mary asked me to join the rehearsals."

"Oh, I see, so you are the replacement she's going to send. Great, here's your script." Emily handed him the script book.

He went through the scene twice and came up to the stage.

"Why did you agree to do this?" I asked him.

"I couldn't say no to Miss Mary. Why? Are you not comfortable doing it with me? If you think your feelings might intervene in the play. Tell me, I'll refuse to partic.i.p.ate."

"No, you don't have to," I exclaimed. "I mean it's just a play, you don't have to trouble others. Also, don't be deluded that I have feelings for you."I turned away.

"Should we start?" Emily asked.

Shaun gave her a signal to begin.

He walked up to me and held my hands. His touch made the place warmer somehow, he said,

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

As our eyes instantly met, my cheeks were overspread with the deepest blush.

I took a deep breath and let go of his hands.

"From the first moment, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain of the feelings of others, made me realize that you were the last man in the world on whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry," I said looking deep in his eyes.

We stood there gazing at each other when Emily's voice interrupted.

"Okay, that's perfect, let's move on to the other scene."

We rehea.r.s.ed all the scenes together for hours.

"Claire, I just got a call from mom, I have to leave early today. You just need to practice this scene." she pointed in the scene. "Also please put the props back in the storeroom."

"Sure, don't worry about a thing and just go. Your mom must be waiting." I a.s.sured her.

She left and we continued our rehearsals.

When we were done, it was time for school to end so everyone including Shaun left.

As I promised Emily, I collected the stage props and took them to the storeroom.

I was placing the props in the storeroom when I heard the door shut with a bang. I ran to it and caught the sound of the key turning in the lock.

"There's someone in here. Can you hear me, I'm in here!" I screamed but he left locking me in the room.

Suddenly the lights went out. Being alone in the huge dark room, a rush of fear swept over me.

I began banging the door with my fists. I called people for help but there's no one around to help me. But I didn't lose hope and kept yelling and banging the door until there was no strength left in my hands and no voice in my throat. I fell on my knees.

I was about to give up when I perceived a faint sound. I started banging the door harder and shouted,

"HELP!"

The person on the other side of the door came running to me.

"Claire! Claire!"

"Shaun!" hearing his voice I tore up.

"Claire, I'm right here! I'll find a way to get you out. Hold on."

He tried unlocking the door but was unable to. I heard his footsteps going away.

After a few moments later, he came back and asked me to move away from the door.

I did as he said. There was a loud crash and the door swung opened. I saw Shaun standing there with a rod in this hand. He threw away the rod and ran to me. He pulled me to himself and hugged me tightly.

His embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around my frail body. I felt the world around me melting away.

"Sorry for leaving you alone, I'm sorry it took so long." he stroked my hair.

I sobbed and squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end.