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Thank you. Hello friends and welcome to sleep tight stories.
Red cannot believe what is on the note that Blue gave her.
Who is this boy Lio?
And why is he sending her these notes?
Red's morning classes pass in a blur as she tries not to think about the note.
The Transfer Student, Volume Two, Part 4 By the time lunch arrived, Red hadn't shaken the feeling that everyone was watching her.
Classes blurred past in a haze of half -listened lectures and scribbled notes.
Every time she caught Alexa glancing her way, or Rachel tapping her pencil like a countdown clock, her nerves twisted tighter.
She kept one hand in her hoodie pocket, feeling the crumpled napkin like it was made of iron.
Now, in the cafeteria, with the napkin still hidden, the questions she was trying to avoid were finally catching up to her.
Red sat there, her face quickly turning a couple shades of โ well โ red.
Just before lunch, she'd spotted blue in the hallway en route to the cafeteria.
For some reason his class was heading to the same cafeteria at the same time.
Usually the lower grades went earlier to avoid crowding or more likely to avoid more mess.
Charlie leaned across the table squinting dramatically at the crumpled napkin in her hand.
"'What's that, Red?
A love note from a secret admirer?' he said, snorting.
Alexa laughed and elbowed him.
"'Not so secret now.
Must be super shy if he's passing notes through your little brother.' Kurt grinned.
"'Wait. Was that your brother, Red?
The one you're always calling a stinker?' Red forced a tight smile.
Yes, that's Blue, she muttered, stuffing the napkin deeper into her hoodie pocket as if it might disappear.
Blue, oblivious to the tension, walked over to their table and whispered to Red, loudly enough for everyone to hear.
You have the weirdest friends Red, good luck!
And with a big mischievous grin, he darted off before Or Red could swat at him.
Alexa leaned in, her eyebrows raised.
Well? Are you going to tell us what that was all about?
Or are we adding it to the growing list of Red's super -secret missions?
Red laughed weakly, trying to sound casual.
Just Blue being weird, nothing important.
But she knew they weren't buying it.
she could feel their curiosity prickling like static in the air.
Charlie shrugged and went back to unwrapping what looked like a very questionable cafeteria burrito.
Fine, be all mysterious, I'm too hungry to care.
Red slid back into her seat, trying to act normal.
But the gnawing in her stomach made it hard to even pretend.
The napkin, no, the message felt heavy in her pocket.
Heavier still was the realization that everything was getting more complicated by the minute.
Lio, Blue, the Stone, the Charm.
It was all starting to be too much for her to handle.
For a while, everyone finished their lunches the way they always did.
Curt polished off two sandwiches and was eyeing Charlie's green juice, like it might be a science experiment gone wrong.
Rachel, naturally, was half eating, half reading from behind a book, so large it could have been used as a doorstop.
Charlie offered Alexa a bite of his burrito.
She recoiled dramatically, holding her tray like a shield.
I'm adventurous, but not that adventurous," she said, making even Rachel crack a smile over her book.
Red would have normally jumped into the teasing, maybe even tossed a comment about Charlie's radioactive lunch. But today, she just poked at the crumbs left on her tray, her mind spinning.
Luckily, before Alexa could ask a bunch of questions or worse, insist on a group napkin reading, the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. Chairs scraped back, trays clattered, and Red tucked the crumpled napkin deeper into her pocket as they all scattered toward class.
She was one of the last to arrive at class.
Red had heard of some kind of weird time -warping technology when she was in school on Mars and was starting to think that that must be why she was the last to arrive for everything.
Someone must be using it to slow her down, right?
Red tried to lose herself in the rhythm of the rest of the school day.
In Science class, she tapped her pencil against her notebook, pretending to take notes.
She had studied the topics many years ago but always took notes to fit in.
She nodded along when Mr. Grayson explained something about kinetic energy, but the words floated past her as she tried to solve all the problems at once.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Alexa glancing her way.
Once, twice, three times.
Red shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling like the world's worst secret agent.
Had she been too obvious?
Had Alexa seen the napkin before Red shoved it in her pocket?
What if she had? It's only an image.
Or was it something else?
In math, it got worse.
Rachel, of all people, actually whispered to her, a rare event that made half the class look up.
You okay, Rachel asked, behind her giant textbook, like she was passing state secrets.
Red nodded a little too quickly.
Fine. Totally fine.
Rachel raised an eyebrow, but didn't push.
She just went back to her notes, her pencil scratching furiously against the paper.
By the time the final bell rang, Red was exhausted.
Her backpack felt heavier.
Her sneakers squeaked louder.
Even her locker seemed harder to open.
Everything felt too much. Too loud.
Too fast. Red raced out of her last class and headed quickly for the bus.
She needed some alone time to try to figure out her next step.
I wish I had my old pad.
It would give me a range of possibilities in an instant, she thought to herself.
The moment Red arrived at the bus, her phone buzzed.
Mystery Club meeting in the library, five minutes, no excuses.
It was from Alexa. Red stared at the message, her thumb hovering over the screen.
She could say she was too tired.
She could say she had homework.
She could even say Blue needed help with another of his ridiculous projects.
But none of those excuses would work.
Not really, not with the way she had been acting lately.
With a sigh she shouldered her backpack and made her way toward the library.
The sun was already dipping low, casting long shadows across the school grounds.
It felt like the day itself was hurrying her along.
When she pushed open the heavy door to the library, she wasn't surprised to find the gang already there, waiting.
More evidence of the time warping technology, she figured, sort of.
Kurt had stacked several books into a wobbly fortress around their usual table.
She popped her head up like a lookout, waving red over dramatically.
Charlie, never missing an opportunity, kept peeking over the walls, making a pew -pew noise, like he was guarding a top -secret base.
A half -crumpled lunch bag served as his security badge.
Rachel sat beyond them, arms crossed, tapping her pen against her notebook with such force that it was amazing it hadn't snapped yet.
She didn't say a word, but her eye roll at the display was so intense that Red could practically hear it.
Red gave a weak smile and dropped into a chair beside them.
รฌWelcome to the Bureau of Bad Ideas ,รฎ Kurt said, grinning.
รฌWhere no conspiracy is too small ,รฎ Charlie added, flashing a salute.
Red forced a laugh, but her stomach twisted.
She didnรญt think they were just here for jokes.
Then Alexa leaned forward, placing a small, battered notebook on the table between them.
I've been keeping track of everything," she said simply.
Her voice was serious.
Red's heart sank. Here it comes, she thought.
Alexa flipped open her notebook with a small grin.
Ok, so first of all, yes Red, I have been taking notes.
And yes, I know it's nerdy.
No one's judging you, Rachel said, without looking up.
We're all nerds. Some of us just hide it better.
She turned a page with a crisp snap.
Speak for yourself, Charlie said, leaning back.
I'm more of a rogue investigator type, like a private eye.
Fedora optional. You don't even know what a fedora is, Rachel muttered.
Charlie shrugged. Doesn't matter.
I'd rock it. Kurt popped another granola bar out of her coat pocket.
Can we get to the part where we figure out what's going on before Charlie starts monologuing again?
Alexa glanced at Red.
We just wanted to compare notes.
You've been kind of doing your own thing lately, which is totally fine, but we've all been thinking." Red tensed, but nodded slowly.
Uh, but what? Alexa tapped the page.
The stone. I don't know.
I held it again. And it just feels different.
Like it doesn't do the shimmer thing anymore.
Not like before. Charlie perked up.
We thought maybe it only reacts at certain times.
Like under the moonlight or when you're wearing socks made of lightning or something." It's not socks.
Rachel cut in. I've been comparing entries from Dr. Hart's journal, the sections where she mentions resonance or thermal feedback.
They don't line up anymore.
Whatever the stone is doing, it's not doing what it used to.
Kurt chimed in through a mouthful of granola.
I didn't research anything helpful unless you count watching documentaries about hidden alien bases in the Arctic.
Red looked around the table.
No one seemed angry, just curious.
Like detectives trying to crack a case, not catch a culprit.
I mean, Charlie said, maybe we're overthinking it.
Maybe it's just a rock, and we are all bonkers." Rachel gave him a flat look.
We've seen it change color.
It's not just a rock.
Alexa leaned her chin on her hand.
๏ฟฝWe miss having you in the middle of the chaos.
I guess it hasn't been that long, but we are usually in constant contact about all our investigationsโand you have always been on board until recently." Red blinked.
That wasn't what she expected.
Well, she said, buying herself time, maybe we are overthinking a little.
Or maybe Dr. Hart just wanted to play a game.
I mean, maybe the mystery's over.
There was a short silence.
Charlie broke it by whispering, We need a theme song, something spooky but catchy.
Kurt added, I'll bring snacks, obviously.
Alexa smiled gently at Red, No pressure, but we're still in if you are.
Red didn't answer immediately.
She couldn't tell them everything.
She wanted their support but was still unsure how to get it while keeping the biggest secrets hidden.
She forced a smile.
Of course. I just don't think there's much more mystery left with the whole Dr. Hart thing.
I still think it's more the writing of an eccentric than anything else.
Charlie raised an eyebrow.
An eccentric who hides magic rocks?
Red shrugged, trying to look casual.
Maybe it's like a really complicated mood stone or something.
Rachel snorted behind her book.
Yeah, warning. May cause life -altering scavenger hunts.
Totally normal. Red laughed weakly, grateful when the conversation drifted into teasing and jokes instead of more pointed questions.
The gang wasn't entirely convinced, but they weren't pushing her either for now.
She was just gathering her things when her phone buzzed with a new message from Blue.
Blue, meet me by the bleachers, not the library.
Top secret stuff. Red frowned.
Why was everything suddenly top secret with him.
Emergency brother message, Red said standing up.
He probably forgot his backpack somewhere again.
Alexa grinned or maybe your secret admirer sent back up.
Tell them to bring snacks, Kurt said tossing her empty granola wrapper into the trash with a dramatic hook shot.
Red rolled her eyes and waved them off, feeling their laughter follow her as she left the library.
She made her way to the empty bleachers behind the school, pulling her jacket tighter around her.
The wind had picked up, carrying the sharp bite of a cold spring.
Blue was already there, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he couldn't stay still.
You're late," he called.
I came as fast as I could, O great and mighty Secretkeeper," Red said, folding her arms. Blue grinned mischievously.
I talked to Lio again.
Red tensed. And? He is your new friend.
Blue pulled a crumpled napkin out of his pocket again and waved it like it was some great treasure.
He asked weird questions about you.
Something about finding the right key and time running out?" Red's stomach twisted.
Blue, of course, found it hilarious.
He's so weird. Maybe he thinks you're some secret code breaker or alien princess or something.
Yeah, Red said faintly, maybe.
She tucked the napkin into her pocket, her hand trembling slightly.
Inside, a cold question was forming.
Was Lio a threat? A warning?
A Martian? Or something worse?
And why, despite everything, did part of her want to find out?
They started walking home together, a rare thing.
Normally, Blue took a different bus.
The routes were separated by grade.
One of those Earth habits Red still didn't fully understand.
Different buses, same stop.
It made about as much sense as wearing shoes indoors.
She barely noticed when Blue spotted some friends down the street and sprinted off, calling something over his shoulder that she didn't catch. His backpack bounced wildly as he disappeared around the corner.
Red didn't call after him.
For once, she didn't mind the quiet.
As she walked home, the chilly air nipped at her cheeks, and the crumpled napkin in her pocket felt heavier than it should.
The sun sagged low behind the trees, dragging long fingers of shadow across the road.
She kept her head down, her thoughts spinning.
Who was Lyle? How did he know anything about her?
And what did he mean by finding the right key?
She hadn't seen Leo herself since that first glimpse.
Somehow, that made it worse.
For the first time in a long time, Red wasn't sure what kind of story she was in anymore.
Was this still about Doctor Hart?
Was it about her father?
Or was it about her?
She tightened her grip on the napkin.
One thing was clear.
Lio hadn't just dropped a clue.
He had dropped a challenge.
And ready or not, Red knew she would have to answer.
And that's the end of this part.
Good night, sleep tight.
