"Mr. Hance!"
Their footsteps stopped in unison.
What was he doing here?
He stood right in front of them, no time to escape, no time to turn back. His eyes were fixed on them, sharp and suspicious, probably wondering the exact same thing they were.
What are they doing here?
Dana reacted first. She swiftly slipped the ledger behind her back, stepping slightly behind Vanessa's frame, hoping the shadows and Vanessa's body would shield it from view.
"Good evening, Mr. Hance," Vanessa greeted, forcing a smile as though it were perfectly normal to be inside the administration building at this hour.
"What are you both doing here?" he asked, his voice rough, edged with something more than authority.
"Um…" Vanessa faltered, her mind scrambling for an excuse while silently cursing Dana for dragging her into this mess.
"Sir, may I ask the same?" Dana interjected smoothly, her hands still hidden behind her back.
Before he could respond, she tilted her head slightly.
"Ah… does it have to do with the same reason you were looking for something?" she asked knowingly.
She had noticed it immediately, the light sheen of sweat on his forehead, his slightly disheveled appearance, the tension in his shoulders. He had been searching for something.
And she was almost certain it was the same thing he had been looking for before.
The same thing she had taken.
His eyes flickered, just for a second. He stuttered faintly before clearing his throat.
"The both of you should not be here. Not at this time," he said, straightening. "You should leave. Now."
He tried to sound professional.
He almost succeeded.
Dana wanted to push further. To test how far she could go before he snapped. But she also knew better than to overplay her hand.
Vanessa grabbed Dana's arm tightly, not giving her the chance to speak again.
They walked out of the administration building in stiff silence.
Only when the doors shut behind them did they both release deep breaths.
Vanessa groaned loudly, turning to face Dana.
"This is the last time I'm stepping into that building throughout this academic year," she muttered. "What was he even doing there?"
"Probably looking for the book we took from him," Dana replied with a careless shrug.
Vanessa groaned again.
"Let's just leave," she said, already walking toward the dorm building. "And by the way, you're going to be the one to return it. I'm not following you."
She didn't wait for Dana's response.
That night, Dana found it difficult to sleep.
She kept turning and turning on the bed, the sheets twisting around her legs.
"Gabriella Jenkins," she whispered into the darkness.
The name echoed strangely in her mind.
Her gaze drifted to the drawer where she had kept the ledger. The urge to pull it out again and search for June's name clawed at her, but she forced herself to stay still.
Morning.
She needed a clear head.
The week would soon run out, only two days left before everyone returned to school. Once that happened, moving around unnoticed would be nearly impossible.
Especially around June.
Dana sighed, squeezing her eyes shut, her fist clenching tightly against the mattress.
Gwen would soon get what was coming to her.
As soon as the sky turned pale blue, Dana was up.
She rushed to the bath house, then to the dining hall, barely tasting the food before hurrying back to her room.
She locked the door.
Then she pulled out the ledger.
Carefully, she flipped through every page, scanning each name written in neat ink. She took her time, making sure she didn't miss anything.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
June's name wasn't there.
Her brows furrowed.
She checked again.
Still nothing.
Closing the book slowly, she rested her chin on her palm.
This was more complicated than she had thought.
June wasn't a registered student?
How was that possible?
What was she doing in Herbert Wilbur then?
Gwen would obviously have the answers.
A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts.
She knew who it was.
Unlocking it, she walked back to her bed as Vanessa entered and sat on Elaine's unoccupied bed.
"Dressed already," Vanessa observed.
"So what was it?"
"Just like I checked last night," Dana said, her teeth clenching slightly. "June's name isn't registered."
"Really?" Vanessa's eyes lit with intrigue. "So what next from here?"
"I really don't know," Dana admitted reluctantly. "There doesn't seem to be any trace. June's memories are incomplete, and we can't possibly ask Gwen."
She hated the feeling.
Being stuck.
"How about we try to look for where June got lost?" Vanessa suggested.
Dana looked up sharply.
"I'm just saying," Vanessa continued, stretching slightly on the bed, still in her pajamas. "If we find the place, you can read into the memories there. It might hold some of the ones June lost."
Dana stared at her for a moment.
"How didn't I think of that?" she murmured, a slow smirk forming.
"It'll take a while," she added. "But it's worth it."
"So we've got ourselves a trip to the junior school area," Vanessa said. "It's quite far from here."
Her eyes drifted to the closed ledger.
"I'm really not following you to return it," she reminded.
Dana picked up the ledger.
"I'm not going there either."
"So—" Vanessa began.
Her words trailed off.
They both watched as the black ledger began to lose its color.
The dark cover faded to grey.
Then pale.
Then translucent.
The edges crumbled first, fine grains slipping through Dana's fingers.
Within seconds, the entire book disintegrated into dust.
Silence filled the room.
Dana stared at the empty space in her hands.
Vanessa swallowed.
"Well," she muttered faintly, "I guess that solves the returning part."
But Dana wasn't smiling.
Because now the question wasn't how to return it.