CHAPTER FIVE: THE WAR BEGINS
On the roof of the Empire School Building storage room, embraced by the earthy scent of sun-warmed tar.
The sight of a beautiful urban landscape, the gentle touch of the breeze on your skin, and the distant echoes of laughter and traffic humming below.
one would realise it was indeed a summer Friday to remember, Yet to Nicole, it was nothing more than another annoying day.
Paul stands as a dark, enigmatic figure, his silhouette outlined against the evening sky.
He exudes an air of anxious anticipation, yet there's a cool and composed demeanour about him.
He waits patiently for Nicole, waiting for something to happen that could be extremely dangerous but leaves his heart racing with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
With zoom away to notice Nicole, with few other comrades, coming out of the main school building as Nicole holding a note in her hand and with a very annoyed face walks toward the storage room.
"what the heck is with all this unwanted stress this evening?" Nicole muttered irritably, walking purposefully towards the storage room.
After the lengthy trek, she finally reached her destination.
"Hmm In the note, it claims that someone has abducted a student and locked them in the storage room, demanding that only the supreme student council president arrives alone to rescue them," the chief secretary of the school said to Nicole in an emotionless tone.
"I don't know what the heck this even implies, and how the heck it even got in the office, but guess it's our freakingly annoying job to check it out," Nicole exclaimed, just barely holding in an outburst.
"Let's just get this over with and get out of here." Nicole sighed and said.
As soon as Nicole kicked the door open, a massive red balloon loomed before her, triggering an instant defensive response from her as she moved her hand into a block.
Without a second thought, the two members of the disciplinary community threw their bulky frames in front of Nicole, trying to shield her from the splattering paint as the balloon exploded.
Yet, before they could recover, another huge balloon hidden among the tree behind them, reveling itself as it falling unto the ground.
It exploded drenching Nicole and the secretary in a massive amount of paint.
"NOOOOO!," the two disciplinary members exclaimed in horror as they saw Nicole drenched in paint.
"We deeply apologise for our incompetence!" one of them shouted, terrified, immediately assuming a bowed, apologetic punishment position before Nicole.
"Please accept this jacket, ma'am, and punish us severely for our failure," the other member said, offering his jacket before imitating the posture of his companion.
"[Breathes in], just breathe, just breathe, don't let him get to you Nicole," [trying to relax], Nicole whispered to herself in thought, mid-relaxation a sudden drop of paint landed on her head, shattering her rationality with a sharp snap.
"Arghhhh!!!!!!! What the heck!!," Nicole let out a furious scream and without a second thought punched the offending tree, leaving a massive mark on it.
"If I could just once hold the neck of the bastard that did this, I'll freaking drive my staff down his throat, arghh" Nicole exclaimed.
"If I could just hold the bastard that did this neck, nothing will stop me from driving my staff down his throat, arghh!!!," Nicole cleared her head and said, veins still showing on her temple.
"Sigh!!!!, It would be a waste of time to rampage now, let's just calm down and reserve all my bloodlust into finding the bastard that did this, and I think I might have a guess who that might be," Nicole thought to herself.
"phew, thank God she's calmed down now," All three of the supreme student council with Nicole exclaimed internally, having the same thought.
Suddenly Nicole's eyes swiftly moved to her right as she noticed a dark figure standing on the roof, shock showing in her eyes.
"Shit how didn't I notice, you bastard," Nicole yelled internally.
"there someone standing over there on the roof go get him" Nicole said.
"Yes ma'am" With unwavering determination, all three of Nicole's companions surged into action, sprinting at top speed towards the rooftop.
The secretary showcased impressive parkour skills, swiftly ascending the terrain. Meanwhile, the dynamic disciplinary duo coordinated seamlessly.
working together in perfect sync to scale their way up, displaying remarkable agility and teamwork in their ascent.
Nicole watched this display with confusion.
"Couldn't they just have used the stairs to get up?" She muttered, even as she joined in the pursuit, employing parkour to swiftly navigate her way to the rooftop alongside the others.
"Sorry ma'am we were too late, it seems the person is gone," the secretary said to Nicole immediately she arrived.
"Yeah no kidding" Nicole said tartly as she looked towards the mid-afternoon sun as the school bell rang in the background.
"Ugh, I'm already too annoyed. Just get someone else to clean up this mess. You're dismissed for today." Nicole hissed and grumbled, scratching her neck in frustration.
frustration clenched Nicole's jaw as she couldn't keep her angry down.
So Nicole took a deep breath, although her exhale carried a mix of tension and resentment.
But her mind couldn't stay still as The air crackled with her frustration, setting the stage for a storm that could soon engulf the rooftop.
"ARGHAAAAAAAAA!" Nicole's roar echoed relentlessly from the rooftop, sending shivers down the spines of the community members moving quickly away.
"First, you dared steal my first kiss, and now you're so hell-bent on disrupting my life with these foolish games of yours—annoying, annoying, annoying!" Nicole yelled, gripping her hair so tightly it seemed like she might rip it out.
"Haa… In just 4 days, since you declared that stupid prank war of yours spilling out nonsense out of that mouth, not taking you seriously was a mistake, but to think in four days… just, four freaking days he pulled pranks that if I didn't notice on time I would have been in deep trouble and humiliated in front of the other students…" Nicole kept speaking to her self, brows furrowed in anger.
"Okay, okay, okay..." she sighed.
"He wants to play this foolish game? Fine! Now he'll learn what it means to invite hell into his life. One by one, I'll dismantle everything he holds dear," Nicole declared with an intensely burning gaze, she leaped from the rooftop, sprinting towards the school with a fiery resolve.
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"Hahaha hahaha," erupting into tears of laughter Paul walks out the school's main entrance gates "Pfftt look at the face she was even Making, that's definitely the most satisfying face to just wanna laugh at [exhale deeply].
"But this is still not enough, to think it has been almost a week since I started pranking her, yet she's still even standing.
I guess I'm not even surprised since she was the only one who could withstand my pranks back then." Paul kept talking to himself as he neared his home.
"This won't do, this won't do, all these mild pranks are not going to make her lose it that easily, I guess I have no choice but to bring out 'THE BOOK'…" As he said this a grin appeared on his face again.
"heck yeah, am sure that gonna be good enough for her," Paul said internally as he was facing the door to his house, preparing to open it.
"Yo I'm home," he yelled in a sing-song voice as he opened the door, but with immediate shock in his heart he heard
"Where have you been all day big bro, and what happened to my ice cream last night…" Amanda said from behind Paul.
A shiver went down his spine. "Ooooh… Hey sis how was school today?" Paul said as in terror he turned backwards seeing his little sister standing dramatically behind him as the wind blew her hair.
"Oh shit, I'm caught, how did she even get here so early? I came in an hour before..." then he looked at his watch.
"Oh, shit that's why," Paul said internally.
"I am gonna ask you for the last time, yes or no, for the last 4 nights have you been taking my ice cream as a midnight snack and avoiding me?" Amanda said with a tight fist and an icy voice.
"Darn it she remembers" Paul said internally, beginning to sweat.
Then he said, "Hmmm I won't say I took it and I won't say I didn't take it, it depends on the factor put into consideration in this case of....."
"Just shut up already and answer, yes or no" Amanda said with such an intense glare that Paul had to give.
"I guess.... yes," Paul said as his heart could no longer predict what would happen next.
"you should have just said so," [giggling] Amanda said with a smile on her face as she walked past him into the house.
"Huh," Paul whispered, he immediately turned his head towards the door,
"BANG!"
Paul was shocked, but had braced for what would come next, instinctively blocked his little sister's jump kick aimed at his face.
"What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed, smiling.
"Just showing you what happens when you mess with my stuff," Amanda said as she landed back to move for another continual attack toward Paul's face.
Their movements became a blur of action as Amanda persistently launched attacks while Paul skillfully evaded each strike, maintaining a cautious distance.
"You really don't like my face, huh?" Paul remarked amidst the chaos.
Suddenly, Amanda seized an opportunity, utilising a wire cord strategically placed on the floor, causing Paul to trip and fall.
Swiftly, she lunged towards him, aiming for a neck strangle, intensifying the struggle.
"Ok ok I give, let's compromise, hmmm? What about this? I will take you out for ice cream next Saturday." Paul said, frowning in pain.
"Hmmmmm alright then, deal" she smiled.
"But if you forget, let's just say bye-bye to big bro's hair" Amanda added ominously, a hint of bloodlust in her tone.
"Sure, I won't forget," Paul promised, feeling a mix of relief and slight terror.
"Man, she's really scary, but I've got to admit, it's always fun being around her," he thought to himself, managing a smile despite the situation.
"Alrighty, I'm off to go look for my old journal, you've seen it around?" Paul said.
"Naa, I don't think so. It has been a long time since I last saw that stupid book of yours. Just remembering when I read a little out of it gives me goosebumps, always reminding me how trultmessed up you are. Just what do you even want to do with that thing?" Amanda said.
Just for a little project I want to work on"Paul said, stretching casually before his phone suddenly rang, startling him and causing him to fall backward.
Paul quickly picked up the call.
"sup Lola what's up...., huh, what!! how the heck did that even happen I'm coming right away" Paul said and stood up immediately rushing towards his room.
Amanda gave Paul a glare, "Paul I mean it, if you dare forget next week Saturday you will regret it…" Then her expression transformed into an innocent smile.
"Bye big bro good luck for today, "Amanda said as she looked at Paul rushing upstairs towards his room.
Paul replied "Bye."
He entered his room, dressed up quickly and with little patience jumped down his window without a second thought, rushing across the road.
While running he used his phone immediately to make a call as he got on his motorbike bike "Come with me to the location it's a code red," He yelled as he cut the call driving away.