Extraordinary Losers 2 by Jessica Alejandro Read Free Book Online Page A

specks glowed from the ashes as if they were still alive, in my imagination at least.
    â€œTread carefully, guys,” I warned. “It’s like a dormant volcano.”
    It was an eerie sight. The teacher’s wooden desk had been half-consumed by the inferno. All that was left on the notice boards were thumbtacks that were now black too.
    â€œTerrible… terrible…” Janice moaned.
    At that moment, Janice spotted something on the floor.
    It was semi-buried in the ash. Arrowing in on the object, she walked towards it. The ash seemed to come up to her ankles.
    â€œHey, guys, look here,” she said, stooping low to examine the object. “I think there is something here.”
    She flicked some ash off. It was greenish.
    â€œAre those f-f-f-fing… fing… fingers?” Mundi asked. He began to shiver and it snowed powder.
    Janice shielded her eyes. “Oh my goodness, are those really fingers? Please tell me someone isn’t buried under there.”
    â€œWell, there’s only one way to find out,” Clandestino said.
    He had always been the bravest among us. He got down and unearthed the greenish, finger-like thing with his bare hands. It was a green rubber glove.

    â€œOh no!” We gasped. I wanted to be brave too, so I poked the glove.
    â€œNo hand inside,” I confirmed. “But look here.” Part of the rubber glove had melted away, eaten away by the fire. There were only three “fingers” left.
    Mundi rushed over and knelt down. Realising something else, he uttered, “Th-This must be the fire head. The ash here is the thickest and the char marks on the floor are all ra-ra-radiating from this point, no? Also… the fire seems to have been more in-in-intense he…”
    â€œAnd that’s about near where I had found the can of Coke,” Clandestino recalled.
    â€œSsshhh … everyone. I hear those footsteps again,” I said. “They are very near.”
    Immediately, Janice scooped out the disturbing green glove, flicked off the ash and stuffed it into her pocket, together with her hoard of donuts.
    â€œWhere?” Clandestino stood up. He began to paw the ground with his feet again. Ready to take off.
    â€œWait, wait, wait! Can you not SPEED here, Clan?” Janice stopped him. “You’ll just be churning up more ash and dust.”
    â€œOkay,” he said disappointedly. Instead, he swung his arms back and forth, bent his knees a little and with one big leap, jumped out of the blackened classroom. All of us stopped breathing.
    Five seconds later, he reappeared.
    â€œI didn’t see anyone, but I found this.” There was a piece of paper in his hand. “I think someone is trying to tell us something.”
    The three of us rushed to see Clandestino’s find. He positioned his iPhone over the paper so that we could see by its light.
    â€œThis is so strange,” Janice exclaimed.
    â€œA photocopy of an identity card,” I said.
    â€œWith a clear thumbprint,” Clandestino added.
    â€œAnd look whose name is on the card, no?” Mundi pointed out.
    â€œSiti… Noraizah,” we read out in unison.

CHAPTER 7: EYE SPY
    Is someone trying to tell us something?” I asked, entirely bewildered.
    â€œYes, why leave a copy of Madam Siti’s IC in the middle of the corridor, no?” Mundi thought out loud. “Maybe, someone is trying to tell us that she is involved?”
    â€œA teacher involved?” Janice was doubtful.
    â€œTough,” Clandestino said, sighing. He put his iPhone away and took out a pen. He started scratching his neck. I couldn’t see it but I heard the scritch scratch of a pen tip against rough skin. In the darkness of the night, we could only see each other’s eyes.
    My gaze collided with his pair of narrow slit eyes. “Are you sure you found this right outside the classroom?”
    â€œYes, when we came in, it wasn’t there.