Chapter 7: Spying
Kyle Mizoguchi had a great popularity within the academy and it was especially due to two things: The first one, his great skill with the tennis racket that took him to several championships and secondly, his charisma that make him one of the most popular guys and, even sometimes, one of the most desired guys by the girls around the place. But what few people knew was that behind the prefect of the boy's dorm, there was someone who cared a lot for his loved ones and a few were his friends from the so-called "detective club": Pomeline, Colton, his ex-girlfriend, Olive and above all his younger sister, Maps.
The adventures they had in group were always related to the mysterious and the paranormal stuff: Vampires, ghosts, werewolves, disappearances, secret passages, time travel, whatever could come to your mind was already in there in some way and they always managed to solve each case just to get a new one. Sometimes, even the studies were left behind and the members forgot that they were in the academy, and in the case of the older Mizoguchi, this was noticed now in his tennis practices, his main sport: The school's schedule was about to end and Kyle was practicing some shots accompanied by coach Humphreys, who threw the balls in different areas of the field and speeds from slow to very fast, causing the young student to react as soon as possible and moving around. Until a certain moment, he felt the fatigue and fell defeated. The coach gave a sigh of disappointment because of what he saw.
"What's wrong, Mizoguchi? Already tired?" Asked the trainer while grabbing some of the tennis balls.
"No, sir. I just…just need a little break and we can keep going."
"Let's call it a day and leave it for now, Kyle. I don't want my top star to feel exhausted for the next game." Commented Humphreys. "Besides, it seems someone is waiting for you."
Mizoguchi looked through the spectator benches after listening to his coach and what he could see, on one side, were the typical fans who admired him as every single day, something that didn't actually bothered him, although he personally preferred to see Olive over there. On the other end, there was a boy wearing sunglasses and showing a confident smile, making Kyle approach him to receive a towel; it was Colton Rivera, the other male member of the detective club.
"How long have you been watching me?
"Just enough..." Said Colton as he adjusted his glasses. "You have a very good swing, Kyle!"
"…Thank you? But seriously, tell me what's going on."
"I just wanted to let you know that we're going to meet in a few hours. Apparently Maps wants to tell us something big. Don't even ask me what it is, she didn't want to tell."
"You think it's because of that so-called "Arkham's ghost?"
"I don't even have the slightest idea." Clarified Rivera.
"Tell them I'll be there in a few minutes." Informed the older Mizoguchi. "I need to take a shower first."
What could her sister want to inform about? If something that Kyle was good at, apart from sports, was that he knew Mia well enough and her decisions to impress others with some "master" plan to discover a mystery. And with the passing of the last days inside the academy, rumors spread that at night you could see none other than the ghost of Amadeus Arkham, founder of the well-known and infamous Arkham Asylum for criminals and especially supervillains of non-other than the Batman. Kyle already had some experience with the supernatural but always tried to see everything from a logical and credible point of view while living in the academy.
A few hours later and with the sound of the bells indicating that the day of studies was over, each of the students of the faculty used to take what was left of the day to do different activities: On one side, you could see the athletes doing simulations of games and showing off their physics to their fans; in another, to the nerds in the library reading hundreds of books to expand their knowledge and in other places some problematic ones causing jokes in bad taste towards some teachers or anyone who would cross their path. Kyle didn't care about any of those when he went to the meeting point and that was in the courtyard of the academy, where he could see from afar Pomeline, Colton, his sister Maps and Olive.
"Kyle! Last one to arrive!" Yelled Maps. "Minus 3 speed points, brother."
"Blame the coach with his training, but I'm here." Indicated the oldest of the Mizoguchi while sitting on the grass.
"Alright Maps, tell us what you have discovered." Said Olive curiously.
"Ladies and gentlemen, here's what we needed to find the ghost of Amadeus Arkham: A sequence on his apparitions!" Exclaimed Maps while taking one of her famous maps from her backpack. "According to the reports I've gathered, the spectrum always appears on Fridays at one in the morning. Specifically, in the botanical gardens and in the library at the psychology section!"
"That's all?" Commented Pomeline somewhat disappointed. "I thought you had found something like his hidden remains and that's why the poor guy cannot rest in peace."
"Oh, I'd love to find something like that, but not for the moment." Said Maps. "If we can hide in different places where it has been seen and with the materials that Colton will give us..."
"Excuse me? I will give?" Asked confused the boy with sunglasses.
"Colton, you always manage to get things when we need them... as I was saying, before being interrupted: With the materials that Colton will give us we can catch the ghost and a new mystery will be solved!" Exclaimed an excited Mia.
"Sounds like a good plan, Maps!" Said Olive motivated. "Shall we start tonight then?"
"T-Today?" Asked the map girl suddenly confused. "D-Does it necessarily have to be today?"
Kyle, like the other members of the club, had noticed that his younger sister's attitude changed suddenly. Knowing her, she would have agreed to start the case as soon as they all went to their bedrooms or even, she was able to put themselves in one of the indicated places until nightfall, but now she was looking different. No one expected that reaction from her and they thought something was wrong with Maps.
"Is there a problem with doing this today, Maps?" Asked Pomeline distrustfully.
"Couldn't we pass this for another day? M-Maybe Monday?" Proposed Mia with nerves.
"But today is Friday... and according to you, those are the days that the ghost appears." Answered Silverlock with logic.
"R-Right! But... but... I'm… sick! Yeah!" Shouted Maps before giving a serious cough.
"Sick?" Asked the older Mizoguchi now with doubt.
"You don't look sick." Affirmed Colton. "You guys notice she's ill or something?"
Mia looked at everyone without focusing in someone, it was clear that she was entering in some sort of panic situation while her body trembled and her forehead was showing a few drops of sweat coming out. Kyle was getting worried, this was unusual and had never seen his sister act in that way, but not by the fact of being "sick", it was because of the reaction she was giving to everyone just for not wanting to solve the case on a day like this.
"Guys, I think she's right." Said Kyle as he stood up. "Maybe it's for the best if we had it for another day."
"Ugh, about time someone finally believes me!" Shouted Maps while giving a slight sigh of satisfaction.
"Well, I suppose we could pass this for next Friday if that helps you to get better." Suggested Olive.
"Whatever, when you get everything ready, let me know. If you need me, which I hope it does not happen, I will be in my room studying." Pomeline commented as she left.
"Bye, Pom!" Waved Maps. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll go to my room... to rest. Yes, that! See you!"
Something was wrong and Kyle knew it. Her sister got up quickly and as if she had been cured of her so-called "illness", she hurried to the girls' dorm leaving him, Colton and Olive observing her with some doubt. He needed to know what was happening with her, but he could not do it alone and took advantage of the moment of silence.
"I don't believe anything Maps said just now. At all." Said Kyle.
"Likewise. Something is happening with her and she doesn't want to tell us." Olive confirmed seriously.
"How do you guys know?" Asked Colton.
"Big brother instinct." Answered Mizoguchi.
"Best friend instinct." Assured Silverlock.
"Then what do we do?"
Olive looked around the campus for a few minutes while the older Mizoguchi was thinking about some plan and Colton, on the other hand, just stood still and silently waiting for a response from any of them. Silverlock knew that her friend was plotting something at their expense and they needed to know what it was or at worst, if she was in some kind of trouble. It was by then, that the white-haired girl had an idea that would help them discover the secret held by the youngest of the Mizoguchi.
"I got it!" Announced Olive. "I'm going to spy on Maps and if I see some suspicious attitude, I'll let you guys know so the three of us can follow her from far..."
"...And that will take us to whatever she's hiding." Ended the phrase Colton. "Great idea!"
"We will be waiting for you then, Olive. Keep us informed at anything." Proposed Kyle. "Come on Colton, we have to get ready."
With the plan made and waiting for the call at the outsides of the study center, the oldest of the Mizoguchi and Rivera went to the mobile home that they used at times to perform experiments or analysis of objects when solving cases. Outside, it was unusual to see a vehicle like that in a forest, in the middle of hundreds of trees and especially with the state in which it was. Inside the place looked much worse, as it was messy with hundreds of objects such as magazines, gadgets in the process of experimentation and electronic devices, but still someone could accommodate if things were moved somewhere and with caution. There was a dead silence from both boys, especially on Kyle's side who was sitting on one of the sofas while Colton, somewhat nervous of being alone with him, wanted to break the ice by taking advantage of the situation in which they were. Bracing himself, the boy with the sunglasses swallowed his nervousness and decided to take the lead.
"So... what do you think your sister is hiding?"
"I have no idea. You?"
"With everything we've seen here, it could be anything: A monster, a hidden treasure, a secret passage to somewhere... who knows." Suggested Colton.
"Look, let's just not reach any conclusion until we see what she's doing. Ok?"
"Hey, you were the one who asked me!"
Colton gave a slight laugh as a joke but didn't last long; since Kyle was restless, he stood up to look at one of the windows of the vehicle and did not show the same mood as his partner. Rivera needed to do something about it or this opportunity was going to be wasted by waiting in silence. That's why he stood up and took out from a small freezer two soft drinks, one giving to his guest and the other to himself. They both opened the drinks at the same time and in friendship they gave each other a small toast to drink a little each one.
"Relax, dude. I don't think Maps is in some sort of difficult situation."
"I hope so, too." Said Kyle. "Hey Colton."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for cheering me up."
"T-There's no need!" Colton said with a bit of blush. "Hey... mind if I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"Are you and Olive...I mean no offense but… is there still something between you two?" Asked curiously Rivera.
Kyle looked confused for a few seconds: What kind of question was that? Maybe it was a sort of distraction from such concern about Maps or it was probably Colton's attempt to help him find out what was really going on between him and his ex-girlfriend. On one hand, he wanted to go back to her more than anything else in the world, but on the other, he knew well that she also had her own problems and adding the idea of returning was not the best option for both of them. Mizoguchi was going to respond to his friend when his cell phone rang, it was Olive giving the signal: Maps was in motion and they had to follow her now.
"Let's move on!" Said Rivera while taking his backpack ready.
Finally meeting with Silverlock in some bushes near the main door of the academy, the young detectives who were hiding due to not be discovered, could see Maps from afar still wearing her uniform and clearly with the same attitude and energy as always, discarding the blissful "disease" she claimed to have. However, that would not be the strangest thing that was happening, but what would come next: A black limousine appeared from far away and slowed down, finally parking just where the youngest of the Mizoguchi was. A man, probably in his fifties or sixties and dressed very elegantly, came out of the driver's seat greeting Maps in a very polite way, while she returned the greeting with great confidence, as if they had already known each other for a good time. The man who only called her formally, opened one of the passenger doors and let her quietly enter and then went to his seat again and started lighting the limousine. It was time to follow this vehicle to its enigmatic destiny.
"Maps!" Exclaimed Kyle clearly worried.
"Kyle, keep it quiet!" Interrupted Olive. "We cannot let them see us or we will be in serious trouble!"
"Neither we can't let them escape!" Replied the older brother.
"Guess it's time to test my little experiment!" Announced Colton while pulling a spring from his backpack. "Please don't fail me…"
Taking advantage of the noise emitted by the vehicle while igniting the engine, Colton fired what appeared to be a small metal device that managed to hook tightly with the trunk of the limousine. Immediately afterwards, Rivera took a small monitor out of his backpack to turn it on and showed a remote point of light on the screen, implying that it was, in fact: A radar. Kyle and Olive were both amazed at the speed and ingenuity of his friend, who started to think what would have happened if he had not been at this time, probably both would've surrendered or sought a more difficult alternative.
"Good job, Colton!" Said Kyle while patting his back.
"We can follow the limousine and Maps with that tracker!" Shouted Olive.
"I have a way to follow them!" Informed Rivera. "Quick, to the parking lot!"
The trio ran quickly to the parking lot, where they found some cars belonging to the teachers, but none of them were what they specifically wanted, until they reached the private site of none other than principal Hammer, where that changed. The car was perfect for this type of situation: A sports model fast enough to reach the vehicle that Maps entered with black color that made it easily camouflage in the darkness. Colton took out of his pockets his set of picks to enter in a matter of minutes just to turn off the alarm system and plugging in some cables and with that, the students "borrowed" the latest model car from the rector. Kyle climbed into the copilot seat while Olive in the back holding the radar and Rivera stomped on the accelerator to try to reach the limousine. The road was dark due to the forest that surrounded the entire route, preventing any trace of light from appearing on the track but not making it impossible to drive, since over a couple of minutes later, it was showing little by little nothing less than the own Gotham City. Where were they taking Maps exactly?
The city felt more alive than ever at this time, comparing it when they visited it in the day: Noises and lights everywhere, police patrols appearing in many streets and sometimes, you could even hear screams or shots from afar. The rumors were true about Gotham: At night everything was more dangerous, but for the young detectives, that was not an impediment. After several streets and turns around the city, they could see the limousine park just in time at the entrance of a building, making Colton take advantage of it and park in an alley so that the three of them could leave and observe from afar. The man driving the limousine again left the vehicle to open the passenger door, causing Maps to leave happily until entering the building while this mysterious gentleman entered the vehicle and waited.
"Hammer is so going to kill us for this, guys." Said Colton.
"We have to enter somehow without being noticed..." Indicated Kyle while ignoring the comment of his friend. "But how?"
"How about through the emergency exit and see where it goes without her seeing us!" Proposed Olive.
"What are we waiting for?" Commented the older Mizoguchi. "Let's go!"
"But what about the car?" Asked the boy in dark glasses somewhat nervous.
"That doesn't matter now! We have to see Maps!" Shouted Olive while crossing the street.
With the three evading the security guards at the main entrance and entering the alley that led to the back of the building, Kyle opened a red door that reflected an emergency exit sign for his teammates and entered quickly to finally closing it carefully. What they saw next seemed something totally out of their leagues: Lights everywhere in very thin lamps of different styles, the floor made of new ceramics and walls completely clean as best they could, while the people who were around there were wearing very elegant as opposed to anyone in the streets or them who continued to wear their respective uniforms. It was thanks to the latter that they could see in the distance the youngest of the Mizoguchi enter, as if she already knew the place perfectly, to an elevator that suddenly closed. As they approached the elevators they could see which floor it was heading: Number seven, one of the last.
"Don't worry guys, we can use the other one next door." Indicated Kyle as he was about to press the up button.
"So your sister can see us and then ask what the hell are we doing here?" Interrupted rightly Colton while holding the hand of the elder Mizoguchi. "I say that's a bad move!"
"Guys, over here!" Informed Silverlock as she pointed to the emergency stairs.
"Oh no. No no and no! I completely refuse to climb seven floors!" Said Colton with clear disagreement.
"Do what you want, then. Stay outside and keep an eye on Hammer's car while you wait for us." Ordered Olive before quickly climbing the stairs.
"Come on Colton, a little exercise won't be so bad." Suggested Kyle with a small laugh.
Rivera hated doing exercises, as he preferred to see with his eyes instead of doing, and mostly if he could appreciate Kyle doing his tennis moves. It wasn't one of his great strengths but it wasn't his greatest weakness either, since his physique was decent enough and he was in a good health condition, but he had other areas that he could use his skills better. While climbing the floors, Olive and Colton seemed to stress more with each step and shortness of breath, indicating that they were running out, unlike the star player who had no problem with it.
"When this is over..." Said Colton tiredly as he climbed the steps. "...I'm going to have a serious conversation with Maps about this escape of hers."
"If that happens, she will listen to me first." Interrupted Olive with clear discomfort. "Seriously where are we going with these steps?"
"I think the answer is right here." Commented Kyle calmly as he stopped. "See? Seventh floor and without any problem. Now remember: Do not make any noise and hide."
Carefully opening the door, the three entered silently and squatting to avoid attracting the attention of anyone who was around. The surprising thing about all of this now, was that the stage looked very different from the first floor where they were recently: The lights had significantly decreased their intensity, as well as the presence of the staff, showing that there was almost nobody and in the center several tables empty except for one where Maps was sitting happily together with another person, a boy of about the same age and size. They approached little by little while hiding in a scrub that served as an ornament and at the same time, each one asked about the identity of the mysterious boy, but couldn't find an answer.
"Who is he?" Asked Olive curiously.
"You're asking me? I don't even know! I've never seen him in the academy before." Said Colton.
"...For some reason I feel like I've seen him before, yet I can't remember where or how." Speak Kyle completely confused.
The identity of the young man was unknown to the trio for now, as the only thing they could do for now was to analyze him by his physical appearance: Dark and short hair, blue eyes and an olive-toned skin, probably of oriental roots and wearing a made up suit with an elegant shirt, clearly showing that he had a good style when dressing himself. His expression was of a serious boy with no sense of humor at all, although he seemed to be very comfortable where he was or in this case, with whom he was at the moment, observing the girl minutely from head to toe. The boy clicked with his fingers, indicating to those who seemed to be the waiters to brought several portions of pizzas while they served them both and the young Maps, who suddenly grabbed a piece of food and eat it quickly. The scenario was very strange for Kyle, Olive and Colton who just stood still and trying to make the minimum noise while talking.
"You think this guy is bad news for Maps?" Asked Colton a bit worried now.
"I… don't think so? I mean… look." Pointed Olive with a slight astonishment.
The two male members of the club changed their view from the mysterious companion to the youngest of the Mizoguchi, to see clearly that she was completely happy, but not in the same way that they used to see her at the academy. While she was eating all the pizza she could, at the same time, Maps was talking about anything that caused her much laughter, while he only commented on some things and smiled occasionally.
What was going on right here? Olive began to process the situation in detail to later realize the most obvious answer. How could she be so blind? The "sickness" of Maps, her nervousness, the mysterious exit without letting anyone know. Everything made sense now! There was a sensation that began to palpitate the heart: It was a feeling of pride when realizing what was happening to her best friend. On the other hand, Kyle and Colton were just getting more confused.
"I… I think... our little Maps is growing up, guys." Said Maps holding the emotion.
"What?" Asked Colton.
"What does that eve mean?" Questioned Kyle suddenly.
"Don't you guys see it?" Clarified Silverlock as if it was the most obvious thing. "The scenography, the setting, a boy and a girl spending a night having dinner...!"
"Nope, still not understanding." Said Colton.
"Same." Commented Kyle.
"God, boys..." Replied Olive stressed. "It's a date! Maps is on a date with that guy and she didn't want to tell us!"
"Oh." Reacted Colton slowly. "Oh wow..."
Kyle was stunned without saying anything by the comment of his former girlfriend. Maps? Her little sister? On a date? Something was wrong and he could sense it: He knew his sister better than anyone and she wasn't into this kind of situations. Who was this boy who had the audacity to take his sister out on a date just like that and who knows what strange methods could he have used to convince her? His protective brother instinct had been activated, as well as a great need to teach that brat a lesson who, with every minute that passed, felt that he had seen it before on another past occasion. The oldest of the Mizoguchi slowly began to stand up until he was suddenly stopped by his two friends.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Exclaimed Olive in a low voice while holding him.
"I can't let that guy get away with this!" Replied the older brother with the same tone.
"Get away with it? I think your sister is the one who enjoys this moment more than that guy." Suggested Colton calmly and also grabbing him.
"But..." Said Kyle while trying to justify himself without success.
"Kyle, Maps is enjoying this moment. And as her best friend, I feel really happy for her, although now I have a lot of questions to ask. Wouldn't you be just happy for her, too?" Reasoned Olive with sincerity. "Maybe we can talk to her tomorrow morning at the academy and..."
"No." Instantly replied Kyle. "The sooner the better."
"Look guys, I don't want to interrupt this conversation between you two, but... can we just lower the tone a little bit more before getting caught?" Interrupted Colton in a low voice.
"Then let's go back to the academy and wait for her in her room. What do you say, Kyle?" Proposed Olive.
Kyle didn't want to leave this place nor Maps at the mercy of that boy, but the idea of catching his sister by surprise and questioning her sounded like the best option to discover the truth. Looking at Olive and without saying anything, he nodded and slowly went back to the emergency stairs down with his friends to leave the building by the same route they had entered. To the surprise of the three, once they reached the alley where they had parked the car of principal Hammer, they realized that the vehicle had suddenly disappeared completely, leaving Rivera especially afraid, who feared the worst for him.
"G-Guys...Where is the car?" Asked nervously Colton.
"I think... someone stole it, Colton." Said Olive while pointing some tracks of the tire. "Look, the one who stole looks like wanted to see how fast it was."
"Didn't you set the alarm on after we left?" Asked Kyle.
"I had to deactivate the security so we could take the vehicle, Kyle! And you were so rushed to see Maps appointment that both of you didn't let me install the security again!"
"Hey, calm down. We can take a bus and with the enough time, we can get back to the academy on time." Suggested Silverlock.
"I swear to you: If Hammer finds out it was me; you can say goodbye to my membership in the club!" Finished the sunglasses boy while walking to the bus stop.
After a long way back in one of the last buses offered by the city to the center of studies and returning through the same route where they arrived. Kyle, Olive and Colton went down to the academy and quickly entered into one of the many secret passages that hid the academy and arrived without any sort of problem to the women's dormitory, specifically entering the room of the youngest of the Mizoguchi just to wait for her from her apparent "date". Kyle sat in the chair near the desk with great disapproval on his face due to what he had seen, while Olive sat on the bed of her best friend imagining what could have happened before and finally, Colton just tried to calm down and hoping that Hammer did not discover who was the vandal who stole his new car.
The clock showed two-thirty in the morning and suddenly, a few light footsteps in the corridors could've be heard. Then, the handle of the door slowly turned to open and show none other than Maps giving a slight laugh while trying to reach for the light switch, until she pressed it and suddenly saw her friends in her own room. Maps gave a cry of shock causing Olive to run towards her and cover her mouth tightly until she calmed down and released her.
"W-What are you guys doing here?!" Exclaimed Maps totally alarmed.
"What are "we" doing? What were "you" doing!" Answered Kyle annoyed.
"We thought you were sick, Maps. As you told us!" Commented Olive worriedly.
"Turns out you weren't here in your room resting, as you told us in the meeting." Finished Colton while crossing his arms in disapproval.
"It's just that... I... you see... it's a funny story and...and ..." Mumbles Maps while trying to explain without success.
"Tell us, Maps. We are your friends and you can trust us." Said Olive calmly and giving her a light hug.
"Yes, Maps. Tell us now." Commented Kyle seriously.
"You're not helping, dude." Interrupted Colton.
"Do you promise not to get angry? Or even tell mom and dad?" Asked Maps this last thing while looking especially to his older brother.
"...I'm going to hold back." Finished the older brother with a sigh.
Maps moved away from Olive and walked a few steps just to stare at the window of her room to then start looking at her three surprise guests. Colton adjusted his sunglasses while Kyle sat next to Olive, who both seemed to act like some kind of father and mother figures that were really worried about their daughter. The adventurous girl took a deep breath and decided to start her confession.
"I... wasn't actually really sick, guys." Said Maps with her face looking at the ground.
"We already knew that." Said all three of them at the same time in an obvious way.
"Then what do you want to know about?"
"We want to know where you were." Commented Rivera.
"Oh. Well, I got invited!"
"Where?" Asked Olive now.
"To a very luxurious restaurant you guys should definitely come: They have like hundreds of tables and all the cutlery possible, with chairs that look like they were taken from some sort of European castle or something and the attention is faster than the whole cafeteria! Oh and not to mention the food, their pizza is the best I have ever tasted!" Commented Maps while licking some of her fingers.
"Sounds… like you had a lot of fun!" Said Olive with a small smile.
"Sure was!"
"And who invited you?" Asked the older brother while maintaining the seriousness.
"My friend Damian!" Replied Maps with her classic smile.
"Damian?" Asked the boys at the same time.
"Hold up!" Silverlock interrupted suddenly. "You mean...Damian... Wayne?"
"The Man, the Myth and the Legend!" Maps confirmed with a laugh. "But now that I think about it, it's about our age so... wouldn't actually be: The Boy, the Myth and the Legend?"
Olive had not heard that name in a long time. The last time was when she accompanied her best friend through the corridors of the academy to deliver a certain letter dedicated to this boy into the mailbox, written by the youngest of the Mizoguchi. Who could have imagined that the son of billionaire Bruce Wayne would end up inviting Maps to a dinner and especially in secret? But the most surprising thing for Silverlock was the fact that, in such a short time, her best friend and him were now at that level of relationship and trust. Wasn't it a bit rushed, maybe? However, she knew her best friend better than anyone else, probably even more than the older brother who was, by the way, with an expression of killing the heir Wayne. But she was aware that if Maps was with him, it was because she trusted Damian and he probably had something that caught her attention.
"So when did you both... do this sort of thing? I mean going out like this." Asked Rivera curiously.
"Let's see... I think like a couple of months already." Reported Maps while she was thinking.
"And is it always been like this?" Questioned Olive now.
"Oh no, sometimes he even invites me to his house!" Replied the youngest of the Mizoguchi with emotion.
"H-His house?" Asked Kyle with more stressed. "Why did you keep it a secret from us?"
"And most importantly: When are you going to introduce him to us?" Ignored Olive with a new question.
"Yes, well…you see… about that... I think it will take a while for that. Like a very good while because Damian is... let's say a little bit special when it comes to meeting people. He doesn't want to call for attention, just between the two of us!" Commented Maps with some grief to then make a fist with his hand in a sign of determination. "But don't worry! I'm working on it!"
"Well, it seems you know how to handle the billionaire boy very well." Congratulated Colton to his friend.
"He may be a showoff, daddy's boy and even irritating sometimes. But once you get to know him, he's a good guy and I like to spend time with him whenever he can." Said Maps with a smile of happiness.
Olive and Colton looked at each other, convinced that Maps really liked spending time with this new guy and if she was happy, then they should be happy about it too. The two now stared at the biggest obstacle in this new relationship at the moment and was none other than Kyle, the older brother. Meanwhile, he had his eyes closed apparently processing everything he had heard from his little sister and then, after thinking for a while, gave a slight sigh, stood up and approached where she was.
"Maps." Said Kyle while putting his left hand on his sister's shoulder. "Maybe I don't know well enough this Damian guy... and most likely it's going to take a while for me to like him, but... if this guy makes you happy enough to be your boyfriend. I'm not going to oppose and I will not tell anything to mom and dad about these secret escapes you are having. What you think?"
"Huh?! Wait a minute!" Shouted Maps somewhat blushed. "B-Boyfriend? What the hell are you talking about, Kyle!?"
The reaction of the youngest of the Mizoguchi took everyone by surprise the same way as she made the "illness" excuse from noon, especially to Olive who looked at her friend's expression with astonishment, making it appear that her assumption a few hours ago was completely wrong. Maps looked with eyes of anger and at the same time, with clear shame to his older brother who assumed there was something more with her billionaire friend.
"Aren't you guys... a couple?" Asked Olive somewhat disappointed.
"What!? He is my friend! Oh… my God. You thought... Damian and I were... please get out of my room! Now!" Begged Maps while pointing the door of her room.
"M-Maps listen to us! Is just that the way you acted and what you've been saying right now, we thought that you and he..." Explained Colton nervously.
"Out!" Shouted Maps once again.
The shouts of the adventurous teenager caused several other girls in the bedrooms to wake up and quickly turn on the lights. If Colton and Kyle were seen at this time and in this specific place, both were going to have serious problems with the principal, so they ran away in a rush unlike Olive, who went to the door but not before seeing her best friend staring at the window, clearly in disgust with what she had heard. Maybe Silverlock had taken wrong after all and Maps was not really interested in that kind of thing yet. Although in some way, it would have seemed very interesting to see her with that mysterious boy.