Chapter 7

As the days slowly went by, this feeling grew as he read papers of other victims. Then it disappeared as he was face to chest with the elusive Gabriel Harleigh.

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In Virginia "Gin" Woole's eyes, the whole Bella Roune affair was an unmitigated disaster, both for her mental health and her status in school.

Nevermind that her boyfriend, at the time, had caused four deaths but she had also become involved. She had planned for the years leading up to her final year, to become the new queen bee of the school, not unlike the school dramas broadcast. However, the school year started late, decreasing campaign time, and ended with a death. She had gotten together with the Head Jock, Jack Turner, to increase her popularity and visibility. Yet, he causes deaths while cheating on her. At this point, not including the recent murders, she had no illusions that the crown of Prom Queen would be riding off into the sunset without her.

'I don't think there will even be a prom either.' she thought with trepidation before she noticed Jeremy bumping into Gabriel.

The atmosphere following the brutal death of Bella did not seem to have affected Gabriel. He looked as unapproachable as usual, remaining aloof from all worldly affairs, as he stood in the schools' hallway.

'he looks as hot as usual, I wonder if I can use him to get back my previous social standing? Plus, he's hot.' she mused looking a the developing situation.

From her angle, just seeing his face was enough to get Jeremy angry, as Gabriel looked incredibly bored, watching his indifference to the school in general. It was irrational, she realised, but the surge of anger was overpowering and, before Jeremy could think twice it erupted.

He erupted.

Jeremy's face turned an alarming shade of red, as the blood rushed to his head, Gin noted in surprise. Then he shouted at Gabriel.

The whole world stopped. Her world stopped, as Gabriel looked amused and a corner of his lips lifted in a small smirk, stopping her heart. She was vaguely aware that her situation was the same as the other straight females in the corridor and bent males. While everyone else just looked shocked as a small huff of laughter was heard in the silence that took over the hall.

It seemed that Gabriel wished to shock his admirers dumb, as he was found to be the source of the laugh.

This did not help Jeremy's anger subside, on the other hand, it grew to massive proportions. But, then Gabriel said something that drained all that anger from him, like a deflated ball. He said:

"The sentiment is nice, but how is that my concern? I am new here. I could not, for the life of me, recall what she looked like. Nor did I drive her to wallow in the woods and get killed later on. I can understand you shouting at me if I was involved in the matter, nevertheless, I was not. So again I ask you, how is any of that my concern?"

"I-I-I..."

"If you wish to shout at someone, perchance you could do so in front of the two responsible for her death. Now then, I must be off." he said with an exceedingly polite tone, all delivered with absolutely no inflexion. As though Jeremy were a stranger to him, or worse, an ant.

It was a sad sight to see Jeremy stood speechless in the corridor, looking lost.

Gin felt a bit sorry for him, but not to the point that she would stand out by going to offer him some comfort. Whispers echoed in the background, she felt that she would have helped, had he a better reputation in school, as it may even help hers'. However, his reputation in the school is as low as it can get without being a part of the furniture.

Finally tired of the show, Gin went to her locker for her books before going to homeroom, sitting down just as the bell rang. It was a rather dull day, well compared to the morning with Jeremy and Gabriel, as classes were not affected by the drama the lessons were as rushed as usual. Gin felt her brain trickled from her ears, as the teachers tried to stuff them with as much knowledge as possible to make up for the late start of school. Especially, as it was their final year, and college entrance exams existed.

Gabriel, in half her classes, looked as handsome as ever and as bored as usual. He was like the classic bad boy that girls loved reading about in novels, with the looks, the poise and the money. It attracted Gin too.

'He feels dangerous," she thought as she ignored the lecture on Shakespeare in her literature class, 'like a hunter and we, the prey.'

Absently, she stared at Gabriel as he lounged on his seat, like a front cover model on a fashion magazine. Elegance and danger dripped from his relaxed slouch as he looked bored of life like he was a ruler and the rest his servants.

She stared till a half-lidded eye, rolled lazily to look at her, it took a minute for her to realise that she had been caught staring and she flushed horribly. As she turned to face the front quickly, she stopped and turned around to look at his eyes once more. Sadly, or perhaps not, he had focused on something else. Gin swore quietly to herself that his eyes had glowed red, she was half convinced that it was a trick of the light as hid eyes had no shade in common with red. Not to mention that he was not an Albino, not that she has met any with this trait.

However, this thought never left her mind as she went from class to class. Gabriel Harleigh and his strange red eyes followed her at the back of her mind. To the detriment of her studies for the day.