CHAPTER SIX: WHO'S IN THE HALLWAY?

A new day came, I was just staring at our dorm's ceiling. I still can't believe what’s happened to Mayor Adam, Zhena's dad,

She's not here, she went home yesterday after knowing her father's tragic death. It was on TV news, and the doctor said he’d received sixty-four stab wounds,

I turn to look at Oli who is still sleeping, neither of us has had a good sleep for worrying about how Zhena must be feeling.

We couldn’t go home with Zhena yesterday for Oli and I both have whole-day class today. I finally rise from my bed and sigh. I check the time; it's already seven in the morning.

I just got back from a run, I am feeling lonely and sad for Zhena. I sigh and stands up. I automatically look at my phone that’s ringing,

When I look at the caller’s i/d, I see it’s my dad. I know that now he’s worried for me. I hesitate. Should I pick up the call, or ignore it.

I decided to pick up my phone and went to the restroom with it. I am now looking at myself at the mirror while waiting for dad to start speaking.

"Honey, are you there?"

I nod my head and answer him, "Yeah, I'm here"

"How are you?"

"I'm good, Dad. What about you?"

"I'm good, we're good"

"So, why did you call?" I ask, starting to remove my jacket.

"I’m worried. I heard that Mayor Adam's daughter is a student at your school" he said, sighing.

"Yes, she's my friend and my dorm mate" I quickly replied. He fell silent and then cleared his throat.

"Can you please come home, sweetie?" he says in a sad voice. My eyes widen due to my surprise at what he just said.

"Look, you know I can't do that, Dad" I protested without thinking.

"I’m worried, Lara."

"I know," I quickly replied. I close my eyes and massage my temples,

"Dad, it is just a coincidence. Zhena's father is in government...it has nothing to do with the school" I try to explain.

"But what if the killer is one of your schoolmates?" he blurts.

I sigh in disbelief.

"Dad, why would a college student be a killer? College life is busy as hell, we barely have time even for nights out”

"Lara..."

He pauses for a split second, and sighs.

"Fine, but if I hear anything about the criminal being involved with , I will come there and pick you up myself," he warned. I nod my head slowly.

"I have to go, dad. I have class in thirty minutes,"

"Alright, sweetie. I love you so much, take care of yourself" he says, his voice heavy with emotion.

"Yes, I love you too, Dad. Send my love to my siblings and to mom,"

With that, we ended the call.

I stare at myself in the mirror and sigh. Dad is kinda right...What if the criminal is our schoolmate?

My eyes widen when I remembered that Zhena once mumbled something in the hallway before we ever heard about his dad being murdered.

But who is the killer?

Could it be that he…or she... is really one of our schoolmates?

A sudden knock on the door surprises me. I re-gather my thoughts and ask,

"Who's that?"

"It's me, bitch, of course!" Oli answers.

I closed my eyes and massaged my temples, I really am over-thinking so much that I forgot that there's only the two of us here in our dorm room.

"Right," I said, faking a laugh. "What do you want, Oli?"

"I want to use the bathroom, my dear friend. What else?" he shot back, slightly sarcastically. "Are you done, yet?"

"Not yet, I only just started,"

"Well, make it faster, Lara. There won’t be any sausage left on the menu if we're late for breakfast," he said before walking away.

I sighed once again and remove my clothes, ready to start my bath.

After bathing, Oli then went to the restroom to take a bath. Meanwhile, I took my chance to change my clothes in our dorm room,

I then grabbed my things and checked the schedule. I sigh when I see that my first subject this morning will be math.

I bring my squishy ball; I might need this if another panic attack hits me again.

Oli was properly dressed when he left the restroom. I sat down at my study table and applied light make-up to my face.

Oli was doing likewise. He's drying his hair and putting on some make-up. As it took him a while to get ready, I took time to write a letter to my siblings, which I sent by email.

How I miss them and their hugs and laughter.

After all that, Oli and I went to the cafeteria for breakfast. Luckily, we were able to have sausages for our breakfast.

"The atmosphere is really different without Zhena,” Oli observed, as we started our breakfast.

"I agree," I said, nodding, and stabbing the sausage with my fork. But I can't really focus on eating, because everyone around us is talking about Zhena and his father's tragic death,

“Do you know how he died?”, Oli asked.

"He was stabbed…Sixty-four stab wounds" I responded. Oli gasped and covered his mouth with both of his hands,

"That... that is brutal!" he commented. I nod and sigh.

“Do they have any leads?", he asks.

"Of course, alias Joe...again" I answered.

Oli falls silent.

"I can't believe it... Zhena and I were just talking about his dad. Is it just coincidence?" I ask.

Creasing his forehead, he asks me:

"What do you mean?"

I freeze. I realized that I had blurted out too many of my thoughts. I look at Oli's eyes, which tell me that he obviously wants to know more of what I am talking about.

"Well, when Zhena told me that you'd treated us to lunch, I couldn’t help but to ask how wealthy you are...And the topic goes on, and we compared her family about my family to hers. She even said that she's scared of what may happen to her father, because he's the mayor."

"And?...What is that coincidence thing that you were talking about?" he quickly asked.

I looked around just to make sure no one can overhear us. I pulled him closer and whispered,

"The thing is, she said that alias Joe will be facing death from her if he or she will touch her dad. And we were talking in the hallway, Oli."

I felt Oli freeze. I sat down and ate my breakfast. Oli accidentally dropped his spoon, it created a loud clatter, and everyone turned to look at us.

"Oli," I said. He looked deeply into me and I could see the fear on his eyes.

"Are… Are you saying that the killer might be one of our schoolmates?" he asked, his tone full of fear.

I slapped my own forehead to punish myself for blurting my thoughts out. This is what you got when you blurt your thoughts out, I can’t escape this thing anymore,

"Oli, no…no" I quickly interjected,

"Uhhm, maybe yes, maybe no, Oli." I added. He stared at me and I give him a serious look in return,

"We're college people. We are so super busy that we can't even have our own time to party or to go out. Students here are super busy to maintain their grades, Oli. It's impossible that that killer is a student or a teacher. But it is possible that that criminal is in our school. Or that criminal... just happened to be there when Zhena and I were talking about him...or her" I explained,

Finally, he calms down. He eats his breakfast and when finished, we bid each other our goodbyes.

I kept squeezing my squishy ball as I walk down this hallway. I am alone again and I fear my panic attack might come back.

Suddenly, someone walks beside me. My heart pounds as I realized that it's Kristoff—Our professor in math.

"You're holding a squishy, huh?" he comments. I looked down at my squishy ball and then I looked up to meet his gaze.

He's like six feet tall and I am just 5ft-nothing. I am really craning my head, looking up to him. How is he this tall? It’s like I’m looking up to a tree or something…I look down to his chest as I remember what happened yesterday, I shook my head and secretly clears my throat

"Uh, yeah. It's to prevent my panic attacks. I find comfort on this thing; it distracts me from my fears," I replied. He nods his head without showing any emotion. As I turn away I feel really awkward.

When I turned to look forwards, everyone is looking at me. I squeezed my squishy ball so tight that it hurts my hand.

"Why? ...why are they looking at me?" I murmured to myself.

But I am overheard…

“Because you're pretty," Kristoff answered.

I stopped walking and look at him.

"No, it's probably because you're walking with me...” I responded.

"But they were staring at you even when I wasn't with you..." he shot back.

I stared at him and he just smiled and winked at me before he entered the room,

That...was totally unexpected.

-to be continued...