The First Clue

The morning air in Maplewood felt heavier than usual. The events of the past few days had left everyone on edge, but for Lemon, Evelyn, and Hazel, today was the real beginning.

As the girls gathered in their dorm, Lemon took a deep breath. "Alright, so we start by talking to the seniors. We need to be smart about this—ask questions casually, not like we're interrogating them."

Evelyn nodded, tying her hair up. "Yeah, we can't let them think we're digging too deep, or they'll shut us down."

Autumn crossed her arms, clearly still hesitant. "I still think this is a bad idea. We're not detectives, Lemon. What if we get into trouble?"

Hazel sighed. "We can't just ignore this. Two people are dead, Autumn. Don't you want to know why?"

Autumn looked away, not answering. Riley and Scarlett exchanged uneasy glances. The group was divided, but in the end, everyone knew they wouldn't stop Lemon once she set her mind to something.

Riley let out a deep breath. "Fine, do whatever you want. Just… be careful, okay?"

With the plan set, the trio made their way to the senior dorm area. The hallway was filled with students chatting, some studying, and others just roaming around. It was a normal day for most of them—except for the fact that there had been two murders on campus.

Lemon scanned the room and spotted a small group of seniors sitting in the corner. She recognized one of them—Daniel, a well-known guy among the older students. He seemed approachable enough.

"Let's start with him," Evelyn whispered.

The three of them walked over, putting on casual expressions. Hazel spoke first. "Hey, Daniel, can we sit here?"

Daniel looked up, surprised but indifferent. "Uh, sure?"

They sat down, and Evelyn leaned in slightly. "So, crazy stuff happening, huh? Two murders in just a few days… you guys must be freaking out more than us."

One of the girls in Daniel's group shuddered. "Don't even remind me. It's terrifying."

Lemon pretended to just be curious. "Were you guys around when the first incident happened? You know… did anyone see anything?"

Daniel hesitated before answering. "Well… not really. I mean, we were all in our rooms. But I heard someone say they saw a shadow moving near the stairwell that night. No one thought much of it at the time."

Lemon's mind immediately locked onto that detail. "A shadow? Like… a person?"

Daniel shrugged. "Could be. But the cameras near that area weren't working, so no proof."

Hazel frowned. "That's weird."

The girl sitting next to Daniel sighed. "You shouldn't be talking about this, Dan. What if—" She stopped mid-sentence, looking uneasy.

Lemon caught that hesitation. "What if what?"

The girl shook her head. "Nothing. Just… talking about it won't change anything. People are dead, and we should just move on."

Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "So, you're saying we should ignore it? Like it never happened?"

The girl bit her lip, looking uncomfortable. "I—No, I didn't mean that. Just… it's better to let things be."

Lemon, Evelyn, and Hazel exchanged glances. That response was suspicious.

"Alright," Lemon said, standing up. "Thanks for talking to us."

As they walked away, Hazel whispered, "She knows something. Did you see her reaction?"

"Yeah," Evelyn agreed. "And Daniel's shadow comment… if someone was there that night, then there's definitely more to this."

Lemon clenched her jaw. "We need to dig deeper. This isn't just some random murders."

As they turned the corner, the announcement speakers crackled to life.

"All students return to their dormitories immediately. A new curfew is starting from tonight at 8 PM. No exceptions."

The school was tightening its grip. Something was definitely wrong.

And the girls were determined to find out what.