“What does it say?” I asked as my finger punched the student email icon on my screen.
I didn’t have to scroll far to find the email in question.
Subject: We’re Allowed To Be Concerned
Hello Concerned Students,
University Falls Institute of Technology senior Carter Yates (21) was found dead last Sunday morning on the edge of Lake Falls, just behind the Pi Rho Omicron Fraternity House on Fraternity Row. The $200,000 cabin cruiser owned by PRO President Trevor Dowd was set on fire. The PROs, represented by Trevor’s father, Harrison Dowd, remain tight lipped and have deferred to their lawyer for all questions. And outside of the news of Carter Yates’s untimely death, the UFIT Administration has said nothing to the student body or the press about how she died or how the fire started.
Even though UFIT has done everything to keep the details under wraps, the information coming into this inbox has been helping to put the pieces together. The drug-fueled frat parties the PROs throw have fueled the assumption that the deceased classmate was high or drunk when she got into the lake. But a toxicology report could take weeks. Is the school waiting for that report before they tell us something?
But here’s where things get really interesting. Paparazzi has been swarming our campus communities in an attempt to get a statement from Aiden Black. Rumor has it that the son of Hollywood royalty was at the PRO party with his secret lover, Brooklyn Cage. While that’s great campus gossip, paparazzi wouldn’t be here for over a week just because he’s hooking up with a cheerleader. Aiden Black isn’t a sworn member of the PRO brotherhood so is he the chink in the armor of the PROs wall of silence? Or is he the part of the problem? And what does his new love interest have to do with this?
The cheerleading squad was in attendance and they have also been mysteriously quiet. On Sunday, one week from the day Yates was found, almost all the cheerleaders were at the lake. Numerous people with different vantage points noticed the group of cheerleaders, led by head cheerleader Dakota Flynn, rallying in the rain dressed in full uniforms. But a reliable source knows for a fact that Brooklyn was not one of the cheerleaders in attendance because she was on a date with Aiden (the source wanted me to make sure that I mentioned that he paid and tipped very generously).
So, we have an administration that is suspiciously quiet about death and arson, yet they sent us fifty-seven emails (I counted) about parking decals since this semester started. We have a cheerleading squad doing rituals in the rain, yet they won’t say what happened at the party. We have Aiden Black’s paparazzi still here hungry for a story that he claims doesn’t exist. And then we have the PROs who hosted the party, owned the boat, invited the guests, and have a history of incidents that UFIT administration keeps ignoring.
When is this school going to start holding people accountable and keep the rest of us safe?
If you have any information, please contact the police. If you don’t feel comfortable going to the police, respond to this email and I’ll get your tips to the police.
Sincerely,
A Concerned Student Who Is Demanding Answers
I looked up from my phone and found Jay staring at me.
“Well, this is bullshit,” I blurted out. “I mean, all the other stuff makes sense to question, but the stuff about me is bullshit.”
He exhaled. “Maybe it’ll get the administration to look into what actually happened and not just do what’s best for the school and their image.” He stood up and headed to the kitchen. “That’s what should’ve happened from the beginning. Had it been any other organization, they would’ve handled this differently. Hell, had it been the basketball team, they would’ve had a student arrested by now.”
“No, I agree with that part.” I followed him, staring at the back of his head. “The part about me and Aiden is bullshit.”
He didn’t say anything as he threw his napkin away and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
When he turned around, I put my hand on his chest. “Nothing happened with Aiden.”
He shook his head slowly. “Okay.”
“We kissed at the party. That’s it.”
“Okay.”
I blocked his path, keeping him from leaving the kitchen. “Say it. Say what you want to say or ask me what you want to ask me. Don’t just walk off.” I dropped my hand from his chest. “Please.”
There were a fleet of emotions that passed over his handsome features. “You just kissed him at the party,” he stated with a hint of sarcasm. “That’s it.”
“Yes.”
“But he sent you flowers and paid for the food we ate.” He shrugged. “Sounds like a date to me.”
Fuck.
I knew how it was going to look. I didn’t want to lie about it, but I knew it was going to sound like bullshit when I said it aloud.
“I went to Gino’s and Aiden ended up picking up a to-go order, saw me and sat down,” I explained. “When my food came, I asked for a box so I could leave. He paid for it as a peace offering because he was asking for my help. He wanted me to verify his alibi because word got out about him being in attendance. It wasn’t a date! It wasn’t like that at all!”
His jaw tightened. “Okay.”
“I swear to God, Jay. It wasn’t like that.”
“Okay.”
I sighed, a little irritated that he wouldn’t give me the benefit of the doubt. “I’m trying here. I’m being open and honest and you’re being”—I gestured wildly at him— “whatever this is!”
He scoffed. “Are you serious?”
“Yes!”
