Chapter 2
One year later
TEXTING LITTLE SISTERS IS LIKE BEING GHOSTED, SEEING as they both have one outcome: no response.
Annoyance prickles along my skin, right under the layer of sweat pooling at the back of my neck, as I send Carmen another angry message.
I stare at the delivery confirmation and wait fifteen seconds. Then, thirty more.
Come on, Carmen.
No response.
A groan vibrates in the back of my throat, threatening to spill free, but I don’t allow it.
Instead, I shove my phone in my back pocket.
Fine. If she plans to ignore my messages, I’ll just have to find her.
Carmen might think she’s being sneaky, but I know her better than she knows herself.
I know all her preferred hangout spots and secret hideouts.
Westbrook College might have a big campus, but it’s not that big. I’ll find her before the day is over.
It’s not like I have another choice.
The pink folded envelope becomes heavy in my backpack.
For a split second, it almost feels as if I am carrying a bag of bricks, when it’s merely paper.
Although, deep down, I’m aware it’s not just a piece of paper.
No, it’s a dreadful reminder of why I desperately need to get a hold of my sister, why I’ve decided to return to Westbrook after leaving last year with no intention of ever returning.
Using the back of my hand, I wipe the pearls of sweat gathering at my hairline, and take a moment to breathe, dropping my backpack onto a bench.
Memories flood my brain, but I do my best to keep them at bay, focusing my mind on simple tasks.
I remove my jacket and push it into my backpack.
Tie my hair into a high ponytail to prevent it from getting frizzier with the humidity than it already is.
Clearly, I’ve chosen the worst day to walk all over campus. It might be mid-February, but the Florida sun can be unforgiving.
I glance around, hoping to catch a glimpse of my sister, but all my eyes catch are clingy, loved-up couples and a bunch of rose-colored flyers stapled all over campus. I ignore the first and focus on the latter. They’re promoting a Valentine’s Day event in the Kappa house.
Anxiety bubbles in the pit of my stomach.
I know what I have to do, yet I don’t feel confident in my options. I wish I could find Carmen right now and drag her ass to a plane far away from this nightmare of a place, but the universe won’t have my back on this one. If there’s one thing I’ve gotten accustomed to, it’s Murphy’s Law.
What can go wrong, will go wrong.
And it’s my worst fear.
I check my phone one last time and sigh. Still no response from Carmen, which leaves me no choice but to go straight to the source: Kappa house.
My old home.
It takes me fifteen minutes to walk across campus to Greek Row.
With every step I take, my heart beats faster.
The nerves crawl up my system, heightening my senses.
I’m hyperaware of every person walking by me, of every corner of the buildings, of the replaced water fountain in the roundabout where Brian Manders’s body was found last year.
The image of his gutted body is still engraved on my brain. Maybe if I were a special effects make-up artist, I would find that image more inspiring than I do working as an Assistant Director for BSIX Studios.
I shake my head and walk to the main entrance of Kappa house.
The doors are wide open, and inside, the Kappas are preparing for the party, decorating the place and organizing even the tiniest details.
I prepare for cold and aloof reactions to my presence in the house.
After all, when I left here I was public enemy number 1.
When Brian’s body was found, the police investigation led to Cerys, and while she provided an iron-clad alibi for the crime, everyone was still pointing the finger at her.
They didn’t need to find the real culprit when they had already made up their minds, especially when Brian’s rich daddy was leading a witch hunt against my best friend.
The harassment took over her life. They practically drove her to leave campus and lose all her professional opportunities.
Cerys had always been a spectacular student who dreamed of becoming an attorney.
Yet with Senator Manders’ influence wrecking her reputation, having a 4.
0 GPA and a spotless CV were worthless. She wouldn’t even get into the weakest of law schools.
I always stood by her side.
Cerys is innocent, and I have no doubt about it.
“Mabel!” The loud chirp makes me jump, but it’s not the yell that catches me off guard. It’s the fact that it sounds . . . happy? Could they really be glad to see me after everything that went down? “Girl, what are you doing here?”
I barely get a chance to brace myself before I’m almost tackled by Leighton. Last year, she was one of the new pledges of Kappa. She was always sweet and had a bright smile.
A few other girls also share hellos and smiles.
It’s so jarring, like no one even remembers why I left in the first place.
Behind Leighton, I spot Bethan, and I bite the inside of my cheek to stop the sourness from showing on my face, although I don’t doubt she can feel the intensity emanating from my glare.
Bethan used to be one of Cerys’ closest friends, as they both come from the same town.
While I wasn’t too tight with her and she was a year younger, we used to hang out a lot.
Until she decided Cerys was lying about Brian abusing her and didn’t care to even defend her when things got rough. She was never a real friend to Cerys.
Regardless of my reaction, Bethan blinks and smiles welcomingly, pushing her perfectly styled auburn hair over her shoulder.
“Mabel, it’s good to see you,” she greets me, politely. “Carmen mentioned you were working in LA.”
I nod. “Yes, I am.”
“I always knew you would make it to Hollywood.” She places a manicured hand on my arm, and I subtly take a step back. If she notices my rejection, she doesn’t comment on it. Her broad smile remains the same. “What are you doing here?”
“I missed Carmen too much and had some free time between productions,” I say nonchalantly. The lie comes out effortlessly. I might not work as an actress, but I’ve written enough scripts to know how to come up with lines on the spot. “Have you seen her? I want to surprise her.”
“Oh, I haven’t! But you can wait in her room. I’m sure she’ll turn up soon. We have the V-Day party tonight. You should stay around for it. It’ll be a perfect night.” Bethan beams and clasps her hands together. “You know the way to the sophomore rooms. Please, make yourself at home.”
I pass by her and go up the stairs to find Carmen’s room.
While I haven’t been here since I moved out, I know where her room is located thanks to my stalking skills.
She has posted enough photos on the gram for me to know her room is the only one that has a direct view of the fountain.
I got assigned the same one back in my sophomore year.
Going unnoticed by the other Kappas proves to be an impossible task.
The girls keep trying to make small talk.
It feels like I walked straight into an alternate universe where everyone is suddenly friends with me.
I’ve always joked that being part of a sorority was almost like being part of a cult, but it doesn’t seem so funny now when they’ve collectively decided to forget all about last year.
When I’m almost at my sister’s room, I bump into the first sign of unpleasantness. Relief washes over my body. Finally, a natural reaction to my presence in the house. Sophia, Zelda and Elodie are a mix I expected to happen—up to a certain point.
Sophia and Zelda were always mean girls, the epitome of the sorority cliché.
Hypocritical, superficial and shallow. I would feel bad about describing them in such an ill-spirited way, when girls should be supporting girls, but they’re the first ones to break the code.
I remember them pointing their fingers at Cerys, calling her all sorts of names and making her existence in the house a pure living hell.
However, Elodie? I’m surprised she’s clung on to the evil twins. When she was a pledge, Kappa appointed me as her big sister, and while I can’t say we were the best of friends, we always had a polite and friendly relationship. Elodie always carried herself with kindness, being a friend to everyone.
“You’re not welcome here, Mabel,” Zelda says now, crossing her arms over her stomach.
“You and your little liar friend cost us the Greek Cup, breaking our winning streak of a decade. Our legacy, if you even care.”
“Clearly, she doesn’t care, Soph. She always ruined the vibe.”
I roll my eyes.
“Right, because rape and murder are always a party booster around here.” Sarcasm drips from my tone.
Sophia and Zelda purse their lips and disregard my comment, strutting down the hall. However, Elodie stays behind, giving me an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry. They’re a bit . . .”
“Bitchy?” I supply.
The corners of her mouth twitch. She’s fighting a laugh.
“I wouldn’t use that word, but sure,” she accepts. “It’s good to see you, Mabby.”
She leaves me alone and I manage to make it to my sister’s room without any other issues. Her room is a mess of clothes sprawled all over the place, make-up spilled over her dresser, and an unmade bed.
Oddly enough, I find her mess comforting.