Chapter 2

Two months ago, I moved to Bay Shore leaving the trails of all those trailers that conceal sweet bitter memories behind them and in the two months I have been here, Cassie and I have never drove to the college in our individual cars. One week to the start and we had come to this unspoken consent, that one of us will drive on alternate days. And even though her E-class Sedan is a lot better than my barely breathing Toyota, she never even breathes that there is any difference between the two. And I love her for that.

Part of the reason why I opened up to her as soon as I did, which is a big deal for me.

Hail greeted us midway to the college. Any other time I would have pulled over to feel the sting of beating raindrops on my face, that dared me to open my eyes, but going to college, dripping wet to my toes isn't at the top of my agenda. It will be like willingly inviting a catastrophe and then screaming for help, and I would rather not give everyone a show of walking porno so instead, I just lowered my window a bit to get little peppering kisses of raindrops on my cheek.

"Ughhh", Cassie groaned next to me typing furiously on her phone.

I gave her side-eye for a second and then turned back to the windshield. "Do I want to know what that was about?"

"Oh, you definitely want to know Miss-goody-two-shoes", she muttered distractedly, still punching her phone furiously.

My grip tightened at the steering and this time I gave her my complete attention, but she was still fighting with her phone. What's her problem? It's not like we don't insult each other every now and then, but THAT right there was direct burn.

Yes, there has been a time or two when Cassie came to me with a problem, and I might have lectured about how she brought the problem upon herself. Completely shitty of me and not my best moment, actually. But there also has not been a time when I have left her to deal with her shit alone. I care about her, and she has got to know this.

When she realized that I haven't replied yet, she dropped her phone in her lap "Shit!", she all but yelled. "I'm sorry Grace, I'm being a bitch", she dropped her head in her hands.

"Yeah, you are.", I stated matter of factly. "But I'm more interested in the reason."

"It's nothing", she said, her words muffled from her hand. "I'm just stressed about my mom and Dan."

"What about Daniel?", I didn't even bother asking about her mom as I know she is the same old record tape, pointing out everything she doesn't like about Cassie every opportunity she gets. But Daniel is her new boyfriend. Shouldn't they be in a honeymoon phase or something?

"Uh, nothing. it's nothing", She says, lifting her head and giving me a tight-lipped smile.

I gave her the are-you-sure look, and she waved me off. "Yeah, it's nothing. I'm sure, it's just me being paranoid. Nothing else."

"If you say so." I let it be. She will talk to me if she feels like it, I don't need to push her on that.

I parked in the campus parking lot, two minutes before our first class and we hurried down the corridors. "I swear every damn Friday, we walk on thin lines", Cassie grunted.

I snorted "Like you care about being late"

"Well, YOU do. And I'm just being a good friend here", Cassie said. Any other time and I would have laughed at what she just said, bur right now? Right now my eyes are fixated on what just happened.

Dane Jenkins, the absolute IT guy of the college like the ones you see in TV series, gave me a bright smile and an acknowledging nod before entering the class.

WHAT THE FUCK?

"What the fuck?", Cassie voiced my thoughts. "Did that just happened?". Apparently, she also noticed the same.

"Yeah, I guess it did," I muttered, still staring in the same place. Dane...no, scratch that, no one in this college other than Cassie has ever acknowledged me before. They might come around and talk to Cassie but never to me. It's like I am invisible to them, and that has always been fine with me.

"HOW?!!!!" Cassie screamed right next to my ear for the second time since this morning.

"The fuck, if I know", I said, a little agitated, and stormed into the class.

Cassie let out a weak "Oh" and then followed behind me. Knowing damn well that it's not a daily occurrence for me to curse, and if I did, she needs to shut up.

Inside it was a frenzy of squeaking laughter and mindless chattering, but it hushed a notch as I entered, and I was greeted with some droll stares commixed with some appreciative ones. I clutched the straps of my bag tighter, bringing them close to my chest. A little knot appeared in the pit of my stomach, as a foreboding sensation of doom embraced me.

I am going to be sick. I can just feel that something is going to happen.

Until yesterday, I was the social-outcast, weird and mute girl, who doesn't speak in class. And to see that all of a sudden I have become the center of interest of everyone, I can't fathom what the reason can be. Other than something terrible, of course. I swallowed hard and turned to see Cassie's jaw almost touching the floor, eyes wide open to the point that it must be hurting her.

"Do you think there is a sex tape of me recently posted out there?", I asked barely above a whisper.

Cassie's jaw came back to place and her wide eyes snapped back to me, gleaming in amusement. She snorted and said, "Well, that's kind of impossible considering you are a virgin and all".

Ummm, okay. What then?

A hand brushed lightly at my knuckles and I jolted back with a little jump before turning around to see the source of my mini heart attack.

Drake Meyer was standing in front of me with a playful grin dancing on his lips. His sharp-as-knife jawline twitching momentarily, like he is desperately trying to hold back his laughter. My very non-smooth reaction can be credited for that.

For a non-athlete person, Drake has the body physique worth dying for. Not like I have been ogling him all this time, but his lean waist, broad shoulders, guarantees attention and I have witnessed girls being lured in by it several times. Not speaking doesn't mean that I have not observed people from the corner seat I sit in.

I have caught Drake watching in my direction a time or two in the course of the last two months, but as soon as my eyes will meet his, he used to turn his back on me. So I let it be and kept that little tidbit of information to myself. Because Cassie would have learned into it more than it really was. Like something in the line of, he is secretly boning me in his dreams. And considering he can't stand to even be caught looking in my direction, that's seriously laughable.

"Lovely morning, Grace". Maybe I should have focused on the fact that he was actually talking to me when everybody knows that I don't speak in class, but my mind was centered on his voice. It was deep, but it didn't have a raspy lilt to it like HE had.

Shit. I need to stop thinking.

"Um. Morning", my voice came out squeaky and broken at the end. Talk about embarrassment.

His jaw twitched again like it was doing moments ago. He gave me a nod and then turned to leave. I kept standing there stunned to my bones. Wanting to walk gracefully to my seat, showing that these abrupt changes out of the blue, don't even give a blip at my radar, and failing miserably. My limbs went cold and sweat started forming in my palms and forehead.

Oh god, no. Not here.

Cassie clasped my arm, understanding my predicament without even telling her, and pulled subtly so it doesn't look like that I am being dragged. We settled in our seat at the back corner and Cassie gave me a concerned look that pierced at my heart.

What kind of person I am, that my best friend of two months has to worry about me having a breakdown in the middle of the class, when a guy just talked to me.

Barely three words.

A freak. That's what I am.

I gave her a tight-lipped smile and turned to the front trying to tamp down the feeling of self-hatred coursing through me , just as professor Dom entered the class carrying a black bag in his hand. He settled it on his desk and turned back to the class with an overly cheerful smile.

He rubbed his hand together and said, "Good morning, class. I have an announcement to make. I guess most of you probably already know". He did a chaste sweep of the whole class then settled his eyes on me. "But I think, I should make an official announcement. It's about you Ms. Coroners, and judging from the confusion on your face I take it, you don't know", he stated.

I sat straighter in my seat and shook my head slowly. That foreboding sensation from earlier came back full force and my stomach churned. I am going to throw up if he doesn't hurry. Cassie took my hand in hers and squeezed it.

Why can't this morning just be a normal morning like every other I have spent up until now?

Dom nodded. "Figures. Do you remember the report you had given on Sexual Harassment last month for scholar exams?"

I nodded again. Writing that report is the only thing that I am proud about myself of.

"Well, that report has secured two-four-nine marks and qualified for the semifinals of National Merit Scholars". Cassie squealed next to my ear, making me cringe back and the whole class to look at her. But she didn't care.

"I knew it! I KNEW IT!", she yelled jumping in her seat and shaking my shoulders. I laughed breathily at her expense but I was in a daze, still reeling from professor Dom's words, and not quite believing it.

I knew the report was good but never in my life had I thought that it would actually qualify. The only reason I submitted it was because Cassie threatened to burn the whole thing and corrupt the file from my computer also if I didn't turn it in.

"Ms. Cassandra Brooke, think you can take it down a notch? I have more to say," Dom said.

Cassie ground her jaw to stop her squealing and I turned back to the front. Every eye in the class was turned to me, but there was one on the side of my face, inducing prickles like pins and needles to rise on my skin. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and swallowed hard. I don't need to turn to know whose eyes it was.

Drake Meyer

He has always given me a strange vibe. Something aloof, that nags me. I still have to figure that out.

"So..." Dom started with an ear-to-ear grin. "This is the first time someone from OUR college has qualified, and a freshman on that, it is pretty prodigious and a great shocker at the same time. And I can't stress enough how much I feel lucky to have Ms. Coroners in our class. And I will come to that later. First I have some formalities to get over with."

He sifted through his bag and took out a big manila folder, then beckoned me to come forward. Cassie was still vibrating next to me, I gestured for her to move so I can leave. But before I went to the front, she took me in a tight bear hug, squeezing the life out of me and laughing in my ears.

"These are the documents that I am supposed to hand you over. So, here you go...". He handed me the folder and then gave an appreciative pat on my shoulders. "Come to the principal's office before leaving. He wants to meet you". I nodded to him with a weak smile and then returned to my seat.

It is a big deal, for me too, and that should excite me. But it is not. I am not sure if it is going to work in my favor or contrary to it. This changes things. A lot. This morning was just a prelude to what is about to come.

Just thinking about all the attention that people were giving to me this morning had me groaning mentally. God, what did I do?