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"What the hell happened?"

Police cars and reporters were everywhere, scattered between clusters of trees and gossiping students. He'd barely set foot in Beaumont University's Arts campus and he could see a reporter for every few metres of grass. Slinging his rucksack over his right shoulder, he moved closer to Bea, who was gawking in horror at one of the reporter's chartreuse blazer and bell-bottom trousers. Jackson almost smiled thinking of the thoughts that might be floating around in her head, all of which were probably backhanded remarks about the style and colour. 

No one was absolved from hearing clothing critiques from Beatrice. His own style had been described by her as a sad, washed up version of Sherlock Holmes. Jackson didn't take it to heart all too much, considering that the comparison was made probably because of the fact that he was an Englishman, and not so much his apparel. Beatrice had said about Kai's clothes that it was like he ransacked Jason Dean's wardrobe in a hurry. If anyone ever tried to counter her claims, all she would say was "the Price is right", a reference to her name and the TV show. 

All possibilities of smiling - or even having a good day - went down the drain at the sight of yellow police tape near the Arts building. Two police officers stood at the stairs to the entrance, checking in each and every student's bag for something. Searching for what? Only a few feet away was a woman holding a microphone, like all the other reporters, although her words were much more distinctive now that he was within earshot of a reporter. He slowed down to a stop, listening in while avoiding eye contact. 

"—Police investigation has a lead that suggests the murder of Jennifer Curtis and Bradley Earnshaw allegedly may have something to do with a fellow classmate. Though this has not been confirmed as sources say that no arrests have been made."

Jackson turned to face Beatrice, and Bea wore the same shocked expression as him. A crime had taken place here, just last night, while the both of them were completely clueless. It sickened him to his stomach to imagine the terror the two victims must've went through. 

"Two students were murdered," Jackson suppressed the urge to walk all the way back to his dorm room. "Jesus bloody Christ. Who would do such a thing?"

"To Jenny too," agreed Bea. Her hands picked at her dress. "Bummer. I really liked her mini skirts. And she was so sweet too - remember when she babysat Jimmy's little sister?"

His eyes flitted elsewhere, searching for a spot where they could sit before their History lecture started in an hour. Instead, he spotted a silver convertible parked a short walk from where they stood, with a familiar set of twins getting out of the vehicle. They seemed to be in the midst of a quarrel. With Bea following on his heels, Jackson made his way over to Jo and Kai Parker, trying to figure out what the two were bickering about. 

"Next time, I'm driving," Kai declared, glancing over at the '84 Chrysler LeBaron they got out of. "You can't even park properly."

"As if. Almost every time you drive, you get a speeding ticket," Josette scoffed.

It was hard to see Kai's face with the baseball cap he was wearing, and the fact that he was facing Jo. He was wearing a black Alice in Chains shirt for the album Facelift, paired with the same colour of jeans. Meanwhile, Josette's style was a blend between Stevie and Bea's clothes: mary janes, pink and black plaid skirt, pale pink blouse, black mascara and pink lip gloss. Like her twin, her eyes were a starburst of blue and grey. If Jackson had've met her first, he probably would've been dating her instead. It wasn't hard to recall the crush he once had on her when he was simply friends with the Parker twins, however short lived it was. 

Kai punched his sister's arm, although it didn't look like a hard punch at all. In return, Jo punched his arm back, rolling her eyes when Kai loudly complained about her hard punches. A short burst of laughter escaped Jackson's lips, catching the attention of the siblings. It was then that he realised why Kai was wearing a baseball cap - his eyes were tinged red. When he got close enough to him, there was a distinct smoky smell nearly well hidden by his cologne. The fool must've thought it was okay to light a blunt to start his day. 

Despite the frown on Jackson's face, Kai's eyes lit up at the sight of him. "Bingo! Gimme your sunglasses."

The Campbell was trying to cover up the dark circles under his eyes due to a lack of sleep last night. Even when he took a break from writing and tried to get some sleep, his mind was still reeling from the stranger on the phone knowing who he was. Regardless, he gave Kai his sunglasses, grimacing at the sudden brightness around him.  

"God, finally. I can look up," The older Parker took off his hat, throwing it back into the car. "Gonna need your coat too, lover."

Jackson sent an indignant look in Jo's direction. She shrugged. "I told him to dress appropriately, but he was confident you would have it for him." Josette's focus shifted to her brother. "Meet me here after your lecture."

When she left, leaving a trail of peaches and patchouli behind her, he squinted at the remaining twin. Have it for him? "I'm not your butler."

"No, because you're my..." Kai feigned a confused look. "What's the word? B-O-Y-F—"

He was interrupted with a heavy, frustrated exhale from the Campbell. Jackson dumped his rucksack on the ground and pulled off his overcoat, before shoving it into Kai's arms. Delight spread across the brunet's face while he tugged it on. "There, see? I wear your clothes better."

"I should've dated your sister."

"Go ahead and try, and you'll know I fuck better."

Jackson glared at him, as Kai smirked. Beatrice wrinkled her nose, uttering out the word Jackson wanted to say. "Gross."

"Agreed," Campbell spoke, but he refused to break eye contact with the Parker. "Stevie should be here by now."

There was an unimpressed tone in Bea's voice. "Yeah, I see her. Stop eye-fucking each other and let's go."

The Price girl left the two, the clicking of her glittery heels fading as she treaded from pavement to grass relatively quickly. Still, Jackson kept Kai's gaze. He was trying to gauge something from his pale eyed paramour. He didn't seem to be carrying anything on him, but he did look a little tired too. Could he? No, that would be ridiculous. It was horrible of Jackson to even consider Kai to have the potential to do real harm on a person. As much of a tactless asshole as he was, Kai always paid attention to details. If Jackson liked something from a store, it was more than likely the Parker would give it to him within days. Kai's intensity always gave Jackson the impression that Kai would tear this town like paper if the Campbell asked that of him. 

"You look like you're about to faint," Kai said, after a moment of silence. 

Jackson barked out a dry laugh, making the brunet frown. "Now you care all of a sudden?"

"Don't be stupid. Of course I care about you, Jack," His lips twitched, displeased by the taller man's appearance. Jackson had tried to put together a simple outfit - beige linen henley shirt, dark corduroy pants, and a dark overcoat - though Kai had blown through and ruined it. "I told you to relax and get some sleep. You obviously didn't."

"Kai Parker, known best for being a mother hen."

The Parker didn't find Jackson's joke particularly amusing, judging by the mildly stony look on his face. But when Jackson tried to follow after Bea, Kai quickly reached out and grabbed his right arm, pulling him back. This earned an eyebrow raise from Jackson, puzzled by the sudden action.

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," He was speaking in hushed tones, glancing around as if he was about to confess a secret. "I should've told you this months ago, but I got carried away."

"Is it important?"

"Very."

"Well then, it can wait."

"Jackson," Kai had never looked so serious in the time that they've known each other. "It can't. It's a measure that me and my sister have to make whenever we date anyone. If you want to continue being with me, just know that I might not be around when I'm twenty two. I'll be... I'll be gone, maybe. I don't know."

Kai was many things, and cryptic was not one of them. Jackson narrowed his eyes at the Parker, struggling to understand what he was trying to say. "You mean to tell me this six months away from your birthday? What do you mean by gone? And why might you be gone?"

"Just..." His hand on Jackson's arm tightened, his expression solemn. "Just trust me. Do you trust me?"

It was completely unfair to dump worrying information on Jackson, knowing very well how he wasn't at his best, and then refusing to answer simple question. The Campbell wanted to press further, so that his worst thought might be far removed from the truth. Whatever the truth may be.  

"I trust you, Kai," Jackson tried for a faint smile. 

Relief was visible on Kai's body, with the way his shoulders relaxed. It wasn't necessarily a lie, but it wasn't entirely the truth either. It was the best Jackson could do with what he was given. He really wanted to ask: are you going to die? It felt like a stupid question that he shied away from. It was more likely that he was moving away.

As they made their way towards the fountain where Bea and Stevie were sitting, Jackson could visibly see the change of mood with the latter girl. As soon as Stevie glanced over at Kai, the smile on her face melted, and a sneer took its place. And like clockwork, Kai beamed back at her. Jackson couldn't remember when their rivalry started, but he knew that they wouldn't be able to stay here for long unless he felt like breaking up a fight between them. 

"Look what the circus brought in," said Stevie, flashing the Parker an innocent smile. "Are you gonna lecture me on the difference between being anti-social and being a sociopath? Because, to me, both of them are freaks."

Jackson grimaced, sitting down next to Bea to put some distance between Stevie and Kai, though Kai ignored this and stepped closer to the Walker. Even though Kai seemed to remain composed, there was something concerning with the way he smirked, and the glimmer in his eyes. His diablerie was the very thing that got Kai into trouble. 

"Stephanie," Kai spoke, too coolly for it to be innocent as well. "You're almost as pretty as your cop brother. Be a good girl and let him know I asked about him, would ya? Your mother too, she needs someone after her divorce."

Stevie shot a glower at Jackson. "Did you tell him?"

"About your real name? He didn't," The Parker crouched down in front of Stevie, so that he could be at eye-level with her. "Neither did Trix or Jimmy. You wanna know how I know? It's because I fucked your—"

He was interrupted with a harsh punch to the face, loud enough that both Beatrice and Jackson winced. If looks could kill, the entire campus would drop dead from Stevie's scowl. There was a moment where everyone was still, until Kai slowly turned his head to look up at Stevie again, his left cheek bearing a thin cut from the Walker's sharp rings. He didn't seem to register the pain of being hit, although he had a feverish look about his eyes, his lips slowly curving into a smug grin. 

Seeing him remain unbothered, Stevie got to her feet, which lead for Kai to do the same. How she still looked like she was ready to punch him again despite him towering over her was worrying. Jackson's hands were planted on the fountain's curvature, ready to spring to his feet in case it would escalate. 

When Stevie tried to hit Kai again, the Parker simply grabbed her arm before she could hit his face. She growled, trying to pry her wrist from his grip, only to earn an amused look from Kai. He simply spun her around like silk, so that she was close enough for him to whisper. 

"You missed. Don't miss again."

With that, he let go. Stevie shoved him back and snatched her bag from the base of the fountain, storming off in the direction of the Science campus. Jackson's lips were pressed together, to hide the fact that he was grinding his teeth. 

"Was that really necessary?" He asked Kai, making his disappointment known. All that he asked for today was that it would be a good day, and he couldn't even have that. 

The Parker shrugged, indifferent to the whole ordeal. He lifted a hand and ran his middle and index finger under the cut to wipe away the blood that collected to the surface. "She started it, so I finished it."

"I mean, it was kinda... hot?" Bea smoothed out her yellow floral dress. "In, like, a romance novella kind of way."

Great, so Kai apparently had better romantic chemistry with his archenemy than he did with his boyfriend. Jackson tried to hide the frown on his face by glancing away from them. May as well melt into the ground and become the bloody dirt if he had the personality of it. 

"Ooh, now that's hot," Kai's voice sounded closer. It could only mean that he saw how unhappy Jackson was before he tried to hide it. "Are you jealous?"

Yes. "No."

"Don't worry, Jack. I'm not planning to replace you any time soon. Or ever."

Mildly creepy, but it was endearing in Kai's own way. Jackson spotted a familiar black haired man running towards them, noticing the worried look on his face. Jimmy Meeks being worried about something was not all that surprising, although with the police and reporters hanging around the campus premises, it did make Jackson concerned. 

"Guys!" Jimmy came to a halt near Jackson, using the fountain as support while he caught his breath. "Damn. I haven't ran like that since that Bruce Springsteen concert." His eyes travelled over to Kai, furrowing his brows. "Shit, what happened to you?"

"Did something happen?" Jackson cut in, before they all got off track again. He figured the Criminology major would have a song to sing about the police officers since he was inside the building with them.

The previous worry flashed over Jimmy's face again. "I thought you already knew? Did you guys not get questioned?"

"No, we didn't go inside," Bea spoke up. "But you got questioned? Why?"

"Because I was on campus last night, the same night the murder happened," Jimmy straightened, panicking as he held his hands up. "But it wasn't me! I swear! I was just working on my report in the library."

Beatrice snorted. "No kidding. Murder requires intelligence and balls - two things you don't have."

And they were off track. Again. Jackson could bury his face in his hands or scream into a pillow, but he simply redirected the conversation back to the investigation that was still going on around them. 

"Did they tell you anything about the victims?" He asked. If Stevie's brother was helping with the questioning process, then surely he would talk about it for the sake of his little sister's safety. 

"Nicholas told me..." Jimmy hesitated, staring at the ground. "That Jennifer Curtis was found in your seat."

Jackson could feel Bea and Kai's stares on him like lasers. His heart was pounding at the thought of the killer dragging Jennifer's dead, bleeding body all the way to the Campbell's seat. The way her skin would be cold to the touch as her limbs were manipulated to look like an attentive student. He swore for a second that his whole body felt like jelly. 

Kai was the only one who was brave enough to question further. "What do you mean? What seat?"

"Jax's seat in his and Bee's History class," Then, sheepishly: "Your lecture is cancelled because of that, until they can find an appropriate lecture hall."

Jackson stood, to quickly to go unnoticed by the three. All that was on his mind was the stranger on the phone and Jennifer. The stranger called on the same night she and Bradley were brutally killed. And he knew Jackson's name. Words were caught in his tightening throat, and he risked the possibility of vomiting when Kai flocked towards him. 

"Leave me alone. Please," Jackson shook his head, holding a hand up. "I need to think."

"Jack, just sit down before you—"

The single attempt at protesting was cut short when Jackson pushed him away and staggered off without his bag. The pain, the fear, the loss. His thoughts were jumbled as they raced around, struggling to comprehend what his mind was trying to dwell on. Coagulating blood on his desk like a scab. The hallways serving as an echo chamber for a girl's cries and a boy's sobs. The killer calling him; taunting him with his threats. 

He never should've dismissed the stranger. If he hadn't underestimated him, he would've never killed those two people. Jennifer and Bradley were barely acquittances with Jackson, but he knew it was a warning. This is the punishment for disobedience - don't fail again. Bloody hell, he needed to throw up. Or lie down, he wasn't entirely sure. 

Before he knew it, his legs gave out first, forcing him to drop to his knees. The last thing his blurring vision saw before unconsciousness claimed him was a dark haired man hovering over him. Jackson could imagine Jennifer being in a similar situation with her killer.

But her unconsciousness was permanent.