CHATER 1:
“F##k! F##k! F##k!”

The female voice breaks my concentration, forcing me to keep the assessment essay that I was proofreading down on the table. Glancing at the entrance of the kitchen, I grinned amusedly at the mess of a best friend that I have as she hops over to the counter on one leg, trying to wear her socks on the other. Abby, short for Abbigail Hudson, was a self proclaimed nerd with auburn, curly hair that reached the mid of her back and doe-eyes that made her the baby of the group. She brews a cup of coffee, still muttering curses under her breath, coming to an abrupt stop when she takes a long gulp of the hot caffeine filled drink.

A chuckle escapes my lips, despite my efforts not to let it, and it was not long before I was full on laughing as she screeches and jumps around with her tongue hanging out. I take a glass of water, handing it to her, still chuckling. She gulps it down, narrowing her eyes at me in fake anger, before sighing.

“I am not even going to bother saying anything about it,” she declares, collecting her bag and papers that were scattered on the island top.

Giving her a quick nod, I pick up my bag, following her out of the apartment and locking up. Once seated in my car, I pulled out of the building parking, taking a glance at the girl sitting in the passenger seat. She was leaning on the window with her eyes closed. Worried, I finally ask her, “What is it?”

She sighs, sitting straight before facing me and pouting.

“I am stupid. Last Wednesday, the recycling shop called to see if there were extra papers and I gave them the pile of papers I had collected.”

“So?” I asked, curious to know where it was leading to.

“Remember, I did my wine making research last month so that I won’t have to rush on it the last minute and I kept it with my other papers?” at my nod, she continued, “ The paper I sent to the shop also had my research.”

I slam the breaks, turning to look at her, “What!?!”

She purse her lips, nodding quietly. I turn back to the road, driving again before asking, “Did you call them? Asked them if they can retrieve it?”

“Already did that. They can’t. I had to make the whole thing again.”

“So, that is why you were nowhere to be seen the whole weekend.”

She nods, asking, “What did you do the whole weekend?”

I tense, my jaw clenching before I force myself to relax, gulping down the indifference and hatred that was making its way to my head. I smile at her, “Nothing except gaming with the boys.”
Abby rolls her eyes at me. “At times I feel as if I am friends with six boys, instead of five boys and a girl.”

I grin and wink at her.

Twenty minutes later, we reach the college building, searching the parking lot for our spot. A few seconds later, I find the spot, only to see a very familiar red car making its way to the same spot. I smirk, feeling the excitement rush through my veins as I rev the engine, getting a responding rev back from the car.

“oh no no no…” Abby whisper pleads, only to shriek as I release the break, the car picking up the speed mirroring the red car. I swirl the car a bit to the left, the blood rushing to my ears making me forget my surrounding as I turn the wheel for a sharp right, simultaneously yanking the hand break. The competing car made a turn towards the spot too, however, the sharpness of my turn threw the driver off guard. He panicked about colliding and slammed on the break while I made a clean, though quite close, cut and blocked the spot.

“You okay?” I ask Abby, once my car securely takes the spot and the red one takes the empty one next to mine. I reach at the back seat to pick up mine and Abby’s bag, looking over to her I see her glaring at me. I give her a sheepish smile. She just rolls her eyes, taking her bag and getting out of the car. I follow suit and am immediately engulfed in a hug by the second nerd of the group. I hug Keith back, pulling away to fist bump his twin Kevin.

The two Whitemore brothers were almost identical in looks except they had totally different styles and personalities. Kevin was the head of the official swimming team of the college and a national level champion who aspired to get a medical degree as a backup plan, that accompanied with his messily styled light brown hair and dark blue eyes made him command attention of the females. While Keith had the brains that could hack into anything and everything, the guy always had a thick rimmed pair of glasses covering his face, hiding his eyes, wanting to be a software engineer, he likes to blend in the crowd.

“You won again!” came the voice of the football quarterback, Mason Jones. I see the dark haired guy come towards us, his arm around Abby’s shoulder as she smiled at the twins.

“I always do, doofus!”

He grins, “That’s not really nice now Ash. Calling your friends doofus. Tsk. Tsk.”

“Like she cares.” Ace says, rolling his dark eyes, appearing from out of nowhere, “Now kids, time for classes, scram everyone.”

We start walking towards the main building while Kevin says, “Ace, you sound uncannily like my father and that’s not a compliment.”

Ace just smirks, “What makes you think I need a compliment from you?” That makes all of us laugh as Kevin just smiles at him, before going over to walk with Mason. Abby and Keith were walking at the front, then the two boys with me and Ace at the last.

Once sure that no one would listen to us, I whisper to Ace, “Where is Ryker?”
He shrugs, “He said he will be back by Wednesday.”

I nod at him, giving him a small smile and head to my Psychology block. Entering the block, I zigzag through the other students and reach the lecture hall for our year. Pushing the door in, the howling and chattering of the students pause for a second, them assuming, I am Professor Kane, but continuing right after seeing the regular brunette of their class. I make my way to the seat in the middle, relief sweeping in once again at the difference in the two lives I have lived. My fellow class mate, and my self-proclaimed friend, Nicky was seating right next to me, with her head down.
An idea pops up in my head.

I creep behind her and scream near her ear. She jerks up and slams her knee on the table, an ‘ouch’ escaping her lips, followed by a hiss of pain. I plop down back in my seat and give her a cheeky smile.

“What was that for?”

“Payback is a beep my friend.” I shrug.
She narrows her eyes at me before giving me a look, leaning forward towards me to whisper, “I have news.”

I rolled my grey eyes at her, “Gossips and news are two entirely different things Nicky.”

She shakes her head before looking over her shoulder, then she shifts her seat a bit closer to mine, continuing in an urgent tone, “This one is not the usual gossip Ash! Prof. Kane, our lecturer, was found dead yesterday.”

“What?”

“shhh…” she turns to look around, “Keep it low Greene. This is all classified information.”

I give her a slow nod as I mull over the fact that the dead body of our professor was found yesterday. Nicky was the daughter of the sheriff of the town and aspired to become like her mother, thus the mother daughter duo often worked together and shared information. Thus, it came as no surprise that she knew of thus classified information as well. What confuses me is how did they find the body.

“How did this happen?” I whisper back, intrigued and curious.

She shrugged, “Nobody really knows. What I do know is that the murderer must have some sort of grudge with him.” At my curious expression, she reluctantly continued, “The body, it looked as if someone really wanted him to suffer. A badly bruised back, shattered fingers and messed up leg before the slash at the neck, which actually killed him. but the cut on his neck wasn’t really deep as if the murderer wanted him to bleed out.”

She heaves out a sigh, straining back on her seat and started fiddling with her books on the table, “I don’t understand who would ever have a grudge with him.”

Professor Kane, as most of the people in the town refer to him as, was a middle aged man, who was quite reputed in the local society. He was known as a polite, charitable man with a slight orthodox outlook to the society. Most of the town’s people loved him and even wanted to elect him as the mayor, however he continuously refused the position and was content in teaching the students about psychology.

A quick pinch on my arm jolted me back into the reality. Rubbing the sore spot, I noticed a blonde man as he settles his briefcase at the professor’s table and turned to face the quite young adults.

“Good morning dear students. I am your substitute psychology professor, Nathanial J. Moore, and I will be the one conducting the semester’s classes on the behalf of Professor Kane.” The man said, his voice deep and powerful that echoed in the silent hall.

“Where is Professor Kane?” A student asked the question most of them had.
Unsure of the answer the rest will be given, I turned to look at Nicky but she gave me a nod in return, answering my silent question.

“Ahh.. you see,” the new professor turns towards the white board with a marker, answering while writing the heading of today’s topic, “Your beloved professor has passed away my dear.”

A stunned silence followed, the students digesting the fact that was forced on them. A silence of mourning that the man didn’t deserve. For he is anything but respect, however the world pictures him to be a gentleman.

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A/N: Hello dear readers,
This is the second time I am updating this chapter because for some unknown reason, I was able to see this chapter on my laptop but when I went to Wattpad on my phone, the chapter was not visible. So here we are.

I forgot what my initial author's note was, but I will want you all to show the same support and love that you gave to the old book.

Do tell me who your is the character that you liked? Who is the one to kill Professor Kane? How is the new Abby?

This new chapter is earlier than I promised as a peace offering to the readers because I know most of you are used to my updating once in a blue moon, so this is to tell you all that I am serious on updating continuously. Though keep commenting or messaging to remind me that I have a book to update!

Happy readings!
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Love, Rupanshi.