Song of the chapter is Mind Over Matter by Young The Giant

-58-
-Himanshu Arora-
-Present-

_______________

Arora Residence
24 December, 2019
5:45 pm

As I stared at the same message for the unteemth time, my mind started spiralling for answers.

'The Final Round :

You're invited to the most exciting supper of your life. Tomorrow at midnight sharp, come to where it all began.

You know what happens if you don't. '

What was the killer intending to do now? Was this another hoax? Something to lure us in so that he could trap us?

It was at times like this when I needed my anchor. She would have known what to do. She would have probably told me to breathe and think about it logically before jumping to conclusions. She knew how to calm me down when I was out of it.

But she wasn't here.

I had the urge to call her several times but thankfully my will power was strong enough to not do that. I knew better than anyone that she wouldn't answer. She was the kind of person who liked to curl back into a shell and away from everyone when she was sad or angry.

I shook my head and focused my gaze on the message on the screen again. My brows furrowed in confusion again.

'Come to where it all began....'

Where it all began.....the detention.... room?

Yes! It was the detention room he was talking about. My breath hitched in my throat. Was he asking us to trespass into the school at midnight on Christmas?

Delmore High had always been famous for the amazing Christmas party that it threw for its students; very popularly known as Jingle-Mingle. With the delicious aroma of chocolate cupcakes mixed with the Christmas jingles and stalls selling all the Christmas-y stuff in the world it seemed, it was quite an event.  At the end of the party, the school authorities even used to organise a dj for the students to have a blast. It was like an indian version of prom , except it was Christmas.

Usually the event was a great fervor for the school. Students would start decorating and preparing for it a month before the actual event. Girls were busy picking the best dresses available while the boys were just incredibly happy to have a day where they could show off their girlfriends.

Siya and I used to always accompany each other for the event cause we had no other friends. The night would always end with one of us compelling the other to go home because the people around would give us weird looks.

It was all so simple. Until this year.

This year everything was changed. The school had still decided to conduct the event, even after three student deaths, because they had already planned and prepared for it a month ago and just couldn't cancel it at the last moment.

So to say I was terrified of the idea of the killer being in a place with hundreds of students, would be a terrible understatement.

But why had he summoned us at midnight? What was the point? The party ended at 10 and everyone would already be home by 10:30. Then what exactly was he planning to do now?

My chain of thoughts were interrupted by the knock on the door. I got up from the couch and went over to the door and opened it. It was Kartik and Siya and they looked worried.

" What happened, guys?"

I opened the door wide for them and closed it after they entered. They both looked at each other before looking back at me , with the same worried look.

" Did you get any message from him?"

Kartik asked and I immediately knew what was wrong. I nodded, "I did."

I went over to the couch and picked up my phone and showed it to them. They looked at it and then exchanged a look.

" What do you think he wants now?" Kartik asked, sitting on the loveseat near the couch.

" I have no idea. It feels like a hoax to me." I said as I sank down on the couch.

Siya rubbed her forehead. "What if he is planning something? Something sinister....."

" Seems unlikely. " I said, looking at her. " What I can comprehend from his actions, he usually stays low for a few days after he has killed someone. So him... doing something...not even three days after killing Ahaan....seems off."

" Yeah, but we're dealing with a psychopath here. He doesn't work in a pattern. He kills when he wants to." Kartik reasoned.

I sighed and nodded. " That's true too."

A moment of silence passed before Kartik asked, " Have you spoken to the others?"

" Not after yesterday, no." I nodded negatively.

The doorbell rang through once again. I got up from the couch and went over to the door and peaked through the peep hole. It was Saina. I opened the door.

Saina entered quickly and I closed the door after her. She looked equally panicked.

" Did you guys get a message too?" Saina asked hurriedly, looking at us. We nodded in affirmation.

She breathed deeply. " Oh...thank god, I just thought it was me. I freaked out."

I patted her back as we both sat down next to each other on the couch.

" We were just talking about that." Kartik told Saina.

Saina nodded and then looked at me. " So what do we do now?"

" We go there tomorrow at midnight." I answered.

" Are you kidding me? That's like intentionally going in the lion's den!" Saina said, bizarrely.

" You do know what happens if we don't do what he says, right?" Siya said, looking at Saina.

" I know but....still.... don't you think it's dangerous?" Saina said, her voice growing timid.

" Saina after what we've been through for the past two months, I think we can do this." Kartik reasoned.

Saina breathed heavily but didn't say anything.

" Yeah but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a plan before we go in." I said, looking at the rest. "We need to be prepared this time. This could be our only chance at catching him red-handed."

" Do you really think it'll be that easy?" Siya asked.

" No, but we have to hope for it atleast." I said and Kartik nodded.

" True. This motherfucker has been fucking with us for a long time. It's high time we catch this bastard." Kartik said.

" I know that you want that, Kartik. So do the rest of us. But it wouldn't be that easy. He's sleek. He always knows what we'll do." Saina said.

" Yeah, but not this time." I said, looking at her. " This time we have the time and place where his next strike would be. "

" Plus... it's the six of us against the two of them. I think we'd be able to take them down." Kartik said, with his hands on his hips.

" Speaking of which.....have you talked to Veronica or Zoya since yesterday?" Saina asked me.

I nodded negatively.

" I'm sure they'll contact us when they get the message." Kartik said, reassuring me. "Give them some time."

" Or we could just call them and let them know about this." Siya said, looking at me. I gave her the look.

" I'll call Zoya." Saina said, picking up her phone.

All of us raised a brow. Kartik worded all of our question, "Since when did you and Zoya become friends?"

Saina smiled sheepishly. " We kind of made up a while ago."

Kartik smiled while Siya and I exchanged a glance.

" There's a silver lining in everything. Even when we're being chased by a serial killer." Kartik said.

I smiled looking down.

" You know.... Veronica called me this morning." Siya said, her tone sheepish.

" Really?" I asked, raising a brow.

I knew that I shouldn't have been jealous of that but I couldn't help.

" Yeah, she apologized for yesterday's behaviour." Siya said.

I nodded, my lips curling up in a stubborn line.

" She also asked about you." Siya said, looking sheepishly at me.

I looked at her and furrowed my brows, trying my hardest to not smile.

" Yeah?"

" Yeah. She asked if you were mad at her for saying all those things."

I nodded , swallowing the lump forming in my throat. "What'd you say?"

" I told her that you could never be mad at her..... because you loooove her." Siya teased. I gave her my best poker face.

" Siya , I swear to God-"

Siya burst out laughing as did Kartik and Saina. I looked at all of them unbelievably.

" Dude relax....I didn't tell her that." Siya said and I breathed a sigh of relief.

" You guys are such.....and I....I don't....I am....not...in love...with Veronica." I stammered.

" Sure dude, whatever helps you sleep at night." Kartik said, jokingly putting an arm around me.

" Wha------I'm not in love-"

" Himanshu....." Saina stood up and grabbed my shoulders. "You ARE head over heels in love with Veronica D'Rosario and it's more obvious than Alishka being a bitch."

I blinked hard, gulping. My face was red. I could feel the goosebumps on my neck. Why was I that obvious?

" Anyone other than Veronica herself knows that you are in love with her." Saina continued.

I coughed and looked away. The rest of them laughed some more.

"Whatever..... we're diverting from the topic. We need to review the plan." I said, looking back. They all had sheepish grins on their faces, which they tried hard to cover up.

"Saina call Zoya....." I said , looking at her with a static expression. "And....uh... I'll call Veronica."

Siya and Kartik smiled teasingly again. I rolled my eyes at them and picked up my phone and speed dialled her number.

She picked up after three rings.

" Moose....."

Even though it had been just a day without hearing her voice....it somehow felt like forever had gone by.

" Veronica.....uh...."

" Yes?"

I looked at Siya and Kartik again. They had the widest smiles on their faces. I sighed softly.

" We need to talk."