The moment Danielle opened the doors to her room, her mood deteriorated drastically. 

It looked like a storm had wreaked havoc inside the four walls. But had, for some reason, only chosen her side of the room. Her duvet and pillows were strewn across the floor. The contents of her wardrobe had been emptied. Her clothes lie in a heap on the ground. The drawers on her bedside table are wide open, and their contents are messed up.

Danielle took a shuddering breath. Slowly, with cautious steps, she advanced towards her side of the room. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. But one stood out amongst them, bright and blazing: someone had been in her room, looking for something.

It wouldn't take a genius to know what that something was. Evidences. Evidence that could prove Danielle's innocence. Evidence that could lead to the exposure of the real killer. 

Danielle didn't have the energy to return everything to how it was before someone broke into her room. Walking up to her bed, she unceremoniously plopped down on it, dragging a hand over her face. She looked around at the wreck unable to decide what to feel about this. Now, it was pretty obvious that someone did, in fact, kill Arianna. Well, it was pretty obvious from the start but the thought of a teenager killing someone, who also happens to be their classmate felt too surreal and fictional to wrap her head around. But now, she was sure that one of her classmates killed her roommate. 

Danielle was living amongst a murderer.

A sudden gasp left her mouth as the thought crossed her mind. A murderer was living amongst them, free to roam, suspected by no one. The thought was as unsettling as the reality of her situation. Another thought crossed her mind and her heart stopped. Was she the next target? Was she the next prey?

No, she couldn't be. If she were, she would be dead by now. And as far as she could think logically, killing her wouldn't benefit the murderer. If she were to be murdered, people would realise that they suspected the wrong person all along and the murderer was still out there somewhere. Therefore, a more thorough search would be conducted for their capture which if she were the murderer, would be something she wouldn't want.

Instead, Danielle would want someone to take the blame for her. Someone would be punished in her place. That way she would be safe. That would the murderer would be safe.

Calming down herself, she knew she needed to find the murderer, the person who broke into her room. She wasn't worried about the evidence being stolen as she knew it was safe in Rayana's forgotten possession. The person only searched her belongings, not her roommate's.

Her first suspect was, much to her dismay, her current roommate and best friend, Rayana. She knew that Danielle was going out at night to find evidence and her behaviour suggested very clearly that she was delighted by Arianna's death, if anything. Also, it would be extremely easy for her to go through Danielle's belongings without any hurdles. And if she were the murderer, neither would she kill Danielle. As seen from the previous incident, the main suspect in the murder of a student is their roommate and in this case, if Danielle were to be killed, Rayana would be the main suspect. Which if she truly were the murderer, wouldn't want.

Apart from Rayana, no one knew about Danielle trying to find evidence, except for the boy who was trying to help her. Danielle shook her head as if doing that would shoo away her thoughts. She told herself firmly that Xavier could never and would never be a murderer. He wouldn't betray her like this. He wouldn't.

That left Rayana as the sole suspect.

~

The door quietly opened as someone silently slipped inside. After a soft click, light flooded the dark room.

"Danielle!" Rayana gasped. "What are you doing sitting in the dark? And what happened to the room?"

Rushing towards Danielle, she knelt in front of her, putting a reassuring hand on her knees. "Are you alright?"

Danielle stood up, pushing away Rayana from her. Her face black with rage. Rayana gaped at her as she fell back.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Rayana croaked as she stood up, hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" Danielle yelled at her, catching her by surprise. "You want to know what's wrong? I will tell you what's wrong!"

Grabbing Rayana's hand harshly, Danielle tugged her towards her, sharply. Rayana yelped as she stumbled foward, nearly falling down face first on the ground.

But Danielle took no notice of this. Instead, she waved her hand around the room. "This is what's wrong! My life is what's wrong!"

Rayana shook her head in disbelief. "I don't understand."

"Oh, now, you don't understand, do you?" Danielle snarled at her. "Who has access to this room apart from me? Who was delighed when Arianna died? Who knows that I am going out at night trying to find evidence?"

Rayana blinked at her, slowly. "Are you serious?"

Danielle lets out an humourless laugh. "I am damn serious. Tell me, Rayana, did you find anything? The evidence that can land you behind the bars in my place? Did you burn it?"

Rayana pushed away Danielle from her. "Are you really suggesting I am the killer? Are you out of your mind?"

"Well, I am not out of my mind!" Danielle yells. "Considering I didn't decide to kill my classmate over some petty issues!"

"Danielle!" Rayana shouted at her. "I am you best friend! How can you think such things of me?"

"I don't know," Danielle said, sarcastically. "Maybe because you went through my things to find the evidence."

"I didn't!" Rayana shouted, jabbing a finger her way. "And why am I being blamed for this? You never told me you found any evidence! Hell! You never told me anything. How, in the hell, would I know that you've evidence?"

Danielle wanted to hit her so bad but she restrained. "But you knew I had! When I didn't tell you anything, you knew I had something. Didn't you?"

"No, I didn't!" She shouted. "I didn't! And is this what Xavier is telling you, huh? That I am the killer?"

Danielle seethed. Her voice lowered, eerily calm. "Don't pull him in this."

"And why wouldn't I?" Tears rolled down Rayana's eyes as she continued yelling. "Have you ever wondered why he is helping you? What benefits would he get helping you? Moreover, he was the one who knew, for sure, that you have evidence! He could've done it too. He lives next to us, for God's sake!"

"If he wanted to take away the evidence, he could've easily taken it with him when we found it but he didn't! He gae it to me. Stop blaming Xavier!" Danielle shouted back, defending Xavier.

Rayana laughed. An emotionless, malice-laced sound. "Oh, so you're now defending him? Over your best friend? Xavier could've given it to you just to earn your trust so that you think he isn't the killer. And when the opportunity presents itself, he ransacks your room for the evidence to destroy it. That way no one would suspect him! Use your brain for once, Danielle!"

Danielle walked upto Rayana, their faces inches apart. "Don't you dare put all blame on Xavier."

Rayana pushed her back and started walking towards the door.

Danielle gaped at her. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"To hell!" Rayana yelled back before the door slammed loudly behind her.

Danielle collapsed on the floor. She drew her legs to her chest and curled up in the ball. Tears started streaming down her face. She wanted to be out of this miserable situation. Never in her entire life had she ever felt this helpless. For the first time, she didn't know where her life was headed to.

There was a soft knock on the door. But in the empty room, it sounded like thunder.

"Go away, Rayana!" Danielle sobbed.

The door opened, quietly as soft footsteps came her way.

"I told you to go away!" Danielle sobbed. "I don't want to see your face!"

"Since I am not Rayana, I hope I am welcome."

She looked up with a start. Xavier stood there, looking down at her with sad and something akin to pity.

Danielle thought she might be a spectacle to see now- curled up in a ball in the middle of a room, surrounded by books and clothes and what not. If it were some other time, she would have felt embarrassed to be caught by Xavier in such a vulnerable state. But right now, she was too exhausted to even feel any emotions, let alone embarrassment.

Xavier laid down beside her on the ground with his face facing the ceiling.

"What are you doing?" Danielle's voice was hoarse from crying.

"Lying down," Xavier answered, simply, not looking at her.

"I can see that." Danielle furrowed her eyebrows. "But why?"

"I thought I would give you some company while you're lying on the floor." Xavier turned towards her and grinned at her.

Danielle couldn't help but crack a smile of her own.

Xavier extended a hand towards her. "Come here."

This time there was no hesitation as she scooted towards him and into his arms. Xavier wrapped his arm around and held her against his side as her head rested on his chest. She could feel his breath on her forehead. One of her arms snaked itself around his torso.

Both of them lay there in silence in each other's arms. Nobody said a word as both their minds were preoccupied with thoughts. Xavier was drawing circles on her back, absentmindedly, lost in his thoughts.  

Danielle was supposed to feel uncomfortable. But she didn't. The feeling of being wrapped in Xavier's arms felt so natural, like something she had been doing for so long that it had become second nature. She felt safe and warm. She felt like coming home.

"Someone broke into my room," Danielle said, quietly.

"I know," he answered, softly. "And from whatever I heard from your shouting match with Rayana, you think it's her and she thinks it's me."

Danielle winced. "We were that loud?"

Xavier chuckled. "I think the whole building heard you two."

Danielle bit her lips to stop herself from chuckling.

The two of them fell silent, again. It was awkward, rather comforting. Danielle felt safe in his arms. The safest she had felt since Arianna's murder. The mere thought of parting away from him seemed unbearable to her.

"You shouldn't have said those things to Rayana." This time Xavier was the one to break the silence. "Even if she is the killer, which I hope she isn't, you still shouldn't have accused her without any proof. You, of all people, should know this the best."

Danielle's eyes widened. She never thought of it this way. Suddenly, a wave of guilt replaced her anger towards Rayana. She knew she messed up and needed to apologise to her as soon as possible.

But for now, she wanted to enjoy her time in Xavier's arms.

"Do you think she is the killer?" Danielle asked.

"Maybe," Xavier answered, running his finger through her hair. "Maybe not."

Danielle sighed. The thought of her best friend turning out to be the killer was horrific. Accusing her of being the killer and the accusation being real were two different things. Even when she accused Rayana, not for a second she believed in it. It was just a suspicion, she had told herself.

But what if Rayana was really the killer? A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of sharing a room with a killer.

Riding herself of these thoughts, she asked Xavier the question that had been bugging her the most. "Who do you think broke in?"

No answer came from him. Only silence.

Danielle waited hoping he would answer. Probably he was thinking. She waited and waited and waited. But there was no answer.

As she was about to give up when Xavier answered. "It could be anyone. It could be the boy from the picture."

Danielle's eyebrows furrowed. "So, how do we find out?"

"We can check the CCTV footage," Xavier answered, still running his fingers through her hair.

"Good idea," she whispered.

Again, they fell silent. This time her focus was on the feel of his fingers against her scalp. Soothing and delicate.

Danielle didn't realise when Xavier's fingers had lulled her to sleep.

SANNAYA!
it's been ages since i updated. i kinda forgot about this. but anyways, i loved writing this chapter so much. ngl but i love danielle and xavier. anyways, do let me know who do you think broke in the room.

also, don't forget to vote and comment!