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CHAPTER 8

Isn't it just ironical that the person who supposedly killed you is now giving your eulogy. Nice.

"Who was Dr. Owen Veatch?" Reverend Mark asks. Easy the man you killed to save your job "I'll tell you who Dr. Owen Veatch was. Dr. Owen Veatch was a man of conviction. Strong conviction. Owen Veatch was a man who had the courage to stand up and say no ."

"That's right. Owen Veatch said no to this college campus becoming a place of divisiveness. Owen Veatch said no to New York College being held hostage by any one group who maintained their beliefs were more correct than any other's. Owen Veatch just said no …"

I'm hardly even listening to him. I scan the gymnasium, but I haven't spotted her. The only familiar person I see sitting three row in front of me is the only one I wished to avoid. Just why did he have to come? Couldn't he have stayed home just this once? But he is her boyfriend.

"And this man, this professional educator, who believed so strongly in his convictions, who strived to make this campus a safe, fair, learning environment for everyone," Reverend Mark goes on, "this man lost his life for his job—a job he dedicated more than half his years to—to the young people of this country. He was there for our children, for over twenty years." I notice that he's young and extremely good looking. I wonder what he did to hush up his early fiascos I read a little earlier. Probably screwed the trustees.

"Revered and admired for his gift of communicating with the youths of today, Dr. Veatch will be sorely missed and his passing deeply mourned," he says. "However, take comfort in the words of our Lord Jesus, as written in John, chapter three, verse fifteen..."

I stifle a yawn. All this stuff bores me to death. I wouldn't say I'm agnostic but I'm not exactly religious either. I believe in God, but I don't have the time nor the patience to find out.

Reverend Mark's eulogy is followed by the choir and I'm getting really restless. Where the hell is she? After the announcement that from now on, the Fischer Hall library will be known as the Owen Leonard Veatch Library I finally hear the words I'm dying to hear "And now, the person with whom Dr. Veatch worked most closely while he was here on campus, the assistant director of Fisher Hall, our own Heather Wells, will say a few words. Heather?"

I instantly turn around to find her making her making her way to the podium. I try to control the laugh threatening to escape. I know, its rude to laugh in such a situation but her face is just priceless. She looks so scared right now. I've seen her more calm after her near death situations. Note to self: Keep my camera with me at all times. I turn towards Alan who looks equally amused grinning ear to ear " Guess you were right" I whisper.

Her gaze falls on me and she smiles hesitantly and I wave back encouragingly

"Hi," she begins queasily. Her voice echoes back many times. "Um…The day I met Dr. Owen Veatch, the first thing he unpacked in his new office at Fischer Hall was a Garfield Month-at-a-Glance calendar." I look up confused. What is she talking about?

"Dr. Veatch, loved Garfield—more, it turned out, than I ever knew. So much, in fact, that he adopted a big orange cat that looked just like him, and named him Garfield. And when that cat developed thyroid disease, what did Dr. Veatch do?" she continues "He didn't worry about the expense of caring for a sick animal, or put him down. He gave Garfield pills for it. That's the kind of man Dr. Veatch was. The kind who loved his cat, Garfield."

I smile. She would obviously mention this fact seeing as she loves animals. I've never met a person who's nicer than her. She sees the best of everyone. But as for her boss, I mean what was he thinking naming his cat Garfield?

"The last time I saw Owen he was sitting at his desk, writing the speech he was going to give the senior RAs at their graduation dinner at the end of the month. Commencement was Owens' favorite school function, he told me, because it was a celebration, he said, of accomplishment. Not just the accomplishments of the students, but the accomplishments of the staff of New York College. Commencement was one of the few concrete proofs Owen had that our efforts were a success. Every senior who graduated from New York College was a personal victory not just for us administrators, but all of the staff of the college." She pauses before going on. "Everyone who pulled together to help the students pass their classes and get their degrees, from the teaching assistants who graded their exams to the custodians who kept their classrooms clean."

I smile broadly. See? I told you she's too nice. I notice Alan smiling back proudly at her.

"I don't know much about what happens to us when we die. I don't know anything about the afterlife. But I do know this. And that's this year, Owen will be sorely missed at New York College's commencement ceremony. But I can't help feeling that he'll be there in spirit…just as he'll always be here, in our hearts."

There is small applause at the end of her speech. I snort indignantly and stand up yelling, "YEAH" and soon everyone joins me and applauds heartily.

Soon after her speech she is cornered by two ladies who look like they don't want to leave for a long time. I'm standing near the punch bowl talking to Tom and Steve about the upcoming match. Well okay1 Tom and Steve are doing that. I'm just staring at her and nodding at them every few minutes pretending to listen.

I watch Alan walk up to her and take her aside. I sigh wishing that she would stay with me, but knowing that she wont. Even if she says no to Tad she'll agree to her dad. Either ways I loose her. Am I destined to watch soppy serials in my old age all alone?

She hugs and how I wish to take his place. I know I sound like a lost love sick puppy. She looks my way suddenly and feel myself going warm by just her heated gaze. God how pathetic can I get? She glares at her Dad's back and I immediately avert my eyes when she turns my way again. I don't want to look like a stalker, after all. When I look back again, subtly of coarse, I see who's joined her. Geez, he's so clingy. Duh! I would be doing the same if I was in his position, protecting her from vultures like me. Well whatever, Its not like she's even listening to him. She's still watching her Dad walk away with narrowed eyes.

She finally breaks out of her stupor and takes his hand, smiling. I'm sure everyone around can see how green I'm going with jealousy. And those of them who can't, will know seeing my rigid stance. My fist are curled up into tight balls, so tight that it hurts a little. Right now he's asking my girl to move in with him.

By look of their, or her face they seem to be arguing. Tad well looks just confused. I smirk a little but it vanishes when I realize that that they could be fighting on the color of their new curtain. Although I know Heather is not that petty. They seem to be They're joined by that women Muffy I met yesterday. Some would call her pretty but in my opinion she doesn't hold a candle next to Heather. She looks beautiful inside out, and without even wearing makeup.

I can't take the suspense anymore. Catching her eyes, I motion her with my fingers. I notice Tad's stare fixed on Muffy's legs. What a perv when he has such a great girlfriend. I guess people just don't realize what they have until they've lost them, including me.

"What," she asks me slightly annoyed.

"What was that all about?" I ask leaving all subtleness, pointing in Tad's direction.

"None of your business," she says. "What do you want?"

"Did he ask you to move in with him?" I pester. "Or not?"

"I told you," she repeats . "None of your business."

"It sort of is my business, as I believe I've pointed out before. But I'll let it go for now. I did a little digging on your guy Reverend Mark when I got home," I say disappointed. Why is she so intent on torturing me. "Nice speech in there, by the way." I mentally sigh in relief for not ruining my chances with her like the last time. God I seriously develop foot and mouth disease when I'm with her. Girls like it when guys compliment them, that's what I read in US Weakly anyways.

"Thank you for clapping like that," she say gratefully. "Really. I mean, Owen was a bit of a stick in the mud, but nobody deserves to go that way."

"Well, Halstead had reason to be scared," I say evenly, ignoring my stupid heart that races every it me she looks me in the eyes. "Maybe even reason enough to kill. He was fired from his last job for 'undisclosed reasons,' and the same thing with the job before that. You know what 'undisclosed reasons' means."

"Sure," she says bitterly. "It means that once again, the HR Department at prestigious New York College didn't check a potential employee's references before hiring him. So what do we do?"

I look up to see the man in question walking towards us, and he looks unhappy. "I don't know, but we better think fast, because he's heading this way. I think he wants to talk to you."

"Oh, I know he wants to talk to me," she says. "I PNG'd him this afternoon. He's probably stinking mad about it."

"Heather" I whisper dragging her ears toward my mouth. I thank my lucky stars for being present here today or I shudder to think her alone with Halstead. But its really difficult to concentrate at the work in hand when her mouth is so close to mine. I wonder for the millionth time what it would be like to kiss those soft inviting lips. I mentally slap myself for my stupidity. Damn hormones. "Whatever you do…do not leave this room with him. Do you understand? Stay where I can see you."

"Okay," she says and I let go immediately before I do anything i might regret.

I maintain a safe distance from them, but the only problem is that i can't hear anything they are saying. She's talking to him so calmly that someone would think she's conversing with a friend and not a murderer. But Halstead doesn't really strike me as a killer or maybe he's just a good. I've learnt now not to question Heather's instincts which are nearly always right.

Why can't I for once in my life time have decent talk with her without being interrupted by overbearing boyfriends, or potential killers? This is just not fair, I grumble. I am drawn out of my musings by a loud yelp. I look around spotting Sebastian being attacked by the same women I saw earlier with Heather. Speaking of her, I turn around from the ongoing drama only to realize she's no longer there. This is when I start to panic.