I've been monitoring the stats and I noticed that some readers are skipping the Leah chapters. From here on out, The two perspectives come together and the story will not make sense if you continue to skip.
Nessie may have agreed to stick to campus events, but as far as she was concerned, fraternity parties were school-endorsed social events. They even checked student IDs at the door before allowing anyone to enter.
Nessie walked down Greek Row with BIT's new members—minus Lindsey. Most of the girls in the group were wearing provocative clothing and heavy makeup. Lexi's blush stood out from the rest of her makeup. It looked fine from the front, but from the side, the distinct circular blotches on her cheeks resembled that of a clown.
Only Zoe was granted one of the coveted wristbands denoting she was over 21. Every single frat seemed to be having some kind of gathering. Sig Chi refused to let anyone enter unless they knew somebody in the frat. The group was able to get into Lambda but left quickly after assessing the cramped party room. Theta had potential. They only allowed women in for free, men were subjected to a $5 entry fee. Nessie looked around the party room at the college students. Most held identical cans of alcohol, even if they weren't wearing wristbands.
The only Solo cups she saw were used for a game of beer pong. Nessie watched a girl expertly toss her ping pong ball into a cup. The opposing player removed the ball from the cup of water and set it aside.
Nessie looked around to try and find the source of the alcohol. She spotted a pair of guys manning a bar stacked high with boxes of Natural Light.
"Do you guys want a drink?" Nessie asked. The girls made their way to the bar. The boys handed them cans without checking for wristbands. Nessie eagerly opened her can, curious to know what all the hype was about. She sniffed the contents. She had no idea how it could be considered appealing, but then again, it wasn't uncommon for her to find human food disgusting. She convinced herself the smell must be deceiving. Surely this beverage must be good if humans were willing to violate the law to obtain and consume it. Nessie eagerly took a huge gulp of the liquid, expecting a taste comparable to ambrosia or human blood.
Nessie had never been more disappointed in her life. She gagged at the taste, which was somehow even worse than the smell.
Nessie followed her sorority sisters around the frat house, mimicking their actions, dancing as they did while slowly forcing herself to down the contents of the can she held. She assessed how she felt, but she didn't notice any discernable difference as a result of the alcohol.
Nessie didn't understand the appeal of the party atmosphere. The music was loud and the room smelled like beer and body odor. The other girls were singing along to the music, but she didn't recognize most of the songs.
It wasn't long before she was over it. She hung out along the wall and watched the crowd. Erica joined her, prattling on about some obscure webcomic she'd found on Tumblr. Nessie nodded along without hearing a single word she said.
Nessie spotted another group of girls from the sorority including Janis, Charlotte, and Sage. Charlotte stood out in the crowd with her crutches. The two groups merged together. Janis suggested they move on to the next party. Nessie wondered if she'd been forgotten, but Zoe made eye contact with her across the room and waved her and Erica over. With each step, Nessie's shoes attached and detached to the sticky floor.
As they walked outside, Nessie saw a familiar shape lurking deep in the woods behind the fraternity house. No one else was able to see the large reddish-brown wolf in the shadows.
Are you following me? Nessie projected her thoughts.
Jacob responded with a guilty whine, barely audible over the roaring music from the houses.
Nessie filled with rage. You've got to be kidding me! Go home, Jacob. I'm not in any danger.
He dipped his head and slunk away. Nessie didn't relax. She wondered if Bella had put him up to it. That was definitely something she would do. Bella knew Nessie was far more forgiving of Jacob when it came to the pair's shared overbearing obsession with her safety. Then again, Bella was a student herself so nothing was stopping her from going to the party herself. Nessie knew Jacob wouldn't stick around now that he was caught, but she spent the rest of the night looking over her shoulder, wondering if her parents were nearby watching her or monitoring her thoughts.
The girls saw that the Sig Chi doorman was distracted and took the opportunity to sneak in to their exclusive party. Nessie thought the party was no different than any of the others, though the older members deemed the playlist to be inferior.
The night started to wind down as the fraternities ran out of alcohol. The Betas started to head back towards their sorority house.
"Hey, what about SAE?" asked Lexi as they passed their fraternity house. "We haven't been there yet."
The older members fell silent.
"It's fine," Charlotte answered. "You're not missing anything."
Lexi was oblivious to the change in atmosphere. "We should check it out anyway. It's the only one I haven't been to."
"Not tonight," Janis said, eyeing a disheveled Kevin entering the house through the back door.
Lexi seemed confused but she was quickly distracted.
The girls were laughing and carrying on as they entered the sorority house.
"Shhh," Charlotte stage whispered. "People are sleeping."
They did their best to lower their voices with varying levels of success. Cynthia, who had been watching a movie in the main living room, stood up to retrieve glasses of water for the drunk girls.
Sage collapsed onto a couch and Grace sat down beside her. They took the cups of water gratuitously.
Nessie found a corner mostly obscured from the other girls' view and took a seat on the ground to send Jacob an angry text. She was still furious about his snooping.
The partying girls started to wind down and go their separate directions. Charlotte and Cynthia went to their beds upstairs and Lexi walked back to the dorms with Erica.
"What's the story with SAE?" Grace asked.
Nessie heard Zoe suggesting an explanation, sharing SAE's nickname.
"There's more to it than that," Sage said. "The president is a rapist."
Sage's words caught Nessie's attention. Wasn't Kat's ex the president?
"Yikes," Zoe said in surprise. This short answer seemed to be enough for her. Grace, on the other hand, pressed for the gossip.
"We had a mixer at Pike's last year—this was before they lost their house," Sage started to explain. "A guy from SAE showed up and roofied one of our members."
Grace gasped.
"She wasn't roofied at our event," Janis hopped in the conversation to set the record straight. "Our event had already ended. After 11, the event is over and anyone can show up. Most of us had left by then."
"Is she okay?" Zoe asked.
"She's fine now," Sage answered. "But she gets upset when people talk about it. So don't let her know we told you."
"Wait, so one of our members was raped by the president of SAE?" Grace asked.
"Definitely," Janis answered, "but she's so far up his ass, she refuses to say a word against him."
"I take it you don't like her?" Zoe inferred.
"I can't stand her," Janis launched into a rant. "She doesn't tell anybody anything. I was the social chair last year, so obviously, when something happens after one of my events, I need to know the details so it doesn't happen again. There was nothing I could do since the event was technically over. She already got our chapter shut down once, if we get in trouble again, we're done."
"Wait what?" Zoe exclaimed.
"I haven't heard this story either, I'm only a sophomore," Sage said.
"Oh yeah," Janis nodded. "Those of us who didn't disaffiliate were sworn to secrecy because the university would only let us stay if we promised not to retaliate. She and I both rushed freshmen year. Everybody knows that everyone hazes, but as long as nobody gets hurt, the university looks away. Our chapter used to lock pledges in the basement overnight. She started freaking out for no reason. Her ex—this was before they broke up—called the cops and claimed we were holding her hostage. She dropped and Nationals shut us down. She rushed again last fall, and we gave her another bid."
"I had heard that SAE got us shut down, I didn't know it was over Kat," Sage responded.
"She never should have gotten another bid," Janis grumbled.
"It sounds like the boyfriend is the problem," Zoe defended. "It's not fair to blame her. You guys shouldn't have been hazing."
"It was basically a big slumber party, it was a great bonding experience. If you think that's bad, you should hear what the other sororities do," Janis defended.
"I get what you're saying, Zoe, we all went rid of him and there's nothing we can do," Sage said. "Every time she goes to him, she comes back with new injuries and she gets mad at us if we say anything."
"You're getting mad at her for being stuck in an abusive relationship," Zoe was getting heated. "I don't think she's the one who shouldn't have gotten a bid."
"We've all tried to help her," Janis said. "There's nothing we can do. During my freshman year, his pledge dad went missing literally the same day she was shot. If she doesn't kill herself, it's only a matter of time before he does and the rest of us are going to be left to pick up the pieces. Do yourself a favor and stay away so you don't get hurt in the crossfire."
"Are you saying he killed someone? Or she did?" Grace said. "How do you know?"
"She hooked up with Chad immediately after their breakup, it doesn't take a forensics expert to connect the dots," Janis said.
"I heard she was cheating," Sage said.
"Either way, he's a freaking murderer and a rapist," Janis continued. "He used to have to go to one of those camps for troubled teens so who knows what else he's done. That's literally where they met."
"Why wasn't he arrested?" Grace asked.
"Ha," Janis laughed sarcastically. She launched into a rant about the biases of the campus police.
Nessie heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She couldn't see who entered, but the arrival caused the other girls to change subjects.
Nessie stood up from her spot and walked past the women towards the door.
"Oh hey," said Zoe when she saw her, "I thought you went back to the dorms."
"No, not yet," Nessie responded. "I'm texting my friend for a ride."
"Alright, sounds good," said Janis.
Nessie thought about who she could tell about the information she learned. Her parents? No, they'd just tell her to stay out of human affairs. The police? Clearly, he'd already been interrogated and they'd found nothing. Jacob? After tonight, Nessie wanted to give him the silent treatment for a few days out of pettiness. After mulling over her options, she decided Kat's safety trumped her personal grudge.
She looked out the front window into the street as the phone rang. He answered on the first ring.
"Nes, I'm so sorry," Jacob's words spilled out. "I know I overstepped. I—"
"Yeah, I know. I don't want to hear it," she cut him off. "I have a job for you."
"Anything," Jacob promised.
"It involves following an unsuspecting girl around, but I'm sure that won't be an issue," Nessie told him everything that she'd learned.
"Alright, I'm pretty sure Seth knows," Jacob caught Nessie up to speed on the failed double date. "But I can pass the information along to Seth in the morning."
"I don't think this should wait," Nessie argued.
"Holly's driving Kat to the sorority house now," Jacob said. "She'll make sure Kat gets home safely."
As soon as he said that, Nessie saw a car pulling up to the sorority house.
"She just got here, I'll talk to you later," Nessie tapped the End Call button and shoved the iPhone in her pocket.
Kat stepped out of the car. Kevin appeared out of nowhere, charging her like a bull. Holly immediately put the car in park and leaped out of the driver's seat. She was wearing a shirt that resembled a sports jersey with BIT sewn on in large block letters across the front. Nessie was out the door, moving too fast.
Kevin intercepted Kat about halfway up the walkway. "What do you think you're doing?" he snarled in her face.
Nessie wedged herself between the two of them, forcing Kevin back. She could smell his blood. It wasn't flowing now, but it was fresh.
"You caught me, I went to the bar," Kat said dramatically. "Bite me."
Nessie saw Holly racing around her car to her trunk.
"You're a heartless coward," Kevin snarled. Neither of them seemed to notice Nessie between them.
"Oh, I'm heartless? That's rich coming from you," she retorted. She turned back to the sorority house.
"Don't walk away from me," Kevin said. He reached out to grab Kat, but Nessie caught his wrist. She could feel his sleeve was damp with blood under her touch. He was surprised by her steal grip.
"Hey," roared Holly as she slammed the trunk. The surprise in Kevin's eye changed to true fear as he took in the baseball bat in Holly's hands. He let out an oath and pulled away from Nessie. She let him go and he bolted down the street. Nessie was surprised by his speed; she'd never seen a human move so fast before. She made a mental note so she could use him as a frame of reference the next time she needed to pretend to be human while running. Holly chased after him without hesitation.
Nessie followed Kat to the door. Sabrina was suddenly there, helping Kat inside.
"I've got her," Sabrina said to Nessie. "Do you need someone to walk you back to the dorms?"
"I'm fine," Nessie replied. She had no intention of going back to the dorms.
"Okay, goodnight, Nessie," Sabrina said, her attention was back on Kat.
Nessie walked down the street in the direction of the fleeing frat boy. She met a defeated Holly returning to her car.
"Did you catch him?" Nessie asked. Holly shook her head.
"He's fast. He won't be coming back tonight," Holly assured her. "Do you need a ride?"
Nessie shook her head. Holly may have been too slow, but Nessie was faster. His scent emanated from the sidewalk. She waited for Holly to return to her car before she started her tracking. Nessie followed the scent down Greek Row. She kept her pace slow, maintaining a normal human speed as if she were on her way back from a party. A handful of partygoers were walking along the street, all dressed similarly to her. The street was well traversed, Kevin's scent mixed with the others.
She used the blood on her hand as a reference as she followed his path. The trail divulged from the sidewalk into a narrow walkway next to SAE's house. The walkway was blocked by a fence that she assumed Kevin had scaled. Judging by the scent trail, this was the point where Holly had turned back.
Nessie glanced at her surroundings. A group of drunken girls were watching her from across the street. She stayed on the sidewalk and passed the walkway to avoid concerning the girls. She turned into the SAE house; their party was still ongoing but the doorman had abandoned his post.
She made her way to the party room, largely the same as the others. A couple couches were pushed against the walls. Colorful lights made circles on the ceiling. The room was far below capacity. She only saw a couple of guys who looked to be in the fraternity. She spotted Lexi on the dancefloor. Erica was sitting on the ground nearby, petting a dog that belonged to one of the fraternity members.
Nobody seemed to be paying any mind to her, but she ducked into a stairwell before she was recognized. As she crept up the stairs, she glanced at the composites along the wall. She stopped when she saw the one from two years ago. She examined the faces, wondering which of the men was Kevin's previous victim.
She continued on upstairs to the sleeping quarters. It was easy to find Kevin's room, his pungent odor filled the hallway. To her surprise, his door was unlocked. She pressed the door open and crept inside. The smells of weed and axe body spray were suffocating. Kat's odor mingled faintly amongst the stench. The room was in disarray. Clothes were scattered across the floor and covered the desk chair.
A shotgun shell sat innocuously by the leg of the desk.
Renesmee approached the desk. There were several photos pinned to the wall above the desk. There was one man whose face appeared in every photo. She recognized him from the composite: Chadrick Borowski.
She heard voices coming up the stairs. She froze. She had nowhere to go. She darted into the closet and hid behind the clothes.
She heard Kevin's angry voice as he ranted.
"He's as good as dead," Kevin growled. "She thinks she can replace me. She'll never be able to have what we have."
He stormed into the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He continued ranting to himself. "I'm the only one. If she can't see that, I need to stop her one way or another."
Nessie held her breath and waited for the murderer to leave. He never did. He settled into his desk chair and put on a headset. She didn't dare move. Both the window and the door would be visible in his peripheral vision. She watched as he played a violent video game, occasionally hurling insults at the monitor. She listened to his callous words. He had no empathy for the other players as he snarled at the screen.
The smell of his blood on her hand was absolutely irresistible as it permeated the tight space.
Eventually, the house fell silent as the party came to an end and the hosts made their way to their beds. Even Kevin hung up his headset and went to bed.
His breathing evened as slipped into deep sleep. She crept out of her hiding spot and made her way to his bed. Even in sleep, his face had the traces of an angry scowl.
Renesmee thought about the rant she had witnessed and tried to make sense of his words. Was he really so deluded that he believed murder was a better option? How sad to see hate take hold in his heart, causing him to lose his humanity—twisting him into a monster.
She and Holly had stopped him today, but what about tomorrow? It was only a matter of time before Kevin slipped through the cracks, especially if Kat was working against herself to get to him.
She heard his heart quicken and his breathing grew more ragged. She backed away as he fidgeted in his sleep.
"It's me," he muttered. He tossed and turned. "Please, it's me. Don't do this."
She listened intently, trying to decipher his dream. He bolted upright with a yelp. She ducked back behind the clothes.
He jumped up from the bed and left the room. She followed close behind, keeping her back to the wall. He exited out the back door and lit a cigarette. Nessie slipped past him and crouched behind a dumpster.
He pulled out his smartphone and opened a contact. Kat's name was in large letters across the top of the screen. His finger hovered over the call button. With a sigh, he clicked the phone off and shoved it back in his pocket.
Now was her chance. She could put a stop to him before it was too late.
Nessie knew her decision would not go unnoticed by Alice. Her aunt may not be able to know what she was planning to do, but she could always tell when Nessie's decisions impacted everyone. The entire future became difficult to see.
Nessie knew she would have to execute her plan soon before Alice could unravel the source of the chaos that this would surely cause in her vision.
She let herself slip into a crouch. She lurked forward—like he was an elk. She needed to lure him away from the house.
She used her gift to whisper in his ear.
She imagined Kat's voice emanating from the woods.
Kevin, she thought.
Kevin looked up in search of the source of the sound.
"Kat?" He called out in confusion. He walked towards the woods.
She repeated the action, luring him into the forest.
He looked down at his phone and furrowed his brow.
He opened the contact again, this time pressing the call button. Nessie cursed herself for not stopping him.
"Kevin?" Kat's voice said through the phone.
"Hey," Kevin said in a soft voice. "Where are you?"
"I'm asleep in my bed," she responded while yawning.
"Okay, just checking," Kevin said.
"Are the dreams bothering you again?" she asked.
"No, I mean yeah, but it's fine," he said. "I thought I heard something... I think I'm going crazy."
"They're not real," Kat promised. "I would never hurt you. I still love you."
Kevin took a deep breath before responding. "I needed to hear that."
"About tonight," Kat began.
"I don't want to fight about this again," Kevin interrupted. "Not now."
"I just want you to know I'm not trying to replace you," Kat said. "I promise."
"You need me," Kevin added.
"I know," Kat said.
They stayed on the phone for a minute without saying anything.
"I'm going back to sleep," Kat said.
"Okay," Kevin said. With a click, the phone went silent. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and turned back towards the house.
Nessie couldn't let him leave. Time to try a new approach.
Run, she thought.
Kevin spun around in a circle. "Who said that?"
She's coming, Nessie sent images of Holly, armed with her baseball bat.
The image sent Kevin whirling. He bolted, deeper into the woods, exactly as Nessie wanted. She egged him on, away from his house and any other potential witness.
Kevin collapsed on the ground, unable to run any further. Nessie climbed up a tree and watched him from above.
"Who are you?" Kevin looked around at the empty space. "What do you want from me?"
She jumped down from her perch, landing directly beside him. She grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against a tree. All his former rage was gone. He was just a scared boy. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He struggled futilely against her grip. She could see the fear in his eyes. Her own reflection stared back at her.
Was she really going to do this? Murder a boy? Barely more than a child…
No. He was not a child. He was an abuser and a murderer.
But after this, wouldn't she be a murderer, too?
This was different.
Only one of them was a risk to kill again.
She was protecting Kat. She had to do this. She couldn't just stand by and watch when her friend was on the tracks. She had to pull the lever.
She sunk her teeth into his jugular.
She let out a soft moan as the taste flooded her senses. It had been years since she tasted human blood. It was every bit as delicious as she remembered.
A sharp yelp interrupted her thoughts. She dropped her prey and twisted around to protect her back. The body fell to the ground. A huge sandy wolf collided with her. Shoving her away from her meal. The wolf threw his head back and howled into the night sky.
Chapter Playlist:
Mo Bamba - Sheck Wes - Sig Chi
No Hands - Waka Flocka Flame - Theta
Gangnam Style - PSY - Lambda
Fergalicious - Fergie - Charlotte
Get Low - Lil Jon - Lexi
Every Breath You Take - The Police - Jacob
Die Young - Kesha - Renesmee
Run Boy Run - Woodkid - Kevin
