I wake up and yawn. I sit up in my bed and hope for a second it was all a very realistic nightmare. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. My childhood teddy bear isn't hidden in my bookshelf. I never kissed Ace. I barely know who Winnie is. Maybe Heather isn't...

     " DIAMOND ! "

Jackie barges in, crying. She throws herself onto my bed and grabs my arms, curling up in a ball next to me while sobbing uncontrollably.

     " J-jackie ..? What is it ..? "

Jackie never cries, just like me. Sniffling, she mutters.

     " M-most everyone's m-mad here ... "

     " Huh ? "

     " It's H-heather ... She ... They ... Her ... Someone k-killed... Someone murdered her, Diamond. " She looks into my eyes, hers became yellow through her tears. Jackie has the ability to shape-shift, but it's diluted since the Cheshire Cat is her grandfather and her father is human. Basically, she can only change one or two things about her appearance simultaneously and for a limited amount of time.

Nevertheless, the last time I saw her eyes turn yellow was ten years ago. I'll never forget that day. I was walking back to our dorm, our classes were over for the day, when Heather texted me that Jackie had vanished again. Earlier that week, our best friend had started to skip classes and no one could find her for about an hour before she'd pop up somewhere. Since it wasn't peculiar anymore, I decided to go on with my life. That's how I found out where she was going all this time. On my way to the bathroom, I saw a shadow running across the football field and going towards the hedges positioned all around it. Jackie was hiding behind those to have a good cry, away from everybody, while listening to depressing music. When I asked her what was happening in her life that made her so gloomy, her eyes turned yellow. She told me that her mother, Chelsea, and her father got into a huge fight which ended with her hitting her husband in the head with a baseball bat. I always knew that woman wasn't mentally stable, I mean, how could she be ? She's directly related to someone from Wonderland, aka the Land of Madness. But, mental by genetics or not, what the Cheshire Cat's daughter had done wasn't right, or legal, on Earth. Basically, her mother was on trial that week and her father was oscillating between life and death. Sadly, she learnt that morning that he passed away. To make things worse, the charges against the new widow were dropped. To this day, I don't think even Jackie knows exactly how Chelsea was declared innocent in court.

I'm not even sure how I should react. I guess letting my emotions take over partly is the best way to not look shady ...

     " Someone did what ..? " I stammer, my lower lip trembling. I can feel my already extremely pale skin whitening from shock. Perfect.

Once I've changed out of my pyjamas, the school's psychologist takes us, all of Heather's roommates, to "one of her private offices". I've never noticed it before, probably because it's hidden behind a waterfall near the Olympic-sized swimming pool. About ten waterfalls flow into it, it's actually brilliant to hide rooms behind those seemingly decorative water sources. The "private office" is literally a furnished cave. A few colorful crystals come out of the rock walls but only the blue ones glow, lighting up the room. Blue is the color of calm and serenity, right ..? Maybe that has something to do with it. Or, maybe just maybe, Miss Goldilocks is trying to keep us from freaking out at the sight of the menacing cops and detectives who are waiting for us when we come in. Jackie and I sit on one of the cushion-covered stone benches, the two brothers take the other. An Asian woman, while stepping forward, tells us.

     " I know you just heard some devastating news, but we need you to answer some questions. If you don't, our chances of catching whoever is guilty of this horrendous crime will be seriously diminished. "

I stare at her spotless badge, shining even in the dimly lit cave. She removes her hands from inside the pockets of her loose jade-colored coat to motion at one of the police officers standing behind her. He scribbles something in his notebook with a pen.

     " You. When was the last time you saw Heather ? "

     " Yesterday, after our last class ended... " Jake answers, looking more troubled than his brother. The inspector turns to his brother.

     " What about you ? "

     " Same. I barely knew Heather, ma'am. "

     " And what about you ? "

     " Diamond was the last one to see her, they left the dorm together after the three of us spoke with her. "

     " Interesting... Is that true ? "

     " Yeah. " I swallow nervously and she snaps her fingers at the man who was taking notes.

Miss Goldilocks asks my roommates to leave, four officers follow them out. The detective sits down at the desk.

     " My name is Hua Yaling, but you shall call me Ms. Hua or Detective Hua. Considering you were the last person to be in contact with Heather, anything you have to say could be extremely helpful or crucial in this investigation. Let's start with something simple, tell me exactly what happened yesterday when you last saw the deceased. "

     " Alright... " My voice is a bit shaky, but I manage to stabilize it along the way. " Heather bought herself a cotton candy flavoured latte ... At the school's cafeteria. She then told me ... She wanted to go for a walk in The Forest. I didn't want to go, so I headed for the library and ... That's when I last saw her. "

     " The drink you described was found spilled in the grass, on a path leading to where her body was found. Was Heather disliked by your peers ? "

     " Not at all, she was always really nice with people. " I keep my answers short and simple. I've got to be careful not to say anything that could get us in trouble or lead the detectives onto us.

     " I see. Did she start acting strangely or make a new acquaintance recently ? "

     " Not at all. " Should I lie to a highly skilled investigator who's trying to solve my best friend's murder ? Only to save Satan's son and protect Winnie ..? " She didn't meet anyone new, Jake and Ace moved into our dorm, but she knew them before. " I'm shameless. I can't even believe I'm doing this right now.

     " Alright, Diamond, my team will search your rooms and you might be brought in here again for questioning later in the week. I'll leave you to think and grieve properly. I promise, I will do everything in my power to bring your friend's murderer to justice, with my fellow officers and detectives. Also, if you remember any information or need the law to intervene ... " Yaling reaches into her coat, takes a piece of paper out and hands it to me. " This is my card, use it. "

Once I've thanked her, Miss Goldilocks escorts me out of her office. I follow her, looking at the card. It's printed on thick red paper and the words " Hua Yaling, Private and Police Detective ", along with oriental-styled embellishments, are in gold ink. I slide it into one of my jeans' back pockets.

     " Now, Diamond, you won't have to attend any of your classes today. We'll start by having a quick session with your roommates and another one face-to-face. Don't forget, your mental health is everything to me. Also, I thought you might want to know that ... " The psychologist's sentence is interrupted by the noisy clicking of heels and a ruffling sound. I turn around and my heart stops beating in my chest.

     " DIAMOND, MY DARLING ! "

The Sugar Plum Fairy hugs me, sobbing. She backs away, sniffling. Pink tears are running from her chocolate colored eyes and down her porcelain skin cheeks. Polar bear cubs with pastel fur carry the train of her extravagant yet elegant lavender and baby pink dress. She waves her perfectly manicured hand and colorful fireflies fly out of her long ombré purple and pink hair. They dry her tears and magically merge into her lace-up heels once they're done. The ruler of the Land of Sweets tells me.

     " Oh, my poor little dear, you've heard the horrific news haven't you ?! I still can't believe anyone could have done this to my beautiful Heather ... My perfect little baby, oh ! She was so nice and ... She was always telling me how those idiotic humans were wrong about portraying me as an evil spirit in that stupid 2018 movie ... And now she's gone ! " She bawls dramatically, wiping her nose with one of her polar bears. Heather's mother was always quite, um, extravagant. However, it's the first time I see her over-reacting with another emotion than joy. I don't know what to answer, this is way too hard : facing Heather's mother after protecting the murderer of her daughter ..?!