Lilith had been working in the library for a few hours now. She was trying to figure out how to build low power networks to function and communicate without the need for batteries. Lilith was in her last year of university studying computer engineering. It had been a dream of hers and the day she got accepted into Brown University was a memorable one.

"Hey babe, you almost done?" Emerson had finally found Lilith after searching for her throughout the library.

She smiled at him. "Yup I think that's enough research for today." Lilith placed back a book she was reading and took Emerson's hand. "What shall we eat for lunch?"

Lilith and Emerson had met their first year at university. It was at a party, complete with buzzed out college students from around the campus. It was a match made in heaven. Emerson caught Lilith's gaze from the other side of the room. He approached her and they exchanged phone numbers. From then on it's been wonderful, Lilith thought.

"I think Chipotle sounds good. I've been craving it for a while."

Lilith looked at Emerson and scoffed. "Really? You had it last night."

"Your point?" Emerson smiled and Lilith couldn't help but laugh.

The year was coming to an end and no one was more ready to graduate than Lilith. She had planned out her future since the day she could talk. It was all written in her journal she had titled "Dreams," with heart and flower stickers surrounding its borders.

"I will get into Brown University if it's the last thing I'll do, and I'll do anything to get in." She had happily written in her journal on her first day of high school. Although it sounded rather odd when she said it that way, surely she didn't really mean anything by it.

She had also written, "I will have an attractive and well-established boyfriend in uni, whom I will promptly marry after graduating with a bachelor's in computer science." At that time Lilith had wanted to major in computer science rather than computer engineering. She had changed her mind in her second year and immediately crossed out "science" and wrote on top of it "engineering."

Nevertheless, she had pretty much-done everything she had written since then. Now she was waiting for Emerson to pop the big question. Lilith thought of their wedding as she scarfed down her chicken salad.

It would be magical, she thought. Friends and family would talk about it for years to come. Her dress would not be obnoxiously white, but instead a soft and warm white. It would take place somewhere in Italy (because they could afford it) and would have only the most expensive wines and appetizers served. Lilith would want nothing less.

Suddenly, Emerson's phone vibrated on the table and he quickly picked it up. Upon seeing who had messaged him he shoved the last bit of his burrito into his mouth and stood up.

"Sorry babe, it's Daniel again. He wants to compare notes for like the billionth time this week."

"Can't it wait?" Lilith said as she ate the last piece of chicken left on her plate.

"Nah, he's been in a pissy mood lately. I'll make it up to you though, later tonight, I'll meet you at your dorm."

Emerson quickly kissed her forehead and left the Chipotle. That was lousy of him, but she didn't think anything of it. Instead, Lilith made her way to her friend Jess's room.

"Sup bitch," Jess said as she laid down her blunt on her bedside table.

Lilith pinched her nose. "Ugh, do you have to smoke every hour of every day?"

"It's doctor's orders. A blunt a day keeps the anxiety away," Jess laughed. "Where's Emerson? He owes me six bucks."

"He went to help Daniel, and what does he owe you six bucks for?"

"Something about forgetting his wallet and needing a refill of his Juul pods or something."

Lilith had always hated Emerson's Juul addiction. She had tried constantly to get him to quit but it just never seemed to work. She had written in her journal, "I will get my boyfriend to be nicotine-free before we get married." She had yet to succeed in doing so.

Lilith sat down on Jess's bed. "Juul pods don't cost six dollars."

Jess shrugged her shoulders. "He probably had an extra four bucks in his pocket. How's your research paper coming?"

"I'm so close to finishing. The circuits in the system don't-"

"I'm gonna have to cut you off there," Jess took the blunt and exhaled a white puff, "I don't wanna know the details to all that computer crap."

Jess seemed like a shitty friend. She totally was, but she was helping Lilith in history, somehow her weakest subject. As Lilith was about to continue, the door sprang open.

"Hey dude, dump that shit out, the RA says she could smell it a mile away! She's coming to kick your ass out."

It was Esmeralda—Esme for short—Jess's roommate, and a friend of Lilith from math club.

Jess quickly threw away her blunt. "Fuck, she's been trying to kick me out since day one. Stupid bitch."

"Hey Lilith, when did you get here?" Esme said as she sat down beside her.

"Not too long ago. I was actually about to leave, I might go look for Emerson."

"'Kay, oh and don't forget we have a meeting on Friday to announce the new cabinet."

Lilith nodded and stood up. Jess was frantically trying to make the odor go away, opening the window and spraying perfume.

Esme angrily shook her head and said, "Stop spraying that shit, it smells ten times worse now."

"Shut up hoe, I'm not trying to get kicked out on my last year of school."

Lilith couldn't help but laugh at their banter as she left the room. She was met with the RA right as she closed the door.

"Hey, Lilith."

"Hi, Becca."

"Any unusual activity I need to know about in there?"

"Not that I can think of, other than Jess being as messy as usual."

Becca took one long look at their door and then shrugged. "Well if you say so."

Becca had decided not to investigate their room solely on Lilith's alibi. Lilith was someone everyone trusted. She had gained the trust of many of her peers throughout her school life. There was truly no reason for her to lie. Well, that was what they thought anyway.

"Are you heading to lunch?" Lilith asked as they walked in the same direction.

"Yeah, I've been sitting in the lounge studying all day. I had heard from two freshmen that they were getting a weird smell coming from one of the rooms. I quickly assumed it was Jess."

"I can understand why, but I think Jess is trying to make a change in her life. As she graduates uni, it's her responsibility now to make wiser decisions." Everything Lilith said was a complete lie. She didn't, for a single second, believe that Jess would ever be anything more than a pothead. How she had made it this far was a mystery to her.

"That's good to hear, at least. I know she hates me, but I couldn't care less. I'm just doing my job."

And what a lousy job she was doing, Lilith thought.

"Well, I think you're doing a sumptuous job." Lilith smiled.

"Thanks, at least someone thinks so."

Lilith and Becca both said their goodbyes and parted ways. She wondered if Emerson was done helping Daniel yet. She wanted to talk to him about what they'd do after graduation. Obviously, Lilith already knew what she wanted to do after she graduated. As she wrote, "After graduating, I plan on researching software at the same university. I will also have an apartment with my boyfriend where we'll make many wonderful memories." She giggled to herself knowing that this was all going to come to fruition. As she walked down the narrow path to the boys' dorm, she ran into an old friend.

"Hello, August."

"Hey, what're you up to?" August parked his bike right beside her. They had known one another from high school. She had hoped August would ask her to be his girlfriend, but he never did. Probably for the better. Don't ask why.

She smiled. "I was just going to meet up with Emerson right now. He's been helping one of his friends."

"Ah, I see. Um, are you anxious to graduate? I'm just itching to leave." He laughed.

"Me too. I can't believe we've known each other for so long."

"I know, time flies by. Anyway, have you heard about the murders going on around Providence?"

"Murders?"

"Yeah, it's crazy. They've been like nonstop."

"Huh, I hadn't checked the news lately. I've been busy researching. It sounds horrible."

There had been rumors that a mad man killer was on the loose. It had been going on for about a month now, but Lilith had paid no attention to it. All she was worried about was graduating.

"I'll walk you to the dorm just to make sure nothing happens. It's been pretty quiet around here lately."

"Thank you. I agree, it's probably because they're all at the library. It was packed earlier this morning."

"Yeah, probably."

There was a silence that Lilith absolutely despised. It wasn't so much she hated being around August, it was more about how she was left alone in her own thoughts. There always had to be something else to think about, or else she would...

"Do you know which room he's in?" They had stopped right in front of the dorms. She had been lost in thought, completely not herself.

"Uh, yeah.."

"You okay?"

Lilith shook off the feeling of something being wrong.

"Yup, I've just had a lot on my mind lately." She chuckled.

"Okay, well take it easy. Don't push yourself too hard. Stay safe!"

August got on his bike and rode away while she waved to him. Before Lilith would go inside, she took a small walk around the back of the building. There was something, she thought, she had to see. As she made her way to a quiet and darker area, she began to hear voices.

"Will you come by tonight?"

It was a girl.

"I can't, you know that."

It was a boy.

A voice Lilith knew too well. She crept over where the large garbage containers were and hid behind them. She peeked and saw her worst possible nightmare. It was Emerson. Kissing a girl Lilith did not know.

There was something in her brain that clicked. But she did something unusual at that moment. Something no one could really understand unless they knew who Lilith truly was.

Lilith was now completely hidden from the couple. She held her mouth as she tried very hard to hold back her laughter.

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