"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing," Nicole scowls.

"Oh, you are," Irène laughs as she stands up, her heels making a clacking sound on the floor.

"What are you doing here?" I ask with an unintentional edge to my voice.

I'm not mad at her but she keeps disappearing and appearing however she pleases, without ever explaining anything.

"Didn't you miss me? That's no way to greet a friend."

Nicole laughs. "Friend? I don't think so."

"Was I speaking to you?" Irène asks with a neutral face despite her intimidating words.

"Whore." Nicole mutters under her breath and I slightly shove her arm to get her to stop.

"I've been called worse." Irène walks to her and Nicole instinctively takes a step backward.

This is probably because of James, considering the last months he used to push her around.

A wave of guilt floods my mind and I can't shake off the feeling that I didn't do enough for her, maybe if I had-

I could have done nothing to James but he could have done way worse to me, he tried numerous times.

"Who sends videos of them having sex- to a stranger? You are literally a whore."

I still flinch when I hear certain words, it's a trigger that will never go away.

"Nicole, stop." I cut her off. Irène is my friend after all and I cannot stand hearing Nicole saying such things.

"No, Vero, let her continue, I'm entertained." Irène laughs as she unzips her red backpack — so it is hers and she will sleep right above Nicole.

Could it get worse?

"Maybe it's better if I take that bed," I speak and they both shoot daggers at me.

"You can't be possibly defending her after what she did to me."

"She opened your eyes when Louis and I tried for years." I glance at Irène and she seems amused, maybe she just did it for her glee. "You can't attack Irène for what James did, it's always everyone's fault but his..."

Nicole insulted everyone who tried to help her, and when she finally had proof that he is a piece of shit, she never attacked him, instead, she told him she loves him but has to let him go.

Nicole scoffs, soon after she turns her back on me and leaves.

"So dramatic," Irène cuts in.

"Shut up."

"Ouch."

"There is no need to act the way you did, just try to not talk to her," I say.

"I helped her, she should be thanking me."

"With a sex tape? Are you insane? She loved him, of course she can't thank you."

I don't know who I am defending anymore, I understand both points but Irène only "helped" Nicole because she wanted revenge on James, for me.

"How's it going with your little boyfriend?" she asks and I instinctively touch my necklace Derek gave me.

He gifted it to me — again — after we slept together, he said he went to get it back from the woods when I overdosed, it took him hours to find it.

"Ah, still in prison?" she asks when she understands I'm not going to reply.

"You only made James more furious, one more reason to frame us."

"James didn't frame you, you are so stupid if you think he did."

I roll my eyes, "then who? Olivia?"

"Alexander."

"No. He didn't, he was with us the entire time. We are friends," I defend him. "Do you even have any proof or is it just your trust issues?"

"Ouch, you are calling me out too much today, Vero, I mean- it's true."

I smile, of course.

"What are you going to do when I prove you I'm right?"

"I'm going to not believe you," I admit. I've known Alexander for almost two years, despite everything, he is a close friend now, way closer than Irène. He doesn't like Derek but he would never do that to me.

"You are so much like Nicole, it's pathetic."

I try to ignore her, but deep down I know it's somewhat accurate.

"He is only sticking around so you give him the goodies," she continues and laughs immediately.

No, he understood I don't like him back, he never made another move on me.

"Derek wouldn't like you near him."

My face drops at the statement and I instantly turn around, offended.

But I rapidly understand it's true, he didn't trust Alex either. And if I trust Derek, what does this mean for me? Was it just jealousy or was Derek seeing something else?

"Why do you think it was Alex?"

Irène seems proud, "he is a liar, manipulative-"

"So he is like you?" I interrupt.

"Ha, funny." She unpacks all of her stuff and still chooses to stay on the bunk bed, with Nicole under her.

Irène truly wants to see the world burn.

I decide to unpack all of my stuff as well and I first arrange my clothes. I don't have many of them but I did get a wardrobe change before going to college.

"You know he lied about his dead ex-girlfriend," she says as she air quotes 'dead'

I immediately stop putting my clothes in the tiny closet and I turn to her.

I remember when Shanice told us this, she had no reason to lie about that, but why would he lie about his ex-girlfriend's death?

"He drugged you at that party, he put something in your juice."

"You are reaching, I don't know what happened back then but this is too much." I stop her from talking and I continue unpacking my clothes while I accidentally stumble upon a few pictures of me and Derek.

I look at the first picture and I check the date on the back, 14th May 2019. He is hugging me from behind and I'm smiling. I took the photo with my phone after I left the rehabilitation center and later printed it.

Not to count the hundreds of pictures I have on my phone, hidden with a password only Nicole knows so I never access them. I would end up weeping all day.

I hear Irène calling me far away but I ignore the sound as I look at the second picture. I'm sitting on the couch at Shanice's house and doing my first joint with Derek, he is trying to help me how to do it.

Dominic took this pic without asking, then sent it to me when I started dating Derek.

I wonder if Derek has any picture with me, but then I remember he had a few in his car before his arrest, maybe Dominic mailed them to him later.

Who am I even fooling? He wouldn't want any pictures of me.

My lower lip starts trembling as I pick up the third photo. Derek and I sitting in his car on our way out of Georgia, one hour before he got arrested.

We were so happy, we didn't know it was going to end like that.

We wanted to run away, even for a bit. My mom would have probably sent the cops on us if I did-

My mother.

The realization hits me, what if it was my mom who sent the cops on us? But it doesn't explain the drugs... maybe Alex is right, maybe Derek was still participating- maybe Felix was threatening him. Dominic told me it happened before.

No, I'm going insane. It cannot be anyone else but James and Olivia. They threatened me with that exact information.

If they were so sure and had proof that Derek was still selling, why frame him?

I feel my head exploding with endless possibilities. I'm tired of always wondering what happened... but I have to do it for Derek, if I find out who did it, maybe I can prove it and get him out.

I realize my cheeks are wet as I put the photos back, I am full-on silently sobbing.

Irène is behind me and she kneels near me, she puts her hand on my cheek and caresses it for a second.

"You are lucky you are the only person I don't hate." Irène smiles without any ill intention for the first time.

I smile between the tears.

"I'm going to visit Derek in prison, he won't be able to reject it," she speaks confidently. If there is anything she has, is influence and power. They are going to bring Derek to her against his will.

But I don't want to force him, I'd hate myself for doing that, and he would hate me even more.

"Don't constrain him, just... try, maybe he will come on his own," I say hopeful and she shrugs.

"Promise me you won't, Irène," I add when I notice her unreadable expression.

"I promise you."

~

I grab my laptop and put it in my backpack, and check myself one last time in the mirror.

"Could be better," I murmur. I glance at Nicole and Irène and they are still sleeping. I don't know how we made it through the weekend.

Irène looks peaceful when she sleeps, it's making me nervous.

I'm worried that if I leave them alone they will smash each other's heads.

My class is earlier than theirs, luckily, today it's just orientation course to get a glimpse of the subjects ahead of us.

When I close the door, someone puts their arm around me and I flinch.

I realize it's Alex and I am still startled for a few more seconds but I quickly brush it off. He notices.

"Is it that scary to live with Irène and Nicole?" He laughs and I can't help but join him.

"Indeed."

"Nicole kept making comments here and there, Irène was laughing each time which made Nicole even more livid."

We get out of the dormitory hall and the cold breeze of early September hits me and the wind blows in my hair.

Alexander brushes it off from my face and I look away, ignoring his fervent stare.

I mistakenly think of what Irène told me.

"Why are you coming with me? You are a junior," I ask him to distort the attention away from us.

"I have Constitutional Law class later, but let's head to the cafeteria before."

I nod because I need coffee everyday. It's a habit now.

I love how everything is so close on this campus, it only takes several minutes to move between the centers.

My class starts at 8:45 am and it's 8:10 am already. Enough time to wind up before my first class in college.

Am I going to meet new people? I hope they are better than the ones I met two years ago.

We arrive at the cafeteria and we look around, it's still full of people but most of them look my age. I know the orientation course is very early compared to the other classes.

Alexandra orders two coffees, and a brioche for me.

He lets me sit first and he sits in front of me. "Do you want a bite?" I point to the brioche.

He nods and takes a bite of it. "It's delicious," he speaks with his mouth full and I nod. Maybe I should let him have it.

"Regarding the p-"

"No." I know what he wants to say and the answer is still no.

"Is Nicole going to be there, at least?"

"Depends on whether Irène is going," I answer.

"Irène is going for sure," Alex speaks. Don't they dislike each other?

I nod softly and I look at the time on my phone.

8:37 am. Fuck, how does time pass by so fast?

"Let's go," I say while standing up and finishing the last bite of my brioche.

"My class starts at 11 am," he explains while he takes his time to gather the litter we have on the table.

"What? Why would you wake up this early?"

"To be with you."

I stare at him for a few seconds, he holds my gaze intensely but I break it off when I grab my backpack and I throw the coffee cup in the nearest trash can.

"Mhm, I gotta go." I fidget with my hands awkwardly as we walk out of the cafeteria.

I can't help but think of what Irène told me again, I loathe how she gets under my skin each time.

I look at my classes and then I search on the map in the main hall. Lecture room 3071.

"Hey!" I hear a soft female voice behind me, I ignore it at first.

"Veronica Reeves?" she repeats and I turn around quickly, ignoring that I'm already late.

I look at her confused, I can't recognize her. I notice her long, straight brown hair and how tan she is. She is also strikingly beautiful.

"I'm not sure I remember who you are," I say kindly.

"I'm Antonia Dafovski."

The name doesn't ring a bell and I still look confused as hell, she understands.

"I was in senior year in highschool, you were a sophomore with Nicole Gilbert."

"Ohh, right," I remember her now, I was never close to her but Nicole was.

"I'm sorry for not recognizing you."

"No problem. I just transferred here."

"On your third year?" I ask confused.

"Yeah, this college is indeed better."

"That's going to be very tough, not all credits get transferred," I explain.

I look down at the time and I'm already too late, on my first day.

"I know but I had to." Antonia looks away and I feel a bit unsure on what could make her transfer this late. This college isn't that good.

"Sorry, I really have to go," I say and she nods.

"I want us to talk, can we meet at the cafeteria tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I speak swiftly as I walk away and she waves at me.

Nicole is going to be beaming about this, maybe I should invite her too.

I sprint to my class and when I reach it, no one is outside. I look down at my phone again and it's 9:15 am.

I quietly enter the lecture hall and everyone turns their head toward me, even the professor.

"I'm sorry, can I still enter?" I ask discretely and the professor nods.

A few people laugh as I find an empty seat next to a boy.

This is embarrassing... being late on your first day in college. Luckily it's just orientation course.

"As I said, today it's only orientation day, so," the professor points to me," what's your name?"

"Reeves."

"Miss. Reeves, we went over the syllabus, please get your notes from the other students." He seems sweet and understanding, our ex-teachers in high school were ruthless.

"The class is dismissed," he says and I gather my backpack again as everyone leaves.

I can't believe I arrived when the class ended.

I should probably stop someone and ask them for the notes, even though it's just the syllabus.

Something in my backpack beeps so I unzip it, and grab the phone.

A text message from an unknown number:

4462 Hillhaven Avenue at midnight