He says, “Well, I hope it wasn’t the Delta Sigma Rho Fraternity party.” Leaning back, he frowns. “I hear there was an unfortunate incident there last night.”
My stomach drops again, this time even deeper.Delta Sigma Rho. I grip the strap of my bag tighter, forcing myself to stay calm, to stay transparent.
I blink, feigning confusion. “An incident?”
Professor Jennings raises an eyebrow. “Yes,” he adjusts his glasses, his gaze careful. “Something about a fight and someone ending up dead…it isn’t all clear at the moment.” He shrugs, as if it is not a big deal, but I can feel the weight of his words pressing down on me. My pulse quickens, and the room feels smaller all of a sudden.
“A fight?” I echo, trying to keep my voice steady, but it feels too light, too forced. “I didn’t hear anything about that.”
He looks at me confused, like he can’t believe it. “Really? I imagine you would have. It’s what you kids call trending.” His voice is casual, but there was a sharpness in his voice that unsettles me.
I force a small laugh, shrugging as nonchalantly as I can manage. “I’ve been kind of out of the loop with campus gossip.” My hands tighten around the strap of the bag, my knuckles probably turning white from strain. “Just focusing on school.”
He tilts his head slightly, studying me for a second too long, then finally nods. “Good,” he states sharply before letting out a small grin. “I would hate for my TA to be mixed up in trouble.”
I try to match his amused grin, but it feels forced, like my facial muscles had turned to stone. My smile is brittle, barely holding up under the weight of my panic. “Yeah, definitely wouldn’t want that,” I murmur, hoping he doesn’t notice my anxiety. “I probably can’t be your TA anymore.”
He glances up at me. “Really?”
I nod. “Yes. Something else came up. I’m sorry.”
“Careful where you tread,” he says, returning the paper to the stack. “This place has long memories.”
I blink. “What?”
He smiles like it’s nothing. “The Reapers don’t like loose ends.”
I freeze.
Reapers?
What the hell is he talking about?
“Excuse me?” I gasp.
But he’s already moved on—calling the next name, like he didn’t just say something that made my stomach drop.
“You’re excused,” he says to me before launching into another conversation with another student. My mind is racing, the lump in my throat swelling until it’s choking me.
By the time I step into the hallway, all I want is to hide away and disappear.
Cassidy stands just outside the door, a few of our classmates surrounding her. They were having a hushed conversation, but a few words reached me as I approached.
“Shit went down with the Reapers.”
The Reapers?
“The cops say he was found dead in his room last night.”
I stop dead in my tracks, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. The words hit me hard in the gut.
The cops…
His room? That washisroom!?
I can’t breathe for a second, the hallway seeming to tilt. My mind struggles to catch up to what I’m hearing.
Cassidy notices me. Her eyes widening slightly as she waves me over, but I can’t move. My legs feel like lead, rooted to this spot.