𝖑𝖊𝖊𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘

Chapter Three: Shelby's Angels

A cloud disappeared from in front of the sun, the long storm of the day ending. The sun made the grass gleam with the raindrops that remained on it. Storms left a feeling of calm, but after the events the Kappa house faced, calm wasn't a familiar feeling. It had been exactly one week, four days, six hours, and twenty-five minutes since the body of Shelby Lockhart had been found. The campus tabloid made a so-called tribute to her, but, as almost expected, it was disrespectful in every way one could think of.

They stated her death as suicide, though anyone who knew her in the slightest knew better. Everyone who was there knew better. How could they think otherwise, the image of her body was burned in their brains. No one had slept well in the forever-seeming while since. Such an event like the fall bonfire didn't cross their minds. Though, it was a prime opportunity for investigative work.

The girls were more than prepared to hear words of pity fill their ears the whole night, more so for wide-eyed gazes. Rumors were included in the possibilities of their re-emergence. Carolyn was more prepared for that than any of the others, having dealt with rumors her whole life. Her name had many things attached to it, the majority of which were not things that she wished to have by her name.

• • •

The sun had sunk past the horizon, signifying the beginning of the party that would surely last until it rose again. Within seconds it seemed that the whole beach was covered in a sea of people. Bonfires were lit, music was blasting, people were talking loudly, and the booze was being passed around. The Kappa girls arrived "fashionably late", for that was their reputation. Each individual dressed in their best outfit for blending in while investigating. They shared glances between each other before setting off in their designated directions. The majority of them took easy routes of simple snooping, but Carolyn elected to take on the dirty work. That work being conversing with the foulest of foul beings: the Psi Theta Tau fraternity.

PTT, as it was called, was a breeding ground for disrespectful jocks who peaked in highschool. Yet it was able to push itself to the highest position of the fraternity row hierarchy. PTTs and Kappas had been rivals for roughly a decade, and a visible peace treaty was nowhere in the distance. Though a semi-resolution was made when the presidents of both houses involuntary announced their relationship, but was shortly ended when Shelby broke up with him.

Carolyn placed her hands on her hips while clearing her throat. Before her sat a male, slouching back in his chair with his button-up shirt opened to show off his washboard abs that he appeared to be heavily proud of. He slowly pulled down his dark sunglasses to let his eyes meet her glare directly. His lips parted from his cigarette to show his shining teeth, a gesture that accentuated his chiseled jawline. "My my my, look who decided to show her lovely face. Nice to see ya Carebear," his voice carried a tone that could melt any girl to her knees, but Carolyn he never got to. "Charming as ever Cashmere," she hissed in return.

He removed the cigarette from between his teeth, tossing it into the bonfire behind him. His eyes went to a person standing behind Carolyn. He snapped his fingers, to which said person set up a chair behind her. "I assume you heard about Shelby," Carolyn sat down. Cash's attitude was quickly changed. "Yeah. It's horrifying, really horrifying. Why would someone do something like that," a few tears rolled down his cheeks. Carolyn was taken aback, her eyes widening. "I-I didn't know you cared," she pondered. "Course I care! Any normal person would care when hearing about something like that! What kind of psycho-dick do you take me for," he tearfully snapped.

Carolyn sat for a moment. She had never seen Cash Jameson so emotional before. "Sorry," was all she could say. Cash wiped his under-eye with the back of his hand. "It's ok. I get why you'd have that impression. You've never liked me all that much have ya," he chuckled. Carolyn didn't laugh.

"Hey Carol," a boy wearing a backward baseball cap ran into the brunette's view. "How bout you come suck on this dick to ease the pain of killing your girlfriend," the boy attached to him shouted. Cash turned around and stood up. He walked over to the two and kicked both of them in the groin. "What the fuck man," the taller one coughed. "Jesus," the smaller one griped. "Suck it up Dillholes, you're P double T's so grow the fuck up and start acting like it," his voice could've shaken the ground. Carolyn giggled at the faces of the two men, who looked like they were on the verge of wetting their pants.

Cash sat back down across from Carolyn. "Ignore  Keegan and Jax, I don't know what's up their asses," he rolled his eyes. "I'm used to them at this point," she mumbled. His face contorted into many expressions of concern and sympathy. She hesitated to look him in his eyes, which looked all too much like her own. Her heartstrings were being tugged every which way. He slowly reached across to take her hand in his, "I can't imagine how you must be feeling lately. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can talk to me." Her heart sunk at his words. "Thanks. I'll consider it," she forced a smile. "Ok," he mouthed while releasing his grip around her fingers.

Carolyn sat back and stared at him while rubbing her knuckles. She went there with a sureness that he was a suspect, but he would have acted far differently from the way he did if he was guilty. Everything seemed jumbled in her head. Why was he so nice to her? How could she have suspected him? Was he toying with her? Or perhaps he was genuinely a good person under the first impression of a muscular asshole that she had of him. She was utterly confused and also touched. Thus it was decided...

Suspect Number One: anyone but Cash Jameson.