A Deadly Sorority (Book #1 Sorority Horrors)

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The morning's humid air felt suffocating as it seeped into my skin, leaving a clammy residue. The pores on my face expelled beads of sweat as if I had just run a race. As I lay in bed, I wiped the sweat off my forehead with my forearm when my phone suddenly pinged, jolting me fully awake. I lazily glanced down at it, noticing the caller ID. With a roll of my eyes toward the ceiling, I answered the call stoically and with a hint of reluctance.

"Hey, Mark," I said drearily.

Mark had somehow, or purposely planned, to become a constant presence in my life, which was entirely unexpected on my part. His growing fondness for me had morphed into a full-on crush, and honestly, it slightly gave me the creeps. While I didn't share similar romantic feelings, I still valued our friendship; he was one of the coolest guys around. He also knew my boundaries, and he respected them, and that I could deal with.

"Hey, Kayla!" Mark's voice conveyed a palpable smile. "I thought you might like to go out for a run with me this morning."

The idea of running filled me with excitement. Just the thought of it caused exhilaration to course through my veins. I hadn't run since I moved to Irvine last month, and it would be a refreshing change, considering I had been a runner my entire life.

"Sure, Mark," I replied. "Sounds like a great idea."

"I'll pick you up at 9:00," he said eagerly.

"Okay, see you then."

I hung up the phone and prepared for my first run of the day with Mark by slipping on a pair of comfy gray sweatpants and a black T-shirt. I tied my hair into a bun and washed my face with soap and water.

Feeling the need for something in my stomach before our run, I opened the fridge and scanned its contents.

Raspberries, strawberries, oat milk, bacon, broccoli...

Slamming the fridge shut, nothing seemed to pique my appetite, so I settled on a nice bowl of oatmeal.

As I began prepping it, the doorbell rang.

Wow! Mark is here already! That was quick.

Opening the door, to my surprise, nobody was standing there. I stepped outside, looking left and then right.

"Mark?" I called out as I strolled toward the balcony, peering down below. Nobody was in sight.

Strange!

"Who's out there?" Sandra inquired, joining me outside.

"Nobody, I guess," I replied, shrugging.

She furrowed her brows. "But didn't someone just ring the doorbell, or am I imagining things?"

"Yeah, but whoever it was is gone now." Gazing down at my phone, I checked if Mark had texted or called me. But he didn't, so I decided to text him.

Kayla: Hey, Mark! Did you just ring the doorbell?

Mark: No, but I'm on the road. I'll be there in five minutes.

I began to wonder who stopped by our residence. Unless it was someone playing "doorbell ditch." I expelled the incident from my head when I heard the sound of my oatmeal water bubbling and boiling over.  

I returned to the kitchen and quickly turned off the burner. Ripping open a package of oatmeal, I dumped the brown flakes into a bowl and poured the boiling water over them. As I sat down to eat, a knock at the door prompted Sandra to rise from her seat in front of the TV. 

"I got it!" She shouted my way.

I watched as she swung the front door open. 

It was Mark. He stood on the doormat with a wide-tooth smile.