A Deadly Sorority (Book #1 Sorority Horrors)

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Lorena and I settled down in our apartment for the night. After a crappy and sordid afternoon, I decided to whip up a sweet treat to brighten up our moods. So, I baked up some blueberry muffins for us.

The aroma filled the kitchen as I mixed the ingredients and poured the batter into the cupcake tray. Then I slipped them into the oven.

I leaned against the kitchen counter and texted my best friend, Kennedy, recounting our harrowing encounter with the woman's body we discovered in the dumpster at the plaza. Kennedy was horrified and assured me she'd be over as quickly as she could.

Rejoining Lorena in the living room, I plopped down on the opposite end of the sofa, slightly sinking into its cozy cushions. The television blared with the raspy voice of a true crime show narrator.

Having a friend who was also somewhat obsessed with true crime was nice. That's what initially connected Lorena and me.

"Isn't it odd how we have such a fascination with true crime, and today, we actually found ourselves in a true crime scenario?!" Lorena questioned with wide eyes in astonishment as she lay slumped across the couch.

Before I could respond, two loud knocks at our front door echoed into the room, disrupting our conversation.

Our heads swiftly turned, and we gazed at the door.

"That must be Kennedy," I announced.

I swung the door open, and to my surprise, not only was Kennedy standing there, but Steve—the guy from the bar was too.

"Steve?" I asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

A distressed look etched across his face as his big brown eyes peered into mine.

"Kennedy told me about the body you guys found today."

"You know Kennedy?" I asked, my eyes questioning.

They both nodded in unison.

"Steve is my cousin," Kennedy informed.

My jaw dropped, "Wow! I didn't know you had a cousin that went to Cal State Irvine."

"Steve's a transfer student," she informed. "Our dads are brothers. He's originally from Florida, though. Spent his first two years at Florida State before making the switch to Cal State last year."

"Yeah, he told me he was from Florida. But I had no idea he was your cousin." I replied.

"Well, are you gonna let them inside?" Lorena asked as I stood there, still in disbelief that the guy I was interested in was my best friend's cousin.

"Oh, yeah," I said, shaking my head. "Come in, you guys." I opened the door wide. Kennedy stepped into our apartment first, followed by Steve.

"By the way, where's Damien?" I furrowed my brows, realizing I hadn't seen Damien accompany Kennedy in a while.

Kennedy rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, "We're no longer together."

My mouth hung agape, "What?! No," I replied, shocked.

"Yep," Kennedy confessed, "He admitted to kissing another girl at his frat party."

"I'm sorry, Kennedy."

"No need to apologize. I'm just glad it's over. I won't have to deal with the jerk anymore."

As Kennedy made her way further inside, she immediately dove into conversation with Lorena, leaving Steve and me awkwardly standing there. Then, a sudden waft of the baking muffins filled the air.

"Excuse me for a sec." I announced as I strolled away from the group and into the kitchen. I felt Steve's presence trailing behind me.

"Yum," Steve exclaimed. "Whatever you're baking smells divine!"

"They're blueberry muffins." I placed a mitten over my hand, opened the oven, and reached inside, pulling out the tray.

"Delicious!" Steve's nostrils wrinkled as he appeared to be sniffing the mouth watering aroma that traveled through the air.

"I'll have to let them cool down," I informed, placing the tray atop the stove, allowing them to cool down.

I pulled out a chair at the dinner table and sat down with Steve following suit.

"Look, I'm sorry that I never called you," Steve admitted apologetically, "I've just been busy studying."

My eyes widened. "Don't apologize. It's not like I was sitting around waiting for your phone call," I gulped, unsure if that meant I was uninterested.

Steve's expression shifted into a frown.

"I mean...uh.. um," I stammered, trying to find the right words, "It would've been nice if you called," I explained.

Steve's face quickly brightened into a smile.

"I came over once Kennedy informed me about the dead body you found," Steve elaborated. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I nodded. "I'm fine, Steve," I reassured nonchalantly.

Steve's eyebrows furrowed. "You actually saw a dead body, correct?" he inquired.

I nodded once more. "Yes, I saw an actual dead body."

"And that doesn't terrify you?" Steve's face contorted with curiosity.

"Nope, not at all. I live for true crime," I admitted. "I'm a criminal justice major, after all. I'll have to get accustomed to seeing dead bodies."

Steve's jaw dropped.

Just then, as I was explaining my love for true crime in detail, Sandra and her senior citizen boyfriend, John, walked through the door.

"Hey, Sandra!" I greeted.

"Hey, Kayla!" She smiled.

"I haven't seen you in forever!" I exclaimed. "Where have you been? Are you even living in our apartment anymore?"

Sandra nodded. "Yes! For the sake of my parents' knowledge, I'm still living here," she said. "But I've been shacking up at John's spot for the time being. Please don't tell anyone, especially my parents."

"You don't have to worry about me," I assured Sandra.

As Sandra and John made their way to the back of the apartment and onto the patio, Steve noticed something peculiar about the shoe tracks John left behind. Bending down, he pointed at the footprints.

"Are those... bloodstains?" Steve's voice was hushed yet carried a hint of concern as he peered at the crimson liquid tracked onto our hardwood floors and out into the back.

I followed his gaze, my heart skipping a beat as I saw the red-soaked footsteps.

"It smells like blood!" I exclaimed as a shiver ran down my spine.

"It's blood, alright," Steve confirmed.