The Campus Killings {#LGBTQ #HORROR #FRIGHT}

Chapter Ten

All Jake could think about over the next night was the image of Willa kissing Petrović, the weird, sickened feeling in his stomach as he bore witness to it.

Why?  How?

He had wanted to ask her when she came home, but fell asleep before she did, the previous night's insomnia finally catching up to him.   The following morning, she was already gone.

Class wasn't any easier — his stomach twisted with unease and sickness as he watched Petrović lead the class, teaching them about the joys of coding and web design. 

All Jake could really focus on was the slightly unbuttoned nature of the man's shirt, the relaxation in his stance, a far cry from the tenseness of several days previous. 

Across the room, Mali shot him a look, clearly noticing his lack of focus, though it was obvious she held no empathy for him, her eyes cold behind the lenses of her glasses.

At lunch, Jake sat alone, though he could feel Raleigh's clearly apologetic eyes on him from across the room, though a swift slap on the arm from Mali deterred him from coming over to speak.

"Don't bother." she hissed sharply.

Willa arrived at the table late, her hair somewhat unkempt as she sat beside Manuela, who looked clearly very worried about her girlfriend.

Poor girl, Jake thought to himself, wondering if she knew.

The rest of the school day was agonising and though Jake knew he was to come back for study later on, he still left class swiftly and silently as the bell rang, hurrying back to his dorm room where he once again found his roommate mid-rehearsal, this time bent over a lidded basin, which was empty as she opened it and began her monologue.

"Out, damned spot!" there was an attempted desperation in her voice as she motioned her hands, wiping off the invisible blood, "Out, I say!"

There was still something a little farcical to the performance, a wooden awkwardness as she delivered her lines, a stiffness to the movement of her body.

Jake cleared his throat to get her attention, shutting the door behind him as she looked up, her form relaxing.

She explained, "Manny set me up with this, she said performing with a prop might be easier, could help me out, y'know?" she sighed dreamily, "God, I just adore her."

Jake huffed in disbelief at that, putting his bag down on his bed before sitting down himself.

"All the guys are meeting at the chapel soon, you should come with." she pushed up to her feet, remembering, "Wait, you have to study then, don't you?  With Petrović?"

Her tongue curled around the name as if it were unfamiliar, though her gaze dropped as soon as it left her lips.

Jake couldn't keep it in any longer, swiftly and harshly changing the subject, "We need to talk."

"Talk?" she continued to duck away from his gaze, "What about?"

Jake replied, "Petrović."

He heard the sharp intake of breath that caught in her throat at his name, her eyes darting around awkwardly as she attempted to avoid the subject, "Why?  He's your tutor."

"I saw you." Jake stated, his voice flat, "Kissing him."

Willa's gaze finally met his, a painful vulnerability in it as she once again attempted to deny, "I wouldn't— why would you—" at releasing he was not going to relent, she threw herself onto her side on the bed, a wet sob escaping her as she whispered, "Oh, Jake.  I've messed everything up."