Eat the Rich

Chapter 3: Who killed Kelly Owens

"Let's play a game."

"No." 

Tonight, the boys' dorm had thrown a party, inviting everyone from the girls' dorm. Sage, Miles, Yuto, Auburella, and Dina were all there, mingling with each other. One of the many rules stated that there should be no visitations from both house dorms.

The air was thick with the scent of expensive cologne, perfume, and something else—a fog of super-rich teens smoking in various corners. Modern couches that cost more than a paid teacher were messed with illegal alcohol and puke.

Dina sat with her friends in a circle on the plush red carpet, her brown curls falling around her face as she pulled her knees to her chest. She was always a little out of place at these events—being vegan and a bit of a skeptic about the school's shallow wealth culture.

Yuto, who's face was always tense, had his arms spread lazily on the couch behind him. Sage, always radiating energy, was chatting with Auburella, while Miles sat next to them, casually observing the room, more so observing Dina.

"Don't be such a bore!" someone shouted from the far side of the circle. The suggestion broke the murmurs of conversation, and a few people cheered in agreement.

Dina kept her lips straight her eyes narrowed at her, already feeling out of her element. But when the same voice called, "Let's play 'Who killed Kelly Owens?'" the entire room fell silent.

Kelly Owens. The scholarship student who had been found dead just days ago had her body discovered in a dumpster behind the school. Students were becoming weirdly obsessed with her.

Grey's stomach churned, the bitter taste of disgust rising in his throat. He looked at Miles, who shook his head.

Don't tell a soul.

Sage kept her cool; the more she talked, the more she would hide the secret.

Sharply, the Cuban girl raised her voice, filled with disbelief and disdain. "That's sick. Are you really going to make a game out of someone's death?"

Her words hung in the air, ignored by most, as the circle's atmosphere grew colder and more uncomfortable. Auburella spoke up, "C'mon, it's just a game. No harm, right? I mean, don't you want to know who really did it?"

The circle buzzed with excitement. Miles, Grey, and Sage just shimmered through each other's eyes. The school was already searching for culprits.

"This is more than just a game, though," Sage replied to Auburella.

Auburella scoffed with a smile, her crooked teeth showing. "Guys, I think we can all agree she's not dead, right?" 

The room fell into an even deeper silence, her words lingering in the air like a ghostly echo. Everyone stared at her as if she had lost her mind. Dina blinked in disbelief, her heart thudding against her chest. Even Zane, who was usually unflappable, straightened up, his eyebrows raised.

A couple of girls across the circle exchanged uncomfortable glances, their whispers barely audible.

"Are you serious right now?" Yuto muttered.

Auburella didn't back down. "Think about it," she continued, her voice growing firmer. "No one saw the body except a few people. We don't even know who. This is newsworthy information; I mean, a murder at a wealthy school? That would sell headlines all over."

She contunied, "Do we even know if the police are on the case? Three days later and no has has invesitgated a sinlge student. No details were shared with us; The Wacth has said jackshit about this—"

"We get it." Yuto interrupted and drunk a cup of tea.

Dina felt cold all of a sudden. It was true—something about Kelly Owens' death never sat right with her. The details were murky, and the entire situation had been swept under the rug far too quickly. But to suggest Kelly might still be alive? That was something none of them had considered.

The silence that followed was unbearable. 

"Bathroom break," Yuto blurted, standing up abruptly. His voice cut through the awkward quiet like a knife, clearly desperate to break the uncomfortable tension Auburella had created. A few others quickly took the cue, getting up from the circle and murmuring to each other as they made their way out of the room.

Grey stood up and grabbed Auburella's hand.

"What the hell was that?" he whispered and yelled.

Auburella's eyes widened, caught off guard by Grey's sudden aggression. She yanked back her wrist from his grip and said,

"What are you talking about?" her brows furrowed confused, her mouth trying to find the words of what Grey was trying to say.

"That whole thing with Sage," he shot back, his voice dripping with frustration. "Talking about Kelly like that—what are you guys trying to stir up?"

Miles and Yuto exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsure of how to react. Dina stood up, stepping between them. "Grey, stop," she said firmly. "You're overreacting."

Grey glared at Dina. "Overreacting? Kelly's dead, and you're making it sound like some conspiracy!"

Sage stood up too, her expression serious. "We're not trying to stir anything up, Grey. Abs was just asking questions—questions that should've been answered a long time ago."

Grey whipped around, pointing directly at Sage. His voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. "You shouldn't be talking when you know exactly what happened to her."

The accusation hung in the air like a bombshell. 

Sage's eyes widened, and Miles kept his position mouth covered with the palm of his hand. Yuto, Auburella, and Dina exchanged confused glances. 

"What are you talking about?" Yuto asked as he stared blankly at Grey.

Grey's swallowed dryly when his words repeated in his head. His eyes flicked toward Sage and then back to the others, realizing he had said too much. Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room, leaving everyone stunned and uneasy.

"What do you guys know?" Auburella questioned.

Sage didn't speak; instead, she looked at Miles, the quiet observer, who remained silent and shurgged his shoulders.

"What are you looking at him for?" Auburella pressed her question again.

"Campus security!"

Panic swept through the crowd as the realization hit that they needed to leave the boys' dorm house immediately.

Auburella cursed under her breath, her face a mix of frustration. "We'll talk about this tomorrow," she said to Sage.

Without waiting for a response, Auburella dashed towards a side window, pulling it open and clambering out. Others quickly followed suit, leaping out of windows or slipping into hidden corners of the dorm.

Sage, Miles, and Dina each took different routes to escape the dorm house. The dorm house grew quiet as the last of the students fled. Campus security, unaware of the party, patrolled the halls and rooms, checking for any unauthorized presence.