Between Semesters

Secrets In Plain Sight

The days leading up to the weekend were a whirlwind. Classes had officially started, and reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Balancing lectures, assignments, and navigating the social web of Essex College wasn’t easy. it was so stressful and tiring, Whitney and I spent our evenings in the common room, surrounded by books and notes, the echoes of our classmates’ laughter ringing through the hallways.

Friday morning, I woke up to find a note taped to our door.

“Meet me by the old library after class. Don’t tell Whitney. - Savannah

My heart raced as I stared at the scribbled message. *Why wouldn’t she want Whitney to know?* A thousand questions ran through my mind, but I had no choice—I had to go. The strange tension from the breakfast incident hadn’t left me, and I could sense something was coming. Something big.

The day dragged on. I barely paid attention in any of my lectures. Whitney noticed my distracted state but didn’t press. “You okay?” she asked as we packed up after English 101.

“Yeah,” I lied. “Just tired.”

I wasn’t about to involve her in something I didn’t fully understand myself.

By the time I got to the old library, the sun was setting, casting long shadows across campus. Savannah was already there, leaning against the building, her phone in hand.

“You made it,” she said without looking up, her voice casual yet serious.

“What’s going on, Savannah? Why all the secrecy?” I asked, crossing my arms.

She pocketed her phone and stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Look, I wasn’t going to tell you this yet, but things are moving fast. I don’t trust everyone at Essex, and you shouldn’t either.”

“What do you mean?”

Savannah hesitated, glancing around as if making sure we were alone. “The guy you met at the party, Luke. He’s not just some random upperclassman. He’s connected to something bigger.”

My stomach twisted. “What are you talking about?”

“There’s a group on campus,” she continued, her eyes locking onto mine. “They’re recruiting certain students, watching us closely. Luke works for them. They’re interested in freshmen like you, like me, like Whitney.”

“Watching us? Why?” I asked, a chill running down my spine.

“Power,” Savannah said simply, her voice cold. “They want control—over students, over the future. It’s not a regular fraternity or club. It’s more... dangerous. And Luke’s the one pulling people in.”

Before I could fully process what she was saying, Savannah handed me a small black envelope. “This showed up under my door this morning.”

I opened it, my hands trembling. Inside was a single card with an embossed symbol—a snake wrapped around a pillar. Below it, the words *"We’re watching. Your choices matter."*

“Are you serious?” I whispered, staring at the card.

Savannah nodded grimly. “They’ve been following me for weeks, but now it’s not just me. They’re coming after you too. You need to be careful who you trust.”

My thoughts raced. Luke, the parties, even the seemingly random dorm gatherings—all of it started to feel like a puzzle, but I couldn’t see the full picture. “Why are they interested in us? What’s the connection?”

“I’m still figuring it out, but one thing is clear—they’re grooming us for something. And I don’t plan on being part of it.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Whitney.

"Hey, where are you? Everyone’s talking about some huge party tomorrow night at the frat house. You in?"

I stared at the message, my heart pounding. I knew what party she was talking about—the one Savannah had warned me about. I glanced at Savannah, who was already shaking her head.

“You can’t go,” she said, her voice urgent. “That’s how they get people. They lure you in with parties, make you feel like you belong, and then they pull you deeper. If you go, you’re walking straight into their trap.”

I was torn. Whitney had been excited about this for days, and I didn’t want to raise any suspicion. But Savannah’s warning echoed in my head. *This is bigger than just a party.*

I texted Whitney back:

I’ll think about it. Let’s talk later."

I looked back at Savannah. “So what do we do?”

“We play it smart,” she said. “Stay low, act normal. But we need to dig deeper. We need to find out who’s running this group and what they really want.”

I nodded, but the weight of everything felt crushing. “And what about Luke?”

Savannah’s expression hardened. “Leave him to me. I have a plan.”

-------------

That night, as I lay in bed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that everything around me was shifting. Whitney had no idea what was going on, and I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it from her. And Luke—whatever his role was in this—was more dangerous than I had imagined.

The black card sat on my desk, a silent reminder that I was being watched. My choices, like the card said, were about to matter more than I realized.