Commencement (West Hampton U: Part 2)

Chapter 14 ● Sunny

-- Ruhaan--

"It wasn't Jack who did anything to that girl. It was Kylie. Kylie is the reason Elena Rodriguez is dead."

There's an audible stutter of everyone's heartbeats when Mahira says those words. I feel like we should have expected it but I don't think anyone saw that coming.

"What do you mean Kylie is the reason?" Zain finally speaks to Mahira.

Mahira tells us everything from the beginning. "Jack is an asshole, and he does lace people's drinks. Jack was coming on to her here and there for most of the year and summer, since Elena and he were in the same program. Kylie is so blinded by this image she puts out of her and Jack, she doesn't care that he's the one philandering around. She only takes it out on the girls he pursues. And that's what she did to Elena. The girls got into an argument and Kylie pushed Elena, who fell and hit her head so hard she lost her life on the spot. Elena just disappeared. But I'm sure her mom had something to do with covering it up."

"How do you know all this?"

Mahira takes a deep breath. This was it, this was how she became the Tale Teller. "My dorm is above the food hall. That's where all us students got placed who were on full scholarships. We were deemed too poor for better accommodations. There's little to no regulations in how those dorms were built. I can hear everything from the floor below. And it always smells like tater tots," she adds with a sad laugh. "I also work at the coffee shop. I hear a lot more than people realize. I know all the caretaking staff on campus, who tell me everything if I just ask. People don't notice people like me. Once I learned how to blend in the shadows, I learned how to collect information that could help me."

"How'd you find out about Elena?" Sameer asks.

"Elena's aunt is a cook in the food hall. She was inconsolable when Elena was gone missing and the campus all but declared her dead. She begged me to help, to do something. Apparently Elena had told her that Jack was getting forceful with her and Kylie was threatening her with all kinds of things. He laced Elena's drink once, but Elena got lucky and her roommates must have taken her home in time. Elena knew what happened and was about to report Jack to the police. That's when Kylie tried to stop her, the day she was going to the police station. Kylie pushed her in the parking lot behind the large garbage bins by their dorm. Nobody saw but Elena was on the phone with her who heard it all."

"Why didn't she say anything? Why has her aunt stayed quiet this whole time?" Zain rightfully questions.

"Her aunt is undocumented. Going to the police means getting herself locked up. We know how this country works. They'll let the murders and rapists go free, but they'll lock up the 50 year old woman earning pennies for her family," Mahira shakes her head defeatedly. I see a lone tear slip down her cheek and onto her hand. But it's not just her. Even Muskaan looks on the verge of tears. Suhana has gone completely cold.

"How'd you become the Tale Teller?"

"When her aunt begged me to help, I knew I needed to get the word out, but I wasn't sure how. I figured I could get this story out to people but who would believe me? And what would I have to lose to help them? I need my scholarship, I need to stay in school. It's all I have. So I anonymously emailed the editor of the school paper and struck up a deal. I get a cut for my articles and I send her the articles to put in the paper. She tested it out with my first article, and once the traction of the paper picked up, she agreed. I get 5% of all sales in exchange for an article at least once a month. I can do more than that, but I kept it once a month, not able to find it in me to write more. I don't love doing this, but I've always tried to keep things lighthearted or expose truths. I never meant to defame anyone or hurt any of you."