Heart Beats

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Annie woke up to the sounds of blaring sirens, and the previous night's events rushed through her mind. Drunk off of the adrenaline, she rose from the bed, placing her feet on the soft rug. She pulled the closed pocket knife from under her pillow, heart racing for fear of being caught. The doorbell rang, surprising her. She tossed the knife in her pillow case, not wanting to alarm whoever was at the door. She ran through, praying it was not the police. Her fingers slipped on the handle as she opened it, palms sweaty with anxiety. A flurry of bright orange curls ran towards her, drowning Annie in a sea of hair.

"I missed you! But what's with the sirens? Did you get a haircut? I don't like it. Sorry, love you," Elaina blabs, engulfing Annie with a bone-crushing hug. A faint Scottish accent lingered in her voice, so she could talk for hours, and people were willing to listen. This was Annie's roommate and co-president. She was a polar opposite to Annie and was social beyond compare. As the true representation of the Greek system at their school, Annie often felt undermined by the eccentric girl. The human cannon left her for a moment, flitting around the commons. Annie entered her room, looking for another place for her knife, for as much as she loved Elaina, she wasn't the greatest at minding her own business. Pulling a pair of heinous rainbow knee socks from her dresser, she tucked the knife inside of them, knowing Elaina would not wear anything of the like. A faint smile spread upon her face, pleased with the security of her hiding place.

"Whatcha smiling 'bout?" Elaina asked, well-informed on Annie's typically dark nature. Her gait was bouncy as usual as she entered the room.

"Just remembered something," Annie said, not wanting to be further interrogated. A gentle heartbeat started, drowsy and quiet.

No, not Elaina, please not Elaina.

She didn't want to kill the only person who cared about her. This heartbeat didn't seem to be Elaina's though, because the girl was crazy, and was currently rifling through their small closet. This heartbeat was lilting and calm, as though the person was asleep. She went into the living room, looking for her next target. The only person she had grown attached to in her time at the house was Elaina. Living in close proximity with twenty college-aged girls wasn't the easiest, but Annie managed. The living room was as quiet as a whisper, the only person occupying the room was Ginny. She was curled up on the couch, legs thrown over the back. While inching towards her, the heartbeat that was resonating in Annie's head grew louder. Side-stepping towards the resting girl, Annie's eyes widened. The doorbell rang like a siren, drilling the heartbeat out of her head. She walked towards the door, attempting to forget the odd moment with the freshman.

"Open up! We know you're in there!" A deep, hissing voice accompanied the pounding of fists on the door.

"Calm down, I'm coming," Annie yanked open the door to reveal a burly man, adorned in a cop's uniform. She was immediately thankful she had taken the time to hide the knife.

"Anabella Miller? Have you been informed there was a murder on campus?" He said. Annie feigned a gasp.

"Was it someone who lives here? Oh no, I didn't hear Megan come in last night!" She said, trying to sound as worried as possible.

"It was a boy named Korban Brothers. A few people said they saw you two together yesterday."

"I was just asking him a few questions about our Lit class. I didn't really know him."

"So you shared a class? Did you know a lot about him? Anything would be helpful."

"We just talked the one time, he tried to ask me out, but that was all that happened."