HER CARE

Chapter Twelve: Yorkshire England, Aria's Narrative

Life on campus hasn't been the same without Chloe. The other half of what used to be our room stays empty and her belongings remain untouched. Tonight I decide to coil myself in between the soft material of her silk bedding in search for some much need solace as memories of the fun nights we had together do not spare me any peace of mind.

She's the closest thing I've had to family in years, the only person I've genuinely called my friend and basically all I've had in my corner beside Grace whom I now indisputably question. If certainly, my gut is right to question the eventualities that led to Chloe's death then what would be the reason, why would Grace want her dead?

The next day

The next morning, I prepare for my classes in gloom as I feel extremely reluctant to attend any of them. It's on days like this where I'll surely miss Chloe a lot. I chuckle at the memory of her spewing a bucket of cold water onto my bed when I remained adamant in my refusal to get to class one day. We shared a bed for days after that morning as mine remained soaked and she made sure to soothe me to sleep with a romantic recitation of Wuthering Heights every night in compensation.

Thankfully, today's class provides a welcome distraction. The lively debates among my law classmates, delving into the intricacies of the Dahmer case, draw my attention away from my somber thoughts. I'm content to observe from the sidelines today, opting out of participating in the moot court. I simply don't have the energy for the usual hustle and bustle-not when my mind is elsewhere. It's ironic how I've become the lecturer's favorite at a time like this.

"Excellent performance, everyone!" the lecturer applauds, and we echo our agreement with enthusiastic snaps. "Remember, great lawyers are made, not born. Practice diligently, apply legal principles to the facts at hand, and scrutinize for loopholes. As a defense attorney, your goal is to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the jury. Analyze potential loopholes and strategize how to leverage them to your advantage. With dedication and skill, nothing can stand in your way." The lecturer coos

"With that being said, according to my deliberations, the prosecution is your today's winner!" she announces and we all applaud in response as students of winning team jump up and down in excitement.

"Calm down there's more good news where that came from! I've got a special announcement to make" She bellows and the fracas immediately dies down

"The University, and its alumni have decided to send all freshman students to Yorkshire, England for the weekend as part of your mid-semester orientation package!" She announces and we all cheer in celebration.

"I realize this is short notice, but you have just five days to get your passports in order. The university will take care of your visas, so make sure to fill out all the necessary information on the student portal by the end of today to allow for ample processing time," she announces, the class buzzing with excitement.

"And that's not all. The university will also require written consent from your guardians and a medical clearance confirming your fitness for travel," she adds, her tone brisk but efficient.

"Before you leave, Ms. Connor will provide you with a comprehensive pamphlet detailing all the exciting places you'll be visiting. Enjoy!" With that, she hurries out of the room to avoid getting caught up in the brewing stamped of highly excited freshman.

I seatback still not feeling strong enough to fight through the huge crowd of overzealous students swarming towards the door in excitement to collect their pamphlets.

This trip couldn't have come at a better time. I need to get my mind off of the weird occurrences of the past few days and I think travelling a few miles away from the foundation will do me some much needed good. Simultaneously, I can't help but think of how much more exciting this trip would be if Chloe were here.

Being one of the last to leave, I notice that the famous Ms Conner happens to the janitor herself. She hands me the pamphlet in silence and I don't bother instigating a conversation either. I'm positive now that she knows a lot more about Grace than any of us do and if she'd been of aid the day we sought for her, Chloe's death would have been avoided. But she denied us help.

"Young lady wait!" I hear her call and I oppositely increase my pace.

"I have something that I know would be of great help to you" she screams

"Why the sudden change of heart!" I retort. Matching the intensity of my pitch with hers as I quickly turn around to face her. Noticeably attracting the attention of students in the hallway as they now stare at both of us in confusion.

"I heard about Chloe, I'm so sorry," she says reaching for my hand and I jerk away "Here take this address" she adds handing me a piece of paper with the address

-202, Rosslyn Avenue, Ackworth Moor Top-

"Who's address is this?" I ask when I don't notice the address to be of any familiarity

"I never got the chance to find out but Grace asked me to send mail to that address several times"

"So what does this have to do with me"

"Yorkshire is Grace's home town and if you're looking to get more insight on her past, I think visiting that address when you get there would be of great help to you," she says with serious sincerity in her gaze.

"Okay, thanks," I say slipping the small piece of paper into the back pocket of my jeans.

"Good luck" she mumbles and I nod before continuing on my way.

After packing a small bag, I get to the driveway and sure enough, Cornelius is parked waiting for me. We exchange greetings as soon as I get into the car and that's all. The rest of the ride to the mansion is in silence.

If this address the Janitor just handed to me is of any significance, then this trip to England will be rewarding in more ways than one. I need something more to work with and getting a bit of insight into Grace's past is a great start. I guess Chloe's death softened the heart of the once indifferent Janitor. I am going to need all the help I can get if I am to crack this case open.

When I get to the mansion, I manage to dodge having dinner with Lisa and Grace after faking a headache. I head straight to my room to begin working on the program of events for tomorrow's press briefing. Grace being the ego-feeder that she is, decided that it would be best to have a press briefing in order to update the public on the recent happenings at the foundation after Chloe's death.

The next day, I am awoken as early as 5.30 am to preparation. As per usual, Phoenix's biggest media contributors are allowed into the mansion by 9.30. They ask Grace a series of questions about what happened to Chloe and she manages to answer them tactfully with no show of emotion whatsoever - claiming to still be in a state of shock and I'm absolutely disgusted.

The day after the briefing, several newspaper headers and magazine articles are published with headlines painting Grace to be a bereaved compatriot of selflessness and she cannot be happier. Her plan to win over more of a black following had been set into motion with the overwhelming support she had begun to receive after yesterday's charade. This woman's ability to manipulate everything to work in her favor should be labelled her superpower.

Two days later...

The flight to London wasn't as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be. Sure, there were a few moments of stomach-churning turbulence, but overall, it was smooth sailing. To my slight dismay, Caleb ended up being my seatmate on the flight. We made small talk to pass the time, despite the occasional awkward silence. Since Chloe's passing, our relationship has shifted, and we've become more like reluctant allies than anything else.

Arriving at the Grand York hotel felt like stepping into a scene from a posh British drama, complete with tea and crumpets. I was relieved to find out I had a room to myself. So far, I'm loving everything about Britain.