A harsh push woke up Danielle. Hastily sitting up, she came face to face with an infuriated Rayana, brandishing a pair of white surgical gloves in her hand. She cursed herself, internally. Of course, she forgot to hide this. After entering her room last night, she realised that she still had the gloves on her. Her first instinct was to throw it out of the window but she soon, realised it was a very dopey idea. Then, she decided to keep it inside her bedside drawer. Opening the gloves and keeping them on the bedside table, she was about to open the drawer when Rayana stirred in her sleep and mumbled something. Immediately, she dashed under her blanket and pretended to fall asleep. But unfortunately while pretending, she really fell asleep.

Rayana glowered at her. Waving the gloves before her, she asked in a demanding tone, "Where did these come from?" Then, pointing a finger at Danielle, she asked, now in a more severe tone, "And why are you all dressed up?"

Danielle lied through a parched throat. "I am not dressed up. It was freezing last night, so, I decided to wear warm clothes."

Rayana didn't look like she was convinced. "And what about these gloves?" She threw the gloves at Danielle's lap.

"Well, they are mine," Danielle lied. "I took them out yesterday. Who knows when I will need them?"

"It wasn't here last night," Rayana said, pointedly.

"It was," Danielle insisted. "You must've missed it in the dark."

Rayana snorted. "A white thing like this is a beacon in the darkness. I would've seen it if it were here."

Realising her lying attempts were failing miserably, Danielle was seized with an unfathomable anger. "Why do you? It's none of your business!"

Rayana was taken aback. She opened her mouth to say something but decided better than to do so.

Danielle continued, "Yes, it wasn't there, last night. Yes, it isn't mine. So, what? So, what is it to you? Why do you care? I am not obliged to tell you everything! So, kindly, mind your goddamn business!"

Danielle didn't wait for an answer. Pushing past Rayana, she opened the door. Before the door closed behind her, she heard Rayana, feebly, saying: "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just don't push me away."

~

Danielle, again, found herself surrounded by books in the library. She didn't feel like going back to her room after lashing out at Rayana like that. To say she was feeling guilty would be an understatement. Horrible was the more accurate word. Drowning herself in self-rebuke, she, mindlessly, flipped through the pages of The Bell Jar, her mind crowded with various thoughts- some morbid, some guilt-ridden, some hopeful. If someone had peeped inside her head at that moment, she was sure they would've taken her for a madwoman. Maybe she was going mad. But right now, she didn't care. It didn't matter.

What mattered was to pull herself out of this thick muck Danielle had been pushed into. To prove herself innocent. If venturing down the path to prove herself innocent led her to insanity, she would gladly take it. If she were to be branded a criminal, she would want everything to happen while she remained unaware, detached from reality.

Immersed in these thoughts, Danielle didn't feel the presence of a new person beside her. The library was fairly empty except for a girl who kept throwing her suspicious glances and sat as far away from her as possible. A light touch on her arm jolted her back to reality. Whipping around, she came face to face with Xavier. Danielle heaved a sigh. 

"How did you know I am here?" She asked, closing the book and turning towards Xavier to give him her full attention.

"I went to your room to look for you," Xavier informed. "But Joanna said you had left early morning. So, I figured you would be here. You are always here."

"Am I?" Danielle inquired, a playful edge to her question.

The corners of Xavier's lips tugged up in a smile. "You are."

"Maybe I need to change my place of hiding," Danielle said, enjoying the light-hearted banter between them.

"You don't have to unless you are planning to hide from me." Xavier leaned forward and grabbed The Bell Jar from her hands.

"And what gave you the impression that I want to hide from you?" Danielle asked as she eyed him, flipping through the pages of The Bell Jar.

"Nothing," Xavier said, his eyes on the pages of the book. "Tell me, why do you suspect Rayana?"

Danielle was stunned by the sudden change of topic. She stuttered. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you suspect her?" Xavier asked, again. He closed the book and kept it back on the table. Now, staring at Danielle.

Danielle cleared her throat. "I don't suspect her. No."

Xavier let out a laugh. "You do. Now, tell me, why?"

Danielle sighed. Xavier knew, so, she thought it was better not to lie anymore. "Arianna destroyed her painting for the art competition back in class six. So, Rayana was really happy when Arianna was discovered dead. She has also been a bit too nosy about where I am going and all that stuff."

Xavier nodded. Danielle would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised by Xavier's behaviour. She expected him to be as shocked at this revelation as she was when Rayana told her. But instead, he looked like he knew Arianna was capable of doing so.

"You knew," Danielle concluded. "You knew, didn't you?"

Xavier shook his head. "How could I? If I knew, I would've made sure Arianna was punished for her doings."

Danielle raised an eyebrow at him. Picking up the book from the table and skimming through its pages, she asked, "Then, why did you look unsurprised by the news?"

Xavier sighed. Leaning forward, he whispered, conspiratorially, "Everyone has their secrets and this was hers."

Danielle gulped. The words that tumbled out of her mouth weren't the words she intended to speak. It was as if the words were their own entity, deciding what to do on their own. "Of course, you would know that. After all, she was your ex."

The moment she perceived the words she spoke she knew she had gone too far, spoken the thing she wasn't supposed. For a moment, Xavier's eyes widened. But for a moment only. Then, he moved away from her, putting a gap between them. The Xavier who sat before her wasn't the Xavier she had grown to like. Instead, in front of her sat Xavier Alvarez, the principal's son. His eyes were masked with a thick veil, prohibiting her from getting glimpses of his thoughts. His lips pressed together, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.

Danielle cursed herself, internally. Of course, she had to go and ruin her only chance at survival, at help by saying something stupid and childish. She half-expected Xavier to strode out of the library, leaving her in the library. But he did nothing of those sorts. Instead, he nodded. His face was stoic, devoid of any emotions. Then, very slowly he spoke, each word stretched out, heavy with authority and power. "Yes, she was. She was my ex-girlfriend, but her being my ex didn't make me realize that every person has a dark side that they hide away. They can never make it go away completely, and Arianna was no exception."

Danielle only nodded, not knowing what else to say. Xavier stood up, startling her.

"Where are you going?" she asked, getting to her feet as well.

"To the drama hall," he replied, curtly. Then, without speaking another word, he left Danielle standing in the library, alone; her eyes following him.

~

In the drama hall, Danielle sat alone behind the wings, with her chin in her hands and eyes cast down—the conversation with Xavier running in her mind, in an endless loop. She knew she shouldn't have said what she said, but the small jealous part of her couldn't help but make a jab at Xavier for dating her deceased roommate. Yes, it was irrational for her to say and feel that way but she felt it, anyway. And now, that she had let her jealous thoughts be spoken out loud, she had ruined a friendship or whatever bond they had grown to have. 

Ryan had approached her, seeing her alone. But not even two seconds later, Xavier cleared his throat, rather disgruntedly behind them, which made Ryan scramble away from Danielle with an apologetic look. All she could do was sigh, resignedly.

There was still some time before their rehearsal resigned. Danielle didn't have anything else other than to stare at Ryan and Xavier conversing near the closed door. Suddenly, the door flew open and in came, Sameera Rathore.

Sameera, even though wasn't back to her previous self, looked a little better. Her hair was tied properly in a tight bun and she wore a crisp, clean brown shirt and blue pants. A look of emergency was etched on her face as she made her way straight to Mrs. Kashyap. The conversation between Mrs. Kashyap and Sameera, as perceived by Danielle, was full of urgency. Then, to Danielle's surprise, Sameera started walking in her direction. Soon, she found herself alone in the greenroom alone, with Sameera.

Sameera looked, uncharacteristically, apprehensive. She led Danielle to a chair and asked her to sit down. She pulled a chair in front of Danielle and sat down. Never in her whole life had Danielle seen Sameera so tense. Without making any eye contact with Danielle, she fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. This out-of-character behaviour of Sameera filled Danielle with an unspeakable amount of dread. Destructive and dangerous thoughts ran through Danielle's mind. Had Inspector Rabha decided to arrest her? Would she be in prison now? Had she been officially marked as a murderer?

Before her intrusive thoughts could engulf her wholly, Sameera spoke up. Her voice was small and uncertain which was extremely unlike her. "Your father called me. He has heard everything."

As soon as the words registered in her brain, Danielle felt like she had been plunged into an icy cold ocean with a rock tied to her, which was pulling her to the darkness at the bottom. Amidst all this chaos, she had totally forgotten about her father. What did her father think of her when he heard it? Did he feel ashamed to have her as his daughter?

Sameera continued, "He wants to talk to you."

"Did you tell him that the police suspect me?" Danielle's voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar to even her ears.

Sameera shook her head. "He just knows that your roommate got murdered. He is just scared for your well-being in this school. Nothing, apart from her death, has been leaked to the media. So, no one knows who the suspect is."

Danielle nodded. She didn't know how to react to this information. Maybe she should feel grateful that her name had not been outed to the media. Even after trying very hard, she failed to feel the gratitude.

Sameera put a gentle hand on her knee. "Do you want to talk to him?"

Danielle nodded, wordlessly. Sameera pulled out her phone and handed it to her after calling her father. She looked at the caller ID, her father's name displayed on it. She, gingerly, put it to her ears. With each monotonous ringing sound, the anxious feeling inside her started to build up.

Finally, the ringing sound stopped and a male voice was heard. "Sameera?"

A wave of familiarity mixed with love and longing washed over Danielle. An unwanted sob escaped her throat. "Dad?"

The line went quiet. Danielle's heart started beating loudly, waiting for her father to speak up.

"Dani?" The word was barely a whisper. Nonetheless, it was heavy with love and affection.

"Dad," she repeated. Tears rolled down her cheeks. At that moment, she would have done to be in her father's arms, to be surrounded by love and protected from the cruel world.

"I heard what happened," her father said. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am," Danielle lied, her heart growing heavier every second. "The police are working hard to catch her murderer."

"That's good." Her father paused. Then, he added, more quietly, "I miss you."

Danielle's silent cries turned into loud sobs. In between her sobs, she managed to utter, "I miss you, too."

When her father replied, his voice was thick with the unshed tears. "Please take care of yourself. You're the only one I have, now." The next part was a pained whisper. "I am scared you would leave me like your mother."

"You won't," Danielle sobbed. "I won't leave you as mother did. I won't. I promise."

Warm hands wrapped around her shaking self, pulling her into a warm protective embrace. Sameera rubbed her back, soothingly. The terrible memories of her mother's death plagued her mind. She remembered the day very vividly. They were playing the Blindman's Buff on their roof. She had been hiding and giggling in a corner, listening to her mother's playful voice saying 'I will catch you'. Those pleasant memories were followed by a horrified shriek and a loud thud. Danielle remembered vividly how her younger self ran to the edge of the roof and peered down to see her mother lying in a pool of her own blood, dead.

Danielle knew very well how much her father suffered after her mother's death. She was the only reason that kept him going. She couldn't put his father through the same pain again, not after she knew what would happen to him. At this thought, she was filled with a new-found vigour to prove her innocence. She had to prove her innocence.

Channelling the newfound strength, she promised her father that she would be alright. After that, she ended the call with her father.

Still, in Sameera's warm embrace, Danielle uttered a small 'thank you'.

"Don't mention it." Sameera planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

They sat like that for some time. Danielle relished in the serenity she found in Sameera's arms. In the midst of this turmoil, she found peace in Vijay and Sameera. And Xavier. All of a sudden, a thought struck her which vanquished her peace in a moment. She sat up straight and looked straight at Sameera, eyebrows furrowed. 

"How did you have my father's number?" Danielle raised a hand and shook her head. "Why does he have your number?"

The way Sameera's face paled rapidly birthed a sick feeling in the pit of Danielle's stomach. Sameera opened her mouth a few times but said nothing. Then, running a hand over her face, she started speaking, "Actually, he is my---"

The lights went out.

SANNAYA!
hey guys! i hope y'all are doing fine. to say my mental health has hit rock bottom is an understatement. i firmly believe nothing can fix me other than some intensive therapy sessions. some really disturbing things happened to me and i wasn't really in the mindset to sit down and write.

but anyway, don't forget to vote and tell me what you think!