Brutal Bonding

Chapter 11: Start Over

Wren sat alone on her classroom desk, her eyes scanning the empty chair beside her. Warner Hartfelt had once occupied that seat, his invisible presence a constant reminder of the dark days she had fought to put behind her. She shuddered, the memories still haunting her even though he was no longer alive.

Glancing behind, her gaze fell upon another empty chair that belonged to Aaron Hartfelt. Aaron, the guy who she had provided shelter to, only to vanish without a trace. It had been days since she had last seen him, and his absence hit an unexplainable nerve.

Four days had passed since Wren had snuck Aaron into her bedroom at the sorority house. She hadn't been comfortable sharing a room with him, let alone the same building. Her dormitory bed felt tainted, so she had settled for lying on the living room couch that night. When she awoke the next morning, Aaron was gone.

Wren tried to muster her irritation at his quiet departure, but she couldn't help but be bothered by it. She had expected at least a 'thank you' for offering him a place to stay when he needed it most. Instead, he had silently slipped away, leaving her alone and confused and concerned. She hoped he had made it home safely, but her weariness grew with each passing day.

That weariness intensified when she eyed Mina's empty chair. She had not seen her housemate since the dramatic exit from Warner's burial. Wren knew that Mina was deeply affected by his death. They all were. But Mina's reaction had been different. The once-vivacious woman had transformed into a ghost of her former self. She had locked herself in her room and seemed to have no desire to come out or communicate with the outside world.

Wren longed for Mina's return, not just for her friend's sake but also for the companionship she desperately craved. Her shoulders sagged when she spotted three intimidatingly beautiful women whispering across the classroom. Just when she thought they were making progress, Wren had no idea why Noemy, Ariana, and Kim had returned to excluding her for the past few days. She had assumed that her moving in after their life-threatening pact would've solidified their friendship, but clearly, she was wrong.

She was tired of screwing up. She was tired of being alone.

The room buzzed with chatter as students settled in for the lecture, but her attention was instantly drawn to the window. There, she saw Aaron emerging from an office, his backpack slung over his shoulders. He looked better than the last time she had seen him, but the shadows of exhaustion still clung to his features.

As Aaron dragged himself into the classroom, the chatter came to an abrupt halt. All eyes turned to him, and Wren could see the discomfort etched on his face as he tried to avoid the curious gazes of his classmates. The professor, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room, welcomed him.

"It's a pleasure to have you in class, Mr. Hartfelt. Please take your seat."

Aaron gave a single nod. Wren watched as he made his way to the back of the classroom, his assigned seat not far from where his late brother used to sit.

As he passed by, their eyes briefly met, sending a shiver down her spine. With Aaron sitting right behind her, she could feel his eyes burning holes at the back of her head.

'He knows,' Warner's voice taunted. 'He knows you're a murderer.'

Adding to her discomfort, she felt the piercing stares of the sorority leaders. It was as if their judgmental orbs were boring into her soul, intensifying the unease that had been growing within her.