Revenge or Revolution?

26.

Sandra was more confused than ever when Steve had told her to hang tight. Why wasn't Steve worried that she knew about him? He didn't care that he was going to die and he didn't care when his cover had been blown. Was Sandra missing something? She knew that it made sense for him to kill those people because he had motive. She even had evidence. Steve had no reason to know about the necklace and it was clear that it was him who called Uncle Ed. But there was only one thing that kept bugging - why was there no remorse in Steve's voice? Why had he become so cold? She had the answers but it still felt incomplete. Her gut feeling told her that Brian was also not completely innocent. After everything that happened with them, she still had the "first year Sandra" inside her heart that trusted Steve once.

She decided that even though she didn't feel like it, she should wait for the reunion. It was just some hours away now. She knew that Steve wasn't the type of guy who would just run away. If he had a greater plan, he would wait till tomorrow.

She wondered how she could have so much trust in Steve yet even after what he did to her. But the answer was simple. They did have some good times in their life. She was always there when he needed her. Moreover, he was also always there to help her when she needed him.

******

It was the first year of their college life. It was before the proposal and just after the election of the class representatives. Sandra's father had passed away due to lung cancer and she had been gone back to her house

Everyone was told that it was to prepare for the upcoming exams. She didn't want any sympathy from people and so she decided that she won't tell this to anyone. As soon as Steve heard the reason, he knew that it was completely made-up. There was no way Sandra would go home when exams were near and all the assignments were due.

Mostly all the subject's assignments were given by Sandra before the deadline. She was going to submit Economics' assignment when she had gotten the news and she couldn't care less.

The college had a system that they counted marks of both the assignments and the term exams to see if the student passed or not. Thus, assignments were as important as the exams to score good marks. If failed, the student could be detained in the same year while the whole batch would be promoted. Assignments were also important to pass the class in top ten.

When Steve had asked Sandra twice the real reason for her to go away from college in the middle of the year, she had folded. She trusted Steve more than anyone else and she felt that she could tell him the truth. He had conveyed his condolences.

Sandra wasn't in the college for almost a month and it was the last day for economics' assignment submission. No submission after today would be taken.

'Sandra has still not come and her assignment for economics is left.' Aisha was telling Steve.

Steve also wondered the same.

'I thought she sent it through you. Professor Trenton is a strict fellow. He won't accept anyone's assignment late.'

'How can she be so busy in studying that she ain't receiving calls nor submitting assignments?' John chimed in.

Steve remained quiet. He had promised Sandra that he wouldn't tell anyone the real reason of her absence and he won't let anyone even doubt it.

'I talked to her a couple of days ago,' Steve explained, 'She has just been super busy with Economics. You know how weak she is in the subject.'

'That's the reason why she needs to submit the assignment. Don't you see?' Aisha replied, 'If she doesn't give the assignment, she has to score more than 70% in the term exams and no one has ever scored that many marks till now in Economics.'