Riveroak

Chapter 13

The rest of the day was uneventful. Then again, it's hard to find an eventful situation after what I experienced this morning. All day long I continued to get teased by Pria and Stassi, and to my unfortunate findings, Stassi is in the Newspaper class with me. I'm truly not going to have a break from any of those girls during my day. 

"Today really just wiped me out," I tell Gala. "I'm just needing to stay in tonight. I don't think I can swing the cafeteria." 

I'm only half lying about that. In truth, I was wiped from the moment I walked into my first class here at Riveroak. Mr. Goldstone is not a good man, and I can't shake the fact that something might be going on between him and Anne-Marie. Especially with how defensive he is of her. I want to read the diary and see if there's anything else I can find out about him. Maybe there's something Victoria hid that proves they were together. 

Maybe there's something that can link him to her murder. 

Or maybe I watch too much crime shows. 

"I don't blame you," Gala says. "I'll tell you what, I'd normally offer to stay with you but they're serving fettuccini alfredo tonight and I've been craving it all day. You want me to bring you some when I come back?" 

My mouth waters as I think about the creamy pasta, but I smile at my friend. "That would be great. You're a godsend," I tell her.

"Just doing my part," Gala says with a wink. "I'll see you in about an hour with a big ol' plateful!" She walks to the door and stops before opening it. "Hey, I know I said this earlier, but it really meant a lot how you stood up to Anne-Marie and the others for me today." 

I look at Gala and see tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly wipes them and clears her throat. 

"Gala, I'd do it again and again," I assure her. "Don't worry about it. I know you'd do the same for me."  

She nods and leaves the room and I wait until I hear her heavy footsteps get far down the hall before I jump down from the bed and lock the door to the dorm. Gala won't think it's to weird that I did that once I tell her I was feeling weird after our room was broken into. That also isn't entirely a lie. 

I walk over to the bed and go into my underwear drawer where the diary has gone untouched for days. I have an hour to read as much as I can before Gala gets back, and I don't plan to waste any of the time I have. 

I lay down on my bed and open up to the next page. 

Dear Diary, 

My mystery man was the perfect gentleman on the date.  

I forgot about this mystery man. If I ever figure out who he is, he'd be worth having as a backup to Goldstone idea. Maybe the mystery man can even give me more information about Goldstone if she asked him for help. 

We walked along the shores of the bay and we talked for hours. He isn't normally my type, but something about him was endearing. We were paired together during a science project and we exchanged numbers, and I don't know what compelled me to message him back. Maybe I was needing attention, or maybe I knew that he was going to be good for me, but this boy has been so sweet. He calls me love, and normally I would shut that shit down quickly, but it's nice when he says it. Like I think I could genuinely be falling for him. 

So Victoria was entangled with two people. This love triangle definitely could have led to death. Maybe Victoria and this mystery guy were on a date and Goldstone saw. Goldstone then fell into a heated fury and she went with him to calm him down. Then he killed her and moved her body down to The Bay the night of the bonfire.