𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐈𝐗 (𝐀𝐔)

TWO

"Thank you for what you did at the party. I'm so grateful to have you by my side," Tara expressed, playfully nudging Amber's shoulder as she leaned in closer.

Amber's smile widened, her affection for Tara evident in her gaze. She reached out to brush a strand of hair back from Tara's face. "You're my girl, and you can always count on me," she reassured, her voice filled with sincerity, "you sober now."

"A lot actually." Tara nodded.

The two girls locked eyes, their faces inching closer until their lips were on the verge of touching. Just as they were about to share a kiss, the door swung open, revealing Quinn, the roommate shared by Amber and Anika, holding Tara's phone. "Hey, T, you left your phone in my room-oh!" Quinn's voice trailed off as they realized the timing of their entrance.

"Did I just cock block you?" Quinn blurted out, their eyebrows raised in surprise.

Amber's eyes widened, caught off guard by the bluntness of Quinn's remark. "What?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Quinn clarified, their tone filled with amusement. "I cocked block you."

Amber shook her head, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "No, immediately no," she responded. "W-What are you doing in here?"

Quinn held up Tara's phone, breaking the tension. "Uh, Tara's phone," they explained, shaking it lightly before handing it back to her. Tara nodded in confirmation, taking her phone and giving Quinn a pointed look.

"Why does she have your phone?" Amber asked, still slightly flustered by the interruption.

"We were talking," Tara replied, her voice carrying a hint of annoyance. She stood up, addressing Quinn directly. "Just remember to knock before entering a room, okay?" she reminded them sternly. Quinn nodded in understanding, offering an apologetic thumbs-up in response.

Tara then made her way out of the room. As she left, Quinn shrugged nonchalantly and exited as well. Amber sank back onto the bed, exhaling deeply. A soft smile graced her lips, a testament to the resilience of their connection despite the interruptions and challenges they faced.

➩➩➩➩➩

Sam walked into the apartment after being called by Chad to see everyone sprawled on the couch looking at the TV. "What's going on?"

"in an apartment two college students Jason Carvey and Greg Bruckner were just found brutally murdered."

"Holy shit those are the guys from our film studies class" Mindy pointed out while having her arm around Anika who sat up because she knew Sam was about to do something. But she this time agreed.

"Okay, you guys know the drill. Pack a bag, we leave at ten," Anika instructed the group, her voice firm. Sam nodded in agreement and headed to the kitchen, intending to grab a knife.

"What? No, Anika," Amber interjected, rising from her seat, with Tara following closely behind Sam.

Anika looked at Amber, confusion evident in her expression. "What do you mean, no?" she asked, trying to make sense of Amber's objection.

Amber's voice carried a tinge of frustration. "It might have nothing to do with us. Think about it, Anika. It's Halloween, and everyone is wearing masks," she reasoned, her tone indicating her disbelief at her sister's concern.

Anika shook her head, her conviction unwavering. "Amber, this isn't a coincidence. You knew him! We knew him!" she exclaimed, emphasizing the significance of their connection to the situation.

"Barely!" Amber retorted, her voice tinged with frustration and a touch of fear. The tension between the sisters hung in the air, their differing perspectives clashing in the face of uncertainty.

"Guys! Back me up!" Anika's voice rang out, pleading for support.

Sam reentered the room, followed by an equally annoyed Tara. "She's right, Amber. It's not just some random coincidence that two boys were murdered in the same place we moved to," Sam asserted, their tone filled with concern.

Mindy and Chad exchanged glances, contemplating the situation. "Well, I mean... It does seem a little too close to home," Chad cautiously began.

Mindy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's hard to ignore the connection," she added, her voice filled with a touch of unease.

Tara turned to Quinn, her eyes filled with urgency. "Your dad's a cop. Can you call him and find out what's going on?"

Amber's frustration boiled over, her voice laced with exasperation. "Before our sisters make the unilateral decision to abandon our college education and flee the fucking state," she snapped, emphasizing her disagreement with the idea.

Quinn nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. She raised her phone to her ear, ready to make the call. "I'm calling him," she confirmed, determined to seek answers and provide reassurance.

Tara offered a grateful smile. "Thank you,"

Suddenly, Anika's phone rang, causing everyone to jump. Anika cautiously approached the phone and picked it up, only to see that it was just Gale Weathers calling. She let out a sigh of relief and ended the call.

"Why did everyone freak out when her phone rang?" Ethan, Chad's new roommate, asked, his confusion evident. Breann let out a sigh and turned to him, preparing to explain.

"You need to keep up, dude," she responded, a touch of exasperation in her voice. The group had been on edge due to recent events, causing even the slightest unexpected interruption to elicit a heightened reaction. Ethan now found himself caught up in the unfolding mysteries that surrounded them.

"Hey guys it's my dad," Quinn said handing the phone to Anika who placed it to her ear.

"Mr. Bailey hi." Anika greeted.

"Hi Anika, I was just about to call you." He said through the phone.

"Oh right.. uh Amber and tara think we're overreacting."

"I'm afraid not, I'm gonna need you to come down to the station"