Getting blamed for a murder she never committed isn't something Danielle expected when she let her anger get the best of her for once in her life.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Danielle Imchen has always considered her boarding...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Rayana sat beside Danielle in the dining hall, happily chatting away while munching on her food. Meanwhile, Danielle was half-mindedly listening and eating, the rest of his attention was captured by Xavier, who stole quick glances her way. She knew very well what those meant.
Much like her, Xavier didn't seem engrossed in eating or listening to the conversation between Ryan and Joanna, who had joined them, today. Each look he gave her way was suggestive, filled with urgency and curiosity. He wanted her in the quad right at ten that night. Needless to say, she would be there.
A new surge of trepidation hummed through her body. She knew she was expecting too much. What could a chess board possibly serve her that could help her prove her innocence? But deep in the contours of a heart, the flames of hope flickered yet didn't extinguish. She hoped that this was a key to her freedom, to erase the stain from her name. If it wasn't...
She didn't even want to imagine. Having her hopes crushed into tiny specks of dust seemed too painful of a thought even to consider. So, tucking away all her pessimistic thoughts, she filled herself with optimism.
The dining room, even though still haunted by the recent death, had started to slide back into its own skin. A low hum of chattering filled the air. Students huddled together, talking. Occasionally, a few waves of laughter could be heard, too but they were immediately shut down with the stern glares by the other students.
Danielle looked behind her. She could see the hazy figures of Vijay and Sameera sitting at the end of the bench, near the darkness. From the last time, she had seen her, there had been no improvements in their state. If anything, it had only deteriorated.
Vijay's face was, now, hidden by a curtain of unkempt beard. His eyes had sunken further into their socket. The dark circles under his eyes had gotten darker, if possible. His face had lost its natural colour and looked a few tones lighter. There was a clear sign of exhaustion and unspoken pressure on him. The only thing that made him look sane and presentable was his meticulously combed hair and his crisp, clean grey shirt and pants.
Beside him, Sameera didn't look much better. Her beautiful face was worn down with secrets that only she knew. She had gotten paler and the dark circles under her eyes were more visible. Much like Vijay, her eyes, too, had sunken in their pits. Unlike Vijay, her hair was put up in an extremely messy bun and her blue shirt and grey pants all wrinkled and crinkly.
By the looks of it, Danielle knew that none of them were eating much of what was on their plate. They were quiet, minds preoccupied with thoughts that haunted them.
Danielle didn't like to see them in this state. So accustomed to the pristine Sameera and Vijay that having to see them fall apart was like an unimaginable horror. Even though she never said it out loud, Vijay and Sameera were like her family. The family she never had but yearned for. Having to see the people she considered family suffer silently pained her. Yet, she could do nothing.
