Bold: Written by I.

Italics: Written by P.

Chapter 1

„AHHHH"

A scream fearful and loud ripped through the whole mansion but contrary to what people would expect nobody jumped up to run towards the source. This place was after all a haunted mansion and the main set for one of the most famous horror movies that started the whole horror fan culture. In the given situation of course, people assumed that the scream was part of the experience like some show or some special riddle or something. Especially the nine guests currently staying at the mansion. Knowing their Professor, they all assumed that it was his work. Ever since he had left them alone and the mansion to take one of them to the hospital, they had all just waited for this to happen.

Slowly and with no motivation the students started gathering near the door of the room the scream came from. The door was closed so once everyone was assembled one of them took the lead opening the door. But what happened next was completely different from what they expected.

There he was blood all around him the knife deep in his chest. His clothes were messed up and he was dead. Fuck this was a real dead body- no games, no fun this was real.

"Oh my god… He´s really dead!" Campbell´s hands trembled as she looked at the dead body. You could see the sheer horror in her eyes. "Somebody! Help!"

"I bet 20 on sex game gone wrong. Look he is half naked and his pants are undone." Keay said his infamous crocked smile still on his face even with a body right in front of him. "Oh, shut the fuck up Keay you and your dirty games… Can't you be more appropriate?" Fighter rolled his eyes. "Dirty games? You really think I play dirty games? You know I fucked nearly all of your friends and over half came back for seconds so I'm sure you can't just call them dirty games."

Heather shot the two a very disapproving look: "There is a dead body right in front of you so less weird creepy sex talk more ´holy shit what happened here?´ please." She turned around to the other girls just to roll her eyes. "Idiots".

"Oh my god you guys! This is like so realistic. That guy looks just like one of our classmates!" The severity of the situation clearly hadn´t reached Karen yet.

Laughing Keay shrugged his shoulders. "We have to seal of the room and make sure no one steps inside, then call the police." Someone sighed behind him. Turning around he saw them look at him as if they wanted to slap him. "I'm not wrong." Keay defended himself.

"I mean you´re not wrong, just very, very stupid. The power is more down than those two idiots on each other and considering the fact that -as the housekeeper said like an hour ago- the apocalypse seems to have started outside and we can´t leave this house until the weather clears which could -in fact- take days, we´re stuck. And even if we somehow magically managed to call the police- if we can´t get out of here, they can´t get in either." Mira very obviously has had it with the situation- or Keay… possibly both.

Keay nodded. "Then seal of the room and let's start making a timeline to see who was where, at which time so we can establish alibis." "Who died and made you the new leader?" Tutor was sneering at him one arm around his boyfriend's shoulder. "Exactly who made you leader Keay?" Fighter as always right away took his lovers side building a clear front against him. "I mean. Did you really just ask, who died next to a frickin corpse?", Heather – as always- was very quick with her comments. Keay just shrugged and pointed at a camera in his hand. "This thing did. I was recording the whole time for the university news so I'm one of the few with an air tight alibi making me the best to lead this investigation."

"I mean if you really wanna go down that route: So am I. There was like no second since we got here, that I wasn´t with someone. I unpacked with Campbell, before walking over to Heather´s and Karen´s to help Heather unpack, then started to work out with Karen, which you creep actually filmed. Which leads to the end of my alibi which would be me following you around the mansion while telling you to possibly rip you a new one should you ever do that again, before hearing that scream." Mira just smiled at Keay, before strutting into the room with the corpse, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over the corpse. "The fuck girl you are destroying evidence. What do you think you are doing?" Keay was rolling his eyes in anger. "Covering up the corpse." Mira looked at the now covered corpse "So unsettling". "For real girl? Come on, not like a dead corpse is something new. you see it every day on TV and really if you can't deal with it just leave, I can handle this investigation myself."

With a sigh Keay stepped into the room and in stark contrast to Mira started looking around careful to not disturb or touch anything just yet. It looked messy like there was a fight especially close to the bed. The dead guy was Arnon one of the two guys everyone in their course hated. He was a prick and from the way things looked he probably deserved what he got. His pants were down and his shirt missing as if he had tried to go down on whoever killed him and without a second thought Keay would bet all his money that it wasn't consensual.

Making sure everyone else stayed out of the room he took pictures of the whole situation. "Since you decided to help with this investigation please separate them and get their alibis one after another you take the girls I will talk to the boys." Keay turned to Mira a little annoyed. He wanted to uncover the body again to take pictures and make sure the whole crime scene was well documented. "Oh, and this room is sealed from here on out so no one steps inside you hear me." Yes, he was a horny annoying playboy but at the same time he knew when to be real so without listening to any complains he took over the lead and did his best to control the situation without causing panic or give anyone a chance to fabricate evidence. For him it looked like self-defence. With that in mind it should be easy enough to find out who the killer was.

Mira on the other hand was way more concerned with her friends´ wellbeing than anything else. While it may be true that "being dull" might be the understatement of the year for Karen, she will at some point realize that Arnon actually died, which won´t be great for everyone else. And while Heather is very well known to be the condescending "mean girl" of her cheer squad, she was far from immune to a situation like this. Not to forget that Campbell didn´t seem to take the situation well at all. While Mira herself was not at all okay with the situation going on right now, she knew that she´d help no one by panicking too. Even if it meant compromising the scene so she wouldn´t throw up on the next -hopefully- innocent bystander… and help out that idiot of a "man" Keay.

"So, girls, what do you say? Should we let that idiot play detective for a while and do literally anything else than stand in this room? Didn´t Heather bring wine or something?" Mira put on the biggest smile she could. If her cheer captain is too rattled by this, at least she should somewhat hold up the spirit. "You know what? That sounds like the perfect idea to do right now! Bitches, let´s get a move on!" Probably very happy to get away from the situation, Heather grabbed the still oblivious Karen and Campbell and bailed for her room. Before Mira followed them, she just looked at Keay with a way to stern look, simply saying: "Don´t you dare complaining about this."

After finally everyone left to be questioned, Keay uncovered the body and took pictures of the knife, the position the body was in and the state of him half undressed. "Arnon, Arnon what did you do this time?" He asked quietly leaning down to close the boy's eyes only after taking a picture to document his face. His touch was soft and gentle and for the first time there was something like sorrow in his expression. "You were going to make me clean up your mess again this time hm?" He let out a sigh and stood up everything gentle and soft disappeared from his face returning to the stern but sexy expression he always showed the world.

Arnon was a really douchebag an asshole in his highest form. Always getting on people's nerves always trying to be better then everyone. Totally obsessed with himself thinking every girl in this world was into him and assuming that he had every right to just take them as he pleased. Considering that it was no surprise to Keay that he died like that. But it was still sad to see. No one knew, but the truth was the two of them had been strongly dependent on each other. Keay needed Arnon to keep his secret while Arnon needed Keay to clean up his messes it was a fucked up, twisted relationship but it had worked until today.

Finishing the investigation in the room Keay walked over to find Mira, who was currently busy searching the mansion´s kitchen for wine glasses, not really noticing Keay walking towards her."Two possible scenarios. Either one of the girls killed him because he tried to rape one of them or it was Dean. He is the outsider in our course and he hated Arnon to death so it is possible he followed him, found out he scored with someone and got angry enough to kill him." Up to this point he was pretty sure that this was the most probable explanation, especially with Dean since he knew things others shouldn't know and it gave Dean an even higher score on the "damn you are the killer" scale.

"More like two possible scenarios: Dean killed Arnon, which kinda makes sense since I haven´t really seen him around the whole day. Scenario two: our two lovebirds decided he has been an annoying prick long enough and decided to take matters in their own hands, which I think is super plausible, because they are way too relaxed right now. Also: have you seen the girls? If Karen tried to stab someone she´d probably accidentally make the house explode, Heather might be a bitch but quite frankly you all would get your asses handled by her- without killing anyone, and Campbell is like the most innocent girl I know, she´d probably let it happen and talk to us later- which would in fact have ended in us collectively murdering him- which still didn´t happen, so… clearly not one of the girls.". Keay turned away to roll his eyes in anger but stayed quiet at her words even doing his best in hiding his expression when he turned back and just nodding. "Whatever, not important, I guess you want to ask alibis?"

Keay nodded. "Let's split up I go over talk to the boys see what they know or what they found out and you talk to the girls?" He was nearly out the door when he turned back with his infamous smile. "You know you do look kinda sexy being all serious Mis. Detective." And with that he was gone. Mira just stood there breathing "Okay, either I actually got flustered by that -but ew- or I just threw up in my mouth a little". She swallowed and took another breath. "yep definitely threw up."

Chapter 2

"Finally! I thought someone murdered you on the way or something!" Mira simply reacted to Heather´s weirdly happy shout by throwing a very annoyed look into her direction, before setting the wineglasses down on one of the bedside tables. "Too soon?" Mira nodded. Without hesitation- possibly because the situation felt very weird all of a sudden, Heather opened her wine bottle and started pouring. Mira for her part decided to check on the rest of the cheer squad, actually meaning Campbell, since Karen still didn´t seem like she really understood what happened. Campbell on the other hand didn´t seem to take it all that well. She was sitting on Karen´s bed, more or less staring out of the window.

Mira carefully walked up to her before sitting down next to her. "You okay?" Campbell barely looked at Mira. "I can´t believe this is happening. One moment we unpack and not an hour later one of us is dead. This was supposed to be fun!" Mira absolutely understood how she felt. Hell, she wasn´t even sure why she was holding up that well. Keeping up her sympathetic smile, she put an arm around her best friend. "I think we all can´t believe what happened. But we´re gonna be fine as long as we stick together in here." Heather raised one of the newly filled glasses "I´ll drink to that!". "See? Now turn that frown upside down and have a glass of wine with us!" Campbell actually managed to smile a little, before standing up and grabbing a glass. "Well, then to the squad, I guess." Karen and Mira almost sprinted to the bedside table, grabbed their glasses and joined in.

Keay hadn't gathered the boys since if there was more than one killer, he didn't want them to cover for each other but then again it wasn't likely there was more then on person since it didn't look premeditated or anything. With a soft knock he quietly opened the door to Fighter and Tutor's room. Tutor was a mess he could see it from the way he was clinging to his boyfriend. Keay had expected as much since he had always been a strong, stubborn person only showing his cold side to the world. Even when he nearly had been forced by his family's creditors to sell his body, he still had just smiled and acted like it was nothing. The only person he let go for was Fighter so seeing Tutor hold on to his lover with a painful expression wasn't anything unexpected for Keay. He took a few seconds to communicate with Fighter through eye contact before closing the door. He would talk to Dean first since that guy didn't even show up for more than a second when they found the body. Down the hall a few doors he didn't bother knocking just opening the door kind of hoping he would find Dean with a bloody shirt in his hand standing there. Mira was right the girls were probably too soft to kill anyone so right now the best suspect was Dean.

Sadly, enough he didn't find the boy with a bloody shirt but instead with an angry expression. "The fuck? Didn't you learn how to knock?" Keay laughed. "Come one Dean you are the one to talk. I mean really? Or did you forget the last time Arnon and I had to teach you what knocking is." Dean was fuming, about to explode into Keay's face so the other quickly held up his hands in defeat. "Dean, stop! Don't kill me, or Arnon's death will be on you too." He spoke quickly, with a soft voice soon calming the other down at least enough to have a normal conversation. "So where were you during the murder?" "Alone in my room. Shortly before I saw one of the girls on the way to the bath room but that's it." Dean shrugged not even looking like he cared about having an alibi. "No alibi? Be honest did you kill him?" It took Dean only a second to react and Keay's head hit the wall with such force he started to feel dizzy. His head was pressed against the wall, his body was pinned on the bed and Dean on top of him was growling in anger. "Shouldn't you ask yourself that question first? Keay you are the one with the most motive to kill him. Fuck! you tried killing him before so this time you finished the job?" Swallowing hard Keay's perfect mask for the first time was crackling. "Fuck you, Dean. I was on camera the whole time." He used his strength to push Dean away and without looking back left the room slamming the door shut. Three steps. He only managed three steps into his own room right across from Deans before he fell on the ground, his whole body shaking. "Fuck you." He whispered.

"Okay, let me get this straight: the only thing the two of you did was kiss? No way in hell!" Heather took a sip of her wine. "I mean it´s not like he didn't try or anything, but to be fair he was a horrible kisser, I don´t even want to imagine how horrible it would have been." Laughing loudly, Mira clinked her glass with Heather. "What about you, Campbell?" Campbell instantly turned red. "Yeah, you never really talk about that kind of stuff." Campbell looked visibly uncomfortable now.

A slightly drunk Heather leaned over to her. "You know, I know some people if you need a little assistance." Mira let out a (probably too) loud laugh. "Why am I not surprised by that? But seriously Heather why don´t you give her a little space?" Heather just rolled with her eyes, before backing off. "I just wanted to do her a favour! You know, I´m more than just a source of Handjobs- I´m also a great friend with a myriad of talents!" Mira´s jaw very visibly dropped to the floor "Didn´t you like fail every vocab test we ever had? Since when do you use words like myriad?" Heather grinned widely. "I told you- I have loads of different talents." She downed her glass and instantly poured another one. "Also: the alcohol brings out the best side of me". The girls just shared a look, before bursting out in laughter.

"By the way guys- our resident wannabe detective wanted me to ask, what you all did when Arnon… you know." The happy mood that was filling the room instantly vanished. "Way to kill the mood Mira!" Heather leaned back groaning. "Sorry, but if I don´t tell him, he´ll probably annoy us all to death until we answer him. So, we should probably just get it over with so we can continue drinking in like a minute." Nothing really changed concerning the general mood in the room. It took a while until Campbell finally spoke up. "Well we were together for most of the time, weren´t we? After we helped Heather unpack, I went to pee and redo my makeup." Mira was a bit disappointed that the alibi was -to be fair- quite pathetic. "Sorry to ask, but is there anyone that can confirm that?" Campbell looked almost physically hurt by that question. "I´m sorry. To tell the truth: Keay thinks it was one of us- which is quite frankly- ridiculous, so I want to have something to say to him if he starts getting obsessive or something." Campbell seemed to think for a bit. "I think I ran into Dean on the way, we didn´t really talk, because -you know- Dean. Then I went to the bathroom, peed- hopefully no one saw me then- and did my make-up, basically until I heard that scream… I mean I think you all saw, how I showed up at that door." Heather chuckled a little. "So that's why you looked so tragic. I almost thought it was a style choice… a bad one, but a choice." Campbell gave Heather the finger. "What did you do then?" Heather stood up and grabbed a magazine from her nightstand. "Shopping." She presented the girls with pictures of very expensive clothes on very pretty models, some crossed out, some circled, some with -more or less unflattering- comments on them. Mira couldn´t help but look at the price tag. "Holy cow. That dress costs more than our house" Heather just laughed before putting the magazine back. "But yeah that´s pretty much what I did. To be honest, I also wasn´t really enthusiastic about that scream so if he asks, what took me so long, tell him to shove that question where the sun don´t shine and shut it."

Mira decided to elegantly ignore what Heather just said and turned to Karen. "What about you?" Karen seemed to only just notice, the change in the mood. "Huh?" Mira softly smiled at Karen. "What do you know about the situation?" Karen seemed to think for a second before opening her mouth: "Okay. My name is Karen, my hair is shiny, my teeth are perfect, my skirt is tiny. It barely covers my perky hiney, my name is Karen I may not be smart…" she took a deep breath like she was considering what to say next before smiling triumphantly. "That's it." Mira wasn´t sure, what to make of it. But if there is one thing, she knew then that she would gladly accept the most gruesome deaths she can think of if Karen turned out to be smart enough to kill someone. "O…kay. I´d say that was enough of that- what do you guys say we refill and play some more drinking games?" The mood almost instantly lightened up again, as Heather pulled out yet another bottle of wine from her suitcase.

After a taking a short break and giving Tutor time to collect himself, Keay once again returned to their room. "Can I ask you some questions?" His voice soft and careful as he sat down on the chair across from the bed. His eyes were scanning the room everything looked normal. "Sure, ask." Fighter answered. "I need your alibi for the murder. That girl claiming, she can help me with the investigation thinks you two did it just because your acted so clam." Tutor rolled his eyes. "Not like a dead body is something that special. We all were waiting for the day Arnon would finally end like that." Keay nodded. "We did. It was only a matter of time. Anyways give me a short alibi and I will leave you alone." Taking a breath, he leaned back his eyes fixed on the two wanting to take in their every reaction. "We were unpacking our stuff and since there weren't any activities or gathering, we used the time to cuddle." Tutor gave Keay a meaningful look before turning his eyes over to Fighter. A shudder was running down the detectives back as he bit his lips not to moan out loud. Those eyes every time he saw Tutor look at Fighter with those eyes, he just couldn't help it. It was like pure aphrodisiac to him. "So, you stayed in your room the whole time? Together?" He swallowed keeping his professional appearance. It wasn't like he was able to hide anything but the second he would give into those feelings shit would go down and so all he could do was play the detective and smile. Tutor turned to look at him his eyes turning into a teasing glare. "Yes, just the two of us the whole time until the scream." Keay sigh shaking his head. "Well since no one can verify that and you two are lovers so you don't count for each other's alibi, I will have to say you don't have one." With that he stood up. "Make sure you stay close to each other. I don't want anyone else to get hurt." With that he was about to leave, when Fighter slipped out the door with him closing it after throwing a soft loving look at Tutor. "How are you holding up Keay?" He asked with concern. "I'm good. You know I love those detective shows and I did my internship at the morgue. I'm used to seeing dead bodies." Keay had a soft smile on his face. "That's not what I mean. That is Arnon dead right there on the floor." Fighter was about ready to get angry. But Keay only blocked him. "He got what he deserved he was a real asshole we both know that." And with his famous crocked smile he turned to find Mira to see if the girls had better alibis.

"So, Fighter and Tutor were together the whole time since we arrived. Dean has no alibi after seeing one of your girls going to the toilet…" He made a quick report. "So, let me know what your girls had to say?" Keay really was perfect at hiding his expressions. His face was all smiles and attentive listening to what Mira had to say not once showing any reaction as he listened to the girls' alibis. Mira on the other hand really started to feel the effect of that wine, but did her best to act as normal as possible. "Okay, so like two bottles in, I started asking them, what they were doing, cause -you know- alcohol makes people tell the truth more easily and stuff. For alibis: As you probably haven't noticed, cause you´re you, Campbells makeup was kind of a mess, when she arrived. But I´m sure you totally consider that as possible evidence against her. But no!" Mira raised her right hand very dramatically, before pointing at Keay. "You, my simpleminded friend, are wrong. Because as you said, Dean ran into one of the girls on the way to the bathroom and this girl was Campbell. Thank you." Mira took a tiny bow before going on. "Heather said that she´s been magazine shopping, which -looking at what she did with it- looks very plausible. Karen didn´t give me an alibi… or a real answer for that matter but if she turns out to be the killer I´ll become a nun and commit myself to Christianity instantly." Mira beamed bright, before adding: "So for all I know it could be everyone, you, me, one of the guys, one of the girls- but none of the girls, cause the girls are bae- or the friendly serial killer next door. Nothing has really changed that much"."Well so we still have way too many suspects?" Keay looked disappointed. "Let me go back to the crime scene and see if I find some clues there? I'm sure that it can help." Keay smiled walking out, but stopped at the door turning back around. "Do you want to come with me? I'm sure four eyes can see more than two. If the body upsets you, I will cover it for you." He spoke with a smile, his mind totally brewing up many ways of getting that girl in trouble and even more ways for him to get her out of that trouble just for the fun of it.

Mira thought about it for a second before nodding. "I mean it can´t hurt and I need a walk anyways." She took a second to think, before adding: "Also please cover the body, I´m not gonna put up with that any more than I have to." Without another word, Mira started walking into the general direction of the crime scene. Well, "walking" is a far stretch. It was more of a mixture of an elegant strut and a drunk staggering… very obviously not sober, but also surprisingly elegant. "Oh, and by the way, if you get any stupid ideas of things to do with a slightly tipsy girl, that slightly tipsy girl is so gonna accidentally stab you with the murder weapon."Keay just laughed, shaking his head. "I don't do drunk people. Everyone I had to this point did it willingly." He sighs walking behind the girl to make sure she wouldn't fall. When he reached the door, he looked at her. "Close your eyes I will cover the body first." Then he waited for her to look away and opened the door grabbing the bed sheet to cover up the body. "Ok, it's clean you can look." He was kneeling next to the body looking at the floor with interest. "Come here." He smiled taking out his camera to take a picture of something he found. "Look at that button it's from a jacket. It's not Arnon's he has no jacket in that colour and with that particular kind of button." Keay was in deep thoughts watching the button. He didn't even realize that it probably wouldn't be normal for someone to know exactly what cloth a classmate had and didn't have. "I know that these buttons are more common in woman's wear but Dean has a shirt with this kind too." He sighs. "You know the quality of that shirt is really high. It really feels like water under your fingers…" Suddenly stopping himself form talking he cleared his throat. "Well if we find the owner of the button, we might get a hint to who the killer is."

"You know what the problem with the button is? Literally all of us girls have a jacket that button would fit to. Even I have at least one." Mira took a deep breath starting to feel the effects of the not so good air in this room and the wine she had earlier.

Finally looking up he saw the drunk girl next to him. "But for now, we should get you into bed you don't look that well." With that he got up pulling the girl up making sure to be a perfect gentleman. "Let's get all of them to rest and have a proper breakfast tomorrow. I'm sure things will look better and we can contact the police soon." Leaning against the wall he gave Mira a crocked smirk. "Good night, sexy. I hope you have pleasant dreams and don´t get hunted by what happened. But if you do my door is never locked, I can make all nightmares go away." Laughing he didn't even wait for a reply as he walked to his room.

Mira on the other hand just rolled her eyes, (possibly too) loudly repeating what he said in the most ridiculous ways she could imagine. When she reached Heather´s and Karen´s room, she could already hear the other girls getting ready for bed. Once they got their sleeping situation figured out, they jumped into bed pretty quickly. Mira could hear that most of the others couldn´t really sleep well, neither could she. But she could also feel, that the fact that the rest of the girls were there with them had a very calming effect on everyone, so it didn´t take too long, before she drifted in a surprisingly relaxing, wine induced sleep.

Chapter 3

"Rise and shine, bitches!" Mira stretched her arms, accidentally hitting Campbell in the face. Startled by the sudden fist in her face, Campbell more or less jumped up, only to fall straight out of bed and hit the ground with a surprisingly loud thud. Panicking, Mira jumped up to apologize to Campbell just to realize that she had the worst hangover she could have ever imagined and instantly fall back down to visibly suffer in silence.

Campbell looked even worse than Mira, groaning and dramatically suffering on the floor. Heather on the other hand looked fresher than ever, already sporting her full face of Make-up and her workout clothes. "Time for Heather Chandler´s patented hangover cure: More wine and practice! Let´s get you whipped into shape, ladies!" Karen, who only just came to her "senses" quickly threw on her workout clothes- even though calling what she wore clothes was a huge stretch considering that a swimsuit would have probably covered more of her body than those two sewn together pieces of fabric- and started excitedly jogging around the room.

"Jesus Christ guys, how can you be so alive? Aren´t your heads killing you too?" Mira was very prepared to turn around and go to bed again. "I mean I´m a seasoned alcoholic and Karen probably doesn´t even have a brain that could hurt right now. You two are just a little pathetic when it comes to handling your wine." Mira pulled the blanket over her head. "And besides: you two are usually the ones that want us to go practice super early like everywhere we go, so suck it up and move your butts!" Mira closed her eyes and slowly drifted back to sleep, the only thing she could hear was the not so melodic steps throughout the room. Mira was almost asleep, when the sound of Heather (more or less gently) kicking Campbell distracted her. "Ow! Heather! What the heck?!" Mira could only hear Heather basically dragging Campbell back to her feet, before she was pulled out of bed as well.

"Okay! Fine! We got it! We´re up!" Mira stood up, her head pounding like crazy and she seemed a little weak on her feet. She didn´t really have time to balance herself out properly, because Heather instantly pressed some gym clothes and a cup ,with what Mira assumed was more wine in it, into her hand. "Drink it, don't ask questions and change" Without really questioning it Mira took a huge sip of her wine, not sure whether it was helping or she was about to throw up any second. "Welp, let´s do this."

Keay woke up with a smile on his face as he looked down to the person laying rolled up close to him. Yes, he didn't lock his door and this was the reason why, not the girl as he had said. Sure, he would have absolutely no reason to not let her in, if she really had knocked on his door. She was pretty and her body was hot enough to make him look more than once so why not. But since the chances of that happening were slim enough, he was ok with the result he was looking at right now. With a lazy yawn he leaned back looking at the clothes everywhere on the floor before finally poking the other to wake up. "Dean, move! I want to shower I still feel sticky after last night." With that Keay got up and disappeared towards the showers. When he came back, the other had already left, leaving Keay with a happy smile. How he loved it when they weren't clingy and didn't go all needy on him.

Dean was grinding his teeth in anger as he was sitting at the breakfast table. He was staring at the girl that he could see in the other room. "Stop starring Dean or they might get pregnant from those stares." Tutor laughed as he walked by sitting on the other side of the table with Fighter and Keay. They were having breakfast. At first, they wanted to ask the girls to join but they seemed busy, so now it was only the guys eating. "Honestly how can they have that much energy? How long have they been doing that now?" Fighter shook his head in disbelieve. Keay laughed. "You only have energy if the discipline involves Tutor and a bed anyways, so don't judge their passion." With a quick move he avoided Fighters fist laughing, as he finished his breakfast.

Dean on the other side of the table finally was able to rip his eyes away from those girls and the daggers flying out of them were calming down. Instead he was staring at the other side of the table watching the three have fun and joke around with each other. He sighed sipping his coffee. With each sip his expression grew colder his face turned more into a I don't care expression and he became more and more his normal, asshole self. He got better and better at hiding his thoughts. The coffee was energizing him enough to push everything that wasn't a thick wall of cold I don't give a f*ck to hide behind deep into the darkest corner of his mind.

After a good breakfast, Keay decided to find some enjoyment for himself meaning he was leaning against the wall in the other room, watching the girls train. Fighter and Tutor had excused themselves to the garden as they wanted to get some time away from the whole mansion. The place was really giving Tutor the creeps and Fighter, as the good boyfriend he was, took the first opportunity he saw, to get Tutor away from the place at least for a bit. Dean was sitting in the same room as the rest of them. He was buried in some book apparently not paying any attention to anything.

"Okay ladies, get ready!" The four cheerleaders readied themselves. "five, six, seven, eight!" without hesitation, the girls started their routine. "Were loud! Were tough! Were right here in your face! *ring* *ring* hello? Oh, hold on, it´s for you, it´s second place!" Campbell gave Mira a sign, before they started to perform high-kicks and flick-flacks in perfect unison, while Heather and Karen kept their cheering on. After they finished that part of the routine, Campbell raised her hand. "Okay girls, let´s take a little break." Very happy to hear that, Mira plopped on the ground, her head feeling slightly better but still hurting like hell.

"You know Campbell, I wanted to ask you something" Campbell (who looked way too refreshed compared to Mira by now) turned to Heather with a pretty big smile. "Sure, go ahead." "You know, you and Mira are doing good and all, but…" Mira decided to just ignore the rest of the conversation, because it was totally going to be another "I know you two are captain and co-captain, but where is my spotlight?" kind of situation.

And besides, there was a more pressing matter: Mira could clearly see Keay and Dean standing around the room, clearly having watched the girls. Usually being watched during practice is nothing unusual for Mira, but the ones watching are usually at least a little interested in Cheerleading or football. Considering the fact that the two watching them where who they were, they clearly had different motifs.

Trying to look as badass as possible (which was hard considering the two guys were both larger and more muscular than she was), Mira walked up to Keay. "Why exactly are you watching the cheer squad practice? Don´t you have other things to do? Like -I don´t know play detective and find your killer?"Pushing away from the wall Keay stepped closer to the girl until he was clearly invading her personal space. "Hm I really could think of other things to do but where is the fun in those when I can watch that many sexy girls move like that?"Maybe it was the fact that she wasn´t in that great of a mood in general -possibly due to her massive hangover- Mira snapped at Keay. "Jesus effing Christ, can you think with anything else than the dick in your pants?! Cheerleaders are meant to be watched because of their coordination and athleticism- also because we clearly have bigger balls than the team we cheer for- not because some creep needs new material to get off to." With a growl Keay grabbed Mira´s shoulder, turning her around forcing her back against the wall, both his hands hitting the wall next to her head caging her in. With a smile he got closer until his nose was slowly moving only a breath away from her neck as he inhaled. "You smell just as fierce as you talk. With that sharp tongue of yours, the urge to win you over is getting even stronger… Careful next time or I might not hold back Mira…" With that he pushed himself away from the wall, walking away. Behind him he could hear Dean's short dry laugh.

"And what exactly is your Problem? You of all people should move your ass out of here. I mean, creepy much?" Before Dean could even answer, Heather´s voice rang through the room. "You know what? I´ve had it with you! You just take up all the spotlight for yourself and your best friend slash pet Mira over there! If you ever decide to be a regular person and also a good squad leader come get me- but maybe we´re lucky and whoever killed Arnon gets you, too." Without hesitation Heather storms out of the room.

"Heather! Wait!" Campbell screamed, as she stood there, still kind of shocked about what Heather just said. Without giving the guys another thought, Mira ran up to her. "Everything alright?" Campbell just stared at the door. "So that was new. What happened?" It looked like Campbell only just realized her best friend asked a question. "I don´t know. We had our usual -let´s call it discussion. But for some reason, she just suddenly exploded on me." She gave her co-captain an insecure look. "She isn´t right, right?" Mira gave her Campbell a very intense hug. "Of course not! You know that our squad consists of more people than you and Heather, right? Don´t forget about Karen and me. Or the other Heathers. Or for God´s sake even Steven. We don´t complain about it." Campbell gave Mira a soft smile, before her expression faltered again.

"It´s just so hard you know? I really want to include the whole squad more, but I don´t know how to really do that." Mira couldn´t help but smile at her best friend. "You know what. Let´s think about that, when there´s not a corpse in the building. I can totally try to come up with a choreography for us that gives all of us enough spotlight. For the time being, I think what you have to do is talk it out with Heather. And there´s no better way to do so with her, than over a glass of wine. You and Karen should go back to our room, I´ll go talk some sense into Heather." Mira gave Campbell a quick hug, before storming off into the direction Heather stormed of in.

Dean was ready to explode into Mira's face when someone else exploded. In anger, he grabbed his book, leaving the room to walk through the mansion on his own. Shit Keay…. Fuck Keay… Shit fucking Keay. Over and over he cursed like that in his mind he was angry but the anger wasn't directed at Keay, though he was the one he was cursing in his mind it was directed at Mira. What did the girl have to make Keay so interested in her? What right did she have to get his attention? This was wrong… It was all her fault… Keay was born a player he was always flirting. Dean couldn't blame him, but normally he would flirt and that was it but with this stupid blondie cheer bitch why was he going this far? Spending time with her as he investigated these Murders. Getting close to her. She was such an eyesore she had to disappear… Yes, like Arnon disappeared just like that she should disappear too. Arnon had been a lucky strike for Dean. The way he had pushed himself more and more into Keay's life he really had to disappear and then he just had disappeared just like that it was so easy so satisfying watching the people close to Keay disappear. The next one would be the girl and then Keay would be his again. Then again, he would be the easy to please playboy Dean wanted back. He would play with others yes but in the end the only one he could rely on would be Dean. Sighing deeply Dean smiled. "You are next Mira." He said before changing his direction waking with more determination.

"Heather?" Mira wandered through the Mansion´s halls, more or less aimless. "Jesus Christ. Who would have thought that this thing is that large?" After multiple turns, Mira found a sobbing Heather sitting in a corner. "Heather? Are you alright?" The sobbing girl just looked up and shook her head. "Want to tell me about it?" She shook her head again. Mira just sat down next to Heather. "Okay. Then I´ll just sit right here and think about world peace or something." Mira just looked at the wall. They sat there for what felt like an eternity, before Heather finally spoke up. "Okay, fine. But only because you are incredibly annoying." Mira turned to Heather, giving her, her full attention. "So… I may not look like it, but I do have my feelings about this situation." Mira grinned. "Let me guess: No one gets pretty girls like us have feelings? No one gets your insecurities? No one sees the you inside of you?" Heather just rolled her eyes. "Jesus, you´re making me sound like Air Supply." Mira snickered. "Okay so what are the feelings?" Heathers expression turned very serious out of a sudden. "I´m scared."

Mira was surprised with Heather´s sudden honesty, considering that she is usually very closed off and cold. "You know. I think we all are. Well, maybe except for Karen. Not sure she has realized what happened here completely." Heather´s sad expression turned into a light smile. "You know what´s funny?" Mira gave her a surprised look. "You would have made an excellent Heather." Heather looked way more relaxed now. "Sure. Heather, Heather, Heather and Mira."

"I mean we had Veronika with us at some point."

"And then you fought and went back to Heather, Heather and Heather."

"Oh, shut up Heather." Seeing that Heather was back to using her usual catchphrase (for Heather, everyone´s a Heather, when they have to shut up) Mira decided it was time to break the news to her. "Also: Campbell and I talked. When we´re back, I´ll sit down and make a choreography that gives all of us some spotlight. So, you kind of got what you wanted." Heather looked very surprised by this. "Oh, and the girls are also waiting for us in our room. You know…To drink a glass of wine to drink to peace and stuff." Without hesitation Heather jumped up and helped Mira to her feet, before linking her arms with her. "I just knew I´d get my will someday." Mira just rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Heather" The two of them just looked at each other, before bursting into laughter.

Fighter softly smiled, playing with Tutors hair. Now that they were away from the mansion his other half finally seemed to have relaxed. They had found a small garden sitting on a bench there were enjoying the sunshine and the quiet atmosphere. With how things were now they should soon be able to repair the damage the water had done and should be able to contact the outside world and get away from here. Tutor softly mumbled as he moved his head in Fighters lap. "Honestly who's idea was it for us to take this seminar? I mean sure fan movements and pop culture participation in young adults in the 20th century is interesting enough and easy obtained extra credit but shit look at how things are now." Fighter smiled even more leaning down softly planting a kiss on the others forehead. "I know right? The one wanting to take the course is Keay." Tutor sat up making Fighter move back to avoid colliding with him. "How long do we have to stay here? Fighter, I don't like this at all." Fighter could see the anxiety and worry in Tutor's face without hesitation he wrapped his arm around the younger, softly caressing his back. "I know baby, I know. I hate it too. The housekeeper said that the storm last night has taken out the phone and cell reception and the bridge we had to cross to come here. That bridge was already too damaged for cars to cross and the storm took it out. He said that another storm is expected tonight." Fighter sighed deeply sorry he couldn't give the other better news. They were lucky enough to catch this break in between storms where it was sunny. The wind was still blowing really strong but it was peaceful outside compared to inside, where everything was chaos. "Fighter… Did you talk to Keay? Does he know what happened?" Tutor finally asked the one question weighting on him the most. Keay was always the biggest asshole in history and never gave a fuck about anyone but he was intelligent and had a real interest in crime stories. "I did but he isn't sure jet… No matter what happens and why, I'm here with you and I will never leave your side." Fighter assured the slightly shaking Tutor. "Fighter promise me you will never leave me even for a second?" – "I promise, not even for a second." Tutor nodded, finally relaxing again after a few more minutes, the wind was getting even stronger and the rain was about to start again so they had to return.

Back at the girls´ room, Campbell was busy handing out wine to people. Without hesitation, Heather took a large gulp of her glass, before putting it down on the floor next to her. Mira on the other hand just held her glass in her hands, trying to ignore the weird feeling in her stomach every time she even thought about drinking more wine. Campbell finished handing out wine glasses, before sitting down.

Everyone took a little time to settle in, before Karen spoke up. "Mira, you don´t look that well." A little surprised by the fact that Karen of all people realized that Mira probably wouldn´t drink that much wine today. Heather just looked over and laughed. "Oh, come on, Mira, you can´t possibly still be hungover?" Without hesitation, she grabbed Mira´s glass and downed it in one. "See? I drank more than you and I´m as fit as ever." The girls just laughed, as Heather stood up to refill Mira´s glass.

"You know, you could have just told me, without taking my drink, right?" Mira rolled her eyes towards Karen and Campbell. The girls shared a tiny laugh, before the sound of glass breaking on the floor stopped them, followed by the sound of Heather coughing. Having a very bad feeling about this, Mira jumped out of her seat and turned around, just to see Heather standing next to their improvised bar-table (literally just a table with a lot of booze on it), coughing and convulsing with increasing strength.

Without hesitation, Mira jumped up to try to help her friend, but within seconds, the coughing Heather crashed onto the table, shattering most of the bottles on it, before she stopped moving. Panicking, Mira walked over and checked for a pulse. "Oh my god. Guys? I think she´s dead." Mira´s mind instantly went to Heather drinking from her glass, right before that happened. "Oh god. I think that was meant for me."

Chapter 4

Keay sighed, quietly walking around the room to take a look at everything. It had taken some time to get the girls to calm down and understand what happened and after all the trouble he finally had the time to look at the crime scene and the body. The window was rattling from the wind hitting it as the storm was picking up again, really giving the whole scene a rather horror movie like feeling, but Keay didn't care much. The girl was lying on the ground with foam around her mouth. As he leaned down to see if he could smell what poison was used, he sighs softly. Of course, this wasn't some crime series on TV where one sniff and they would smell the cyanide or something similar. He couldn't smell anything and considering the circumstance, his first bet was either some rat or insect poison found in houses like this everywhere or something like medication, one of those that taken in high doses would be poisonous. Right now, he was tending more to the rat or insect killer because of the foam around her mouth.

Outside the room while Keay was taking his sweet time with the body, Tutor and Fighter were trying to calm the girls down as they were banned from entering by Keay. He had asked Mira if she wanted to join him but the girl didn't look like she was at all ready to go in that room again. "Let's go to the living room and sit down I will make some tea and find something sweet to calm you all down." Tutor gave his sweet boy smile as he carefully escorted the girls towards the down stairs living room.

Mira was still shaking from the scene that unfolded before her. "I can´t believe this happened. One second we´re there, having fun, the next one Heather´s dead." Campbell and Karen grabbed her hand. She could clearly feel Campbell shaking and Karen had basically been sobbing for most of the time- surprisingly understanding the situation pretty fast. "I don´t get it! Why Heather?" Mira squeezed Karen´s hand. "Not Heather- me. If you remember- she downed my glass, not hers." Saying that out loud again left Mira quivering. Campbell who noticed how distraught Mira was put her arm around her friend´s shoulder. "It´s gonna be okay Mira."

Fighter quietly listened to the girls talking while making sure they were ok, before getting up to go into the kitchen to help his boyfriend with the tea. "Have you seen Dean?" He asked, as he placed some cups down and looked around for some cookies. "No, I haven't why?" Tutor turned to him looking worried and confused at the question. "The target was Mira…" Fighter didn't say much else, but his expression was giving it away. "Shit you don't think…" Tutor just shook his head. "Do you think Keay knows?" Looking at his boyfriend in worry Tutor couldn't help but ask. "No, he probably doesn't and even if he did, I'm not sure what would happen." Taking the kettle with boiling water of the stove Fighter quietly prepared the tea, not wanting to talk about it. "We have to tell her." Tutor finally spoke up again. He had watched the other prepared the tea quietly and just as he was ready to carry it to the living room, he had opened his mouth. "No, we don't. She will freak out. And honestly, I don't think Dean has anything to do with this. You know him he has more brains than that." With that Fighter brought out the tea.

Mira carefully looked at her tea, before putting it down. "I´m sorry, I don´t think I´m up for drinking something I didn´t make myself, you know… considering." Mira looked at Fighter apologetically. Fighter didn't say much just sitting down. Instead Tutor kneeled down carefully taking her hand. "I understand don't worry if you want, we can make another pot of tea together." His soft sweet smile was a little worn out but he was honest and showing real concern. "Tutor stop it she will be ok." Fighter suddenly spoke up waving his boyfriend over to leave the girl alone.A weird silence settled in the room, as no one really felt up for talking anymore. The collective weight of what happened earlier had finally shifted the mood from sad to eerie. The girls were still huddled together on one of the sofas, possibly waiting to just wake up from a nightmare or something, while Fighter and Tutor kept on sharing concerned looks. It took a while until they could hear two people enter the room.

Keay finally finished up his investigation and after covering the body and everything, he was about to go down to the living room, when he was stopped. "What happened?" Dean was sounding rough like he just woke up. "We found another body." Keay answered giving the boy a short look, a weird smile on his face before he just shrugged and finally walked down the stairs. Dean was following him. "Who died?" – "One of the girls." Dean nodded at that reply quietly sitting down at one of the empty seats in the living room. "Well I don't think getting alibis or anything will be of much help here. But I will take a look at your stuff to see if anyone has the rest of the poison with them." While talking he looked around, carefully observing every one of them. He knew it wouldn't do much looking for the poison, he just wanted to see their reaction to something like that. "Mira since you still are the only girl with an alibi for the first murder and I'm not yet ready to declare that there are two killer amongst us can you please take the girls to look at their stuff? Or do you want to be sure and I take you for a body check with me first?"

Campbell immediately darted up, practically killing Keay with her looks. "Okay, Mr. Detective! Why don´t you back off a little? One of our friends just died LITERALLY right in front of our eyes. We know, you really want to play mighty detective with us all, but shove it! Just look at Mira! Do you really think, that having to search her friends´ belongings, opening up the possibility in her mind, that one of us would do something like that, shattering all the security she -and quite frankly all of us as well- felt together?" Mira looked at her friend with a look somewhere between gratitude and surprise. She knew, that Campbell was a very fierce protector when it came to her squad (considering she once told her that she considers that part of her job as a captain) but that was quite a surprising snap. But to be fair, considering Heather´s surprising emotional outburst and, well someone killing people- with Mira literally almost being one of them-, Campbell being a bit more protective over her then when some random guy tries to harass her is not the farthest stretch.

Mira´s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Campbell grabbing her and Karen´s hands. "If you´d excuse us, we have to get another room to sleep in ready." With another death-glare towards Keay, Campbell pulled the other girls towards the room she and Mira would have been staying in, not even giving them any chance to react.

Tutor, Fighter and Dean all rolled their eyes annoyed at Keay but didn't complain as they followed him to show him that they didn't have any poison on them. It was a short quick search making sure that they really didn't have any would have been too good if he just found some, right? After that, Dean returned to the living room followed by the others. Normally Dean was the most anti-social person you could think of, but something made him think it was better to stay with the others. Keay sighed. They stay quiet for the longer part of an hour just sitting there talking waiting for the girls to come back neither wanting to leave or be alone. Finally, after a long time Keay got up from the couch going to the kitchen to make some more tea but he was interrupted by Tutor pulling him to the hallway instead. "Keay we need to talk. Fighter said I shouldn't tell you but there is something you should know…" Taking a deep breath Tutor finally took all his courage saying what he had to say. "The girls said the intended target was Mira… You of all people should know what that means… Shit Keay you have given him too much freedom lately. He is slipping…" With that Tutor was about to walk away when he suddenly saw the shadow of a person walking away from the corner of his eyes. This was bad. Someone had listened in on them.

"Now that was a long pee. Feeling any better?" Mira closed the door carefully, before slowly shaking her head. She still was trying to make sense of the situation in her head. She shakily sat down between the other two. "I just don´t understand why someone would want me to die. And I don´t understand why Heather died instead of me. Can´t we just change the world so no one has to die like that?" Campbell put a calming hand on her co-captain. "You know we can´t really change the world. Even though we sometimes really, really want to. In the end, everything has it´s sense, like when I got redis...redist… sent to another school." Mira grinned a little at the fact that Campbell still didn´t really know the word redistricted. "Since when are you such a philosopher?" Campbell just grinned at Mira. "Always? Just never needed to pull that card." "If I could change the world, I´d make it Halloween. Like every single day." Mira and Campbell gave Karen a very confused look. Clearly misinterpreting the look, Karen went on. "And also have world peace." The other two girls burst out into a little giggle, before a clearly less panicky Mira gave her a hug. "Never change, Karen. Never change."

Without hesitation, Mira jumped up and looked at her friends, a new determination in her eyes. "Okay girls, I think it´s time for you to go back to the guys." Campbell looked at Mira, clearly confused by the "you" portion of that sentence. "What about you?" Mira clenched her teeth, her fear making way for anger. "If someone here is, was or will be trying to kill me, or my friends, I´ll be damned if I don´t go down with at least a little fight. I´m gonna go into full on detective mode." Without another word, Mira ripped open the door, tying her hair back into a very high ponytail, leaving the others with nothing to do, but walk back to the guys. Mira knew what she had to do: get changed to look and feel more badass and search this crime-scene like no crime-scene has ever been searched before.

Looking up when the girls came in Tutor softly smiled. "I found some cookies we tried them they are all good." He said offering them to the girls. After being off to a cold start when they first got to the mansion, he finally started to show his soft carrying side considering what these girls had been through. Karen blinked in confusion, before looking at Campbell. "Look at him! He´s such a nice person for a killer." Campbell just coughed. "Karen! Why do you think he´s the killer?" Karen just blinked. "Didn´t Mira say that he was so chill with everything?" Campbell just rolled her eyes, before turning to Tutor "Sorry. She is not the fastest thinker. But thank you for being so considerate" Laughing Dean showed any reaction for the first time ever. "What? Tutor? That poor boy feels guilty about hurting flies." Fighter turned to Dean with an angry expression about ready to slap him. "I'm sorry I am considered of all live considering others here." Tutor finally showed some shade as he looked at Dean in disapproval. "Tutor please…" Keay growled a little angry as he watched him be all nice and smiles. In his head the words the guy had said to him before were still spinning. 'You have given him to much freedom lately. He is slipping…' again and again those words appeared in his mind. It couldn't be could it. If so the one responsible for all these deaths was him. But come on that couldn't be. Deep in thoughts Keay was sitting on the couch not even realizing the people around him until finally something caught his eyes. Two he thought he hadn't counted wrong the girls were two. "Where is Mira? Is she ok? You really shouldn't move alone at a time like this." He spoke up but right away shutting back up as he felt Dean's angry eyes making the hair on his neck stand. Maybe he had really given him to much freedom? Fighter finally for the first time showed concern for anyone else then Tutor even though it was mostly because he could see Tutor fidgeting and ready to go search for the girl. "I can go look for her. I'm probably the strongest here so I should be safe by myself." He got up from his chair putting his hand on Tutor's shoulder as if to tell him everything will be alright and then turned to leave the room.

Campbell took a careful step in front of Fighter. "I don´t think there´s a need for that this fast." Fighter gave Campbell a confused look. "If there´s one thing that being Mira´s best friend taught me, it´s that there are some things, that she has to do on her own. You guys saw how stubborn she can be." Fighter shrugged, about ready to just lift up the girl and put her down on the side but instead he smiled. "Listen I know that sometimes people need space but considering that we all don't want to believe our friends are killing each other we have to keep in mind that there could always be an outsider involved and a girl like her no matter how stubborn running into an outsider capable to kill two people won't be safe." He tried to appeal to Campbell's protective side. "I guess it can´t hurt to have you check on her. Just let her do what she needs to, okay?" Fighter nodded, before leaving the room.

In another part of the Mansion, Mira finally finished changing into something more badass. Her usually very colourful outfits made place to black, tiny skirt, a neon pink crop-top under a black jacket she may have stolen from Campbell, fishnets and high boots. Mira hasn´t worn something this dark since her awkward emo-phase, but this outfit means business. Without hesitation she turned around to check out Heather´s and Karen´s room. Swallowing, she approached Heather´s nightstand, looking around the bottles for anything that just screams "I am evidence!" Sadly, nothing turned up there.

Mira just stood there staring at the wine bottle without any idea, what to do next. "Oh! I know!" without hesitation she dropped to the floor, basically crawling under Heather´s bed, which was a surprisingly tight fit. "Urgh I better get extra credits after this or is swear to god I´m gonna sue someone." After finally making it far enough under the bed to search the corner under Heather´s bed, which they lost basically half their belongings under, Mira began to search the tiny pile of stuff. "Urgh. Bottlecap, bottlecap, who the hell lost their slip under Heather´s bed? Unused condom. Thank god! Oh look! There´s the earring, Campbell´s been searching like the whole day. AHA!" Mira grabbed a tiny piece of trash and Campbells earring (that thing was too pretty to not be returned to her best friend), before trying to crawl out from under the bed backwards. Emphasis on "try". "Oh no. I´m stuck. Good job Mira, very badass of you."

Fighter couldn't help but laugh as he saw the girl stuck under the bed. "Need help or are you comfortable?" He asked already reaching out to get her out from under the bed. "Are you ok?" Crossing his arms, he looked down at the girl he just pulled out from under the bed not really in the mood to deal with her but then again with nothing else to do and the fact that he had promise Tutor he would look after her he couldn't do much else.

Mira just grinned triumphantly. "More than ok actually! I found evidence!" Mira practically shoved the piece of plastic into Fighter´s face. "What´s that?" Fighter leaned against the wall with his arms crossed looking at her in irritation since he really just wanted to go back down and not have to deal with this girl clearly being of her meds. "That, my dude is where people store rat poison. How do I know that? It´s literally written all over it!" Mira pointed at a tiny part of text that said "Rodenticide". "Congratulations on finding it. Now get up from the floor be a good girl and go back down to show to the others how amazingly you done your job. Maybe you even get some praise." Fighter was finally starting to lose his patience looking at how this girl thought some stupid rat poison container shard would change anything.Mira took a careful step back, hiding the rat poison behind her back. "No." Rolling his eyes he sighed. "And why not?" This girl was too much trouble to handle really, he should just grab her and force her to come back down with him.

Mira´s hands tightened into fists. "I´m not going to Keay with this. Like never. Because he´s partially responsible for this." Fighter growled at her in anger aggressively stepping forward until he was invading her personal space. "What do you mean?" His voice was nothing more than an angry whisper. The cheerleader just rolled her eyes. "Don´t make me dumber than I am. I know you think Dean killed Arnon and tried to kill me too, because he has a weird obsession with Keay. I overheard Tutor and Keay talking earlier." His hand hit the wall he was finally about to break. Honestly his patience and self-control was as strong as iron but this stupid little bitch with not even an inch of knowledge pushing herself to be the oh so righteous one, he couldn't stand he wanted to just slap her the only thing holding him back was his iron clawed hold he had over his own impulses. "Shut your fucking mouth you have no idea what you are even talking about you. Go swallow your tongue or something honestly. You think you can deal with Kaey or Dean by yourself? You really think Kaey would let Dean kill you. How stupid are you?" He sighed turning to leave but stopped. "What are you planning next so I can be far away from it and not watch you die?"

A very determined look settled on Mira´s face. "I´m gonna expose Dean for the killer he is, so I won´t give Keay the satisfaction of solving a crime he´s responsible for." "If you have a death wish sure go ahead do that." Fighter gave up on his anger she was too far gone to realize anything anyway. The girl was off her meds being a stupid little freak getting herself in the worst possible situation ever. Mira just focused on the determination she felt ever since she decided to investigate the murders herself. "Is it really a death wish, if I´m just a sitting duck waiting for the killer´s next move? I´m going to find out who did this!" Mira pointed at her friend´s dead body. "With or without help". "If Dean was the one killing you, you wouldn't have found rat poison." Fighter was talking more to himself as he shook his head. "Do what you want but if you are ever interested in actually knowing the truth and not run after some fucked up fantasy come find me and Tutor." With that he turned away leaving the girl. "If Dean was the one killing them, they probably would still be alive slowly being tortured." He spoke to himself standing at the stairs his eyes on Mira's back. How stupid could one person be?

Chapter 5

Mira´s hand rested on the door to Dean´s room. "Okay, Mira. We got this. We´re totally badass." After taking a deep, anxious breath, she pressed the handle and entered the room. She carefully turned on the light before finally getting a first look at the room. "Jesus Christ Dean, we´ve been here for one day, how could you wreck this place so fast?" Mira could see multiple spots where someone clearly punched a wall with considerable force all around the room. To be fair she shouldn´t really be surprised about that- considering all the guys seemed to do was punching walls in anger, but the sheer amount of different spots she could make out made her think that some serious emotions were in play here.

"Okay Mira… If you were a possibly very unstable, murderous creep- where would you hide the evidence?" Without hesitation, Mira walked over to Dean´s trashcan, quickly looking inside. Much to her surprise, the thing was empty. "Okay, so… the good news is, we´re no psychopathic murderer, the bad news is, we don´t have any evidence yet and are talking to ourselves in third person… get a grip Mira!"

After taking a few seconds to get a grip, Mira gave the room another quick scan. From where she was standing there were four possible places for her to check: The closet, the bed, the desk or Deans suitcase. Because it was clearly the obvious choice, Mira instantly walked to the closet. "Alright, Dean… time to search for the -hopefully not literal- skeletons in your closet." Ready for just about anything, Mira opened the closet, just to find… absolutely nothing- again. "Okay, you have got to be kidding me! How is a girl supposed to investigate, if everything I look at is empty?!" Mira slammed the closet door shut, before stomping towards the desk.

It didn´t take long for her, to see Dean's notebook with his course notes lying on it. "Now that might help." Without hesitation she opened it and started flipping through the pages. The first thing she saw, were notes on the participant list of the course. She could clearly see two names crossed out on it: one she knew was hers, because it was the one underneath Campbell´s and one that should be Arnon´s -considering the fact that his was the only other missing name. "Now at least that´s something… not much, but something." While flipping through the pages, Mira started to see more crossed out text with some insults written all over the page, but only on some pages, the others looked perfectly fine.

Mira was absolutely confused about that, before she had an absolutely brilliant idea. She quickly pulled out her phone and searched for the presentation syllabus for the class. Unsurprisingly, the topics of every crossed-out section in the notebook, where all part of presentations held by Arnon. "Of course! Now that makes sense." Without hesitation, Mira pocketed the notebook.

Annoyed with a deep sigh Fighter got back to the rest of the group. "Mira?" He was asked right away with a shrug he pointed at the stairs. "I offered but she refused any reason and went completely crazy." He answered not in the mood to talk. "What you mean crazy?" Again, with the questions. "Crazy like I'm badass gonna catch a killer crazy. You know the shit that gets you killed instead." With that he put on his I don't want to fuck with any of your shit expression and just left for the kitchen. Seeing Kaey in the kitchen searching for food he stopped at the door. "You know Mira thinks she has an idea about what's going on saying you are responsible for the crimes since Dean supposedly committed them." Kaey didn't even turn around. "I thought about it I don't think Dean would poison someone he is the type that wants to see the life drain out of your eyes. Arnon's death would fit but that Heather… to unpredictable. That boy is really intelligent nothing much else but he has brains so I don't think he would have made such a big mistake even in rage." Keay carefully laid out his words defending Dean Fighter just shrugged. "Whatever it is, is between you and him no one else so figure it out I don't care. Just let me tell you one thing if Tutor gets hurt in any way I will not rest until every last one of you is punished." Kaey smiled nodding in agreement. "I will figure it out."

"Well, time to search the rest of this thing." Mira was kneeling on the floor, after neatly putting all of the clothes out of Dean´s Suitcase on the floor. Without hesitation, she started feeling for bags or tiny pockets in it, hoping to find something in there. And indeed: she found a zipper on the inside, that revealed an assortment of medicine, well not really an assortment more like half a pharmacy. "Now that´s just suspicious. Not evidence, but like super suspicious." With a little less motivation then before, Mira carefully put Dean´s clothes back into his bag, before making her way to the bed. "Please don´t be gross."

After some time Kaey finally got back with some make swift food putting it on the table. "I tried my best and I can assure you the only poison in it is my lack of cooking skills." He looked around the room to see if anyone would be willing to eat. Dean and Tutor were the first to sit down at the table. Soon the others followed even though only some of them actually ended up eating and only a little. "Where is Mira?" He finally turned to Fighter asking again. "´Still being crazy." Fighter rolled his eyes not wanting to deal with this anymore he turned to Dean. "She is going through your stuff." Half of him expecting a shit storm half of him having no idea what reaction would happen he turned to eat not wanting to have anything to do with this shit. Dean looked up then back at his food with a shrug. "I expected as much. If she finds anything, I'm sure you will all be ready to condemn me for murder?" Kaey carefully shook his head but stayed quiet. "I know you all think it's me anyways. So why not play judge and jury call me guilty trial me to death and then move on?" His expression was cold, distant and not like he cared. From the beginning he knew that at some point he would be the one to be targeted. It wasn't new. "I never killed anyone but if it puts your minds at peace go ahead get rid of the danger." With that as if nothing happened, he turned back to his food. Keay didn't believe it was Dean killing people but right now he could do nothing but sit there quietly too. Sure, when Arnon died it was easy to suspect Dean but after he had time to think it through and after the second murder in his mind, he was more and more assured that it wasn't Dean.

Mira carefully pulled away the bedsheets, kind of hoping to find evidence but also kind of hoping to find nothing underneath the sheets. To her -sort of- relieve, she found absolutely nothing beneath it – same with Dean´s pillow. Mira started to lose faith in her detective skills. "I swear to god. If I just show up with drawings on a notebook, Keay, Fighter and Dean will turn me into a laughing stock. Come on, girl! Think!"

A little panicky, Mira started scanning the room until she realized that there was a gap behind the bed´s head. "Of course!" Without hesitation, Mira dropped to the floor, trying to see what´s underneath the bed. Due to the fact, that she´s been in this room for a while now, the lighting under the bed was sub-par at best. Without hesitation, Mira pulled out her phone and turned the flashlight on. "Okay, evidence now´s the time to show up."

After a quick scan, the only thing Mira could make out from under the bed was a lot of dust as well as a tiny dark heap of fabric pretty much right below the gap. Mira just shrugged "might as well". She was very ready to crawl under the bed again, before she remembered that she got stuck the last time she went under a bed. "I guess I´ll have to use another way then." Without hesitation, Mira grabbed the bed´s foot end and started pulling with all her might. It took her a little while but eventually, she had moved the bed far enough to be able to reach down through the (now bigger) gap and grab whatever she saw there.

After a quick inspection Mira realized that the heap was actually a shirt… and a surprisingly fashionable one for that matter. "I can´t believe Dean does actually wear something that sweet." It took a while, before Mira came to a realisation. "Wait a second…" Without hesitation, Mira began checking every button on the shirt. "Jackpot! It´s missing one!" Mira did her best to remember, how the button she and Keay found a few days ago looked, before comparing her mental picture with the buttons on the shirt. "Oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god." Mira started squealing frantically. "I did it! That's like the best evidence I could have found – well apart from rat poison and bloody knives- but still!" Mira smiled broadly. She found great evidence. On her own. "Suck it Keay!"

The room was rather quiet everyone was following their own thoughts. The girls were on the other side of the room distancing themselves a little from the boys. Tutor and Fighter were sitting on one of the arm chairs talking between themselves while Dean and Keay were standing in the corner Keay's hand dangerously close to Dean's neck but his voice was calming and constantly rising and falling like a melody it was really disturbingly nice on the ears. Not fitting into the situation at all the voice was sending shivers down the spins of some people especially those that weren't used to the voice. He wasn't even talking English and no one was able to follow their conversation but it was clear that Dean was upset over what happened and Keay was trying to talk him down.

"Bitches! Listen up!" Six surprised faces turned towards the door Mira just strut into the room through. "Are you done crawling under beds? Or do you want the key to my room to crawl under something else?" Keay wiggled his eyebrows seductively but his voice was cold. Mira just rolled her eyes. "If we´re done doing whatever that was supposed to mean, I have an announcement to make." Karen´s eyes lit up "I knew it! She´s pregnant!" Literally everyone gave Karen a confused look, before Mira cleared her throat. "Not quite Karen. But I found our killer. And evidence." Dean leaned back annoyed. "Let me guess? It´s me. And what supposed evidence did you find?"Mira just grinned at Dean, before giving Keay a challenging look. "Well… first up, let´s get us all on the same page here. For the girl´s information: Dean has a weird obsession with Keay, which not only gives him a motif to kill Arnon -jealousy- but also gives him the same motif to try and kill me. Because he hated how Keay over there flirted with me -which by the way gross."Keay rolled his eyes in contempt. "Sure, whatever you say… If only you knew the truth poor girl. You should check your facts before talking shit."

Mira just looked at Keay with even more determination in her eyes. "This my friend is where you are wrong. Evidence A: Dean´s course notes. First of all, I´d like you to take note of the class list. Notice anything? Exactly! There´s two names, Dean crossed out. With quite the aggression behind it as well. And guess who´s names those are." Mira didn´t wait for any guesses. "Exactly! Mine and Arnon´s!" "That doesn't mean he killed anyone maybe he was just crossing out people he really didn't want to do group work with." Tutor said half in joke trying to slightly lighten up the atmosphere. "You´d be right with that, were it just the names, but let´s keep looking through the notes, shall we?" Mira started scrolling through the notebook, carefully pointing out every page with insults written on them, making sure everyone knows exactly whose presentation topics they were written over.

Keay sighed walking over to grab the notebook looking through it himself. "So? I have notes like that too in my notebook not that I'm insulting people but I'm sure you don't want to read them." His voice was filled with darkness as if he was hiding a big secret. "What I'm saying is you write in your notes a lot since other's don't see them don't turn this into a killing motive."

"Well good thing I found more!" Without hesitation, Mira pulled out Dean´s shirt, and held it in front of his nose. "Am I right in assuming this is yours?" Dean just nodded, giving Mira a stone-cold look."If everyone could now focus on the buttons on it. More specifically on the one that should be right here." Mira pointed on the spot where the button was missing, before giving Keay an even colder look than Dean just gave her. "Happen to remember something, Keay?" Keay looked surprisingly rattled -for his standards. "Exactly! We found a button in Arnon´s room the very first day we started investigating the murder. And guess what: if my memory serves me right -which considering I´m someone that highly values fashion is totally the case- the buttons still on there look weirdly similar to the one we found, don´t they, Keay?" Without anything to say in contradiction he just nod.

"So, unless you have anything to defend yourself Dean. I´d say I just showed everyone your true self. A jealous, cruel, murderous asshole." Dean slowly stood up his face soft and even a smile was seen as if he really didn't care. "Wow I congratulate you for making up the most beautiful fiction ever." He spoke his voice was cold dangerously cold. Keay shivered every last cell in his body was screaming danger and at the same time singing in excitement. Too bad that anger wasn't directed at him. Mira rolled her eyes. "Well if this were fiction I´d have totally smited you with some weird magic or something instead of presenting you guys with a perfectly closed case, wouldn´t I? I told you that I will show everyone that I´ll find the killer and evidence clearly says: You´re it." Dean stepped closer invading Mira's privacy. In a short, but dangerous "I've had it with this guy" moment, Mira didn't step back instead she stepped closer making herself as tall as possible smiling at Dean. "You know there´s one thing I learned by being the murder target of -well you- and that´s that if there is one person that should be punished for the death of my very dear friend Heather- and well I guess Arnon, it´s your pathetic little ass… So why don´t you save your breath and walk away little puppy" Mira patted Dean´s forehead with the most Heather-like facial expression she´s ever done. The second the look on Dean's face changed however her confidence faltered, because she knew what she did just now would get her killed for sure this time. Within seconds three things happened. First Keay moved but he was too far away so second Dean's hand smashed across Mira's face with his strength he even forced her to stumble to the side. Third chaos broke out. Everyone was running to the two trying to pull them apart. The first to reach was Keay as he had been the first to react with in seconds his hand was around Dean's neck as if choking him pushing him back. His voice was a low growl talking again in some language the others didn't understand but it was clear he ordered Dean to not hurt the girl. Dean turned away slamming his hand against the wall. With blood dripping down he sat on the armchair not able to just walk out.

Campbell and Karen instantly placed themselves in front of Mira protectively. In a surprisingly clear moment, Campbell gave Dean a murderous look. "Touch our friend again and you won´t be the only murderer in this house…" Mira was surprised at Campbell being so un-Campbell-like. Her irritation was quickly dissolved, as Campbell kept on asking her if she´s doing alright between death glares. Even Karen looked ready to pounce at Dean. THAT my friends is a cheer squad.

Mira carefully put a hand over the spot Dean just hit her at, before wincing and pulling away. She could feel tears forming in her eyes, but now was clearly not the time to cry. She took all the composure she could find within herself and looked at the guys with even more resolve I her eyes as ever before. "If you needed any more evidence that Dean is dangerous, I guess you have it now." It took her all she had to keep her composure. Man, that guy can punch.

Keay couldn't help but speak up for Dean he still believed that the other was innocent. "First of all, Dean isn't dangerous you don't even know what is going on between him and me and you make assumptions on random things you heard you have no idea what you are talking about. Secondly if I was insulted like that, I would have probably slapped you too how can you talk shit like that about someone? Lastly take a close look at your jacket… You are missing a button too and that button is the same as the one Dean is missing so are you the killer now? How can you stand there saying the things you are saying if you don't even know anything you put yourself on that high horse like you are someone special. Newsflash little girl you aren't you are just a scared little thing worried that someone close to her might be a killer so she runs around playing the big tiger. But you know what all you are is a paper tiger screaming big but no power. You are just hiding behind alcohol and your badass act trying to cover for the fact that you are scared and lacking in so many ways. Dean didn't kill anyone and your so-called evidence are circumstantial at best. Don't play the tiger when you know nothing." He sighed his voice soft and in no way aggressive as he made his speech.

Mira swallowed hard. This was it. If she wanted Dean to be punished for what happened, she had to do something now. "I´d say we put it to a vote. Whoever is with me in locking Dean away in his room until the police can come here and take care of it, comes to my side, whoever is with Keay in not doing so, go to his side.Mira gave Tutor and Fighter-who looked very conflicted- a pleading look. After a little while, that felt like hours, Tutor walked over to Mira´s side. Fighter just sighed. "Do what the fuck you want I will not take part in this." He shook his head walking out of the room towards the kitchen. Tutor sighed he knew what Fighter was thinking but he couldn't get weak right now. He still wasn't sure if Dean was the killer but locking him up would be a good way to prove whether he was or not so he had to take sides with the girl on this.

Mira breathed out heavily. "So, I guess it´s decided, then." Mira gave Dean a determined look. "We´ll lock him up."

Chapter 6

After they had voted, Dean was locked up in his room and everyone else went their own way. Since it was already late most of them went to sleep early or got themselves dinner and then went to sleep. The next morning, they woke up most of them having the best night's sleep in long feeling safe. While on the other hand Keay hadn't slept at all tossing and turning he had tried his best to get rest but it was impossible. His mood this morning was accordingly. At the breakfast table he was growling unhappy at everyone. "Someone get food up to Dean." Tutor ask around and since they didn't want Keay close to Dean and Fighter was still in his do what you want but don't involve me mood it was on the girls to do so.

With as much resolve as she could find within her right now, Mira was the first to start preparing a plate for Dean, which earned her confused looks. Irritated, Campbell placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mira? What are you doing?" Mira tried her best to sound as convincing as she could. "You know, if it really is on us, I don´t think one of you should go in there. It was my initiative to put him in there, and if he really is the killer, I don´t want either of you to be put in danger because of me. Campbell just grabbed the plate out of Mira´s hands. "I will so not let that happen. Give me that plate, I´ve got this." Mira clung to the plate for a bit, but the look on Campbell´s face made it very clear, that there was no way, Campbell would let her go in there so eventually she faltered.

"Thank you." Campbell started finishing up the plate for Dean, before giving Mira a bright smile. "Also: I love that style on you. But don´t think I didn´t notice you taking my Jacket… and the button thing. You totally owe me a new Jacket after this." Mira couldn´t help but giggle a little. "You know, I thought it would help with being badass to also look badass… and sorry about the button, I kinda got stuck under the bed, guess that isn´t the healthiest for clothes." Campbell joined into Mira´s giggle, before smiling brightly at her. "You know what… I think I´ll try that, too. I guess I´ll need that before facing Dean." Mira gave Campbell a big hug and a "thank you", before her cheer captain walked off with the words "see you in like 40 minutes with badass clothes and without a plate."

A while later, another scream was heard. Mira jumped up immediately "That´s Campbell´s voice". This time everyone jumped up running towards the sound right away too much had happened to ignore the scream. What they saw in front of Dean´s room was a panicky Campbell, pointing inside the room, the plate smashed to pieces in the doorway. The group moved to follow where Campbell was pointing. What they found was water. That was the first thing they realized water was everywhere. The second thing was the body. He was wet too. Dean. Dead. On the floor. His lips were blue his eyes open everything pointed to drowning. Forced drowning. Right at the door Fighter turned to grab Keay but it was too late. With fury in his expression he stepped closer to Mira everything about him was threatening everything was screaming danger. Step by step he forced her back until her back was against the wall. His hands came up slowly until they were on both sides of her. His voice was low and trembling. "Are you happy now little girl? You locked him up created the perfect opportunity for the real killer. You killed him. This in on you and no one else. If you hadn't locked him up, he would have been with me and no one would have killed him." Keay swallowed starring at Mira wating for an answer. But she staid quiet, looking around between the dead body and the still shaken Campbell, clearly not understanding why, where and how this happened. Keay took a deep breath. "He is dead you hear me? You fucking killed him you killed Dean you killed him." With each word his voice was getting louder until he was screaming at her finally all the anger was breaking through his hand was moving around her neck as he was choking her the other hitting her across the face before he threw her to the ground. It wasn't difficult for him to ignore the two other cheerleader as he was taller and stronger than them. His foot kicked her hard against the wall before Fighter and Tutor finally managed to grab him and pull him away. In his fury he was so strong it took both of them to pull him back. Keay turned to the room. "Leave me alone with him." He said his voice trembling again this time from hold back tears.

The girls instantly grabbed Mira and pulled her into the kitchen, basically throwing her on the Sofa. "Karen, get ice! Mira, don´t move!" Campbell basically restricted Mira so she wasn´t able to move. Not that that was all too hard, considering literally everything hurt. It didn´t take long, until Karen retuned with a bucket of ice cream. "Karen! I said ice, why did you bring ice cream?" Karen looked slightly hurt. "I thought she´ll need emotional cooling more. And ice cream helps with emotional pain." Mira managed to smile a little through the pain, but also instantly winced from the pain. Campbell gave Mira a very concerned look, before standing up and shoving past Karen. "Doesn´t matter, I´ll get it myself. At least take care of Mira while I´m gone."

Without hesitation, Karen plopped down next to Mira and opened the ice cream. "You know I don´t know a lot." No kidding, Karen. "But I don´t think it´s your fault Dean died." Mira was surprised at the fact Karen of all people pretty much summed up, what has been spinning in her head right before Keay went ballistic on her. With a still very weak voice, Mira pressed out a "You sure?" just to instantly regret it. "Shush! Less speaking, more ice cream. Good for the throat and the heart." Mira was pretty sure, that that is not how it works, but she decided to accept Karen taking care of her, opening her mouth for a spoon of ice cream. "See? It wasn´t that hard was it? Now we wait for Campbell and eat ice cream and you´ll be up, kicking butts in no time. And do you know why?" Mira gave Karen a confused look. "Because you´re wild and tough and right there in everyone´s face." Mira couldn´t help but grin at that. While Karen clearly isn´t the smartest person, she did have her moments of wisdom.

A bit further inside the house, Tutor and Fighter silently stood in front of the door to Dean's room. They had stood there for nearly an hour now waiting for Keay to come out. They didn't know what Keay was doing but they both knew just how much Keay had depended on Dean so all they could do was give him time to grief. Both Fighter and Tutor were silent they both had unreadable expressions on their faces as if deep in their own thoughts. Not even talking to each other they stood left and right from the door like silent guards. After nearly another hour Keay came back out. "I need some things to take a closer look at the crime scene make sure the suspects don't run away." He said his voice and face cold dull and void of any emotions. Fighter and Tutor just nod. They were happy Keay didn't went to get a gun shooting them one by one until he found the killer. With a look at each other they went to find the girls in the living room.

The moment Tutor and Fighter entered the room, the temperature seemed to drop to arctic temperatures, as Campbell and Karen gave them an ice-cold look. "Came to apologize for what your friend did to Mira? If not, I don´t think we need you here." Mira never heard Campbell this cold in her live. Tutor and Fighter were dumbfounded by the sudden hostility, the girls showed them, but before either of them could say anything, Mira sat up. Mira still looked pretty rough, but at least was in a condition to talk, and possibly also walk. "Can we all please not fight? It´s not their fault, Keay snapped." "I mean technically it´s yours, considering you locked Dean in his room." This statement earned Fighter a deadly look from Campbell.

Mira just looked down at the floor before speaking up again, her voice still slightly raspy. "You´re right. I used my evidence and the situation to do what I believed was the right thing to do. It was my fault that Dean was in his room. But we all decided to do that. I found evidence. We considered it as good enough to lock Dean up, didn´t we?" The room was weirdly quiet as everyone shared uncomfortable looks. Fighter was about ready to say something hurtful again but seeing Tutor lowering his head he stayed quiet just listening to Mira talk. "I´m not saying it was your fault as much as mine. I lead us down this path and I think I got what I deserved for that- maybe a little more than that- and I´m sorry for that. But I won´t be blamed for not knowing what kind of sick and twisted relationship Keay and Dean had. And I´m also not sorry for acting the way I did. And with that. I´ll lie back down and let you think of what I just said and hopefully feel as crappy as I do for a little." Mira laid back down basically instantly. Leaving the room in awkward silence. A silence that was broken by Karen. "Isn´t that the caretaker over there?"

Literally everyone looked over to see. Carrying a big painting, he walked down the hall in front of the living room doors. His back was hunched and his expression dark. He looked like one of the dark hunchback stereotypical character in any horror movie one of those was found. Wearing the typical attire of an old tweedy suite well preserved but looking rundown. His eyes were sitting deep in his skull and his face and hands was covered in wrinkly skin. Under different circumstances he might have looked like the nice grandpa character but with everything happening around them his appearance was even creeper than if he was just standing in that dark hallway with that painting on a normal day. The caretaker just looked at them without showing any kind of emotion on his face. "Good thing that wasn´t creepy."

Keay stood in the room looking around. Rationally speaking none of the girls could have killed Dean he was drowned and they were too weak to do that. So, his mission right now was finding the missing link to make it possible for the girls to kill Dean. Taking in a deep breath he knew exactly what to do. Dean had been with him since their first year of university he knew the other in and out. Within a few minutes he had looked up every place Dean would use to hide things to make sure that he didn't leave a clue as to who the killer was. Dean was intelligent. He freaking studied law and never once got less than an A in his studies no way someone like that didn't find out his killer unless… Keay smiled darkly as he got the right idea. The missing link. He probably had been sedated in some way by the killer. Now all that was left was…

The mood in the living room seemed to have lightened up by now. "Quick question: seeing that the weather has cleared up like a lot: why didn´t we call the police by now? I mean we had some moments where the storm had calmed down… why did no one think of that?" A slightly awkward silence filled the room. "The storm took out the cell tower in the village making it impossible to call anyone not sure if you remember but that's why we couldn't call the police until now." Fighter rolled his eyes. Tutor put his arm around Fighter's hip leaning against him with a soft sigh. "They should be back up by now the storm finally moved on and they would try repairing that tower first."

"We can call them now, but I doubt they will get here quick enough. Considering the bridge is still in a non-usable state." Tutor made an excellent point there. It took a second for Mira to come up with something to answer. "I mean, we should still call them. If they know, that a murderer is slowly killing students in a mansion they´ll figure something out to get here… at least faster than if they don´t." Everyone nodded in agreement, until Tutor stood up to make the call. It didn´t take too long until he came back with great news for everyone. "The police said they won´t make it here today, but they are sure they can come here by tomorrow end finish this for us." A relieved silence settled in the room. They were going home soon.

In a different part of the building, Keay was still investigating. The girls' room was a mess. Keay shook his head looking around. He wouldn't find anything here they were all staying together unlikely one of them was able to do anything without the others noticing. Taking a breath, he thought for a second before remembering something. The next stop was the room Heather died in. The body was still there and no one would step inside voluntarily making it the perfect place for the killer to do whatever they wanted. Looking around he first couldn't find anything. After some time, he realized that what he though was dust on the table was white powder. He could even still see some small bits of the pills laying there. Shit that was it. Looking around he soon after found the empty pill bottle since now he knew what to look for in the chaos. Sleeping pills. Dean had been sedated and now everyone could have killed him.

It didn´t take Keay long to find the others in the living room. The second he entered however, Karen and Campbell instantly tensed up, trying to build a wall between Keay and Mira. "What exactly do you think you´re doing? If there´s one place you shouldn´t be right now it´s close to Mira."

Keay just ignored them and looked around. "I have some evidence." He spoke his voice arrogant. "Of course, we can wait for the police." Tutor nodded. "They will be here in a day's time." Keay nod. "One day one last chance for the killer to kill. I'm sure that the next person on her list is me." He looked over to the girls his voice turning frosty. Campbell looked at Keay, her look almost as frosty as Keay´s voice. "Did you just say her? What are you implying here?" "Yes her. Dean was drugged to make it possible to drown him even as a girl." He sighed turning to look away. "I found the pill bottle and crushed pills in the girls old room meaning that one of you killed him. Of course, we can wait for the police to come and for them to test his blood prove he was drugged and then find the killer since the bottle and the crushed drugs are only circumstantial evidence not real. But let's assume the killer isn't lazy and up until now one kill per day isn't lazy. So, taking that in account we should think about solving this as quickly as possible and this time let's catch the real killer." The last words he said looking at Mira in arrogant anger putting her down. Mira had it with Keay´s attitude. But considering she was in no state for a discussion, she just looked him in the eyes and gave him the finger. Keay just ignored her completely. "Let me start at the beginning. Arnon tried to rape someone and that person killed him by accident. Next Heather was killed that one wasn't an accident. Assuming Arnon was the first after that the killer got a feeling for it and took out someone they wanted to take out for a long time. And I would go as far as saying that Mira wasn't the target, but Heather. Lastly the killer did a big mistake by killing Dean. No one messes with what's mine." He growled but quickly gathered himself continuing. "Dean was more a spit of the moment decision. Since he was already in the spot light and everyone hated him. The drowning is what bothers me a little it has to be someone who knew something about Dean to choose such a death."

"Okay now you´re just getting ridiculous." Mira mustered all her strength to stand up against Keay… yet again. "First of all: I´m can understand the part with the rape making sense to you. But the part where my glass was poisoned in order to kill Heather is where you lost me. Sounds kind of fishy to me. Not to forget, that literally none of us knew Dean at all- as you made us aware way too many times before so… it all looks a little farfetched for me." Even though she said that, Mira couldn´t help but feel a little unsure about the situation. There were only so many options left after all.

Keay shrugged. "Not that I care I will lock you all in one room and move on with my life. You can kill each other then." Tutor sighed. "You should think about it one of us is the killer. If it isn't us then it was the caretaker and he wouldn't need to drug Dean." Fighter just shook his head. "Someone will die until the police is here tomorrow morning if you don't think carefully." Keay turned away. "Give up Fighter just make sure you stay close to Tutor and you protect him. I will be the one dying and I don't even care." With that he walked away his back hunched his whole appearance filled with pain, resentment and resignation. It was clear that he had excepted his death and somehow wished for it after losing too many people.

After Keay left the living room was silent all that was heard was Tutor's sudden soft sniffle without carrying about anything else anymore he snug into Fighter's arms looking up at him with red eyes. "I killed both Dean and now Keay. I took her side yesterday and now Dean is dead. Fuck I'm as guilty as she is. And now because Dean died Keay is giving up. Fighter we need to do something I can't watch Keay die. He is one of my best friends." Tutor wasn't even looking at the girls since for him they were as guilty as him condemning Dean to his death. Fighter carefully stroked Tutor's head. "Shh it's ok Keay won't die. Tutor it's ok We will find a way to get through this." Without even looking at the girls he turned to take Tutor out of the room and the company of such fucked up people. After they reached their room, he locked the door intending to not leave until the police arrived.

Campbell plopped down on the couch. "Soooo. What are we gonna do with the rest of the night?" Mira and Karen just stood there. "I have absolutely no idea." A weird and very untypical silence settled in the room. With only them left and nothing to do they were sitting there awkwardly looking at each other. Until Mira stood up. "Let's go back to our room. I will lock the door and keep the key for tonight tomorrow we should be safe as soon as the police arrives. Since neither you nor me are the killer and I really doubt Karen would be intelligent enough to kill anyone if we lock ourselves in, we should be safe." She said getting up with the help of the other two still feeling the pain. When they reached the room, Mira locked the door and carefully sat on the bed trying to avoid any movement that would cause her pain.

It took a little before the girls spread out around the room. Mira for her part started playing with the buttons on her jacket, reflecting on the last few days and about what happened, when she suddenly remembered, that she still has Campbell´s earring in her pocket. "Hey Campbell, by the way, guess what I found." Mira pulled it out of her pocket and showed it to her friends. "Hey, isn´t that the earring you lost when I went to pee the other day? You know, the one where Heather got all mad at you and we made wine for all of us, but then I needed to pee and you didn´t have it anymore when I came back? Good thing you got it back" Karen grinned at Campbell, who by now had grabbed the earring. Mira on the other hand had a very sudden bad feeling. "Wait a second. Karen, what did you just say?"

Karen seemed to be confused. "Good thing you got it back?" Mira just rolled her eyes a little. "Not that part the one before that." Still not quite sure why, Karen just scratched her head. "I needed to pee and she didn´t have it anymore when I came back?" Mira swallowed hard, her fingers moving over the part of Campbell´s jacket, where the button was missing. "Campbell… I can´t believe I´m saying this, but considering the fact that I found that earring at the same time and in the same place, I found the rat poison- lid and you´re also missing a button on your jacket…"

Mira couldn´t believe what she was about to say right now. "You weren´t in the middle of redoing your make-up, when Arnon died weren´t you? You looked that messed up, because of Arnon, didn´t you? And you wanted to kill Heather. You know both of us well enough to know that I wouldn´t drink the wine, because I never do when I´m that hungover. You also knew that Heather literally always downed my glass to try and convince me to drink again. You were also the one that went into Dean´s room last, and brought him the food. I guess you didn´t change before you went into Dean´s room to feel more badass but to get out of your wet clothes after you drowned him." The room was completely quiet, as the gravity of what Mira had just said settled in. "I´m right, aren´t I, Campbell?" Campbell just nodded. This tiny little nod made Mira´s heart sink into her chest. So, her best friend just so happened to have killed three people. Great. "But why?"

"Because he told me to." A chill ran down Mira´s spine. "Who?" "The caretaker." All eyes darted to Karen. "I saw you talk to him way too often. I thought it was because the toilets were literally always gross or whatever, but considering." Campbell nodded again. "He saw what happened with Arnon, and told me that he could help me make the people that deserve it pay. And Heather was always such a bitch to everyone, especially you and me. Not to forget Dean punched you in the face. Keay is very clearly next on that list."

Mira couldn´t believe, what her best friend just said. The girl sitting in front of her was clearly not the Campbell she once knew. "Campbell, I´m sorry. But what you did was wrong on so many levels, and while what Keay did to me earlier was also wrong on so many levels, he has no place on any kill-list especially on yours." Mira swallowed hard. Looking at the door she sighed. Right now, she had locked the three of them in making it probably the safest solution for anyone. She wholeheartedly believed that her best friend wouldn't hurt her or Karen for whatever reason and if she unlocked the door Keay would die tonight and then she couldn't tell herself anymore that his death had nothing to do with her so all she could do was sigh. "Since you are already locked in here and I will not let you out to harm Keay I will go to sleep do what you want. Just do me a favour and turn back into my best friend until the police arrives here. If you really have the urge to kill someone, kill me so I don´t have to see you lose yourself even more." Without another word, Mira went to bed, but if there was one thing, she couldn´t do right now, it´s sleep. A lot of things ran through her mind- most of all disappointment and pain. She knew, she should have probably restrained Campbell or something, but she was locked in their room anyways and she really couldn´t bring herself to do that to Campbell as well.

It didn´t take long, before Karen crawled into bed next to Mira, meaning that Campbell was going to sleep on her own. Mira knew perfectly well, that Campbell had every possibility to make a great escape. The apparently murderous Caretaker being one of them, but she just couldn´t.

Relatively early the next morning, the sound of sirens woke the girls up. Mira´s first look went towards the other bed, to see that Campbell was still there. And to Mira´s relief, she was. It didn´t take long for the police showing up in their room to take them out of the building.

The whole front yard was filled with cars. Police, ambulances, their teacher's and other vehicles from different authorities were there. The bodies were taken away they constantly questioned all of the students until finally Keay couldn't take it anymore. "You know who killed them, those bodies are our friends and we have been locked up in this mansion with two fucking killers for the last three days. Go shove your questions somewhere the sun won't shine and fucking let us get out of here so we can for once get some rest." He was nearly flipping the table as he exploded right into the officer's face. After that they were left alone and finally could gather their stuff and leave this godforsaken place.

Karen and Mira packed their things in silence. Both of them too exhausted and sad about what happened earlier. After packing their bags, they gave their room one final look before leaving this hell of a weekend behind themselves. "By the way, Karen. I guess I´m in the market for a new best friend. You free?" Karen just gave Mira a big smile "You want to go to Taco Bell?"

Campbell got charged for the murders, so did the Caretaker. Their inmates described the former Cheer captain as very distant and depressed, which was a huge step from her former cheerful self.

Keay never looked back after those three days his life had changed and he never once looked back on those three days. They were still buried deep inside him something he carried around forever something he could never let go. With this much weighting him down it wasn't a surprise to anyone when he moved to a different country after graduating leaving everything and everyone behind.

Mira took over for Campbell as the new cheer captain. Right after that weekend she declared a change of majors into psychology, hoping to be able to help people like her former best friend to not go into psychopathic murderer mode. A lot of people say, that the general aura around her changed, if for better or worse is a question of perspective.

Karen actually went on to become Co-Captain of the cheer squad, being loved by most of the others due to the fact, that having her around will always put a smile on people´s faces. She decided that her big plan for the future was to become a weather anchor. Her explanation for this that she is some kind of psychic whose breast can almost always feel, when it´s about to rain.

The two least effected by the whole three days were probably Tutor and Fighter for them it was a dark nightmare they left behind. It did leave a mark on them too but since they had each other and were the least involved in the whole thing they still managed to get out mostly unscarred. Dean and Arnon weren't close with those two and the only one they had to worry about was Keay but with his personality there was nothing they could do. And after Keay moved away they closed the book on that part of their life.