ANASTASIA:Dressed in a black shirt, and grey formal pants, David looked rather dashing. For a moment, I thought I might gain a little crush on him. I drooled a little looking at the handsome man before me as he walked in and that's when suddenly, Mark joined us, gaining my attention. I tried to smile at him, but he ignored me. Oo-kay.Standing beside Song, Mark frowned looking at the police's jeep at the campus. He didn't even greet Song either. Looking like a human hulk, he stared at David's move. Monster for a reason. "Well, hello to you too, mate," Song teased smiling at him. Song might not be as intimidating as Mark, but he was as handsome as him. And the smile. Damn. "I thought you went were after your crush! Back early?"I had no idea Mark had a crush. Does Lara know about it? I don't think so, and I wish she kept it that way. I know she has a soft spot for this man despite the fact that she decides to hate him on the outer shell.Mark stood beside Song as he stared at him, emitting an animalistic-like sound before shutting him up. Did he just growled?He did.What's with the Jonas brothers and growls?Nonetheless, I quickly composed myself. Looking ahead I controlled my laugh looking at Scared Song's face. The big guy looks funny when scared by the monster. But, my attention was drawn again by David as he walked inside the campus. What's going on there, by the way?What is he doing here and why didn't he call me? I could have helped.As David's official BPD jeep came into view, and a few people began to murmur. Just his being there made the students curious and anxious. Who wouldn't be interested when the police show up at their school? Along with him was another attractive lady—pale-skinned, tall, and blonde. She quickly hopped off the jeep before standing close to David. Despite her good looks, she holds a certain temper. Finally, she took off her shades to look around. I wanted to get involved, to solve this mystery, going on in my head. Should I call him? I don't know. David was near, yet today, he wasn't the friend I am habituated to. Today, he was a cop. And I wonder what was actually going on. David was about to look at me, but the girl standing beside David whispered something quietly to him, distracting him from meeting my gaze. I sighed. I guess, like others, I have to watch to get my answers. He hadn't seen me yet, giving me a chance to quietly watch the drama unfolding.David's eyes darted around, searching for familiar faces in the crowd. Finally, he stopped at someone. He found who he was looking for. So I followed his gaze. There they were: Mia, Tony, Oliver, and Gweneth, sitting together, gossiping and laughing without any idea of a Police jeep inside the campus. But what made me think twice, was that they looked so unbothered. The way they behaved seemed heartless as if they had wiped Blakley's memory and her sad fate from their minds. Their self-centred forgetfulness left a sour taste in my mouth.Ben, too, sat with them, lost in their chatting.David looked over the group, a smug expression on his face and his gaze steady as he took off his sunglasses. Putting them in his pocket, he confidently walked closer. The female officer followed right behind him. The group continued to be unaware of their upcoming meeting, still immersed in their own world of laughter and conversation.As he finally stood in front of them, he cleared his throat, gaining their attention. "Miss Gweneth Raven?" he asked, making them turn towards him. By now, the student crowd has already gathered around them. But David remained unfazed. Gweneth glanced at him, her eyes widening briefly, but she swiftly regained her composure. Throat clearing, she said, "That's me, officer!" She glanced behind to check the lady officer, then put on a sweet smile and inquired, "What can I help you with today?"She tried to be extra sweet while batting her eyelashes, trying to distract David.But David's eyes, previously warm with familiarity, turned cold and distant as he looked at Gweneth. "Well, what you can do, is a good question, Miss Raven. But we are here for something else." David replied making everyone confused. When he noticed a familiar confusion in Gweneth's eyes, he smirked before delivering the unexpected news, "You are under arrest!"****Mia, Oliver, Tony, Ben, and Gweneth wore expressions of disbelief, their faces mirroring the same astonishment that rippled through the air. David stood there, a pillar of unwavering determination, seemingly impervious to their reactions."Why the hell is she under arrest?" Tony roared, his voice laced with anger that reverberated off the place. "Don't forget who are you talking with!""I am aware of what I am doing right now, Mr. Martin." He shot. "And if you try to become and obstacle in the path of law and order, I have to take you in too."Mia's hand instinctively covered her mouth in shock and disbelief. Gweneth's complexion too had paled several shades, her hands trembling as the weight of the accusation settled upon her shoulders."But what did she been charged with?" Mia asked in frustration."She has been charged with the murder of Blakely Livy," David said, his tone remarkably calm despite the gravity of his words."What?" Mia gasped, her voice a mere whisper of disbelief."That's bullshit!" Tony protested vehemently. "They were best friends!" His words echoed the collective disbelief in the place, a sentiment shared by everyone present."Yeah, detective," Ben interjected, his voice determined. "She can't have killed Blakely. It doesn't make sense."David looked at the other woman standing with him and signalled her something. She took out her phone and dialled a number. Swiftly, the phone rang on Tia's phone. By this time, Tia was utterly shocked, left speechless. She laughed an awkward laugh towards the crowd who were looking at her in utter shock."This phone belonged to Blakely," the officer announced, her voice firm and unwavering. "And the last call traced was from this number." Her declaration hung in the air, a damning piece of evidence that seemed to tighten the noose around Gweneth's innocence.A loud gasp rippled through the crowd. Murmurs of disbelief and shock filled the area. Everyone knew about their friendship. Everyone knew how close they were despite being known as the meanest girls on campus. Yet, no one had ever thought that one of them could murder the other.The question arises, "Is it really true?" "Such a bitch""Well, she deserved it.""She should be in jail..."The students began to look at each other's faces in disbelief. Tony too had sighed in frustration. With all the proof in hand, what must he do?Caught and overwhelmed, Gweneth finally broke down. "I--" Her voice trembled as she stammered, "I just..." Her voice trailed off. Tony and Mia stared at her in utter shock. It seemed they had never imagined such a betrayal. Oliver, on the other hand, looked slightly irritated. And Ben? Shocked and perplexed."Did she really kill Blakely?" Nandini asked whispering to my ears, her voice barely audible, her eyes wide with horror.I could only shrug off being unsure. But the evidence says it all. I kept my eyes on them to know more. Still in shock, my mind struggled to comprehend the depth of the betrayal that had unfolded before us. "I have no idea." Mark and Song stood quietly behind me, like a pillar to my back, his hands in his pockets. As the female officer handcuffed Gweneth, she asked, her voice a mix of curiosity and incredulity, "Why did you do it?"Gweneth's cries filled the area, each tear reflecting the deep emotions that had finally surfaced. But no matter what, she had lost the trust in her actions. Students could only whisper, "Tears of a crocodile.""I was jealous of her," she finally admitted, her voice heavy with bitterness and remorse. The venom of hatred seeped into her words, creating a tense atmosphere around us. "I was here first, in this group. But she became Mia's favourite so quickly, and I couldn't stand it!" Her words quivered under the burden of unspoken grievances, her sobs emphasizing the honesty of her confession. "I hate how perfect she looked, despite coming from a filthy family." With each word, everyone could practically feel the venom she had within her. "She always wanted to become the best, while she was clearly not and I...." She sobbed. "Hated that,""I tried to make her understand with my actions that no matter how much she tried, she could never get the title of Mia's best friend until I was here. But she challenged me." She said, lost in the past. "And when last week, she achieved something impossible, Mia gifted her a brand new fucking car on her birthday! She fucking threw a party for her and I hated it!"At that moment, the place felt smaller, suffocating under the weight of envy and betrayal, as Gweneth exposed the dark corners of her heart, revealing the complex emotions that led her to commit such a heinous act. "So, I tried to..."As Gweneth tearfully explained her side of the story, the crowd in the college began to listen attentively. Her confession was shocking, and many students couldn't believe what they were hearing."I did everything Mia asked me to do," Gweneth continued, "but still, she would always ask for Blakely. Blakely became the centre of attention, and it drove me crazy. And when she received a fucking new car for her birthday and I only got a wish on mine last month, I couldn't control myself." She sobbed as she recounted her jealousy. "Mia taught us that we should always eliminate the problem when it starts to become a nuisance. So, I did the same." Her voice quivered as she confessed. "But... I didn't kill her!"Mia scoffed in disbelief at her. "Unbelievable" She muttered. And I couldn't help but think who is the actual criminal here. Honestly, Mia had been with them for far too long to take advantage to become the influencer in their life. But what she forgot was that everything has a price to pay.Her voice was a separation plea when the lady officer began to handcuff her. "I hired a few men just to scare her that's it! I didn't kill her!" She confessed. "They didn't even make it to there!"The lady officer didn't listen. Putting her hand behind her back, she pushed her on the table, before cuffing her hands."How could we trust you, Gweneth?" She taunts.Gweneth looked down, guilt and fear in her eyes. "I only made a call to her, imitating Levi's voice, just to divert her onto that forbidden road. The men would be standing there to just scare her off. That's it!" She yelled in frustration. "I just wanted her to get into trouble, but I didn't intend for her to be killed.""And you hire men to have what? Fun?" Mia asked in anger. "No- I..." Gweneth broke into tears. "How can we trust you, Miss Raven?" David asked sternly. "If that's your story, you deliberately planned to mislead your friend onto a dangerous path. Hiring men to scare her off. You are responsible for her death until we find out the whole truth.""NOOO!" Gweneth yelled in desperation. "I did not kill her!"Despite her protests, David didn't seem convinced. Gweneth was arrested in the middle of the college, and justice for Blakely was being served.****Standing there, a wave of conflicting thoughts surged through my mind like a storm. Was it genuinely Gweneth's fault, or were we just glimpsing a piece of a much bigger, intricate picture? I couldn't help but ponder if we were overlooking the depth of the story, caught up in the complexities of human emotions and weaknesses. Whatever her mental state was now, it had a direct connection to Mia, Oliver, and their team. The consequences of their actions had deeply affected her psyche, moulding her into the shattered person she had turned into.A psychopath. They had planted the seeds of jealousy, sowed the seeds of hatred, and nurtured them into monstrous thoughts within Gweneth's mind. The psychological warfare waged on her had been relentless, a malevolent dance of manipulation and cruelty that had left her distorted and unrecognizable.So, as I stood there, questioning the very core of our judgment, I couldn't help but ponder: was Gweneth the sole culprit, or was the responsibility shared by the entire team? The lines between victim and perpetrator blurred, lost in the intricate web of emotions, secrets, and lies that had woven their fate together. The truth, it seemed, was a delicate mosaic, waiting to be unveiled, revealing the hidden shades of grey that painted the canvas of their lives.Maybe even today, after coming so close, we lost the one who is the real culprit.A/N: Do you think Gweneth killed Blakley? Comment your thoughts below. Thank you for reading this book. See ya next week.