Ch. 3: Partners in Crime

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I groan, as I wake up to the sound of my phone alarm going off. The one thing I hate about college is the first day of a new semester. My body is still in full-on summer mode and is not prepared for a 9:30 a.m. psychology class. Reluctantly, I get out of bed, and head to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After brushing my teeth and attempting to get the knots out of my hair, I give up and just throw my hair up into a messy bun. So much for trying to look good on the first day of classes. Oh well. Ever since freshmen year, I told myself I would wake up earlier and try to somewhat look like the kind of girl who gave a damn, but probably never going to happen. I walk back to my room and go into my dresser and pull out my favorite pair of ripped jeans and a white t-shirt to match. I go into my closet and grab my black bomber jacket and my go-to white Nike's. I then make my way over to my vanity and put some light makeup on. I take one last glance in the mirror at the girl staring back at me. I sigh at the slight bags under my eyes from lack of sleep. I don't remember when I finally fell asleep, but it couldn't have been for long, judging by the state of my appearance.

This day is going to suck.

How does one text from some unknown creep get me that upset? I've never fully come to terms with mom's death; I know that. Dad did most of the grieving for both of us, so I didn't have time to focus on what I've lost. In December, it will have been 6 years since the accident, and I'm still haunted. I think a part of me died when she did. When does this slight ache in the pit of my stomach go away? I look back at myself in the mirror and do a once-over. My long, chestnut brown hair was already beginning to fall out of the messy bun. I fix my hair as best as I can before grabbing my backpack and leaving the room. I stop at the kitchen quickly to grab an apple from the fruit bowl when I spot Nina eating a bowl of cereal, while looking at her phone. I try to get her attention, but she is completely zoned out. I snap my fingers in her face a few times until she finally notices me and bats my hand away.

"Good morning to you too. What's got your attention?" I ask, holding back a laugh.

"Oh, you know. Had to read the morning paper." she says, showing me her phone. I laugh when I see her on Twitter.

"Anything good?" I joke.

"Eh, unless you count another Kardashian scandal good news, then no. Twitter is lagging this morning. Ever since it changed its' name, which I refuse to call Twitter "X" by the way, it just hasn't been the same. Hey, are you okay? You look exhausted." I'm about to reply to her when I hear the front door open. Nina and I both turn to look and see Charlotte trying to discreetly sneak by us into her room.

"I give you a 7 out of 10 on the walk of shame. Points deducted for not being as stealthy!" Nina remarks.

"Ha ha. I give you a 5 out of 10 on the joke. Points deducted for lacking creativity and humor!" Char snaps back.

Nina chuckles while rolling her eyes before turning her attention back to her phone.

"So, I'm assuming things with Lucas went well last night? Or should I say this morning since it's 9 a.m.?" I ask her, while pointing at the clock on the wall. Char blushes a deep, crimson red, and mumbles a quick "shut up", and then heads to her room.

"Hey, we want to hear details later!" Nina shouts to her, just as we hear the door close.

We both laugh. I say a quick goodbye to Nina before tossing the remains of my apple and heading out the door. I'm grateful I got away before she realized I never answered her question. Nina knows about my mom and what happened, but not everything. Char is the only one who knows about the texts, and that's because she stumbled upon it by accident. As I walk to class, I thank God that campus is only a short five-minute walk from our apartment building. If I had to wake up any earlier, I might never make it to class on time. I take in the views of campus, as I make my way to the criminal justice building. I decided to follow in my mom's footsteps and attend Silver Brook University. I remember my dad crying when I got my acceptance letter. He had hugged me and told me he knows mom is smiling down at us and is so proud. The school has a great pre-law program, but mostly, I just wanted to feel closer to my mom.

I walk up the steps of the building and check my schedule on my phone one more time. Okay, so it's 9:30 a.m. psychology and then 11:00 a.m. criminal law. Then, I'm done for the day. My Tuesday/Thursday schedule might suck with three classes scattered throughout the day, but at least my Mondays and Fridays are going to be a breeze. I get to my psychology class just as the professor arrives and the other students start filing in. I grab a seat towards the middle of the classroom and pull out my laptop. Here's to making the most of Senior year!

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I grab my belongings and quickly file out of my psychology class. That lecture went by faster than I thought it would. I have had that professor a few times already, so I know what to expect from the class. I walk out of the building and am hit with the warm sun on my face and a cool end of summer breeze. I walk across the pavilion into the political science building, where the majority of my pre-law courses take place. I walk up the stairs and finally spot room 207. I notice that the door is already propped open, so I walk right in. There are several students already seated, but the professor must not be here yet. I find an open seat and get situated. Might as well be ready for when the professor does make an appearance. After texting Char and Nina about meeting up for lunch and getting replies from both agreeing to meet at our favorite café, the professor walks in.

"Good morning class! I'm Professor Lopez and this is Criminal Law. In this class, we will be studying both active and closed criminal cases. It is adamant that you all pay attention and participate in this lecture. I encourage all my students to voice their own opinions on cases, especially on cold cases. I would like to know where you think the justice system made their mistakes or what they could have done differently. Now, everyone-," she's suddenly interrupted by the door opening and slamming shut. Everyone's heads turn to see who showed up late, and I groan. Of course it's him. Asher. Why, oh god, why does he have to be in this class? Better yet, why does he have to be in the same major as me?

"Mr. Thomas, please find a seat quickly. I was just about to go over my tardiness and absence policy, so your timing couldn't be more appropriate." Professor Lopez remarks. I grin. I think I'm going to like her. A couple of other people laugh, while most are still in awe that they are in the presence of Asher Thomas. I'm not really surprised though. Besides being the star quarterback, his dad is also one of our state senators. Plus, his family donates thousands of dollars to the school every year, so people act like he walks on water. It's why I'm not shocked that the teacher already knows his name. His dad did help pay for the building we're in. Asher looks around the room, and his eyes eventually stop on me. He smirks and starts making his way over to the empty seat next to me. Please, for the love of all that is good in this world, please no! He plops his bag down by my feet and sits down.

"Two days in a row. You just can't get enough of me, can you?" he grins.

I ignore him entirely, attempting to listen to Professor Lopez go over the course outline.

"Oh, come on sweetheart. I don't bite. Unless you want me to." I look over and he is looking me up and down with a devilish smirk plastered on his face.

"Why do you keep calling me sweetheart?" I ask, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Does it bother you?" He tilts his head to one side, waiting for me to reply. I nod, not bothering to look over at him. "Well then, there's your answer, sweetheart." he replies.

"Shut up! I'm trying to pay attention." I say, getting annoyed now.

"Not my fault you're so distracting. Maybe I should have picked another seat. You're compromising my education." he says, holding up his hands in defense.

I'm about to tell him to piss off when I notice the silence. I turn my attention back to the front of the classroom and see that Professor Lopez and the rest of the students are staring at me.

"I'm sorry, is my class interrupting your conversation, Miss," she trails off. Great! The first day of class and I'm caught talking...to Asher of all people.

"Davis. Makayla Davis." I reply.

"Hmmm, Miss Davis. I was just about to let everyone pick a partner for the cold case they will be researching this semester. However, since you and Mr. Thomas have seemed to have already gotten quite comfortable with one another, I'm going to assign you two to work together." she states.

Wait what? I'm about to open my mouth in protest, but the look on her face tells me it would be pointless to argue. I look over again at Asher and see that he's grinning like a damn Cheshire Cat.

"So, Makayla. Partners again. This should be fun!" he says, before chucking to himself.

Well, this officially blows.

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Disclaimer: I don't know the legality of using established references in works of fiction, but any mention of pop culture or fictional people, places, or things, are not my own. All rights to original creation.