Meanwhile, at Lancaster University
The late morning air was buzzing with activity for a Friday. Usually, Fridays don't have many lectures, so many students do not attend school. But today, people came to prepare for the Summerfest Dance, which was going to take place on campus tomorrow night.
"So... who is going with you to the dance?" Alisha sighed and turned to face Melissa, who was looking at her with a beaming smile.
"Oh come on, Melly. Isn't it obvious? She is definitely going to the dance with..." Tessa paused and looked at Melissa.
"Peter!!" Both girls said the name and squealed in excitement.
Alisha flushed and sighed. "Stop it, you two! I am not going to the dance, okay! So stop squealing like little girls daydreaming about their crushes, okay!" And she started walking away.
"Wait... what? What do you mean you're not coming to the Summerfest Dance?" asked Mellisa as she caught up to Alisha and stopped her from walking away.
"Yeah, Ali. What gives? This event is like the most popular gig on campus, and everyone is going to be there—including us, freshmen. This seems like the perfect opportunity to finally feel like we are at college and we are no longer high schoolers but adults," said Tessa.
"Oh really, Tess? So going to a dance where we dance to floggly music all night, and watch the seniors make out on the bars and dance floors, whilst our sorry freshman eyes gawk at them—at the same time they will be ordering us around to fetch their drinks with the tiny umbrellas and mopping their puke from the floor—sounds like a... a perfect opportunity to feel like real college freshmen, making us feel like we are adults now. Wow! Thanks but no thanks!" said Alisha, and she started walking away again, heading for the gate.
"Oh come on, Alisha! That's not true," said Melissa.
Alisha turned and looked at her with a sharp look.
"Ok. Ok. Maybe not entirely true. But Ali... this is a great opportunity for us to finally feel like we are college freshmen now and hook up with those cute guys. And also have fun like we used to back in the day. You already have your cute handsome hunk, and we also want to give it a shot at the party. You can't have the cute guys alone," said Melissa, whilst pouting. "Come on, Ali. Do it for us."
Alisha looked at her best friend's pouty face and Tessa's pleading eyes. She sighed. "Okay."
"Yay!!" yelled both Tessa and Melissa.
"But I am not sure if Peter would want to go with me. And don't get the wrong idea—we are still just good friends, nothing more. But his studies are a bit more demanding than ours, and not to mention we don't attend the same university. What if he asks a girl from his university? I don't want to have hope and end up getting hurt and feeling pathetic when he rejects me," said Alisha.
Tessa and Melissa started giggling and smiling inquisitively.
Alisha frowned at them. "What?"
"Mmmm... if that were true... maybe you should turn around and see the answer to your worries yourself," said Mellisa.
Alisha raised a brow and turned around, only for her heart to skip a beat as her gaze landed on Peter approaching her, wearing a brown jacket, a light brown shirt with jeans and sneakers. His brown curly hair glowed golden in the late morning sun, and his brown eyes gleamed in the light.
He held a bouquet of pink roses in his hand and approached Alisha with a big, bright smile.
"Hey, Ali."
Alisha smiled awkwardly.
"H... hey... Peter," she responded sheepishly.
Melissa and Tessa giggled behind her, which made her feel more awkward.
Peter smiled.
"I thought you weren't coming today since you only have one morning lecture on a Friday. Thought you would stream it at home instead of coming here."
"Well... I thought about that. But then... well, as you can see... people are preparing for the Summerfest Dance, which is going to happen tomorrow night. So I was forced to come here for the preparations. I'm sure you are also preparing for it at Bromley University, right?" asked Alisha.
Peter nodded.
"Yeah. We are also preparing for it. Although ours is going to take place on Sunday from late afternoon."
"Oh really. That's... that's cool," replied Alisha sheepishly.
Peter chuckled lightly.
"Yeah... I think."
He then stepped a bit closer and said,
"Ali... umm... would you... like to be... my partner at the Summerfest Dance? Both the Summerfest dances."
He then handed over the bouquet of pink roses to her.
Alisha accepted them and smiled shyly.
"Yes... yes... I would love to."
Peter smiled brightly at her.
"Thank you. Thank you, Ali. You have no idea how happy you just made me. Thank you."
Alisha smiled and turned, and saw her friends' grinning faces. She smiled even more and turned to face Peter, who was still smiling brightly at her.
However, her smile slightly faltered when she saw Zach with that figure walking at the far side of the campus. She quickly turned to Peter.
"Thank you, Peter, for the flowers. We will talk later, okay? Right now I gotta go."
Peter saw the urgency on her face.
"It's okay. I can drop you off at home."
"No, it's okay. We will talk later."
She then started following the path where Zach and the figure disappeared.
"Bye, guys. We will talk on call later."
She started sprinting, leaving both her friends and Peter bewildered.
She followed the path until she saw them ducking into an empty alley behind one of the buildings.
She stealthily approached the alley and peeped a little, and saw them standing at a short distance. She planted herself against the wall so that they couldn't see her, and she held her breath and listened in.
"I told you not to mess things up! I told you to keep it safe until I came to take it. But what did you do, you little punk? You lost it!" she heard the figure whisper-shout.
"Look... I am sorry, okay? I think it must have dropped somewhere in my room, and I am going to find it and give it to you. But I already gave you the cash. Isn't that what's more important?" she heard Zach.
There was silence for a moment until...
Whack!
The sound of a slap resounded in the alley, and Alisha knew exactly where it landed. She felt anger bubbling inside her.
'The bastard!'
"Listen to me, you fucking little shit. The only reason you are alive right now is because I need you to keep my stuff safe and give it to me when... and whenever I need it. You got it? If you ever—I mean ever—make a mistake like this again, I will happily send your pretty little sister to the brothel, and get every Jack and Jill to hump her until they are satisfied..." threatened the figure.
"Don't you fucking dare... don't you dare... touch her," Zach lowly yelled.
"Then be a good little boy and keep my stuff safe until I need it, pretty rich boy. I chose you for this for a reason—because you are my safe. Now remember, there is a whole lot of us who can get your little ass maimed. So don't fuck with me ever again."
"MMMM!!"
A slightly loud muffled sound startled them both.
They turned to the end of the alley.
"What was that?"
The two of them walked toward the end of the alley and searched both ends to see who was watching them.
"There is no one here," said the figure.
"Remember what I said, kid. No more mistakes or you're going to get it." He then huffed.
"You better find it. And call me when you do. Got it?"
He then scurried away from the alley. Zach took a deep breath and leaned against the wall for a moment.
After a while, he turned his gaze to the ground and saw a bouquet of pink roses on the ground.
He looked from left to right to see if someone was around. He then gently crouched and picked up the bouquet. He examined it for a while before walking out of the alley, heading back to the campus grounds.
As soon as he emerged from the other side, he collided into someone.
"Oof! Hey man, watch where you are going!" he complained, until his eyes widened slightly in recognition.
"Peter! Wha...? What are you doing here?"
Peter rubbed his forehead, which he had bumped into Zach.
"Aaa, jeez. I am looking for Alisha. Have you seen her?"
"No. Why? Is everything okay?" asked Zach.
"Well... I actually came to ask her to be... my partner at the Summerfest dances, and then she just hurri...ed off." Peter paused when he saw the pink roses in Zach's hand.
"Where did she hurry off to, Peter?" asked Zach.
Peter stepped closer.
"Those... those... flowers," he stammered.
"Where... did you get those flowers?"
Zach lifted the bouquet of pink roses.
"Oh, you mean these? I... I... picked them up from the ground. I guess someone must have dropped them. They looked beautiful and fresh to leave behind, so I thought I must take them and maybe bring them to Alisha. Alisha loves pink roses."
Peter's eyes widened.
"But these roses... they look exactly like the ones I gave Alisha earlier. I bought a bouquet of pink roses for Alisha, to ask her to the dance."
Zach's heart dropped into his stomach. He felt his world spinning. He staggered a little but quickly regained his balance.
"Zach, where did you get those flowers? Zach?" asked Peter.
Zach felt a bit weak and dropped to the ground.
"Zach! Zach, are you okay?"
Peter then walked in the direction that Zach came from.
'This can't be happening... this can't be happening... his thoughts spun.'
Peter came rushing back in panic.
"Zach, look, I found this where I think you found the flowers."
Zach turned his head and saw a small plastic piggy accessory. He quickly dropped the flowers, stood up, and took the piggy figure from Peter's hand and opened it.
Immediately, his blood ran cold as his eyes landed on the small picture of him and Alisha making silly faces at a photo booth at the amusement park five years ago. Alisha had bought the figure to store their pictures there, saying it was to remember their silly memories. And she would also use it as a weapon against him if he tried to do anything funny, so she made it her school bag accessory and carried it everywhere.
"She's gone..." Zach muttered.
"What?" asked Peter.
"Alisha... she's gone... and it's all my fault!" he yelled and dropped to the ground again.
One of the pictures fell to the ground, and Peter knew—it was bad.