CHAPTER 5- HER DEATH CASE

Like what the administration of this school has said, we got free access in this University plus the popularity that we never wish to have. My name becomes so famous all over the Universities and I don't exactly know why. Each week, I've always received a bouquet of roses and a bunch of chocolates that makes Wave mad at all the time. Wave became the best MVP in here and they started to build a new varsity team again together with his friends and the other boys that are in the highest ranking. It's so unfair for me to think that everyone wants to be part of the varsity team, maybe it is what they want but they couldn't let in cause it is just for those who're at the highest ranking. Wave's friend is in the top 10, and the rest 5 is I don't know who they are. While me, the only girl at the highest ranking still thinks that it is really unfair treatment for the other students. Last week, we moved to our new room at the top of the dormitory where it is really a complete and perfect room. I've been thinking that it is like a condominium. Everyone at the highest ranking is in there. Next to our room is Byron's room, and next to his room is the room of Wave's friend. For me, it is not good knowing that we're here eating so much that everyone didn't experience what we're having right now. In real life, we can buy a condominium if we wanted to, but how about the others that are working hard to be part of the highest ranking but they could not get in?

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Oly asked while we're eating pizza at the school cafeteria. 

"Nothing, I'm just..." Someone interrupted my words. It's Rigel, standing in front of our table handling a tray of his foods. He looked so cold man without any expression on his face. He gave me a chocolate cake that I never asked him to give me or buy me. There's a cherry at the bottom of the cake.

"What is this for?"

"Eat it up. I know you like it." He said and left.

"What's that? Why did he give you that cake?" Leila asked while taking a sipped on her frappe and watching Rigel's back walking around.

"I don't know. We're not even close yet."

"Does Wave know about it?" She asked again.

"I already know it. Stop eating that cake, I will give you a new one." It's Wave's voice coming around. He's with his friends again and his new friends at the highest ranking.

"Okay." 

"What was that for? Is Rigel starting to like you?" Green asked, looking at the cake. I shrugged.

"I don't know."

"He can't like you, Elyrhia." Wave said and walked out. I know he's jealous again. He never feels so jealous but this time, I don't know why he's acting so strange about that man that I do not know.

"What's happening to him? Is he jealous?" Loony asked too.

"Maybe?"

"I never saw him that he's jealous." Amari said and laughed.

We stopped talking when someone was calling my attention. I think the speaker here is connected to the computer room.

"Attention everyone, calling the attention of Elyrhia Red Thomas... Again, calling the attention of Elyrhia Red Thomas the top 1 of the highest ranking. Please proceed to the Faculty room at 10am. Thank you." Everyone looked at me. I look at my wrist watch to check the time.

It's 9:25 am. I still have 35 minutes before I'll go to the faculty room.

"Why is the admin calling you?" Loony asked.

"Can you just stop asking me? Not all of your questions need to be answered." I hissed and rolled my eyes. There are so many questions that I couldn't answer.

"O-okay. Don't be mad, baby girl." Amari said and chuckled. After I finished eating my meals, I left them and went alone to the faculty room. I was walking around the lobby when I saw Byron walking alone too.

"Hey, where are you going?" He asked. I thought he's mad at me cause I took his place to be number one. But he's not mad at me, not like what I think.

"At the faculty room, where have you been?"

"At the faculty room. They are all waiting for you." He smiled at me and turned his back. I was walking again when I heard someone talking behind my back.

"That's Elyrhia Red, right? Damn, she's so gorgeous all the time." The girl said to her friend. I act like I didn't hear everything.

"Yes, she is. Imagine, that girl is the top 1 in the highest ranking? And how about Kate Ventura? I didn't see her for a while." Oh fuck. I forgot about her. I hadn't seen her since the time that the highest ranking was announced. Where is she? Is she hiding just to avoid the issues or what?

"Maybe she's really disappointed for not being in the highest ranking. But actually she deserves it. She's not even that rich and looks at the students in the highest ranking. They are all having their connections to the government. Look at Elyrhia, is she the daughter of the governor?" Why are they blaming me for being the top 1 in the highest ranking and accusing me that I only have a stronger connection at the government. What do they think of me? Paying this school just to let me be the top one all over this University? No, I will never do that. I will never use my money for useless things.

I walked out and was already in front of the door of the faculty room. I was about to knock, when someone opened it.

"Oh, Elyrhia Red. You're here, come inside. We're all waiting for you." I guess she's one of the board of directors here.

I come with her inside. I was a little bit shocked because they are all here and looking at me. Seems like they are watching every step that I'm taking. 

"Take a seat." He pinpoints the chair in front of them. I nodded as I took a seat. 

"We would like to talk to you about something." The man with the gray tuxedo said as he flipped his chair and looked at me. 

"About what?" I asked.

"Since you're the only girl and the top 1 at the highest ranking, we would like to give you this problem and solve it as soon as possible." He gives me an envelope and seems like there's something inside on it. Why me? I accept it and open it up. There's a picture inside. 

And when I'm looking at it, it seems like I lost all of my strength.

It's a picture of Kate Ventura's death, is this a murder or suicidal?

"What do you mean that you're going to find out if that is a murder or suicidal?" Wave asked as I can see anger in his face while he's looking at each of Kate's death pictures. We're with his friends and all of the students at the highest ranking. We're at the meeting room near our dormitories. They are all looking at me, waiting for me to answer their questions. But I really don't know how I can answer this one.

"I don't know either. They just give me that..." 

"I think it's a suicidal thought..." Amari said.

"I think so too. Remember that Kate is one of the students who graduated Valedictorian in the other school? I guess she killed herself because she didn't accept the truth that she couldn't get in the highest ranking." Rigel said as he looked at me. And lean back at the chair that he's sitting right now.

"Absolutely. But why there's a blood in here?" Val asked. We look at the picture that he's talking about. It's so hard to find this case, I'm not even a detective or what. I'm not a private investigator but they are forcing me to think and solve this one as I Am the top 1 at the highest ranking. 

"We will solve it. You're not gonna solve it by yourself." Wave said and took a seat beside me. 

"Why are they depending on their students to solve that case? I think they are thinking that we're a private investigator because of the level of our IQ. Especially you, Red. Can't you imagine? A student like you got a 99 percent grade?" Byron said and looked at me. 

"It is not all about if you're a detective or what. They are basing the IQ of someone on how they will solve a problem like this." Green said.

"So, what will you get if you solve that?" Leonard asked. Leonard is the top 12 at the highest ranking. He's one of the varsity players also.

"I do not know. Should we start interviewing and asking Kate's parents?" I asked them as they looked into each other and got back their look at me. I was just wondering if they will tell us more information about Kate. 

"Why we will ask them? Kate's death was happened in here. They are not around, when it happened." Wave said, and look again at the pictures. Only if I Am able to solve it by now, I will.

"If it is suicidal, what is the reason?" Davon asked. The top 13 in the highest ranking.

"And if it is murder, who will be the murderer? Is it a student, a professor? Or maybe one of us?" Byron said. Green slapped his head.

"Are you damn joking with us? One of us? Are you serious? Why would we do that to her?"

"I'm just guessing, stop being stupid dude."

"It's not funny. You're also accusing everyone of us and you're also saying that everyone here in the University is suspect?" Amari asked.

"What if we ask Kate's classmates?" Green suggested.

"Yeah, and ask her friends. When was the last time that they saw her..." Loony added as he looked at me and nodded.

"Well, we will do all of your suggestions. But we don't need to give the full attention here. Okay?" I asked all of them and they answered me in a nice way. Although it keeps bothering me at all, I keep calming myself not to think more about this case. I don't want to over think and get insane in a few weeks. 

"You okay, baby?" Wave whispered.

"Hmm, yeah..."

"Is her room still open?" Ivan asked. Great, maybe we should take a look in her room but I'm scared because it is her death place. 

"Yes, I saw that earlier while we're on our way here. It's not locked, but there's a caution outside her door's room." 

"Really? Shall we go now?" 

"Let's go---" someone cut Wave's word. It's Rigel, sitting on the chair while looking at the photo in the envelope. What is that? 

"Wait!" Everyone of us here looks at him. He's too serious and makes me nervous. 

"Why?"

"What the fuck, Rig?"

"It's not just one photo..." He said that makes me more scared for what is happening right now.

"There's more..." He added and looked at me while handling the photo's, not just one but--- there's really more photos.

"The photo that you saw is just a clue, Red."

"Look at this..." He gave me the photos. When I finally got it, I couldn't stop being scary and nervous at the same time. 

Damn. 

"This is a stupid phenomenon. Look at the photo's. The first photo shows that it was a suicidal, because of the rope hanging in the photo and the chair under the rope. Seems like it shows that she killed herself." Rigel explained. We're all remaining silent.

"The next photo shows that there's a murderer, because of the knife and the blood besides her. Take a look on her hands. There's no blood, that blood was in her body."

"I don't know where I will believe in. They make this thing so stupid." Wave said.

"Realest."

"But wait... Look at the photo, there's a shadow in here..." Ivan Bryan said while pointing to the photos with shadow.

"It's not just one shadow... It's two, three." Loony added.

"It's scary! Stop that damn thing, fuck it off!" Leonard hissed.

"Yes it is, but it is the truth that we need to solve."

"How about we secretly hire a private investigator and pay them to solve this case?" Davon suggested.

"Not all of the private investigator's are able to solve a case. Especially this hard one. We need cooperation here." Rigel said.

"My mom is a private investigator. I will ask her help even though all of you didn't like it." Leonard said. But everyone didn't agree with him.

"Don't let everyone know about this. They know that it was just Red who knew this. But Red told us about this." Amari said.

"No, I won't. I'm just saying that---"

"Stop thinking what you're thinking right now."

"Okay, fine. I won't tell my mom and never ask her help." Leonard said, finally giving up on telling her mom about this case.

"Let's go to her room, shall we?" Loony asked.

"Let's go."

"Maybe this time, we will even get more highlights to solve this case, ASAP." Rigel said and he stood up. 

We're all hoping that we solve this case to give justice on Kate's death.