A pause settled in between the two, the casualness of Brittany's order akin to asking the weather. "When?" Brittany was initially shocked before a wry smile replaced it. "Make sure that it happens right at ten, I'm not in the mood for practising tennis." Her figure now leaning into his, arm wrapping around her shoulder.
"Out of my toys, you'll always be my favorite one." Her tone chilling as she pulled back. "Andrew, I was hoping that we could go to class together."Claire urged before catching Brittany who flashed her a smile. "Claire, I really do appreciate helping my Andy in opening up and Pauline… I have to tell you this right now."
Brittany inched closer to Pauline, her voice low enough so that she alone could hear. "I've always hated you. You've been nothing more than an eye sore to me and I'm glad that you hear this before you croak. After all did you think that you can take what's rightfully mine and I wouldn't retaliate?"
Pauline moved back, her face showing disgust. "What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!I knew that you crazy but you didn't have to tell it to my face." Brittany seemed untouched with Pauline's comments as her smile persisted. "Later bitch, I'll miss you Andy." Stealing a peck from Andrew, Brittany left the three.
"What did she say?" Claire asked, noticing Pauline's disgust had yet to fade. "Other than directly telling me that she hates me, she was spouting about me croaking. Seriously I can't believe that a person like her is walking around with us and not in a psyche ward."
Claire dumb founded with Brittany's words before she split up with Pauline. "Is she usually that crazy or it that preserved for Pauline?" Claire asked as the two made their way to class. "It's pent up for Pauline." Claire let out an understanding hum as the two sat down.
The teacher came back, her face unamused with a stack of papers in her hand. "It would seem that most of you aren't here aside from Andrew Grayson." Her gaze falling on the expressionless student who caught the glances of his class mates. Papers began to circulate the class, most okay if not making fun of each other's poor grades.
Claire had managed to get barely halfway before stealing a peek at Andrew's sheet. 'A perfect score as always. I'll give him consistency.' The teacher's rambles fading into background noise as she looked at her own sheet, corrections made all over, most due to negligence on her end from her studies.
It wasn't long before the class came to an end. "You said that you would offer me personal classes so we might as well start with the C.A.T test, right?" Andrew gave a nod before the two made their way to the shades. "Alright I might not be as skilled as you so I hope that you take it easy." A nervous chuckle permeating through the air as the two took out their papers and stationery.
Before they could begin, a huge swarm of students began to flow. A glance could tell that it wasn't students done with their classes given the time and the heavy tension that clung to the mob. "What happened?" Claire asked a random student who was coming out of the mob.
"It would seem that a student has passed away." The news ruining any mood Claire had for studying. "Should we check it out?" His question met with a nod as they rushed to see the cause of the commotion. "What's going on? Who died?" Claire asked as she tried to by pass the horde of students.
"It's the reporter, Pauline was her name." Claire's face contorted into disbelief as she pushed deeper into the crowd before she saw it. Pauline was surrounded with white foam oozing out of her mouth. Claire took a long look at her best friend's body, still in disbelief of what she was seeing.
'There's…there's no way that's Pauline.' Her mind mused,her lips quivering as she tried to intercept those carrying her body. "Please back up, we need to get her to the school clinic." One of the students that hauled Pauline's body urged, lightly pushing Claire out of the way and making their way to the clinic.
The crowd dying after some time however Claire stood rooted in place, not far from her was Andrew carrying both their bags. "There's no way that's Pauline, she was with us just a few hours ago perfectly fine. There's no way that she's dead, right Andrew?"
Her tone dripping with disbelief while her source of consolation looked at Pauline's body being hauled away, his face neutral. "She's dead Claire, possibly by poison. We could go check up on her." His words not with the goal of comfort but truth.
The two made their way to the clinic where they were stopped with the students that hauled Pauline;s body. "You can't go in yet, she's under check up right now. You can come back later." Claire however wasn't having it as she tried to force her way in, crashing into the two students.
'There's no way she's dead!! That's my best friend!" Her throat raspy as tears began to well in her eyes. Andrew stood behind her, the realization of Pauline's death brushing off him akin to a light summer breeze. "We understand your pain but you have to wait!"
A voice echoed from behind, unfocused on Pauline's death. Probably from the crowd that had huddled in curiosity "Doesn't that mean school will have to close?" One said. "Yeah, for the investigations meaning that we don't have to worry about not finishing our assignment." The air between the two lightening up which caught Claire's attention.
"My friend just died and what you're concerned with is that you don't have to go to school because of some assignment?! How heartless can you be?" Tears could be seen streaming down her cheeks, an unimaginable pain etched on her face. The two students realizing their arrogance quickly apologized and left, their words hollow with their minds probably focused on the fact they they wouldn't have to come to school.
"How could someone be so callous to kill Pauline? What crime could she have committed to deserve such a fate?"Claire asked as her body crashed onto Andrew's figure, her sobs coating his shirt. He raised one hand and placed it on her head before giving her a light pat, similar to one would give to a cat.
"Tragic but I'm sure that she would want you to be strong. Something along the lines of, "You can't be crying when there's a story to be scooped!" Or something of the sort." Claire paused, a faint chuckle leaving her lips. "She would see it as a case but still….I can't believe that she's gone just like that."
Her face buried in Andrew's chest once more before a familiar figure approached the two. "Where is she?" It was Eliot and worry was written all over his face before the figures of the two came into his vision. "We've yet to truly know what happened to her but she's facing a check up."
The weight of Pauline's abrupt death momentarily erasing Eliot's suspicion of Andrew. Leading Claire to take a seat, the air was filled with uncertainty and Claire's sniffles. By now a small crowd had already formed, consisted of Pauline's allies and friends. A nurse came out, her face grim. "I'm sorry to say this but she's dead, I've already called for an ambulance to pick her up."
The words were met with quiet cries but the ones that stood out were Claire's as tears began to pour once more. "I- I can't believe that he's dead…Andrew…my best friend…Pauline… No!"Claire was surrounded, consolations shot her way but it did nothing to soothe her.
Eliot who was equally devastated looked at Claire, unsure of whether to make a move on her or not. "I know that it's a tragic loss but we have to be strong Claire." His words sombre as he approached Claire. "Eliot, how could she have just died?!" Claire's questions met with no answers as she reached out for a hug.
The unspoken tension that had settled in between the two evaporated and replaced with mourns. It wasn't long before the paramedics made their arrival and carried Pauline's corpse away.The only one who seemed out of place was Andrew, his neutral face sticking out like a sore thumb.
"I heard that Pauline died and I'm here to check whether that's true." A voice cut through the soft cries, it was Brittany. "What do you want?" Eliot was the one to speak up. "I heard that she died and I came to see whether that's the case. She was a nice stepping stone you know, pushing me to better myself but now with her gone, I guess I'll have to motivate myself."
The absurdity of Brittany's words resulting with her receiving strange glances from those grieving. "Well i would be lying if I said that her death actually mattered to me in particular. Anyway, Andrew, can we go? There are these cute shoes I saw that I wanted to try out." Claire was too far gone to properly digest Brittany's words while Eliot was unsure of why Brittany was there other than to gloat.
"I get that the two of you weren't on good terms but for you to come here and clown on her death is a bit too much." Claire began to gain her bearings, her focus now landing on Brittany. "Would it kill you to show some compassion?" Brittany, dismissive as ever said, now inspecting her nails. "It just might, anyway Andrew let's go already, I don't want my mood to be ruined with all these losers."
Andrew handed over Claire's bag to Eliot who showed an incredulous expression. "You're leaving with her? At a time like this?!" Andrew lifted his bag higher on his shoulder, his decision set in stone. "You'll lose a lot of people Claire, you can't fret over every death. After all everything with come to pass, including you to those that care about you."
Claire could only watch as Andrew took his leave before it began to slowly creep up on her. 'Did Brittany actually kill her? Given how she was talking to her, she's the most likely to do it but if so then how? The two split up after talking in the morning.'
. . .
"Perfect as always, my Andy. Though I do have to ask, just exactly how did you kill her?" Brittany asked as the two marched out of school grounds, a procession making their way to the exit. Students were having their bags checked for any clues that could be linked to Pauline's death. "I guessed. Given your history with her, I knew that sooner or later you would ask me to dispose of her."
The two had their bags checked and passed before leaving. "Well with school closed for now, we might as well spend the next couple of days together as a formal couple." Brittany mused as she leaned into his arm, Andrew watching the pampered lady wrap in his embrace."Where to?"
His question bringing a smile to Brittany. "That's my Andy, ready to do as I tell him when I tell him." Andrew analyzed Brittany's state before adding. "A pure shame that you can't keep that smug expression when you're moaning at the top of your lungs."
Brittany's smirk shattering, her words growing defensive. "Well it's hard if you keep on being so relentless with me. Seriously, who do you think I am?"
. . .
"Poison, the actual reagent is still under analysis but from what the hospital has gotten is something resembling a mixture of neurotoxins and hemotoxins, similar to the ones found in snakes."Maya handing over a report to Callahan who was baffled. They had tapped into Brittany's phone as she made her request and Maya who had been keeping an eye on Pauline under the lie of being a student was puzzled when she saw her drop dead.
"Given how she died, it would seem that it was planned in advance. Akin to a vial inside her that went off." Callahan was at a loss for words, each death that trailed Brittany's requests only growing more and more bizarre. "Andrew, you really do know how to keep your cards close."