A Shade of Cool

XVIII: A Helping Hand

As the night drew by the foggy window, we pulled up through the main gates of the campus and into the carpark, led by the dimly lit sidewalks. Noah leaned forward slightly, squinting to find his way around.

Finally, he found a place to park, "Right, Inspector Gadget, let's get this show on the road," He said as he hopped out of the car. I following, gathering my stuff after me.

"What dorm did she say it was again?" He asked me as he locked the car, swinging his bag over his shoulder and walking around to me, "Edward Dorm, room 406," I told him as we walked up onto the curb and looked around for Marissa. Just as I was pulling my phone out, I heard a pair of feet hurriedly step toward us.

"Jacob?" Marissa called, smoke appearing from her lips as she spoke. Turning, we both smiled at her.

"Marissa!" I quickly hugged her and moved aside for her to greet Noah with a quick hug. Her attention returned to me quickly, "If we are gonna do this, we gotta get in quick. The dorm's are on lockdown after eleven, campus rules."

"It's only seven..." I frowned.

"Well we don't know how long that girl is going to talk for, in high school she never shut up," Marissa said, a shake in her tone as she shivered from the cold, "Let's go."

Following her, we headed into the direction of a huge red bricked building. It was lit up by a few beams from the shrubbery around it. A few lights were on inside and you could hear the silent talking of a few televisions and music. It was a pretty decent campus. But I sure as hell wouldn't come here in fear I'd be getting lost every day. There were at least a dozen buildings on the campus and thousands of people who all look the same; tired and stressed.

We stepped toward a hall and headed down it toward some double doors that had a golden plaque over it reading; EDWARD DORM.

"Does she know we are coming?" I asked Marissa.

Marissa frowned giving me a look, "No."

"What?" I glared at her, "You haven't spoken to her yet?!"

"I haven't spoke to that girl since graduation two years ago, Jacob!" She snapped, "So no, I haven't!"

"Oh, so we are just gonna go in there and start asking her fucked up questions like; what was it like being raped? And expect her to give us all the answers?" I snapped back.

"Okay, hold up," Noah held his hands up, "First of all, we are not asking her shit like that, okay?" He looked at me, "Secondly, I'm sure she'll understand when we explain the situation to her."

"Exactly!" Marissa said, "And if she doesn't want to talk we just gotta find another solution," She pushed open the doors to reveal a large room. A wide staircase led to the floor ahead but the whole room took up the bottom floor. They had a living room either side; couches were sat in a neat square around a flat screen that was placed on the wall. To the wall diagonally from us was a bar. The other way was a room that's doors were ajar, from here I saw the edge of a poker table. A few students wandered around or sat on the couches chatting or reading. No one looked up or over.

"Should we ask where the room is?" Noah asked as we looked around aimlessly.

"Um... I don't know, I guess," I said watching Marissa walk over to a board on the wall by the stairs. We followed her over and peered over her shoulder seeing a map of all three floors of the dorm.

Turning she started up the stairs, "Second floor, down the hallway on the left, second from last," She told us as we followed.

We followed her to the stop and headed in search for the hall. It was set out like a mansion, carpeted, pictures on the walls of previous students and lights lighting up the red wallpaper that was on the walls. There was a hall straight ahead and two on each side of us and we took a quick turn to the one to our left. It was a lot more quiet as we headed down this hall and the window opposite reflected our images as we headed toward it. It was so dark outside.