Dangerous Love (girl x girl)

Chapter 2

Arielle

The next morning I awoke to a call from Celine. I answered the call with my eyes still closed. "Yes?" I mumbled half asleep.

"Ari, did Chase tell you that his cousins, Kylie and Lukas, would be at your school this semester? He also wants you to help them get sorted and plan before they get started."

"What the-"

"The person they're investigating is on your campus, so I guess Chase thought it would be a convenient coverup if they pretended like they were also attending there. Chase wants you to meet up with them before your classes today and go over procedures with them."

I gritted my teeth. There were multiple things that I really didn't like about this situation. First of all, it was no secret that I preferred to keep my business with the organization private. I hated bringing it anywhere near my personal or school life. The last thing I wanted was to discuss these things on campus. Second of all, Chase had recently recruited his two cousins - fresh out of high school and wanting to investigate cold cases to get experience to pursue journalism focusing on true crime. Not only did Kylie and I not get along, but I certainly hadn't signed up to babysit them while at school.

"School is school, work is work. Why the hell would he think this was a good idea?" I muttered in frustration. If I wasn't awake before, I certainly was now.

Right before I fell asleep last night, Chase had messaged to say that we had gathered adequate evidence to confirm that two suspected gang members had been using the old car junkyard as a meeting spot. This meant that my workload had lightened significantly and I could dedicate more time to continue investigating Clara's case. I was excited about this. Clara's case was ongoing and I usually had to juggle it with other tasks. However, now I would have to deal with Kylie in addition to everything else.

"Trust me, Ari, I don't want this either." Celine sighed. "I tried suggesting having Kayla or Ben to brief them ahead of time, since Kayla also attends the school, but I think boss also wants you to personally keep an eye on Kylie while she does her thing." Kayla and Ben were two investigators on the team who focused on cold cases, but were also aware of our investigations into the gang.

"Wait, what?"

"You know how Kylie is..." she paused. "I'm pretty sure that boss just wants you to supervise her after the last incident. Avery said that she'd explain to you later. Boss also said you know campus etiquette so you can teach Kylie and Lukas how to not stand out too much."

I groaned loudly. "Great. So I'm actually babysitting. Knowing those two, I can forget about doing any actual learning." In my opinion, Chase definitely did not think this through. One of Kylie's more annoying traits was that she often didn't know how to keep her mouth shut. Hence, she wasn't in on any details concerning the gang.

"I'll be there too." Celine reassured. "It's a good thing there are so many people on campus. It'll be easier for them to blend in."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, and we have to meet them at Stafford Hall."

"Alright." I hung up and fumed over the situation. The biggest reason that I was so insistent on continuing with my schooling was to maintain some degree of normalcy in my life. I loved to learn and I wanted to be able to focus fully on it while at school.

Kylie was difficult to deal with at the office, but she would truly be testing my patience today. This was going to be a long day. I quickly packed my book bag and changed my clothes. Then, I brushed my hair out and washed my face. After I had finished, I grabbed my bag and a jacket, and headed downstairs.