Undesirable.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I wake up the next morning groggy, and with the sour taste of vomit still lingering in my mouth. I feel sick to my stomach, but I know I need to drag myself out of bed for the profiling session Ryan and I have already scheduled. I've debated cancelling at least three times already, but I decide against it. I'm in desperate need of something to get my mind off of my most recent discovery, and being alone won't help that. I have no idea how the necklace ended up in our apartment, and I'm a little scared to find out.

I quickly and quietly get dressed, even though I know Grant is a night owl and still fast asleep, but I choose not to take any risks in the off chance he's awake. It's not quite the time to meet up just yet, but I need to take a minute to collect my thoughts away from this apartment. I creep down our hallway, and almost make it to our front door without a peep, until I stumble over Grant's boots, and face plant into the door. Not so quiet I guess. I freeze, waiting to hear the creek of his door, but am left with silence. I hastily make my escape, and scurry down the apartment hallways. My paranoia kicks in, as I make my way to the center of campus. So far I've counted myself looking behind me approximately four times, and catch myself as I look for the fifth. I find an empty bench in the commons and plop down, gently panting, before the sun is blocked by all too familiar figure standing in front of me.

"Hi there. How are you this fine morning?" Isaac chips at me with his squeaky voice, and my ears tremble at the pitch.

"Oh, it's you." There's disappointment in my voice, and for obvious reasons.

"Where ya headed? Brunch? Care if I join?" He raises an eyebrow and holds out his hand as I stare back at him blankly.

"No and no." I throw him my signature side eye, which quickly removes his hand from my face.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." He rolls his eyes.

That's the most snarky thing I've ever heard him say. I must be rubbing off at him. "Heeelloooo? My eyes are up here, bud." I snap at him, as I catch his eyes wandering down to my chest.

His cheeks light up, and he's quick to defend his actions. "No, no, I-I was just admiring your new necklace. It looks good on you. Almost like it was meant to be..." He trails off, embarrassed.

I quickly grab for it, hiding the cross in a closed fist. I forgot to take it off! My stomach drops, and I try to calm my voice as I choose how to respond. "Uh, yeah. Just got it. Thanks." I jump up from the bench and make my way to the Health and Science building without a second thought. I have no intentions of sticking around to finish that conversation. I wonder how he knew it was new?

He yells to me as I bee line out of there. "Yeah, another time then!"

Yeah, never gonna happen, Isaac.

I run up the steps of the building, fidgeting with the necklace's clasp in an attempt to take it off, but it won't budge. I then try to hide it in my shirt, but the v-neck I made the error of wearing today makes it a little difficult to stay put. As I find Professor Mason's room I make one last attempt to tuck it to the side of my shirt, and I sigh in relief as it sticks. Thank you for the humidity.

I'm still a bit early but, I'd much rather wait here, than out there with the freak. I grab for the door handle, and as I open it the smell of pine needles and musk tickles my nose.

"Oh, hey. You're early?" Ryan tilts his head in my direction as I enter the room.

He looks at me with a sparkle in his eyes, that makes all my worries melt away. Snap out of it Melody, I think to myself. "Yeah, I was getting antsy at home." I try to act casual.

He laughs at me, but I didn't say anything funny. "Let's get right to it then." He pulls out a chair for me, and looks back up at his bulletin board.

I smile to myself, as I take a seat and follow his gaze.

The butterflies that were once residing in my stomach are immediately poisoned by the photos printed up in HD on the board in front of me.

"This is what I've got so far. I know it's a lot to take in, so just bear with me. I'm not sure what you've gathered on this so far, but I've come up with this." He picks up a sheet of paper, and reads it aloud. "The serial killer that social media has labeled as The Facelift Killer has demonstrated a consistent pattern in how he brutalized his victims. From victims one to four, the killer has developed a signature, removing each of their faces and leaving only the eyes. Such detailed and precise techniques suggests that this is someone who is experienced in the ways of anatomy, and someone who has most likely victimized more than whom police have discovered." Ryan is on a roll, and I don't interrupt. "We are working with a trained killer here, most likely a single white male, who has experienced major issues with a female family member at a young age, thus being one of the reasons for the brutality for only women. Some would say the killer is someone disconnected from his emotions, but I'd say otherwise."

He continues on for the next 10 to 15 minutes, and all I can do is listen wide mouthed and scared shitless. I feel paralyzed, and as Ryan looks at me, waiting for my response I gasp, realizing I haven't taken a breath the whole time he was talking.

"Yeah, I've gotten a lot of those same points you've listed." It's a lie, but I'm trying to cover up the anxiety I'm feeling at the moment.

He takes a seat in front of me, and leans in, poking around for more than the mediocre response I just gave him.

I hunch over, trying to make myself smaller, and hopefully disappear altogether, even though I know it's just a wish. As my body is curled forward, I feel the cross slip from its hiding spot and dangle openly around my neck. I'm quick to take hold of it, but not before Ryan catches a glimpse. I really wish I would've just ripped this thing off.

He squints at the pendant hanging from my necklace and is quick to comment. "Nice necklace. Where'd you get it?" He nods his head towards the piece of jewelry with a scrunched up brow and suspicion in his voice.

Still hidden from view behind my hand, I'm careful in how I answer. "It was a gift from my roommate."

"You religious?"

I don't have to answer that, but would an empty response make me look worse? I think for a second, before answering him. "Spiritual." I keep it broad.

"It looks one of a kind. Is it? Not like one of those cast from a mold, like most of the crap out there nowadays."

What does he mean by that? "I-I'm actually not sure. Like I said, it was a gift."

He says nothing else, and only looks down at his computer as he rubs his temples with the tips of his fingers. He's deep in thought, until I can see a light bulb go off and his head turns slowly at his neatly done board to the left. I watch the folds form at the base of his neck as he surveys the pictures in numerical order, until he stops at victim number four. He stares at the photo with scrutiny, before he goes back to his screen and I hear the click of his pen as he scratches something down on the neon orange sticky notes beside him. He's quiet, contrary to his usual temperament, and I notice him shift uneasily in his seat as his eyes peer up from his computer and directly at my chain. I freeze in my seat, afraid to catch sight of what he just saw. The little bit of nails I have left dig into my palms as I force myself to look at the board. I turn my head with anguish and my eyes lock with those of Bailey Cooper, and I see my necklace hanging around her own neck.

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What do you think is on Ryan's mind? What's he gonna say? What's SHE gonna say?!

COMMENT and VOTE if you liked it!

Till' Next Time,
Lexi