Frenzy Read online

  “These used to be dark rooms,” she said. “Way back when everyone developed stuff on film, the school had all ten of them in use for photo majors. But now, we use them for storage. There’s only one dark room that anyone ever uses, and they don’t use it very much.”

  “Really?”

  “It’s all digital.” She set down the cameras she’d been holding on a shelf.

  “So, those cameras are digital?”

  “Yup,” she said. Jill was a photography major. She’d been showing me around the art building. I never came over to this side of campus generally. Well, unless I was in the parking lot meeting ecstasy cooks, that is. “People check them out. Most photo majors have their own cameras, but the department has a bunch of really cool ones, and if you need one for a project, then you can sign it out and use it for a few days. But when you’re done with it, I’m the one who has to put them all back.”

  “Huh,” I said.

  “Come on, Cori, have you ever even used a film camera?”

  “What did you just call me?”

  “Shit.” Her face crumpled. “I don’t know why I said that.”

  “Hey, it’s okay.” I put my arm around her and led her out of the room.

  She buried her face on my shoulder for several seconds.

  I patted her back.

  She pulled away. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. You’re grieving over your friend.”

  She closed the door. “It’s so surreal, you know? I can’t believe she’s actually gone.”

  “Yeah, it must be tough.”

  She started up the hall. “Were you ever close to anyone who died? Someone our age?”

  “Um… yeah. My friend Heidi passed away last year.”

  She turned to me. “Oh my god, really? I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  “Yeah, I don’t really like to talk about it.” I decided to change the subject right away. “So, Cori was murdered, right?”

  “I guess so.” She turned back around and continued up the hall.

  “Well, who do you think did it?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Did you know anyone who had a grudge against Cori?”

  “Anyone? Try like everyone who ever met her.”

  “That bad?”

  “She slept around like crazy. And she sold drugs. And she was really social, so she knew everyone. Pretty much everybody on campus had some reason to be pissed at her.”

  Ooh. That wasn’t going to help me narrow down suspects. “Yeah, but it seems like people were pretty willing to forgive her.”

  “That’s true,” said Jill. “I don’t know why, but Cori was really hard to stay mad at.”

  “Is there anyone who did stay mad at her? Anyone in particular?”

  Jill considered. “I don’t know. I know that Kelly Willow was pretty annoyed when Cori got the lead role in the play. Cori was a freshman, and Kelly was a senior, and she was stuck being the understudy.”

  “I didn’t know Cori was in a play.”

  “Oh yeah. She wanted to do a double major in theater and creative writing.”

  “Whoa,” I said. “That’s ambitious.”

  “Right and also the best way to pay lots of money for a college education and then end up working at McDonald’s afterward.”

  I laughed. “True.”

  “And, um, maybe Raven Garwood. She was kind of annoyed because Cori got into the honors creative writing class, and Raven got wait-listed. The professor of the class was a visiting professor, and it was two parts. There was the first semester component, and the second semester component.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “So, with Cori out of the way, Raven got into the class.”

  “I guess so.” Jill cocked her head. “Why are you asking me this stuff?”

  “I don’t know.” It seemed stupid to try to explain that I was conducting a murder investigation. “Just curious, I guess. Can you think of anybody else?”

  Jill shook her head. “I mean, Wyatt was mad at her.”

  “Wyatt?”

  “Yeah, he thought that after I broke up with him, and Parker broke up with Cori, he and Cori would sail off into the sunset together or something. Like we’d just switch partners. But Cori didn’t really think of him as anything serious. You’ve met him, you can see that he’s kind of a fuck-up.”

  Wyatt? Could Wyatt have killed Cori?

  No way. He was too sweet. A guy that talked about how we were all made of stardust couldn’t kill someone. There wasn’t a violent bone in his body.

  “Parker and I were mad at her too,” said Jill. “Lots of people were.”

  “Right,” I said. This was going to be complicated.

  Jill shivered. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but can we stop talking about this? I don’t feel like I’m going to be able to focus for the rest of my work study shift if I’m thinking about Cori.”

  “Sure,” I said. “Not a problem.”

  “Cool.” She started to walk up the hallway again. “Hey, um, it’s Friday night. There’s another party. This time at another house in town. Parker says he’s not up for it, but I think I need something to distract me from, you know, everything. You want to go?”

  It might be a good way to talk to people who knew Cori. “Sure, why not?”

  She smiled. “Great. After dinner, if you want, we can do each other’s hair.”

  I laughed. “Sounds fun.”

  She linked arms with me. “Thanks for hanging out with me, Molly.”

  I smiled back. “Anytime.”

  * * *

  “So, what do you think?” said Jill. “Should we buy pills?”

  I looked around the living room we were in. It was furnished with two old plaid couches. There was a guy in the corner spinning vinyl. He had spiky green hair, and he was nodding along with the music. The room was packed with college kids talking to each other. A few were dancing in front of the D.J. The lights were dim, and all I could think was that there were way too many people here.

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  “I want to,” Jill said.

  “Do you think it’s really a good idea considering everything you’ve been through this week?”

  “That’s exactly why I need it. I feel so awful, and I just want to feel good for a little while.”

  I chewed on my lip. Well, ecstasy did make you feel good. “I guess I’m kind of a little freaked out, because I feel like I didn’t even act like myself last time. I was out of control.”

  “That’s because we lost each other, and Wyatt found you,” she said.

  Wyatt. Man, was it really pathetic that I’d kind of been hoping he would be here tonight?

  Jill was still talking. “We’ll stick close to each other. Everything will be cool.”

  I’d wanted to ask people about Cori tonight, start putting together a list of suspects. Of course, it was easier to approach people if I was rolling. “Maybe it might be cool.”

  “Yes.” She gave me a big hug. “I think that guy has them for fifteen tonight.” She pointed at a guy standing next to the D.J. He had a shaved head. He was standing with his burly arms crossed over his chest.

  “Do you know that guy?”

  “Not really. But if you want, give me the money, and I’ll go get it.”

  “You sure it’s legit? That guy looks…” Like a drug dealer. A sketchy drug dealer.

  “Yes, I’m sure. It’s fine.” She held out her hand.

  I got out my wallet.

  * * *

  Two hours later, I was floating in elemental bliss. Jill and I had been dancing like crazy, but we were both tired. She pulled me out of the living room, back the hall of the house. The doors were open, and I could see people hanging out in bedrooms.

  Jill tugged me inside one of the rooms. There were a few people sitting on the floor.

  One looked up. “Whoa, what do you think you’re doing?”

  I started to back out, but Jill
just laughed. “Don’t worry, Evan, we don’t want any part of your cocaine.”

  “Don’t say that so loud.” Evan shut the door behind us. “If people know I’ve got it, everybody’s going to be coming out of the woodwork trying to get some.”

  Jill rolled her eyes. She collapsed on the bed, which was covered in a patchwork quilt that seemed to have been made entirely out of old rock band t-shirts.

  I sat down next to her.

  Evan glared at me. “Don’t even ask if you can have some blow.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t want any.” I looked at Jill. “I don’t, do I? Coke is bad, right?”

  She giggled. “Lay down.”

  I flopped back, so that our heads were next to each other.

  On the other side of the room, the cokeheads chattered at each other rapidly. But Jill and I were in our own little world.

  She spoke to me softly. “You’re the best, Molly.”

  “No,” I said. “You’re the best.”

  “Seriously, you’re really awesome.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “You are too. I was so worried when I moved in, but I feel like we’ve gotten so close.”

  “I know,” she said. “It’s only been a week, but it’s like we’ve known each other forever.”

  I stretched on the bed—languidly, like a cat. Stretching out my muscles felt so good. “I love you.”

  “I love you.” She stretched too.

  I rolled over onto my stomach. “I love this bed. Where has this bed been my entire life? It’s what I’ve been missing.”

  Jill laughed. “I know, right?”

  “I was lost and alone and frightened, and all I needed was this bed.”

  “And this quilt.” She sat up. “What am I lying on, anyway? Oh my god, I’m lying on KISS.” She pointed at the square. It was a piece of a KISS t-shirt. “What are you lying on?”

  I shifted. “Um… The Rolling Stones.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Way awesome,” I said. “I love The Rolling Stones.”

  “What else is on here?” She twisted.

  “Oh!” I squealed. “Look. David Bowie. I love David Bowie.”

  She nodded in agreement. “Totally, David Bowie is the best. And look, here’s Billy Idol.”

  “Ooh… Billy Idol. I love him the most of all. Because he’s all blond and badass.”

  “Definitely. He’s like really hot.”

  “Well, he’s kind of old now. I saw him in The Wedding Singer, and that movie is even old.”

  “He used to be hot, anyway.”

  “He was gorgeous. He would curl his lip in that way. You know that way?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. That lip curl thing was so good.”

  I groaned, rolling over on the bed again. “I love everything so much. I love the ceiling. And I love the cokeheads.”

  “Hey!” said Evan from the floor.

  “And I love your clothes,” I continued. “And I love the color of your hair. And I love that alarm clock over there. I seriously want to have that alarm clock’s babies.”

  Jill snickered. “I do too.”

  “You mean we have to share it?”

  “Would you share a baby daddy with me?” She gave me a mock-earnest look.

  “Of course I would.” I sat up and flung my arms around Jill. “I would share anything with you because I love you so much.”

  She brushed hair away from my forehead. “I love you too.”

  We stared into each other’s eyes.

  Then she looked away. “Ecstasy is so weird.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Were you thinking about kissing me?”

  “Kind of,” I said.

  “Me too.”

  “Well, should we?”

  She wrinkled up her nose. “We could. Or we could go dance more.”

  That sounded like a great idea. “Dancing! Definitely dancing.”

  She got up off the bed. “Off we go then.”

  I petted the quilt as I got up. “Goodbye, awesome bed.”

  Jill waved to Evan and his group. “Goodbye, cokeheads.”

  “Hey,” said Evan. “I mean it. Not so loud.”

  We burst back into the hallway.

  And ran directly into Levi.

  He looked us up and down. “Hey there.”

  I threw my arms around him. “Levi! It’s so good to see you. How are you?”

  He peeled me off of him. “You’re rolling, aren’t you?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Jill beamed at him. “Hi, Levi. Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?”

  He sighed and looked at his shoes.

  “I mean it,” said Jill. “I’m not just saying that because of the E. Because you really could be a model if you like took more showers and stuff?” She nudged me. “Don’t you think so, Molly?”

  Oh, he was really freaking pretty. That was true. “Definitely.” I reached out and stroked his face. “I mean, you’re really so, so nice to look at.”

  He moved my hand. “I’m glad you’re having a good time, but I thought we were going to play detective tonight.”

  Oh, right! I’d completely forgotten about that. “We can do that. We’ll go talk to people and ask them questions and stuff. It’ll be fun. Jill, you can help.”

  “Help what?”

  I squeezed my eyes shut. “It’s hard to explain. Don’t worry about it yet. I’ll tell you as we’re, like, doing it.” I held up a finger. “First, though, I was thinking that we should ask Levi if we could kiss him.”

  Levi’s eyes widened. He held up his hands to ward us off. “Hey. I’m not fucked up like you guys are. I’m working.”

  “Oh, come on,” I said. “Jill and I were practically making out, and then we decided to dance, but then you showed up, and we both think you’re pretty. And you think we’re pretty, right?”

  Levi rubbed a hand over his face.

  “Jill is seriously beautiful,” I said, looking at her.

  “And Molly is so pretty,” said Jill, staring deep into my eyes.

  I turned back to Levi. “And we just discussed sharing. So… come on. What do you have to lose?”

  He shooed at us. “I’m not kissing you. Go away.”

  “What?” I let out a disappointed whine. “Why not?”

  “Just go away,” he said. He gave me a little shove and then he pushed past us.

  “Wait!” I called. “Levi!”

  He went into one of the bedrooms.

  I turned to Jill. “He sucks.”

  She nodded. “Definitely.”

  * * *

  “I got cigarettes!” Jill held them up, giddy with excitement.

  “Yes!” I reached for one.

  She pulled them back. “Let’s go outside and smoke them. The cold air is going to feel amazing right now.”

  I grinned. “Ooh, yeah. I bet it will.”

  We made our way into the kitchen of the house and out the sliding glass door onto the patio. Other people were standing outside, smoking cigarettes, huddled up against the cold.

  Two of them stubbed out the glowing embers of their cigarettes and went around us to go back inside.

  Jill handed me a cigarette.

  I put it in my mouth.

  Then we both burst out giggling.

  “Shit, we don’t have fire,” said Jill. “I’m an idiot.”

  One of the other smokers held out a lighter. “Here, I got you.”

  “Thanks.” I took the lighter from him. When our hands brushed, I recognized him. It was Wyatt.

  He seemed to recognize me at the same moment. “Oh, uh, hey.”

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Jill,” said Wyatt, looking at her.

  “Hi Wyatt,” she said.

  I fumbled with the lighter, trying to light the cigarette. I managed it, and then sucked down the smoke. It felt intense, just like last time, but I couldn’t quite concentrate on it. Now that I was close to Wyatt again, I wished I was touching him.


  He was bundled up in his winter clothes, but he still looked good to me. I focused on his lips, remembering the way that he’d run them over my skin.

  I handed the lighter to Jill.

  “So,” said Jill, “I hear you and Molly had a thing.”

  “She told you that?” Wyatt raised his eyebrows at me.

  “I said that I talked to her,” I said. “When I gave you my phone number, remember?”

  He nodded. “Right.”

  “She said good things about you,” said Jill, smiling. “God knows why.”

  Wyatt smirked. “That’s adorable. Molly’s adorable, isn’t she?”

  Adorable? What did that mean?

  He patted me on the head. “See you girls around.”

  And then he was gone.

  I swallowed hard.

  That hadn’t felt good.

  I looked down at the cigarette I was smoking. It didn’t taste very good either. I dropped it on the ground and stepped on it.

  “You okay?” said Jill.

  “I need to go back inside,” I said.

  “All right,” she said. “I’m smoking my cigarette.”

  “Fine,” I said. “I’ll see you back in there.”

  I went back into the house.

  Wyatt was in the kitchen, heading into the living room.

  I caught up to him. I put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait.”

  He turned to look at me. “Look, Molly, I guess when we met, I was a little bit fucked up on E, you know? I’m sorry if I gave you like an impression or—”

  “No,” I interrupted. Badness bloomed in my chest. It was almost crippling how awful it felt. My heart was beating really fast. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “It isn’t?”

  “Uh uh.” I was feeling kind of sweaty, almost nauseous. I took a step back, blinking hard.

  “You all right?”

  “I’m fine.” I forced myself to recover. “I wanted to ask you about Cori.”

  He looked surprised. “What about her?”

  “Well, when was the last time you saw her?”

  “Uh… I guess at the party during finals week in December,” he said. “Why?”

  “Did you see her over break?”

  “No. How could I? She was dead, right?” He grimaced.

  “Where were you over break?”

  “I was here in town,” he said. “Except for when I went to see my parents for Christmas.”