Out of Focus |finished|

48- toothfoam and fake tears

Present Day

The following day after Simi had left Malachi's was a Friday and all her lectures were over since exams was near. She was lying on her bed, binge watching Modern Family in her night dress, when Lara, her roommate, barged into the room.

Simi, out of impulse, threw her sleeping cloth around herself and sat upright on her bed. When she realized it was Lara, she let go of the cloth and gave her roommate a mini smile.

"I didn't hear you leave for class today," Simi tried to initiate a conversation but Lara closed the door and dashed to Simi's bed.

"Haven't you heard?" She asked Simi, beads of sweat on her forehead.

Simi perked her chin up. "Heard what?"

It was almost 12pm and she had been so preoccupied in what she'd been watching that she hadn't even turned her mobile phone data on. She did remember hearing some noise in the hostel but figured it was just the boys being boys.

Lara pushed herself further on Simi's bed and began talking. "They're arresting lecturers everywhere on campus. Some muscular soldiers in black camo. Apparently all the lecturers are part of some drug ring on campus."

The last sentence hit Simi. She paused from looking for her phone and turned to Lara. "Wait what?"

"Yeah. I saw so many lecturers being dragged away Simi. You wouldn't believe it."

"Believe me I would," Simi muttered under her breath.

Kai turned the List in to the cops, she thought.

"How come you haven't heard about all that's going on? Everyone in the hostel is talking about it."

Simi shrugged although her heart was starting to beat faster. "I haven't gone out this morning. How do you all this though? Rumours?"

Lara shook her head. "It's all over the radio. I was listening to it on my way here," she explained and handed her phone with the earphones still attached to Simi. "Here listen."
Simi took Lara's phone and put the radio on loudspeaker.

"...this is said to be one of the largest scandals to hit the country. Every adult is talking about it, every politician trying to politicize it and every parent worried about their child in Evans Mills University. More than 300 people including lecturers, students and workers have been arrested by the covert ops of the National Security Agency just today. All of them are said to be part of a drug ring in the university that distributed a drug called Chill to students and has led to student deaths. The drug ring was under the company name, Forson and de Heer Holdings. Our sources say that a deceased student, Elder Benson, is said to be the one who through investigative photography uncovered all of this. Shortly after, he was murdered..."

Simi's eyes widened when Elder's name was mentioned. How they found out about him, she didn't know but the one thing that came into her mind was the Bensons. Particularly Mrs. Benson, if they put her all through this pain again, she wasn't sure the woman could handle it.

How did this blow up so fast? She thought.

She picked her phone up and jumped out of bed and walked to her balcony. Her heart was still beating and she kept swallowing gulps of air. Simi dialed Julia's number and listened anxiously as her caller tune played until she picked.

"Julia! Oh my God, how are you? Please don't listen to the radio or switch on the tv. I'm coming over to your place."

There was no reply on the other line. "Jules, are you there?"

"It's too late Si, I was watching a movie when the news came on," Julia paused to sniff and continued, "First they say my brother died of an overdose, then another student killed him and now this? I can't take it Si."

"Julia, there's something I have to tell you. But please don't let your parents know what's going on before I talk to you all."

"They left for their trip with Ezekiel at dawn. That's why I wanted you to come over tonight."

"Shoot!" Simi shouted and almost punched the wall but restrained herself. Her roommate, Lara was standing at the balcony door looking at her.

"Is everything okay?" Lara mouthed to Simi.

She nodded and gave Lara a thumbs and turned her back to her to continue her phone call.

"Can you come over now Si," Julia seemed to be in tears while talking. "I really don't want to be alone now."

"I'll be there asap. Please Jules, stay indoors and don't let anyone in."
Julia didn't respond and cut the line.

For the love of Christ, I thought they were going to be discreet. Not tell the whole world about it.

Simi entered her bathroom and picked her toothbrush and paste. As she brushed her teeth, a million thoughts ran through her mind.
How did everything blow up so fast when she and Malachi had agreed to mail the List just yesterday? Where would she start explaining everything to Julia?

Some of the toothpaste foam fell on her night dress and she wiped it with her hand. Simi rinsed her mouth and rushed into her room to change into something appropriate.
She said goodbye to her roommate, Lara, and ten minutes later, she was in a shuttle on her way to the Benson house.

Discussion Area.

Let's chat guys. What do you think will happen next?
And thank you for reading this far. Please accept my boatload of love and appreciation. *hugs*