Wednesday Evening — After Classes
Private Group Chat → Then In-Person Meeting
(VARIOUS POVs)
GROUP CHAT:
The first ping hit the EX8 group at 6:12 PM.
KATE:
emergency.
my place.
tonight.
no excuses.
Seconds later—
VINCE:
why r u shouting
JEFF:
need food?
i can bring chicken
KATE:
NOT A POTLUCK
JUST COME
Then:
JASMINE:
…this is about the campusfiles thing isn't it
Kate didn't answer with words.
Just sent a screenshot of the now-deleted thread.
The silence in the chat was deafening.
Then:
ANTHONY:
be there in 30
VINCE:
same
wtf is this
JEFF:
who the hell wrote half of that garbage
And then—
The final message:
LARA:
I'll come.
The chat froze for three entire minutes.
Then Kate replied, icy and clipped:
KATE:
good.
Anthony pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled.
Tonight was going to be hell.
--
KATE'S APARTMENT — THIRD FLOOR, UNIT 3B
Kate's place was the kind of tidy that only came from perfectionism and stress-cleaning.
Candles lit.
