Chapter 2

That day, all the dorm students were asked to gather in the campus hall to listen to Ben Jhonson's distribution of the new rooms and the teachers who would guide them in the second season. There was a slight change in the learning system, so they needed to hear this information. Not to mention, New York University will also hold various social activities such as prom, charity activities, educational socialization and many more. Students who are also connected and live in dormitories should know all the rules as much as they can.

Students at New York University usually call Ben Mr. Ben Uncle Ben or anything that can make students and Ben equally comfortable.

After all, Ben was like a father to the students because of his warm and thoughtful nature. Ben himself was a chief secretary who was trusted by the leadership - the owner of the dormitory - to manage the dormitory. For almost twelve years, Ben has been working and building New York University with his dedication and loyalty. He deserves to be appreciated.

Ben has many assistants who help him discipline students in the dormitory and on campus. All the officers in the dormitory and campus, such as the cafeteria guard, janitor, and general staff, are under Ben's direction. Ben is the right-hand man of Noel Simmons, the owner of the dormitory and New York University.

Noel was too busy with his other businesses to need the services and loyalty of an employee like Ben.

After all, the fifty-five-year-old man hadn't entrusted Ben with this job for a year or two but for twelve years. Ben was not only loyal and obedient but also creative and disciplined. He had everything that Noel needed. It's no wonder that the boarding business is doing well as long as Ben is in charge.

That man was standing on the podium now. His tired-looking eyes swept across the room without letting go of the smile on his gray lips. "Good morning everyone," he began. "Starting today, you will be entering the second season of winter classes. You have a short time before the holidays and I hope you can complete your obligations as students despite the weather outside. Anyway, you can find information regarding classes, events and social activities on the dormitory notice board.

In this second season, I really hope your grades improve. Especially for the seniors, you will face a tough world after graduation. So, as your father in the dormitory and on campus, I ask you to take care of your health until then. Thank you for your concern and you can return to your own classes now."

The applause of the people who filled the hall was heard and echoed in the large room as Ben stepped down from the podium. Ben walked out of the hall as soon as he finished his speech. The students there did the same. One by one, they left and went back to their own classes as Ben had suggested.

However, a girl was seen still sitting in the back row of seats. This girl was busy checking her smartphone there. Her attention was completely focused on the thin smart object in her hand. And apparently, it caught the attention of another student named Andrew.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Andrew asked.

Andrew and Lily were classmates in this second season. They were quite close, so Lily's attitude made him a little worried now.

Lily looked up. "I can't find Alisa anywhere, Andrew."

The man's forehead suddenly wrinkled deeply. A look of confusion mixed with curiosity appeared on his innocent face. "Alisa? Is it possible that she's still sleeping in her room? Like she get up late or something? We haven't exchanged any messages this morning."

"I don't know, I haven't checked on her in the room." Lily shrugged her shoulders quickly and lowered the phone from her ear. Three times that girl had tried to contact Alisa, her best friend. But it ended up in vain. "Her phone is on but she keeps ignoring my calls."

Andrew then nodded in understanding. "Let's check her room then. Maybe she's not feeling well or woke up late."

The blonde girl stood up from her chair and nodded in agreement. This was the first time Alisa hadn't given her any news or replied to her text messages. In fact, Alisa is a friend who is always on standby. She was always there for Lily 24/7, and her strange behavior made Lily feel uncomfortable.

Her feeling was not good this time. And it was proven after the two of them arrived in front of Alisa's room. They didn't find Alisa in there, as they expected.

"Alisa's not in her room, Andrew. God, I have a bad feeling about this!"

Andrew let out a short sigh and looked around. "Let's check her into the girls' toilet." This time the man's voice sounded a little panicked, half worried, and more or less forceful.

"Alright."

Lily immediately ran behind Andrew, who was Alisa's currently boyfriend. The two of them went to the dormitory restroom.

But who would have thought that Andrew's decision to invite Lily to check out the dormitory toilets would end in tragedy. Lily entered the toilet and found a cubicle in the corner that was slightly open. Curious, Lily then opened it carefully.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

***

"So, you two found the corpse in there?"

The man who asked this question was Zach, Detective Zach Troll. A detective under the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Zach and his partner, Nathaniel, were two cops on guard duty at headquarters when an emergency call came in. Zach and Nathaniel immediately secured the scene by placing a police line in front of the women's restroom in order to keep out other students who were curious about their friend's death.

While waiting for other officers to arrive to bring Alisa's body, Zach took the initiative to secure their two main witnesses. Lily and Andrew were the first people who had found the girl's body. As Uncle Ben said, they were both taken to the secretary's office to minimize the shock they had just experienced.

"Are you two close enough to Alisa Harrison?" Zach tapped the tip of his pen against the top of his personal journal, preparing to record all the statements of the two people who seemed to have paled and lost their focus by now. "What was Alisa like during her time in the dormitory?"

Lily was the first one who look back at Zach. Her eyes were puffy, and her cheeks were still wet from the water that kept falling from her eyes. "Alisa is my best friend. She was my first friend here," she said nervously.

"Is she a good student?"

Lily nodded in agreement. "She's the perfect student I've ever met. She was beautiful, smart, cheerful and she had everything." The tears returned to the chubby-cheeked girl, and a stifled sob was clearly audible as she tried to continue. Lily lifted her face, gave Zach a sad glance and said, "Suicide is something that really doesn't describe her, Detective."

Zach mumbled and wrote the words in his journal. No matter how small the evidence, evidence is evidence. Lily's testimony meant a lot in a police investigation like this. Then, his serious face with stern lines moved to Andrew. The boy was no less sad than Lily. His face was downcast while the look in his eyes was only filled with emptiness. "And you... how did you get to know Miss Harrison? Were you also close friends?"

Andrew blinked twice before his head shot up, and his eyes met Zach's brown ones. "She's not my friend."

"Then, how do you know Ms. Harrison?"

Andrew let out a long breath and looked straight at Zach. "Alisa is my girlfriend."