CHAPTER- 7 (Part-2)
718 Words
Rumors Travel Faster Than Truth [PART-2]
The university bell rang once more.
Students poured into the central courtyard from every direction, filling the air with overlapping conversations.
Some hurried toward lectures.
Others wandered toward the café.
And some...
Simply searched for someone to gossip about.
Unfortunately for Ara Mitchell...
She happened to be today's favorite topic.
"That's her."
The whisper came from somewhere behind her.
"The girl who argued with Dr. Sterling."
"I heard she made him angry."
"My roommate said she got kicked out twice."
Ara sighed without turning around.
"By tomorrow," she muttered to Mia, "apparently I'll have burned down the science building too."
Mia laughed.
"Give them time."
Ryan suddenly appeared beside them carrying three sandwiches.
"I bring food."
Noah looked at the tray.
"Those are yours."
"I know."
"I brought them."
Logan shook his head.
"One day you'll eat vegetables."
Ryan looked offended.
"The lettuce on this burger counts."
"It really doesn't."
The group laughed as they walked across the courtyard together.
For a brief moment...
Life felt normal.
Meanwhile...
Inside the Science Building...
Dr. Nicholas Sterling stood before a large glass window overlooking the campus.
Students looked like tiny moving dots below.
His office door remained open.
Another knock.
"Come in."
This time, it was Professor Benjamin Hawthorne, Head of Biomedical Sciences.
A respected scientist.
Strict.
Thoughtful.
And one of the few people Nicholas genuinely respected.
Benjamin closed the door behind him.
"You've become popular."
Nicholas looked away from the window.
"I wasn't aware popularity was measurable."
Benjamin smiled.
"The students haven't stopped talking about your class."
"I hope they're discussing molecular biology."
Benjamin laughed.
"They're discussing your rules."
Nicholas wasn't surprised.
"Rules exist for a reason."
"They're also convinced you're impossible to impress."
"I am."
Benjamin leaned casually against the bookshelf.
"You know..."
"I've taught here for twenty-six years."
"And?"
"The students who challenge us the most..."
He folded his arms.
"...usually become our best researchers."
Nicholas thought for a moment.
"Sometimes."
Benjamin smiled knowingly.
"And sometimes they become professors."
Nicholas said nothing.
Outside...
The sky darkened.
Heavy clouds gathered once again.
Autumn storms rarely asked permission before arriving.
The first raindrop landed just as Ara and her friends reached the library steps.
Ryan looked upward.
"...Please don't."
Another drop.
Then another.
Within seconds...
Rain poured across the campus.
Students screamed and laughed while running for shelter.
Noah immediately sprinted toward the nearest building.
"I'm protecting my notes!"
Logan grabbed Mia's backpack before it slipped from her shoulder.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine!"
Ryan looked completely defeated.
"My sandwich..."
Ara burst into laughter.
"You're worried about your sandwich?"
"It was expensive!"
"You paid with your meal card."
"Exactly!"
The rain became heavier.
Students crowded beneath the stone archway outside the library.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Laughing.
Complaining.
Trying not to get soaked.
Ara stood near the edge, watching sheets of rain fall across the courtyard.
She loved rain.
Always had.
Without thinking...
She stepped away from the shelter.
Mia immediately noticed.
"Ara!"
"What?"
"Where are you going?"
She smiled over her shoulder.
"For a walk."
"In this weather?"
"Best weather."
Before anyone could stop her...
She ran into the rain.
The cold drops soaked her jacket within seconds.
She lifted her face toward the grey sky and laughed.
Students watched in disbelief.
"She's insane."
"No..."
Ryan smiled.
"She's just Ara."
From the second floor of the Science Building...
Nicholas happened to glance out of the window.
His eyes drifted across the crowded courtyard.
Students rushed for cover.
Umbrellas opened.
Books disappeared beneath jackets.
Then...
He noticed one student walking directly through the rain.
No umbrella.
No hurry.
Simply laughing as though the storm belonged to her.
Ara Mitchell.
She crossed the courtyard completely unconcerned.
Nicholas watched for only a brief moment.
Then quietly returned to the research papers on his desk.
Yet...
For reasons, he couldn't explain...
He found himself remembering Benjamin's words.
"The students who challenge us the most..."
By the time the rain stopped...
The campus glowed beneath the afternoon sunlight.
Puddles reflected the old stone buildings.
The air smelled fresh.
And somewhere...
Hidden within the Biomedical Research Center...
A locked laboratory door stood slightly open.
Inside...
One research file was missing.
No alarms had sounded.
No windows had been broken.
Whoever had entered...
Knew exactly what they were looking for.
- Writer
