Chapter 4 DINNER AND INTERROGATIONS

• Taking off her shoes and dropping her keys on the table next to the mirror, Robin flopped unto her soft bed. It had been a long day and her mind was filled with various thoughts.
• She had just got back to her room after visiting Jack and before she left she had asked for the papers concerning the hospital bills but had been told it had been covered by an anonymous person, so she just concluded it was Joe who paid it.
• She turned on her mobile data and scrolled through the school's gossip forum, where details about everything going on around campus was posted by students. She frowned as she sighted a picture of her pointing at Drew together with his friends earlier that morning.
• She quickly read the post which said: "Campus God, Andrew Grey Takes Advantage Of Helpless Student And Gets Embarrassed In Public."
• After reading the remaining details, which was nothing but made up stories, she wondered who could have posted such a lie. Indeed she wanted revenge from him but she definitely did not want this kind of false accusations thrown at him.
• Knowing how fast news spread on campus, she made a mental note to search for him first and discuss how to stop the rumours.
• Though Andrew had been nothing but extremely annoying to her, she would just have to cooperate with him to get the post down, she certainly didn't need everyone on campus looking at her as a weak girl who was molested, definitely no way.
• Having made that decision she took a shower, using her favorite jasmine scented bath soap and got dressed in black sweatpants and a faded blue long sleeved shirt with some flip-flops. Her roommate, Stacey Anne Waters, whom she was yet to meet had been studying from home since she left for about a month now, after losing her father to pancreatic cancer. Though she hadn't met Stacey, she still felt sorry for her, they had chatted online and she was to return that weekend.
• They were both scholarship students and stayed in a self contained flat in the Butterfly Lodge for students on scholarship. Feeling too lazy to cook anything, Robin unlocked the door and stepped out for a night snack. She had been in school for a month and wasn't very familiar with places around her.
• Deciding on having pizza and a soft drink for dinner, she stepped into Harvey Snacks, a diner close to her lodge. She took a seat and spied the items on the menu, while waiting for her food to arrive after making her order, she perceived the smell of a strong men's cologne which she was sure she had perceived somewhere before and then the face of someone, she definitely didn't want to see yet, came into view.
• It was Andrew and his three friends, they seemed to be discussing something important and hadn't sighted her yet.
• Having noted that, she covered her face to avoid eye contact with them, but of course destiny had other plans when Joe suddenly turned around and waved at her.
• "Hi, Robin, I wasn't expecting you here. Do you mind if we sat with you?"
• There would have been no problem sitting with them at the same table, as the boot was spacious enough for about six persons, so there was no way she could possibly say no without sounding rude, so she opted for a "No, of course not Joe."
• Andrew seemed quite pleased to sit there and took the seat nearest to hers, which came as a surprise to her and others. "Fancy meeting you here, Robin, don't you think? He said while stretching his hand to take hers."
• There was something about the way he said her name, that she didn't like, but she discarded that thought and shook hands with him.
• "Well it shouldn't be a surprise seeing me here, except you think I'm here for other reasons than to have dinner, right?"
• "Fair enough," he answered while staring at her, taking in her ocean coloured eyes and long ginger red hair raised in a high ponytail. He found her looking angelic but wasn't at all fooled by that look of innocence, he was sure she was the one behind the post aimed at ruining his reputation and he found himself liking the challenge which she had just thrown out to him.
• "Hello, I'm Evans. Sorry for how we met last time, I hope we can be friends." Evans said while shaking hands with her.
• "Hi, I'm Robin, nice to meet you," she replied. Miller who had said nothing yet said "Okay, guys let's order I'm so famished, pretty one have you made your order?" He asked directing the question to Robin.
• "Uhm, I'm Robin, and yes I've made my order, what's your name?" She noticed his resemblance with Joe and concluded they must be either brothers or fraternal twins as they had only little in common.
• "I know your name, but pretty one is what I'll call you okay, I'm Miller, has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" He asked with a flirtatious grin.
• "Don't answer him, he is a sucker for pretty ladies," Joe said with a laugh.
• Immediately their food was placed on the table, Miller dived into his pasta with so much gusto while Andrew had barely taken a spoon out of his salad.
• Robin was about to take a second bite out of her pizza, when Andrew asked abruptly, "So Robin, how much will it take to get your stupid post down from the school's forum. Don't be shy, no matter the amount you call, I'm ready to pay, so please take your time in naming your price."
• The question rang in her ears and she choked on the food in her mouth, Joe handed her some water and patted her back as she coughed.
• "What did you just say?" She asked, not being able to believe what she had just said.
• "Listen Robin, I don't like repeating myself, so please answer my question."
• "You think I was the one who posted that fake article?"
• At this moment the other guys, stopped eating and stared at the scene which just unfolded.
• "Of course it was you, you must have paid some photographer to take pictures before you came to our table at Penny's Cafe. I'm sure you must have orchestrated everything including the accident also."
• "Drew, take it easy, relax and let's hear what she has to say first," came Joe.
• "How can I relax when she's ruined my reputation in this school, she promised to destroy me, remember? Now everyone thinks I'm a rapist, that's just something I can't deal with, I lost my girlfriend also and my dad is mad at me. Do you know what it cost me to be in this school for two years with no bad record on the news? Of cause you don't, you're no one special after all, I will definitely sue you for false news and defamation of character!" Andrew raised his voice.
• "Drew, take it easy that's too harsh. It might not be her after all," Miller warned.
• "I'm not like that, I know I'm not rich or sophisticated, but I'm definitely not the sort of person to do that. Yes, I threatened you earlier, but that was out of anger, I just got admitted here a month ago and I don't even know anyone, so how could I have done something as serious as this? I'm sure you don't believe me but I really didn't do it, as much as I despise Andrew for hitting Jack, I really didn't post those malicious comments, you have to believe me."
• "I believe her," Joe said.
• "Me too, I don't think she could have done that, I had Harry follow her after she left the cafe. She went to the hospital and later returned to her room and by then, the post had come up already," Evans added.
• "You had me followed? You have no permission to invade my privacy like that," Robin demanded, she was now certain of one thing, the guys took decisions into their own hands like they owned everyone and all things. She just wished there was a way she hadn't met them and that she could go back to her previous life.
• "I just had to be sure of what sort of person you were, I'm sorry," answered Evans.
• "Yes, I believe her too, and I also visited her brother Jack at the hospital this afternoon," added Joe.
• "Are you guys serious, don't you know she could have paid someone to do it?" Came Drew.
• "Okay, I don't wanna know who did it or not, now we just have to figure out a way to get that post down or..." Miller said and snapped his fingers like he just got the perfect plan.
• "Tomorrow's gonna be the launch of Love Run right?" He asked.
• "Yes and what does that have to do with anything?" Drew asked with a clueless expression.
• "What is Love Run?" Robin asked, though she figured it might be a game, regarding the name.
• "It's The Braves, the school's game club's latest arcade game. Drew's our President and he developed this game recently, we'll be having a party to launch it tomorrow," Joe supplied.
• "Wow, you guys are gamers? I've always wanted to create apps and games. Can I join the club? My brother has taught me quite a lot about it and I'm studying Graphic Designing as my major."
• "Great, you can join, then. All you need to do is send your application details to the Professor in charge and then our President Drew will decide if you're good enough," Evans said, he had a very serious aura and seemed like the most sensible one out of the four.
• "She cannot join The Braves, not before clearing my name, so Miller what's your mega plan?" Andrew air quoted.
• "Okay, from the writing style, the words used show that this person is a female. Robin, do you have a nice party outfit, because you're invited to the launch party and you will play a great role in unmasking this person? All we need to do is this," Miller said as he shared his idea with the others.