Trixie gazed at the imposing university building before her, her new academic home as a third-year college student who had relocated due to her parents' work. Upon entering the university, she was warmly welcomed by a tall, smiling figure.
"You must be Trixie, the new transfer student," the guy introduced himself. "I'm Harry, the student council president."
The two exchanged handshakes.
Throughout the day, Harry took it upon himself to assist Trixie. He provided a guided tour, directed her to her classes, helped her settle into her dorm, and even treated her to lunch. Trixie's seamless first day was all thanks to his thoughtful gestures.
As evening fell and Trixie unpacked in her dorm room, her thoughts lingered on Harry.
"Hey, Eunice?" Trixie called out to her roommate, whom she had briefly met earlier.
"Yeah?" Eunice responded from her bed.
"Is Harry always this kind?" Trixie inquired.
The question prompted Eunice to sit up, meeting Trixie's gaze. "Actually, yes. I admire him for his enduring kindness, even in the face of life's cruelty."
"What do you mean?"
"He lost his parents in a tragic car accident during high school, and his first love, his first girlfriend, tragically ended her life by jumping from the main building during our freshman year."
The revelation left Trixie speechless, unaware of the hardships Harry had endured. Since then, she made it her mission to reciprocate his kindness with equal care.
Their next interaction occurred swiftly as they found themselves partnered in a laboratory session. Trixie began to perceive that Harry's kindness was not just a facade but a testament to his resilience in the face of personal tragedies.
During lunchtime, Trixie insisted on treating Harry, echoing his prior gesture. Although hesitant at first, Harry relented, allowing Trixie to reciprocate. Later, he volunteered to escort Trixie back to her dorm, considering it a token of gratitude for her earlier kindness. This cycle of mutual generosity continued for a while.
One day, Trixie discovered Harry in the garden, tears staining his cheeks. Rushing to his side, she offered comfort.
"I'm sorry you have to see me like this," Harry apologized once his emotions had settled.
"You don't need to apologize for your feelings, Harry."
"It's just... Some days feel bearable, but others, the pain is as fresh as when I lost them."
Trixie embraced him, allowing him a moment of vulnerability. Following this encounter, Harry distanced himself. Trixie refrained from probing, assuming he felt embarrassed by his emotional display.
Weeks later, as the prom announcement stirred excitement among students, Harry surprised Trixie by inviting her as his date.
"Well?" Harry inquired, presenting a bouquet, eagerly awaiting her response.
Despite her initial confusion, the surrounding crowd nudged Trixie to accept, prompting her to say, "Yes." Harry beamed with joy, sealing the moment with a kiss on her forehead. Yet, uncertainty lingered in Trixie's mind.
Seeking clarity, Trixie later confronted Harry about his avoidance. It emerged that witnessing his vulnerable side had sparked feelings within him, feelings he initially sought to suppress. However, the prom had emboldened him to confront these emotions.
While taken aback by his confession, Trixie found solace in knowing that Harry reciprocated her feelings. Graciously, Harry allowed her time to process his confession.
As night fell, Trixie wandered the university grounds, encountering a mysterious female student who cryptically warned her, "Stay away from Harry," before vanishing into the shadows, leaving Trixie unsettled.
The following morning, Harry picked up Trixie from her dorm, intending to introduce her to someone over breakfast. Assuming it was a relative, she was surprised to meet Maxine, the star of the university's volleyball team who turned out to be Harry's best friend since childhood.
Despite feeling a wave of insecurities upon meeting Maxine, who exuded confidence and charm, Trixie was soon comforted by Maxine's warmth and support, realizing she had found another kindred spirit alongside Harry.
Trixie eventually began spending time with Maxine too, sometimes as a trio, when Harry escorts them to their girls’ hangout. Trixie always invite Eunice, but her roommate declines every time, saying that hanging out with rich, kind, and attractive people will only make her pathetic about herself.
One week before the prom, Trixie fell ill, unable to even get out of bed due to a high fever and a pounding headache. Eunice initially cared for her, but with classes to attend, she called Harry to take over. Their arrangement involved alternating shifts to look after Trixie, insisting she recover by eating well, resting, and taking her medication.
The following morning, it was Harry's turn to care for her. After ensuring she ate and took her medicine, he encouraged her to rest, a suggestion she accepted without protest. However, her intended respite turned into a harrowing nightmare.
In her dream, Trixie found herself at the university witnessing a confrontation between Maxine and the mysterious female student who warned her to stay away from Harry. They were on the rooftop of the main building.
“I told you to stay away from Harry!” Maxine shouted
“He’s my boyfriend and we love each other Maxine, get over it.” The other girl said with irritation
“No! He’s mine!”
Maxine slapped the girl and girl’s expression changed for irritated to anger. She then started pulling Maxine’s hair. Maxine reciprocated the action, but when her scalp started hurting so much to the point she couldn’t take it anymore, she focused all her strength into taking the girl’s hands away from her hair.
The tension peaked as they grappled near the rooftop's edge, oblivious to the impending danger. When Maxine finally got the girl’s hands from her hair, she pushed the latter away which caused the girl to fall from the building and meet death.
As Trixie awoke, disoriented and fearful, she expected to find Harry by her side but was met with Maxine, sitting on the bed with a pillow on her lap.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yeah.” Trixie answered, catching her breath. “Where’s Harry?”
“Oh, the student council adviser suddenly called for a meeting, so Harry called me to take care of you for the meantime.” Maxine answered. “You know, I rushed here when he said that you’re feeling sick and weak that you can’t even stand.”
Trixie’s heartbeat paced fast as her nervousness rise, but she tries her best to conceal her fear.
“I tried so hard Trixie. I tried so hard… to accept that Harry likes you, and not me.”
An uneasy feeling gripped Trixie as Maxine's demeanor shifted. With that, Trixie started shouting. “HELP! HELP! HE- hmppf!”
Maxine covered Trixie’s face with a pillow that was on her lap.
“What happened with Criza was an accident, but when she was gone, Harry had so much time for me again, like old times.” Maxine started telling while still covering Trixie’s face who was struggling to breathe. She’s trying to push the pillow with hand, but she’s too weak to do so. “When he introduced you to me, I wanted to accept you, trust me. It was nerve-wracking when people started speculating that Criza was killed and didn’t commit suicide, and I didn’t want to feel that again.”
Maxine then smiled like the psychopath that she is. “But when I received Harry’s message that says you’re too weak to even stand up and he needs me to look after you, I couldn’t resist the urge to take this opportunity… opportunity to make you gone!”
Maxine pushed down pillow to Trixie’s face with more force as she revealed her intention. Overwhelmed by panic, Trixie's cries for help. In a terrifying struggle for survival, she fought against the darkness closing in around her, realizing too late the true extent of Maxine's treachery.
She fought for her life, until she couldn’t anymore. She stopped moving. Maxine released a sighed of satisfaction, knowing that once again, she have won.