Chapter 199

Chapter 199

"That's not really isolation, is it? More like just not getting along," Theodosia tried to explain the 'isolation' label Zoey had pinned on her.

Zoey wasn't too hung up on the semantics. They'd figure it out eventually. "Okay, let's say you didn't isolate her. Did you have any conflicts with Nicolette? Especially with Cecilia?"

Theodosia's eyes darted away, avoiding Zoey's gaze. "Of course, we had conflicts. When you spend so much time together, you're bound to argue over little things. It's normal, like arguing with your parents at home."

"Can you tell us what the main conflicts were about?"

Theodosia's response seemed rehearsed, not like someone speaking freely. She glanced at Zoey and Alexander before answering, "Well... sometimes Cecilia wanted to bring friends to our dorm, and Nicolette didn't like it. They'd argue because Nicolette felt it invaded her privacy. Nicolette also liked to go to bed early, while the rest of us stayed up late chatting. She'd get really bossy, telling us to be quiet and threatening to report us to the dorm supervisor if we didn't."

Alexander asked, "How did you resolve these conflicts?"

"We didn't... We just let it go."

"Did you argue?"

"No. We didn't argue. We just had a few disagreements."

"Did you ignore each other?"

"No way. We always tried to talk to Nicolette, to bridge the gap. But she didn't want to engage with us. We don't know what we did to upset her. We all thought Nicolette was hard to get along with."

Alexander continued, "Besides Cecilia, did Nicolette have issues with anyone else?"

Theodosia quickly replied, "I don't know about her issues with others."

Zoey suddenly asked, "Do you know how Cecilia died?"

A flicker of panic crossed Theodosia's eyes. "Died? I don't know. I was in class with everyone else. When the teacher asked us to find her, Violette and I searched room by room. We found Cecilia already dead. The scene was terrifying. She was sitting on the floor, her back to us. I thought she was on drugs. I never imagined she was dead!"

Alexander picked up on something odd. "Drugs? Why did you think Cecilia was on drugs?"

Theodosia hesitated. "Well, maybe from watching TV. People on drugs often look like that. So, how did she die? Was it drugs?"

Alexander ignored her question. "Just answer ours. From what you've said, Cecilia didn't have the best lifestyle, right?"

Theodosia looked down, silent for several seconds, thinking. Finally, she nodded slowly. "I don't really know, but from the time we spent together, probably."

Alexander pressed, "Tell us more."

Theodosia explained, "You know, she smoked. Even if it was just e-cigarettes, I found it hard to accept. She's a girl, after all."

"At first, I thought she was eating candy. But when I looked closer, she had something in her mouth. She told me it was an e-cigarette. It smelled sweet, not like regular smoke, so I didn't say anything. But Nicolette wasn't happy. She told Cecilia not to smoke in the dorm because secondhand smoke is harmful. Cecilia argued that e-cigarettes are harmless, like perfume. Nicolette said, 'Then don't spray perfume in the dorm either.'"

"The two of them were ready to fight. Violette and I didn't dare say anything. Cecilia got mad and argued with Nicolette. Nicolette said she'd ask the supervisor if e-cigarettes were allowed. Cecilia, seeing she was serious, put out the e-cigarette and went to the restroom. When she came back, she cursed, probably at Nicolette."

Alexander asked, "When did this happen?"

"A while ago, at the start of the semester. I think that's when things started going bad between Nicolette and Cecilia. Cecilia barely talked to Nicolette after that but liked hanging out with Violette and me."

Alexander asked, "What about Nicolette's attitude?"

Theodosia thought for a moment. "She wasn't very friendly to anyone. After the incident with Cecilia, she was cold to Violette and me too. Maybe because she saw us with Cecilia. We weren't united at all. She didn't seem to want to engage with us."

"I think I understand," Alexander said, summarizing. "The main conflict was between Cecilia and Nicolette, right?"

Theodosia hesitated for a few seconds before speaking softly. "Actually, I think Violette and Nicolette didn't get along either. I once heard Nicolette accuse Violette of secretly taking pictures of her. She wanted to check Violette's phone, but Violette refused. Nicolette threatened to call the cop. They argued loudly, and a teacher had to intervene."

Zoey asked, "Did Violette take pictures?"

"I don't know. I didn't dare ask. She'd think I didn't trust her."

Zoey pressed, "Based on your guess, what do you think?"

Theodosia looked down, struggling with herself. Finally, she said, "I think maybe. But please don't tell Violette. We still have to live together. It'd be too awkward."

Zoey reassured her, "Don't worry. We'll protect your privacy." But without more information, how could they proceed?

Alexander continued, "You mentioned her relationships were complicated. Can you tell us what you know or saw? Did anyone else have conflicts with Cecilia?"