Drop Dead Darlings

Drop Dead DarlingsPoppy Havoc Copyright © 2023 Poppy HavocAll rights reservedThe characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.ISBN-13: 9781234567890ISBN-10: 1477123456Cover design by: Art PainterLibrary of Congress Control Number: 2018675309Printed in the United States of America To my husband for being supportive and encouraging. Without him, I wouldn't have found the courage to write this book. To my brother who was kind and enthusiastic throughout all my brainstorming sessions. DisclaimerThis book contains disturbing, graphic details of practices including but not limited to graphics descriptions of death, blood and gore, psychopathic behaviors, bullying and hallucinations, human sacrifice, cannibalism, etc., Contents Title PageCopyrightDedicationDisclaimerOpia1234567891011Barti12131415161718Amara1920212223242526272829EpilogueSequel to Drop Dead DarlingsAcknowledgementAbout The Author Opia 1PresentIt started one wicked morning.Quantum University's campus was blissfully calm and covered in the morning fog. Students were safe in their beds, deep asleep—staff in their own colony—for Quantum University was the only resident university for the elites of Asia.Not anymore!But at that time, people were ready to walk with their heads on the ground if it would get them enrolled in Quantum.One catch though!You must conform to the elitist culture and the stressful academic situation Quantum would impose on its residents.Else you vanish, just like that. Poof!Waves lapped on the rocky private beach lining the west part of the campus. Lights from the private lighthouse shone on the horizon. A gentle breeze caressed the trees lining Dead Stone Creek, a small coastal town, well-known for its proximity to Quantum University. The sound of leaves rustling floated in through the open dorm window.On the writing table, a set of carelessly laid papers with a half-written essay on it fluttered beneath a tiny table clock. The faint orange glow squeezing in through the open window revealed that the clock indicated six hours and ten minutes. A queen-sized bed stood next to the writing table.Wrapped up in a red comforter, Opia laid on the bed with exhausted eyes, staring out the window. Her hair was a mess and the skin beneath her eyes was dark. She had been lying awake throughout the night.With a long, miserable sigh, she untangled herself from the sheets and slid her feet to the ground. Her fragile body shivered from the lack of warmth of the cozy bed; her head pounded as she shifted her weight onto the floor.Staying up through the night just to cry it out wasn't the best idea, she thought, brushing her hair aside.Opia wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to face Leo after the stunt her friend Amara pulled the other day."Why would you change boyfriends every other day?" Amara had asked when she ran into Opia in the diner.Leo was right beside the duo.Even with all the hassle and clatter in the diner, Leo must have heard her as clear as day.He was shocked at the comment as anyone would be.Opia prided herself that she was the most loyal person amidst the lying, perfidious bitches of Quantum. What might Amara have had against Opia to ask such a nasty question in front of her lover was a mystery.That day, Leo left without a word.Opia hadn't seen or heard from him for about a week and… it hurt.She shook the thought away, washed her teeth and face and brushed her hair to smooth down the tangles, shifting it to one side just like Amara would do. As much as she was mad at Amara, she loved her style—simple and elegant with just a touch of rebellion.Rebellion! That's what set Amara apart from the crowd.Opia had started to imitate Amara a lot lately. She idolized Amara's quirkiness and attitude.However, her mother, Ciandra Delvin, was not going to be happy with the little changes in her daughter when she would come back from her business trip.The thought of her mother made Opia feel queasy. She secretly prayed her mother would never come back. Opia didn’t hate her mother. She loved her. It was just, not having someone hovering over her, night and day, was addicting and liberating. She prayed for the feeling to stay forever.The queasy feeling remained in her chest like a worst case of heartburn.She blinked twice and remembering something, she frantically searched the bathroom cabinet. Minutes later, she unearthed a tiny pink package labeled 'Home Pregnancy Test Kit'. She carefully placed the package over the counter and clicked her fingers, standing there for a long while.Her last menstrual period was forty-seven days ago. She had never been late ever since puberty. In addition to that, she experienced nausea.Opia carefully opened the package with trembling fingers and placed the kit on the bathroom counter. She read the instructions again and again before collecting an ounce of urine sample in the sterile cup that came with the kit. She read the instructions one more time before dropping three meticulous drops into the sample well.The hcg strip absorbed the wetness gradually revealing two pink lines—one after the other.The taste and smell of mint toothpaste lingering on her tongue and nostrils, she stared at the home pregnancy test kit sitting on the toilet counter. Her breath hitched. She held her head between both hands and sighed.Opia was seventeen and had zero knowledge about pregnancy. However, the thought that Leo's child was growing inside her brought delightful goosebumps over her skin.Leaving the kit on the counter and not bothering to change the nightclothes, she wrapped a thick cotton shawl around her neck.When she stepped out of the room, the dormitory was still dark; the gradually brightening sun casted giant-like shadows on the walls and floors. Amara and Barti were asleep in their rooms. Opia decided to slip into the diner quickly, load up on caffeine and hope that it would keep her awake all