Why is no one going into the bathroom right now?
Veronica feels as if she is going to die this evening. With terror in her eyes, she looks at the demon, who instills a powerful fear in her. And to think that for seventeen years he masked himself perfectly from her, pretending to be her friend.
Something betrayed him, one mistake made Veronica see through it and stop trusting this apparition.
— When did you realize? — he says to her in a tart voice, still holding her against the wall. — What betrayed me that you so suddenly began to trust your brother?
The girl is trembling and no longer knows herself whether it is more from fear or from the shrill cold that envelops her body.
— When we were talking in the room, I noticed that your eyes turned red. You betrayed yourself in the cafeteria, the moment you left my brother's body. That's when I believed Eric, remembering the image from the past that I noticed when I was a child.
— And that's why you believe your brother now?
— Eric has been lying all his life, teasing me, so I couldn't trust him until I saw it a second time.
— You are a mean bitch, but that's why I like you. I respect people with a mean character. — The demon lets go of Veronica, but the girl still sticks her back to the wall, feeling the chills paralyze her body.
— You were the one who manipulated me to a large extent. You led me to distrust my brother, for a time, I even hated him.
The demon takes the form of Julie and looks at the seventeen-year-old with innocent eyes.
— How can you not trust a cute girl? — He puts his hands to his cheeks and puffs out his lips. — You are strong, but naive, just like your mother.
The brunette tightens her lips, trying to suppress her tears.
— Me and Eric will join forces. We will level you.
— And how do you want to do that when now it is your brother who hates you? He will do everything to make you suffer, to make you feel the same way he has all your life. — A whisper near her ear, which she hears, followed by a sultry laugh from the phantom, makes the teenager tense up all over. — Now that you trusted him, he hates you. The roles are reversed, and I don't do anything accidentally.... I wouldn't get caught so easily if I didn't want to. You are stuck in my plan. The life of your family has belonged to me for centuries, Vera.... I love conflict, I feed on it.
Someone enters the bathroom, the demon disappears, and Veronica takes a deep breath and slides to the floor, looking at one point.
The friends run up to the seventeen-year-old and crouch beside her, looking concerned about her condition. Pale as a wall, trembling, wide-eyed, she stares at one point, not responding to their cries.
— What is happening to you! Look at me, Vera! — Vanessa grabs the brunette by the shoulders and jerks her, wanting to bring her to order.
— You're going to hurt her, can't you see the state she's in!
The teenager does not listen to what they say to her, a lullaby resounds in her ears, which does not calm her down, but chills her.
— Run for the sitter! Hurry! — Vanessa awkwardly leaves the bathroom, making a noise around her. She is as concerned about Veronica's condition as Nicki, who strokes her friend's face, speaking to her in a calm voice. — Hey, look at me, please. Tell me what's going on.
Tears flow from the girl's eyes as she shifts her gaze to the blonde.
— I let myself be manipulated. All my life, something had control over me, and now I will come to pay a giant price for it....
— What are you talking about? What happened that you are in such a state?
— What can I do to regain Eric's trust? What can I do to make him stop hating me?
Nicki crinkles her eyebrows.
— Did you have a fight with your brother?
The brunette doesn't answer her.
Since all this was the demon's plan, she can no longer be stuck in his game full of conflicts. She has to start fighting him, she has to change her life and, above all, help her brother.
She will no longer allow herself to be manipulated.
Vanessa runs into the bathroom at the sitter's side. The woman crouches by Vanessa's side and caringly touched her shoulder.
— Is something hurting you? Are you feeling bad?
The teen unexpectedly twists her lips in a slight smile.
— I was just thinking about some things.... I'm fine. I needed a moment of peace, and they panicked unnecessarily — she replies as she rises from the floor.
— You are pale, and I can see that you have been crying.
— It's because of the sad thoughts I had to fight. A problem with someone — she says hastily, embarrassing her friends.
— Veronica, why are you lying? You looked like a human wreck for a while! — Vanessa raises her voice at her, outraged by her behavior. — You don't even know how scared we were....
— It's nice that you're worried about me, but I'm already a big girl.
She leaves the bathroom, clenching her hands into fists.
She can't believe that for seventeen years she let herself be controlled by a demon who feeds on her family's suffering.
Since he wanted her to know the truth, Veronica will change his plans. Nothing else will go his way.
He is sure she will try to regain her brother's trust? She won't. She will fight the demon, while trying to protect Eric.
She will send him back to hell, to a place where he should have been long ago.
*
Henry is correcting his uniform when his attention is caught by Miranda, who is starting afternoon classes in the classroom next door. The 16-year-old smiles radiantly when most of the boys in her class say kind words to her, remarking how beautiful she is.
She likes to be the center of attention, so she stands next to them and throws her hair over one shoulder, expressing her opinion of the woman who teaches them math.
— This babe is horrible. Have you seen her gray roots? I wonder if they pay so little at Horace Mann that she can't afford a hairdresser, or is this some new fashion trend?
— You're right, Miranda. All women should be as pretty as you. — One of the boys touches a strand of her hair, making Henry morbidly jealous. The eighteen-year-old tightens his lips, feeling like smacking them all upside the head and then taking care of his favorite princess, but he loses interest in them rather quickly when his attention is caught by Veronica.
The seventeen-year-old with fiery red hair that reaches her waist is heading toward him with a stern face. She's wearing heavy makeup, and the black top and shorts she's wearing will catch any guy's attention. She taps her stilettos on the floor of the floor, being the main object of interest.
Miranda's classmates lose interest in the peer rather quickly.
— She is called the goddess Horace Mann for a reason. One can only dream about such a chick....
Henry opens his mouth in astonishment when the redhead faces him.
— Where is your friend? — The girl pays no attention to the freshman, who is even devouring her with his eyes.
— Are you asking about Kevin?
— And do you have another friend?
The boy wrinkles his eyebrows.
— Why do you want to see him?
— And why do you want to know? — She never gives up.
— She is just coming out of the bathroom.
Veronica turns to face Kevin. He measures her with his eyes, looking surprised.
— Did you change your image so that I would stop being interested in you? Then you have a problem because I like this hair color better.
The seventeen-year-old smiles cheerfully.
— That's good because today is our first day.
— Our first day?
Heading from the opposite corridor, Lucas, accompanied by Eric, stops in mid-step with disbelief in his eyes looking at his friend.
— Is that your sister?
— She's probably possessed now — replies the brunette dismissively. — She is pathetic in her games.
Lucas swallows his saliva with difficulty, feeling a strange lump in his throat as the girl leans against the windowsill and grabs Kevin's hand, pulling him towards her.
— See, Barbie? My sister is better than you when it comes to performance. If you keep this up, we won't top her. — Eric turns to the indignant peer, who is clearly jealous of her older friend's new look. — You are not very charismatic.
The pretty girl shifts her gaze to him and snorts under her breath.
— So do something to make her stop being the center of attention! — He stamps his foot furiously, which amuses Eric.
— I will, but this time without your help.
Kevin intends to talk to Veronica before the break is over, but he is interrupted by a 16-year-old who slaps his shoulder with his fingers.
— What the hell are you? — he asks as she turns toward him.
The redhead smiles at the sight of her brother, guessing that he will want to fight her for the Horace Mann summit.
The demon won't get what he wants. She will change the plan for his revenge.
— The one that will not allow your relationship with my sister. — Kevin glances at Veronica, looking confused. Probably also, he did not know that the girl had a younger brother. — I'm going to destroy her life, so no love is part of the plan. — She twirls her finger in front of his face, teasing him with her arrogance.
— Veronica, is that your little brother? What is he talking about?
The 17-year-old crosses her arms on her chest.
— Our relationship is in such a deplorable state that I don't call him a younger brother — she announces, looking Eric in the eye. — So honestly, I think we hate each other. — He shrugs his shoulders, but the 16-year-old's attention is caught by his sister's hand, whose fingers are arranged in a sign.
Only they know what the meaning is. It's a symbol they established in childhood.
Security.
Miranda watches the pain-filled face of Lucas, who is suffering internally, not about to confess to anyone how in love he is with his best friend.
His classmate doesn't need to hear it out loud. Already on the first day, she noticed the gaze with which he looked at Veronica.
A gaze in love is impossible to hide.