How did she expect me to be polite when she knows I'm not very good with words? Lexy thought inwardly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"Oh, hi, Lexy," Priyanka greeted with a kind smile, her voice sweet and warm. Lexy merely returned a half-smile, her lips curling without reaching her eyes, a smile that felt hollow.
"Hey, guys!" Raven's voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of her feet hitting the floor as she ran toward them. Lexy waved in return, but Raven, with her usual irritation, shot her a sharp glare.
"You know, I've been waiting for the both of you," Raven continued, a playful grin lighting her face as she wrapped her arms around her newly found friends. It had been a long time since she'd felt like she truly belonged with anyone. After the betrayal of her best friend, Raven had distanced herself from many people. She didn't always get along with Lexy—there was something about her that rubbed Raven the wrong way—but deep down, she couldn't deny that Lexy was genuine. So, despite her reservations, Raven found herself drawn to the girl.
"Um, hi," a voice suddenly startled her. She pulled away from her friends, scanning the area to locate the source of the voice. Her eyes landed on a girl with the rarest shade of violet eyes she had ever seen.
"Hi to you too," Raven said with a smile, her attention fixed on the girl who had violet eyes, purple-dyed hair, and a pair of spectacles perched delicately on her nose. She had an innocent, almost endearing air about her.
"I'm Priyanka, Kayla's acquaintance," Priyanka introduced herself with a smile, eager to befriend the new girl.
"Raven," the other girl replied, offering a smile in return and extending her hand. The newcomer took it with a firm shake.
"Oh, nice name you got there," Priyanka commented, still holding onto Kayla, who clung to her side. There was an odd chemistry between them, one that made the others pause.
After a while, the four girls, each with their own distinct personalities, bid each other goodbye and headed off to their respective classes. It was the beginning of a new friendship, albeit one that was still fragile and tentative.
---
"So, Kayla, are you going for the trip?" Priyanka couldn't help but ask, her gaze fixed on Kayla. It was the topic on everyone's mind: the upcoming school trip to New Caledonia. The school had insisted on the students going to explore Hallow Island, a place rumored to be haunted. The allure of the unknown, combined with the mystery of the island's long-forgotten castle, made the trip a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Why ask, when you know she'll go?" Lexy snapped sarcastically as they walked down the hallway toward the cafeteria. Her voice held a sharp edge, as if she was always ready to start a confrontation.
"You can't blame me. I just thought she might not go since—" Priyanka began, but was quickly cut off by Lexy.
"Since what? Oh, since she doesn't have money?" Lexy interrupted, rolling her eyes in disgust as she watched Priyanka fawn over Kayla. It was clear that Lexy wasn't thrilled by Priyanka's clinginess. But deep down, she suspected there was more to Priyanka than met the eye. She didn't trust her, and it showed in the way she sized her up, convinced there was something hidden under that sweet, innocent facade.
"It's not like that," Priyanka bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. She didn't understand why Lexy was treating her like this. All she had ever done was try to be kind, but from the moment they'd met, Lexy had glared at her, scrutinizing her every move. It felt like she was being judged and ridiculed for no reason.
One of the main reasons Priyanka had become a fan of Kayla was because the girl was an influencer on TikTok. She had even copied Kayla's dance moves and posted a video of herself performing them. It had gone viral, and she was ecstatic when she found out that Kayla was, in fact, a student at her school. It only seemed natural to want to befriend her.
"Then what is it like?" Lexy asked, her voice indifferent, though tinged with a hint of disgust.
"Lexy, will you just stop acting like a bitch for once? What did the poor girl do to you, huh? Why are you bullying her?" Raven snapped, her patience finally breaking. "You see someone weak and think you can take advantage of them, don't you? That's what you and your sister do, and I've had enough of it. As I said before, Lexy Chen, you are a loser. A stupid loser. And do you know what losers are? Losers are bullies. And you're not far from that."
Lexy smirked, unfazed by the harsh words. "Oh, it's not a bad idea to talk after all. It's been, what, 14 hours since you last judged me? I missed it."
"So, we're going shopping tomorrow?" Lexy smiled, her attempt to lighten the mood obvious as she wrapped her arms around Raven. But Raven wasn't having it. She struggled against Lexy's grip, her face twisted with annoyance.
"If you don't take your f**king hands off me, I swear I'll break them, Lexy," Raven growled, her glare like daggers. She could hardly stand Lexy's antics, but it didn't stop the strange chemistry between them.
"No, not tomorrow. I'll be off tomorrow since I have somewhere to go," Kayla interjected, her mind elsewhere. She had to go shopping for a new dress for Aaron's party, and she wasn't in the mood to share the details with anyone, especially not Priyanka, who seemed overly curious.
"Where are you going?" Priyanka asked, her voice full of curiosity. Lexy and Raven frowned at the question. It wasn't a bad question, but if Kayla wanted to tell them she would have said it a long time ago.
"Somewhere," Kayla shrugged, not bothering to elaborate further as they made their way to the cafeteria. Priyanka bit her lip, frustrated at being unable to get any information out of Kayla.
As the girls ate, Kayla's eyes scanned the crowded cafeteria, searching for someone. She had messaged the girl the night before, giving her the wrong address when the girl had insisted on meeting. Kayla wondered if something had happened to her, though she knew she had gone too far. But she couldn't help herself.
---
Meanwhile, in a king-size bedroom painted in blue and yellow, an ash-blonde girl paced back and forth, her frustration evident in every step. Her face was etched with anger, and her eyes burned with resentment.
"I need you guys to come to my house right now," Ashley barked into the phone, her voice trembling with rage. She couldn't believe what Kayla had done to her. She had been played, manipulated, made to feel like a fool. If only she had listened to Golda from the start. Now, she was left with bruises and hicks scattered across her skin—reminders of her mistake.
Knock Knock Knock
"Who is it?" Ashley snapped, her voice laced with impatience as she hurried to her wardrobe to pull on a green hoodie.
"Ashley, baby, are you alright?" Miss Chen called from outside the door. She had been worried since Ashley came home last night, upset and crying. She had tried to inquire about what happened, but Ashley had snapped at them to "leave her alone."
Even though they hoped she would wake up and tell them what had happened, Ashley had shut herself in her room all day, refusing to let anyone in—not even the maids who came to clean. It was almost evening, and she hadn't eaten or drunk anything. Her mother's worry had grown with each passing hour.