My friends and I walked through the hallway, laughing and replaying every dramatic detail of the previous night's saga. The hallway buzzed with morning noise—lockers slamming, students chatting, footsteps echoing—but none of it drowned out our excitement.
"Honestly, for a moment I thought we were doomed," Jasmine said, shaking her head.
I giggled. "Same. I literally pictured my dad's face if he heard that his precious daughter got into trouble on her second day of school."
The girls burst into laughter.
Knowing Dad, he would've acted calm at first, then grounded me into the next century. And the thought alone made it even funnier.
Chloe suddenly paused and turned to me. "By the way, Kal… what exactly did you do to the security guard last night?"
I immediately shifted my gaze, pretending to focus on a random notice board. "Nothing," I replied casually. "I only pleaded with him to let us go."
Ivy scoffed. "Classic Kal."
I smirked but said nothing. Some things were better left unsaid—especially things involving mind control and collapsing guards.
We stopped in front of our lockers, swapping books and timetables, when a familiar presence invaded the space around us. I felt it before I saw her.
Crystal.
She walked up to us confidently, her arm looped possessively through Jason's. Heads turned. Whispers followed. The hallway suddenly felt smaller.
"I see you already made some friends, Kaliyah," Crystal said with a tight smile.
I rolled my eyes, unimpressed.
The girls stared between us, confused.
"Wait," Jasmine said slowly. "You two know each other?"
"Crystal and I used to know each other… way back," I replied vaguely.
I could feel eyes on me again. Not Crystal's—Jason's. He was staring openly now, not even bothering to hide it. The attention amused me. A slow, malicious smile crept onto my lips.
I turned to him. "Hey, what's your deal? Haven't you seen a pretty girl today?"
He smiled, clearly entertained. "I must say," he said smoothly, "you're indeed a goddess."
Crystal's face flushed instantly, her grip on his arm tightening. The jealousy rolled off her in waves, and I basked in it shamelessly.
I pretended to blush, batting my lashes slightly. "Thanks. I'm Kaliyah, but my friends call me Kal."
"Nice to meet you, Kal," he replied, extending his hand. "I'm Jason."
I shook it, holding on a second longer than necessary. Crystal looked like she might scream—or stab me.
Watching her unravel did something wicked to my heart.
"So, Jason," I said sweetly, tilting my head, "I heard you're from the art class. I'm just curious… what are you doing hanging around a science freak?"
Before Crystal could react, I added quickly, "Come on, we don't want to be late for class."
I grabbed Jason's hand and turned away, walking off with him and leaving Crystal standing there, stunned and furious.
I didn't look back—but I could feel her glare burning into my spine.
After lunch break, my friends and I were heading back to class when something caught my eye.
Zoe.
She was kneeling in front of her classroom.
The sight stopped me in my tracks.
My chest tightened as I walked closer. Students passed her without a second glance, like what was happening was completely normal.
"Hey!" I demanded sharply. "Who asked you to kneel down?"
Zoe looked up at me. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, her cheeks damp with dried tears. My heart twisted painfully.
"Get up," I said firmly.
She hesitated, fear flickering across her face, then slowly stood up. The moment she did, I pulled her into a tight hug.
"It's okay," I whispered, rubbing her back as she began to sob again. "You're safe now."
No one said anything. No one dared.
"School's over for today," I announced, turning to my friends. "Let's go."
We walked back to the hostel together, Zoe clinging to my side like she was afraid someone might drag her away if she let go.
Once inside our room, I asked Zoe to freshen up, change into one of my mini gowns, and get some rest. She obeyed quietly, exhaustion weighing her down.
I turned to my friends, my expression dark.
"Who could've bullied her?" I asked, glancing at Zoe sleeping peacefully on my bed.
"I don't know," Ivy said with a slight frown. "But most twelfth graders love tormenting weaker students. It's like a hobby to them."
"I'm getting to the bottom of this," I said calmly—but there was nothing calm about the fire building inside me.
"Yeah," Chloe added. "Zoe is our girl now. No one messes with her."
Later that evening, I walked back into the room and noticed Zoe was still asleep. Panic flickered briefly in my chest as I moved closer, but I relaxed when I saw her breathing steadily.
I sat beside her, holding her tiny, soft hands. She looked so fragile, so innocent, it made my jaw tighten. I gently tucked the strands of hair falling over her face behind her ear.
No one had the right to hurt her.
She stirred, stretching slightly before opening her eyes. When she saw me, she sat up immediately.
"I'm sorry if I messed up your bed," she said softly. "I can fix it."
"It's fine, Zoe," I replied gently. "I'm just glad you're awake. You had me worried."
"I haven't slept this peacefully in a long time," she admitted quietly.
Chloe, Ivy, and Jasmine walked in, each holding a bowl of fruits. Jasmine handed one to me as they settled onto their beds.
"Oh no," Zoe said sadly. "I missed fruit night again."
"You can have mine," I said instantly.
Her face brightened like I'd handed her gold. She took the bowl and started eating eagerly.
"Damn," I said lightly. "You must've been really hungry."
"I haven't eaten anything since afternoon," she replied.
I leaned forward slightly. "So… who punished you?"
Her mood shifted immediately. She stared down at her fingers, twisting them nervously.
"Jane," she said. "She made me kneel because I refused to bring her lunch to her class."
"Who's Jane?" I asked, turning to my friends.
Jasmine scoffed. "A twelfth grader. She terrorizes weaker students because she's close friends with the student body president. It makes her feel like some sort of assistant president."
"And no one has ever reported her," Ivy added.
"That's because she threatened to deal mercilessly with anyone who tried," Zoe said softly.
I inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. "Alright."
I turned back to Zoe. "How are you feeling now?"
She smiled shyly. "I feel safe."
That smile alone sealed it.
"Do you want to go back to your room, or stay here with us?" I asked.
"I'll go back to my room," she said, standing up. "Thank you so much."
After she left, Chloe looked at me knowingly.
"You really like her, don't you?"
"Is it that obvious?" I asked.
"Very," Jasmine said. "It's written all over you."
"Just remember she's your fellow girl, not a guy," Ivy teased.
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her, and we all burst into laughter.
"I'm making her my school daughter," I said firmly.
"That way she'll feel much safer here," Chloe replied.
I smiled slightly.
And somewhere deep inside me, I knew Jane had just made the worst mistake of her life.