Indhu's POV
Lunch hour slipped by way too fast—like it always does when you actually want it to last.
And as if that wasn't bad enough, today's food my mom packed was… tragic. I poked at it half-heartedly while the classroom buzzed with chatter, lunchboxes clattering open and shut.
We—V5—were huddled in our usual corner, still laughing about the stupid drawings from the free period. Every time I remembered Rohan's stickman or Charlotte's dramatic speech bubbles, I had to cover my mouth to stop laughing again.
But not everyone was amused.
Leonor wasn't laughing.
I noticed her eyes earlier—sharp, observant, catching every chalk line, every erased trace. I didn't think much of it then. I should've.
By the time the bell rang for PT, she had already whispered something to the class teacher.
When we came back from the ground, sweaty, tired, but still smiling, the mood shifted instantly.
The teacher was waiting.
"You five. Come here."
The room went quiet. My stomach dropped.
Leonor's head was bent over her notebook, pretending to write—but I knew she was listening.
"What were you doing on the board during the free period?" the teacher asked, her voice sharp.
We exchanged quick glances. My jaw tightened.
"Drawing, ma'am," I said, keeping my voice steady.
"Drawing? Or misusing the time?"
Before I could say anything else, Aditya stepped forward. Calm. Collected. Like always.
"Ma'am, you once told us that during free periods, we could decorate the board. So we tried. It was for the class."
He pointed to the corner of the board. His quote—still faintly visible—caught the teacher's eye. She walked closer, read it, and I saw her expression soften.
"You could've just told me this," she muttered. Then her tone hardened as she turned.
"Leonor. Was it you who said they were wasting time?"
Leonor froze. "I… I thought—"
"If you don't know the full story, don't spread it," the teacher cut in sharply. "Misinformation causes trouble. Focus on your work."
Each word landed hard.
When the teacher left, silence filled the room.
I turned to Leonor before I could stop myself. Anger burned in my chest.
"You really can't stand us, can you?" I said, my voice low but sharp. "You're jealous because you don't have friends like us. That's why you twist things. That's why you run to teachers. Pathetic."
The class went dead quiet.
Even Leonor's pen stopped moving.
Charlotte's eyebrows shot up. Rohan looked like he wanted to react—but thought better of it.
Swetha grabbed my arm instantly. "Indhu, stop. Not worth it."
I held Leonor's gaze for one more second, my chest rising and falling, then turned away.
We walked out together. All five of us. The air behind us felt heavy.
At the doorway, we stopped.
Turned back once.
Five silent stares. Cold. Final.
Leonor gripped her pen tighter.
I didn't hear her thoughts—but I could feel them.
And somehow, deep down, I knew this wasn't over.