“I can't; I just guessed.I looked around, counted how many times it was written vertically and then horizontally, and multiplied the two.It seemed like a rough estimate.”I realized it sounded even creepier than I intended.I couldn't tell her everything; voicing it would make it all too real.I was holding onto a secret, and I wasn't ready to share it.
As we stepped into the school, all eyes were fixed on us—more specifically, on me.Did they all know what was written?Or was it something else?
We hurried to class, and the stares continued.Once seated, I could sense the hesitation in the air; they wanted to ask something.The two sisters fromThe Holy Trinitysent Johnny over, who approached us with visible reluctance.
He was small and slender, with dark blond hair that partially obscured his face, and while he had a unique sense of style, the braces on his teeth gave him an awkward appearance.
“Hey,” he said, stopping in front of my desk.
“Hey,” I replied, looking up at him.
“So, what happened?Is it true about the name?”A hush fell over the classroom as everyone leaned in to listen.I nodded, and a wave of shock rippled through the room.“So it was all written in blood?”he pressed on.
“What?”I raised my voice to regain the attention of the class.Emily erupted into uncontrollable laughter.“Are you out of your mind?Who told you that?”I snapped at him, my frustration bubbling over.
“It's all over the school, and it's not like we can see it ourselves.The door's locked, and the windows are taped.”He looked taken aback.
“It was written in black marker, not blood,” I scoffed.I could see the disappointment in their eyes as they drifted back to their usual conversations, as if it was no big deal, something that would fade by tomorrow.Maybe it would, but I knew I wouldn't forget.Now, I had even more questions swirling in my mind.
I was shocked by how swiftly rumors spread and how readily everyone accepted them as truth.My gaze shifted to Emily, who appeared to be deep in thought.
“How are you holding up, by the way?About… you know,” I asked cautiously, not wanting to say too much in case anyone was listening in.
“I try not to think about it.There's really nothing I can do.Maybe I should confront Jake…” She glanced at me, her eyes searching for support in mine.
“I really don't think that's a good idea, Em,” I replied firmly, genuinely concerned for her.
“What if they try to blackmail me?”The weight of her words hung in the air, and we both froze.I hadn't considered that possibility; we had a pact: secrets for secrets.
“If they do, I'll just go to the principal and tell them about the art lab.We're in this together; they won't dare,” I tried to sound convincing, even though doubt crept into my mind.
At lunch, we found ourselves in the courtyard.Some were lounging on benches, others sprawled on the grass or leaning against trees, while a few stood chatting.I couldn't eat; my stomach churned at the sight of theVipersand their cruel grins.Clous sent Emily an exaggerated kiss, his tongue flicking out in a grotesque display as he brought two fingers to his mouth.
“I can't stay here,” Emily said, her voice trembling as she dashed inside, tears welling in her eyes.
“Emily, wait!”I called out, running after her.I caught her hand and pulled her into a comforting hug.“Hey, just ignore them,” I murmured, though I knew I would probably react even worse if I were in her shoes.
“Is this how it's going to be from now on?Someone will definitely connect the dots,” she said, pulling back to meet my gaze, her cheeks glistening with tears.
“So what?Let them think whatever they want.They'll assume you slept with him, and?”I shrugged, trying to downplay the situation.
“How could I have been so stupid?”She buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed.
“How did you even end up together?”I asked, genuinely curious since she had never shared that part of her story.We settled on the stairs next to the wall.She stared down, playing with her fingers.
“It happened after we returned from the camping trip.There was a party nearby that Jessica wanted badly to attend, and I felt the same way.I asked you if you wanted to join us, but you said you were going to hang out with Marco.So, we went without you.It was an outdoor event, packed with people.I lost track of Jessica in the crowd, and then someone approached me from behind.I turned around and saw Jake.Oh my God, he was so damn hot.He asked me to dance, nothing more, and flashed that perfect white smile of his.I thought a dance wouldn't hurt since Jessica was nowhere to be found—I figured she had found a guy and was likely off making out somewhere.Then he kissed me, and it felt like the ground had vanished beneath my feet.It was exquisite; I had never experienced anything like it before.No one had ever kissed me that way.After that, he suggested we take a walk to chat, and we did.We had what I believed was a genuinely great conversation.Then he kissed me again, and before I knew it, five minutes later, I was tearing off his clothes in a car that wasn't even his.He was with some friends, a few of whom were older.For me, it felt like something deeper; I trusted him completely…” She curled up, resting her forehead on her knees.Did she just admit she had feelings for him?I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud.“I like him; I always have.I just never mentioned it because we were supposed to hate them all.But when I saw my chance, I took it.I couldn't help myself,” she confessed, searching for understanding in my eyes.
“I don't know what to say.I had no idea, and I'm sorry.”I thought I knew my friend well, but she had been dropping hints that I missed.I always assumed she was careless, but here she was, falling for a guy, and I hadn't even noticed.I guessed we all had our secrets to keep…
“I promise you, he didn't have time to start recording.I was right there; I would have seen it,” she insisted, her gaze filled with a flicker of hope that it was all just a misunderstanding.
“Maybe he set it up before that…” I replied, the realization hitting me like a sharp blade.That implication suggested it was all a game, a carefully orchestrated trap.Her eyes widened in shock at my suggestion.
“No, that's impossible.It can't be true.I refuse to believe it,” she replied, her voice trembling with pain, and I was the one responsible for that.
On the bus ride home, we decided to listen to some music.I thought we both needed a moment to process everything that had just happened.I had unintentionally hurt her feelings with my assumptions, and there was really nothing I could say to mend things at that moment.
“Are you coming over to my place today?”I asked as we stepped off the bus.
