Marco, Hugo, Maria, Sonia, and Misheal stood frozen at the entrance.
And what they saw.
Esmeralda's hand was still lightly resting near Andre's collar.
Andre's gaze hadn't even shifted yet.
For a full three seconds.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody breathed.
Then
Marco blinked.
"…We picked the worst timing in human history."
Hugo quietly muttered:
"…I told you guys that they didn't need saving."
Maria narrowed her eyes immediately.
Misheal whispered:
"…I really wanted to see the kiss, why did Marco interupt."
Esmeralda's eyes widened like she had just seen ghosts.
She jerked her hand away from Andre like she just touched fire and took two quick steps back.
"…This is not what it looks like."
Marco nodded immediately.
"Oh don't worry"
A beat.
"it looks exactly like what it looks like."
Hugo choked on a laugh.
Maria folded her arms.
"…Andre?"
Andre, calm as ever:
"…Nothing happened."
Silence.
Then Marco leaned forward dramatically.
"…Are they… in love?"
SMACK.
Misheal hit him across the head.
"Shut up."
Esmeralda cleared her throat, regaining composure at lightning speed.
"…We were talking, that's all"
Marco raised a brow.
"Face to face?"
Hugo added:
"Breath to breath?"
Misheal:
"Lip to lip?"
"WE DID NOT—"
Esmeralda stopped herself mid-sentence.
Too late.
Marco gasped.
"OH SO WE WERE CLOSE TO THAT STAGE???"
Sonia stepped forward, arms crossed, completely unimpressed.
"Can you idiots get to the part where I become main character?"
They all turned to her.
Marco smiled as he jerked his thumb toward the hallway.
"She saw Andre walk in here and then those two monkeys, Poppy and Emilia came sneaking around like villains in a low-budget movie."
Esmeralda leaned in.
"…So you mean poppy and Emilia did this."
Marco nodded.
"Yep, tell her the rest, Sonia."
Sonia continued:
"They locked the door and ran."
A beat.
"So I chased them."
Hugo blinked.
"…You what?"
Sonia shrugged casually.
"They were nothing. Compare to me, they are cotton candy."
"So I kicked one into the wall and the other ran away."
Misheal's eyes widened.
"…I wish I was the one who saw them. I would have beaten them into doughnuts for what they did to me in the hockey pitch."
Sonia smirked.
"Well no worries I took care of them then i took the keys."
She jingled them.
"Came back."
Everyone Processes That
Marco stared at her in awe.
"…You're telling me you beat all two of them alone…"
He pointed behind them.
"…you are making me fall for you?"
Sonia shrugged again.
"Awwwnnn....But you can do better than that."
Hugo laughed.
"Thats why she's my sister. Give him a hard time ok?."
Misheal smirked.
"Now I am feeling like giving you a hard time."
Hugo's face changed dramatically
"Come on baby, I was just playing with him."
Misheal smirked.
"Come on baby, you can do better than that."
Marco popped up smiling.
"Haha.. vengeance for me."
Then he slowly turned back toward Andre.
"…Don't think you have escaped…"
He pointed between Andre and Esmeralda.
"…Tell us what is between you two…"
A pause.
"…Like we know who and who are pairs amoung us…"
Another pause.
"…For example, Hugo and misheal…"
Hugo added.
"…Power couple…"
Misheal smirked.
"…You wish."
Andre sighed.
"…Nothing happened between us."
Marco gasped loudly.
"Nothing happened???"
He clutched his chest.
"But what was about to happen!"
Maria stepped forward.
"…Esmeralda."
Esmeralda met her gaze.
"…Yes?"
A pause.
"…You look very comfortable for someone who is trying to prove something isn't on between you guys.'"
Esmeralda blinked once.
Then smiled slightly.
"…Maybe there is something."
Marco slowly turned to Andre.
"…Bro…"
"…This is betrayal. I'm about to hear the new from her"
Hugo crossed his arms, grinning.
"So what's the official story?"
Andre answered flatly:
"Why are you guys making this look huge. We were waiting for the door to get open."
Sonia rolled her eyes.
"If you're all done being dramatic, we should leave before those two idiots lock all of us in here."
Marco nodded seriously.
"Yes, before Act Two: Revenge of the Monkeys."
They all started moving out.
But just before Esmeralda stepped out
She glanced at Andre.
Just for a second.
A small smile.
Not embarrassed.
Not denying anything.
Just…
amused.
Andre noticed.
Said nothing.
But the corner of his lips moved slightly.
As they walked out
Marco whispered loudly to Hugo:
"I'm telling you… give them one week."
Hugo nodded.
"…Maximum."
Misheal added:
"Three days."
Maria said nothing.
But her silence said more than all of them.
Outside
The corridor behind the sports wing was empty.
Poppy spun around sharply, heels clicking hard against the tiles.
"This is YOUR fault."
Emilia stopped walking.
Slowly turned.
"My fault?"
Her voice dropped.
Dangerously calm.
"You're blaming me??"
Poppy threw her hands up.
"YES I'm blaming you! You said no one was inside!"
Emilia scoffed.
"I said I didn't SEE anyone inside!"
"THAT'S THE SAME THING!"
"NO IT'S NOT!"
Poppy stepped closer, finger pointing.
"You rushed it! You didn't even check properly!"
Emilia slapped her hand away.
"Oh so now I rushed it??"
Her voice rose.
"You were the one panicking. Lock it, lock it, before she comes out!' "
Poppy mocked her tone instantly.
"Oh please don't do that voice, it's annoying!"
"At least I was DOING something!"
"And look where that got us?!"
They both fell silent for a second.
Breathing hard.
Then,
Emilia spoke first.
"…Her and Andre were inside."
Poppy froze.
"…Yes."
Another pause.
"…Alone."
Poppy grabbed her head.
"Oh my God…"
Emilia stared at the floor.
"…We locked them together."
Silence.
Then both of them said at the same time
"…This is bad."
Poppy started pacing.
"No no no no, this is NOT how this was supposed to go!"
Emilia nodded quickly.
"We were supposed to isolate her, not give her… HIM!"
Poppy stopped walking.
Slowly turned.
"…Do you realize what we just did?"
Emilia swallowed.
"…We helped her."
Poppy's expression hardened.
"…I knew it."
Emilia frowned.
"Knew what?"
Poppy crossed her arms tightly.
"I knew you were working for Esmeralda."
A pause.
"…Its not a coincidence."
Emilia hesitated.
"…You really think so of me…"
That made things worse.
Poppy snapped immediately.
"Don't mind me, I'm sorry."
Emilia didn't stop.
"…Well anyways it's your fault so i forgive you."
Poppy turned sharply.
"You what?."
Emilia blinked.
"…What?"
"Now I'm starting to think you also like Andre."
"That's not true!"
"Then why are you so calm about this?!"
"I'M NOT CALM!"
Emilia stepped forward now.
Eyes flaring.
"I'm just not screaming like you!"
"Oh wow so now I'm the crazy one??"
"If the shoe fits"
"DON'T!"
Poppy exhaled sharply.
"…If she takes him…"
A pause.
Her voice dropped.
"…I'm not letting that happen."
Emilia's expression shifted.
"…Then we fix it."
Poppy looked at her.
"…How?"
Emilia's lips curled slightly.
Not a smile.
Something colder.
"…Next time…"
"…we don't make mistakes."
"…Finally."
They turned.
Carlos.
He tilted his head slightly.
"…You two are starting to think properly."
Poppy stiffened.
Emilia didn't speak.
Carlos walked closer.
Hands in his pockets.
"…You wanted to hurt Esmeralda…"
A pause.
"…but instead you pushed her closer to him."
He chuckled softly.
"…Impressive failure."
Poppy clenched her fists.
"…Say what you want."
Carlos stopped in front of them.
Eyes sharp now.
"…I don't say things for fun."
A beat.
"…I fix problems."
Silence.
Then
Emilia spoke quietly.
"…What do you want?"
Carlos smiled wider.
"… I'm here to educate you on villianin."
"…You're both thinking too small."
Poppy frowned slightly.
"…What?"
Carlos sighed lightly, almost disappointed.
"You wanted to hurt her."
A pause.
"You tried to embarrass her."
Another step closer.
"And what happened?"
Emilia answered quietly.
"…We pushed her toward him."
Carlos nodded once.
"…Exactly."
He folded his arms.
"…Right now, whatever is between them…"
A pause.
"…is fragile."
Poppy's eyes narrowed.
"…Meaning?"
Carlos smirked faintly.
"It's not deep yet."
He stepped closer to them.
Lowered his voice.
"But you two…"
"…almost helped it grow."
Poppy clenched her jaw.
"…So what do we do?"
He leaned slightly forward.
"You don't destroy something when it's weak."
A beat.
"…You let it grow."
Both girls froze.
Emilia frowned.
"…That doesn't make sense."
Carlos chuckled softly.
"It will."
He straightened.
"…You let them get comfortable."
"…Let them build something."
"…Let them trust it."
A pause.
Then his eyes darkened.
"…And then you take it away."
Poppy swallowed slightly.
"…That's… cruel."
Carlos smiled.
"…Exactly."
He walked past them slowly.
"…Pain doesn't come from losing something small."
He stopped briefly.
"…It comes from losing something you thought would last."
"…So for now…"
"…you lay low."
Poppy frowned.
"…Do nothing?"
Carlos shook his head slightly.
"…Observe."
Emilia's voice dropped.
"…And wait."
Carlos nodded once.
"…Good."
"…Because when I decide to hurt them…"
A pause.
"…it won't be a prank."
"And he will fall right into your arms."
He walked away without another word.
Leaving Poppy and Emilia standing there.
Poppy exhaled slowly.
"…That guy scares me."
Emilia nodded.
"…He should."
A beat.
"…But I'm satisfied as long as I will have Andre in the end ."
Poppy and Emilia exchanged a glance.
Not friendly.
Not trusting.
But aligned.
For now.
Because one thing was clear
This wasn't over.
Not even close.