Chapter 2
Part 1
————
The bell rang.
I took one last breath, wiped my face, and stepped out of the bathroom stall.
Control yourself.
"First," I whispered under my breath, "I deal with Bethany."
At this point in time, she thought I was nothing more than her shadow.
This time…
She would reap what she sowed.
I walked back toward the classroom just as Mrs. Bear entered. I followed quietly, took my seat, and calmly raised my hand.
"Yes, Scarlett?" Mrs. Bear asked, slightly annoyed.
"I would like to report an assault."
The room went silent.
Every head turned toward me.
Whispers filled the air.
"Is she reporting Bethany?"
"I thought she was her lackey."
"She always follows her around…"
Mrs. Bear frowned. "What are you talking about? Who assaulted you? Surely you're not mistaking roughhousing between classmates for something serious."
She laughed lightly.
My gaze hardened.
"Are you unaware that my clothes are soaked?" I asked evenly. "Or do you simply not consider bullying serious?"
The laughter in the room died instantly.
Mrs. Bear blinked, surprised. I had never spoken to her like that before.
Bethany's expression shifted from shock… to a small smirk.
She still believed the teacher would protect her.
Interesting.
Mrs. Bear cleared her throat. "Scarlett, let's not exaggerate. Bethany said it was an accident."
I slowly stood.
"If this school chooses not to address assault appropriately," I said calmly, "then I'll have no choice but to escalate this matter to the school board."
The classroom erupted into gasps.
Mrs. Bear's face paled slightly.
Bethany's smirk faltered.
She stood quickly. "It was a mistake! I only splashed water on you because you were ignoring me! I was trying to wake you up!"
Her voice cracked slightly.
That fear…
It was new.
I looked at her without blinking.
No emotion. No warmth.
Just calculation.
Bethany shifted uncomfortably under my gaze.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she snapped. "I'm your best friend!"
Best friend.
How laughable.
Mrs. Bear crossed her arms. "Scarlett, you're one of my top students. Don't create unnecessary drama over something small."
Small?
I tilted my head slightly.
"If someone throws water on another person without consent," I said clearly, "that is physical misconduct. Intent does not erase the act."
Silence.
Even Bridget, Bethany's loudest supporter, hesitated before shouting—
"Who do you think you are talking like that? You're just her follower!"
Follower.
The word didn't sting anymore.
Because this time…
I wasn't following anyone.
I was leading.
And this was only the beginning.
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Chapter 2
Part 2: This Is Where It Begins
Mrs. Bear stared at Scarlett, her thoughts racing.
What happened to the quiet, meek girl who never complained? she wondered. This isn't the same girl from earlier… she's different.
Scarlett's gaze swept across the room. Her lips barely moved, yet her words seemed to echo inside Scarlett's mind.
It was unsettling.
A strange tension filled the air.
Then suddenly—
Scarlett felt dizzy.
A haze clouded her thoughts. Her vision blurred, and the classroom tilted sideways.
The whispers around her faded into a distant hum.
And without warning…
She collapsed.
⸻
When she opened her eyes again, the world felt quiet.
Too quiet.
The fluorescent lights above her buzzed softly. A faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air.
The nurse's office.
Scarlett blinked slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. Her body felt heavy, like she had just woken from a dream she couldn't remember.
Or maybe… not a dream.
What just happened? she wondered.
Fragments of memory flashed through her mind.
Mrs. Bear's voice.
The silence.
The way it felt like her words had reached beyond sound.
Her chest tightened.
Why did I hear her voice… when her lips weren't moving?
A chill ran down her spine.
Scarlett slowly sat up on the narrow bed. The room spun slightly before settling.
She turned her head and spotted the clock on the wall.
3:36 PM.
School was over.
Her heart skipped.
Grandma.
She was supposed to go straight to her grandmother's house after school.
Scarlett swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood carefully. The floor felt steady now.
She glanced around the room—
And froze.
Her bag sat neatly beside the bed.
She was certain she had left it in the classroom.
Slowly, she reached down and unzipped it.
Everything was there.
Nothing missing.
But she didn't remember anyone bringing it to her.
A strange unease crept into her chest.
Scarlett slipped the bag over her shoulder and walked out of the nurse's office without a word.
The hallway was nearly empty.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
And for the first time that day…
Scarlett wasn't sure if what happened in that classroom had been entirely normal.
———————————————————
Chapter 2
Part 3: This Is Where It Begins
I heard someone calling my name as I walked down the half-empty hallway.
"Scarlett… Scarlett! I'm calling you. Are you deaf or something? Don't you hear me?"
I stopped in my tracks and slowly looked back.
There she was.
Bethany Brown.
Bethany Brown was supposed to be my best friend. We grew up together in the same town, from elementary school all the way to high school. In my past life, I always looked up to Bethany. I gave her everything—every benefit I received from my grandma, I shared with her.
But I never realized how greedy and conniving she truly was.
She was like a fox in sheep's clothing.
Finally… today I'm cutting my ties with her, I thought to myself.
And I'm going to give her what she deserves—ten times over.
Bethany stopped in front of me and looked me up and down before letting out a small smirk.
Bethany's thoughts
There's nothing wrong with her. Why was she acting like she was dying earlier, fainting on the floor like I did something to her? I'm going to put her in her place. Freaking dog.
I stared at Bethany's face.
Her lips were not moving.
Yet I could hear her voice clearly.
Shock ran through me.
I could read her thoughts.
So what happened in the classroom earlier… was real.
"What was all that in class?" Bethany demanded. "Why are you making such a big scene? How could you treat your best friend like this?"
I looked at her with confusion, trying to understand what was happening. I could hear her thoughts while she spoke at the same time.
This was getting interesting.
I smiled at her.
"I see you've gotten too comfortable bossing me around," I said calmly. "Like I'm your follower… or maybe your lackey."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Let me ask you something. Are you really my best friend… or am I just your slave?"
As I spoke, I stepped closer to her. My stare was cold—no warmth, no emotion. Only hatred.
Bethany slowly stepped backward, clearly confused. It was as if she couldn't understand why I was defying her. She was used to controlling me.
But now she was losing that control.
Step by step, she moved back until her back hit the wall.
I looked straight into her eyes.
"I don't believe best friends treat people the way you do," I said quietly. "So starting today, don't call me your friend anymore. We're done."
My voice turned colder.
"I don't need you. And if you cross me one more time… you will regret it."
I turned around and walked away without another word.
Behind me, Bethany stood frozen—shocked, scared, and furious. She couldn't believe I had spoken to her that way.
For the first time…
Bethany Brown was afraid of me.
But I knew her well.
She would never back down.
This was only the beginning.
And this time, with Grandma's help, I would make sure everyone who ever tried to step on me would learn their lesson.
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