Chapter 1
It was the usual sunny morning in Pierre Wood Springs – a laid back, cozy town, hidden away from the usual frenzy and hustle bustle of the rest of the USA. This town was like an oasis, where one could easily dream of leading a pastoral life or perhaps a meditative life. However, one of the most popular highschools in the town had a different story to tell.
The Mountain Ridge High or MR as the students like to call it, was having its usual morning clamor. The cars were zooming around to have a “good” parking spot, giggles and gossips could be heard in the corridors and a few overworked souls were trying to finish their homeworks in record time.
Out of the corner of her eye, Emilia saw George walk past her. He had new, shiny, monstrous black headphones dangling around his neck. The showoff! Em rolled her eyes. They were in the locker room and their lockers happened to be in the same row.Emilia shut her locker, saw George’s retreating figure and turned to her friends who were chatting around her, laughing and talking about what they did over the weekend.
“What is it Em?” One of them asked.
“Nothing.” She replied, turning her attention towards the group. “Did any of you watch that new show on TV?”
“The one where the main girl wants to be an opera singer?”
“Yeah. That one.”
And just like that, they strode off, discussing the bizarre storyline of the new show.
.
.
“Oh my god…”
“What’s wrong?” Asked Layla.
Mary stepped aside to let Layla see the wreckage. Someone had messed with Emilia’s desk. Her books were strewn on the desk and the ground. Notebooks torn. Pens and pencils with broken lead were scattered on the ground. Her bag was hanging behind the chair, with all its chains wide open.
“Who-”
“Hey Layla. Can I borrow your essay? I thought it was due tomorrow so I had only done half of it. I mean seriously, we need an extension-”
“Em.” Layla called out, quietly. At that, Emilia took a proper look at her desk. Her face became blank as her classmates watched in apprehension.
“She’s not gonna become a beast and tear someone’s head off.” Mary began, her tone annoyed. Everyone’s attention turned to her. Certainly she has lost it, they thought. Someone whistled.
“Do your own work.” She snapped. At that they stopped staring at Emilia and resumed what they were doing previously, but their main focus now being Emilia.
“Who can do something like this?” Layla said, coming to stand beside Emilia. “I mean, they have guts, I’ll tell you that.”
“Hey Joseph.”
The said guy turned, his eyes taking in the scene in front of him. It seemed he was also registering it for the first time – his eyes widened and snapped back to Emilia’s.
“Who did it?” Emilia asked, simply.
“I don’t know. I didn’t see-”
“Oh, okay.” She said as Mary and Layla gave each other a look.
“Then I guess, you wouldn’t mind,” Emilia began as she walked to the front of the class, “me telling the class about what you were doing last Tuesday?” She turned to face him fully. His face turned white.
“You know,” She continued, “what you did at the park behind school, with M-”
His eyes widened in realization and he jumped up,
“It was George!”
Without so much as sparing him a glance, Emilia went off towards his class. That strutting peacock needs to be taught a lesson!
….
George was leant back in his seat, his eyes closed as he listened to music on his headphones. Few of his classmates were playing ‘catch’ with a paper ball; others were just talking and laughing.
Emilia stood at the back gate of the class, contemplating what to do. Then, an idea clicked.
She quietly walked towards George. Upon reaching him, she stood still for a second to see if he had noticed her. He hadn’t.
She reached forward and yanked the headphones off of his head. His eyes shot open and he scrambled to get up. “What-”
Not giving him a chance to speak, Emilia started towards the window of the class. A few students got out of her way, too stunned to speak. The others gathered around for the dose of drama that was about to unfold.
“What are you doing?!” She heard George shout behind her.
‘Something,’ she thought whilst opening the window, ‘I should’ve done long ago.’ With as much force as she could muster, she threw the headphone out into the school courtyard.
A dull thud resonated in the classroom. A few people gasped and watched both George and Emilia with baited breath. Em was sure everyone’s mouth had hung open.
She turned to be met by George’s confused and shocked face, which was now fast transforming into an angry one.
“How dare you?!” He shouted as he stomped towards her and grabbed her collar. She didn’t say a word. Just stared at him. That made him angrier.
“You bi-”
She didn’t let him finish. She put her hands on his shoulder and pushed him hard. He stumbled back. Apparently, a trance was broken as he shook his head a little. Emilia straightened her shirt.
“I dare. Why did you fool around with my belongings?” she hissed.
George raised an eyebrow.
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
There it was again. His supremely confident denial about anything where he could be wrong. It required one to have convincing facial expressions along with an unfaltering voice. Having good looks probably helped, but Em was beyond it. To her he was just a moron!
Apparently the halo of false confidence also required one to blatantly deny the things they had done, no matter who had witnessed it. If you were rigid enough, the lie would become the truth.
Two could play the game.
“Oh really? Are you implying that my classmates were lying?”
“Well seeing that they breathe in the same room as you, I wouldn’t be surprised.” He replied with a hint of a smirk on his lips.
One could never be totally prepared for George’s comebacks. Even with that knowledge, Emilia was taken aback. She scoffed at him but she was struggling to find a befitting reply.
“If that can make them liars, I am amazed how I see no additional snakes here.”
Layla quietly sniggered, but it was still loud enough for them to hear.
George narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to reply but his time was cut short by Mary. “The teacher’s coming.” She called out.
As if on cue, Emilia walked around the dark-haired male and joined her friends at the classroom’s door.
“You’ll pay for that.” George warned but Emilia was gone. She had heard him but chose to not reply. As they made their way back to the class, Layla asked, “What if Joseph was lying? Wouldn’t that get you in trouble?”
Mary rolled her eyes at that. “If you do get in trouble just say you didn’t do it. We’ll cover for you.”
Layla gave her a disapproving look. “What if no one believes her?”
“If my classmates can lie, so can his. Let him try.” Emilia replied, turning to look at them. “But promise me that you’ll cover for me if something happens.”
“As if we have a choice.” Layla teased.
Their Economics teacher gave them an exasperated look as they huddled near the classroom’s door. “Oops, we’re late again.” Layla whispered.
“This is the fourth time this month! Just stand outside and let me teach those who have actually come to school to learn and not fool around.” They nodded their heads, not really listening and stood outside, leaning against the wall.
“Say, wanna play I spy?” And they spent the rest of the period playing, laughing and complaining.
