Sunset Lines on Notebook Paper

CHAPTER 5: NEW SCHEMES, OLD LIES

News of what happened during the Math exam spread quickly around school. Students started whispering, noticing that Elias was no longer as harsh toward me as he used to be. Some even saw him giving me small favors or stopping others when they tried to bully me.

But while I felt relieved and hopeful, Kian and Trina were furious. They had worked hard to paint me as the villain, and now everything they built was starting to crumble right in front of their eyes.

They met behind the gymnasium after class, their expressions dark and angry.

“This can’t be happening!” Trina hissed, pacing back and forth. “Elias is actually starting to believe her! He’s defending her, talking to her… it’s like he’s under some kind of spell!”

Kian leaned against the wall, his usual charming smile replaced by a cold, calculating look. “Of course he is. Lila looks so innocent and helpless, it’s easy for people to feel sorry for her. But we can’t let this continue. If Elias finds out the truth, everything we planned will be ruined.”

“So what do we do?” Trina asked, crossing her arms. “We need to make sure he goes back to hating her. We need something bigger, something that will make him never trust her again.”

Kian’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Leave it to me. I have the perfect plan. Something that will make Elias think she betrayed him in the worst way possible.”

A few days later, strange things started happening.

Items belonging to Elias began disappearing. First it was his limited edition basketball jersey, then his expensive drawing tablet, and even the special sketchbook where he kept his new artworks. Every time something went missing, it would later be found in my locker or inside my bag.

At first, Elias tried to doubt what he was seeing. He would return the items to himself, telling himself that it was just another prank or coincidence. But when it happened over and over again, even his doubts started to fade, replaced by confusion and rising anger.

“Why do you keep doing this?” he asked me one afternoon, cornering me near the school garden. His voice was low and sharp, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. “I was starting to think you were different, Lila. I was starting to believe you weren’t as bad as everyone said. But you keep proving me wrong.”

I shook my head desperately, panic rising in my chest. “I didn’t take anything, Elias! Someone is putting those things there to frame me! You have to believe me!”

“Believe you?” He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “How can I believe you when all the evidence points directly to you? Every time something goes missing, it ends up with you! What do you want from me anyway? Money? Attention? Or do you just enjoy making my life difficult?”

Before I could answer, Kian and Trina arrived, acting as if they had just stumbled upon the scene.

“Whoa, what’s going on here?” Kian asked, putting on his concerned expression. “Elias, why are you shouting at Lila again?”

“Ask her,” Elias snapped, pointing at me. “She’s been stealing my things and hiding them in her belongings.”

Trina gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her mouth. “Really? Oh Lila, how could you do that? Elias was starting to trust you! You really are just a greedy, manipulative girl after all!”

“I’m not!” I cried out, tears welling up in my eyes. “I told you, someone is framing me! I would never take anything that belongs to him!”

“Calm down, everyone,” Kian said, stepping between us. “Maybe we should check again. Lila, do you mind if we look through your bag one more time? Just to be sure?”

I nodded quickly, desperate to prove my innocence. “Go ahead! There’s nothing there that isn’t mine!”

But when Kian opened my bag, everyone was shocked to see Elias’ most prized possession—his National Arts Competition medal, the one he had won last year. It was resting right on top of my books.

“How did that get there?” Kian asked, feigning surprise. “Lila… why do you have this?”

I stared at the medal, my mind going blank. How? How did it get there? I had never even touched that medal before!

“I-I don’t know…” I whispered, trembling. “I swear I didn’t put it there…”

Elias looked at the medal, then at me. The softness and doubt that had been in his eyes earlier were completely gone, replaced by pure rage. He looked at me as if I had stabbed him in the chest.

“You lied to me,” he said, his voice cold and broken. “I gave you a chance, Lila. I tried to see the good in you. But you just used it to betray me even more.”

“Elias, please listen—”

“Save your lies!” he shouted, making me flinch back. “I don’t want to hear any more of your excuses! From now on, whatever happens to you, I won’t care anymore. You’re dead to me again—even more than before!”

He grabbed his medal and stormed away, not looking back even once. I tried to run after him, but Trina blocked my way, a triumphant smirk on her face.

“Nice try, nerd,” she whispered so only I could hear. “But you’ll never win against us. Elias will never believe you again. He’s mine, and you will always be nothing but a nuisance.”

Kian walked past me as well, patting my shoulder mockingly. “Better luck next time, Lila. Or should I say… there won’t be a next time.”

They left me standing there alone, crying my heart out. All the hope I had built up was shattered in just a few minutes. I felt so helpless, knowing exactly who was behind this but having no way to prove it.

For the next few weeks, Elias went back to being my worst enemy—even worse than before. He ignored me completely, and whenever he had to speak to me, his words were filled with contempt and disgust. He stopped defending me, and even joined in when others made fun of me, believing I deserved every bit of it.

It hurt more than ever, because this time I knew he had chosen to believe the lies over me.

But what Kian and Trina didn’t expect was that Elias’ mind was not as easy to control as they thought. Even though he acted like he hated me again, deep down, the doubt never truly disappeared.

There were still moments when he would catch me looking sad or lonely, and his heart would ache. He would remember how I never defended myself, how I always looked scared and confused whenever I was accused of something. He found himself watching me again, but this time he was more careful, trying to find any clue that would tell him the truth.

One afternoon, he stayed behind after class, hiding near the classroom entrance. He wanted to see if anyone would come near my things when I wasn’t around. After waiting for almost an hour, he saw Kian and Trina approaching, looking around to make sure no one was watching.

He watched as Trina took a small item from her bag and slipped it into my locker, while Kian stood guard. They laughed and whispered to each other, clearly pleased with what they had done.

Elias’ eyes widened in shock and anger. So it was true. I was being framed all along. Everything he believed was a lie, and he had fallen right into their trap.

He clenched his fists tightly, his blood boiling with rage—not just at them, but at himself for being so blind and stupid. He had hurt me, hated me, and pushed me away, all because he trusted the wrong people.

He stepped out from his hiding place, his presence making them freeze in their tracks.

“Elias!” Trina said, forcing a smile. “We didn’t see you there! We were just—”

“Shut up,” Elias said, his voice cold and dangerous. “I saw everything. Every single thing you did. You framed her, didn’t you? You made me hate her for something she never did.”

Kian quickly recovered his composure, putting on his usual mask. “Elias, you’re misunderstanding. We were just… returning something she lent us. That’s all.”

“Do I look like an i***t to you?” Elias took a step forward, and they instinctively stepped back. “I’ve had enough of your games. I trusted you, I believed you, and you used me just to get what you want. You two are the real liars and manipulators, not Lila.”

“Elias, please!” Trina pleaded, grabbing his arm, but he pulled away roughly. “We did this for you! She was just going to hurt you eventually! We were protecting you!”

“Protecting me?” Elias laughed bitterly. “You were protecting your own interests. You wanted me all to yourself, and Kian wanted to stay on top. Well, congratulations. You succeeded. But you also lost the only person who ever truly cared about the truth.”

He turned around and walked away, leaving them standing there pale and nervous. He knew he had a lot of making up to do. He had hurt me so much, and he didn’t even know if I would ever forgive him. But one thing was certain—he would do everything in his power to make things right, no matter what it took.