Chapter 002
1201 Words
Chapter 2
Wren
I cried for ten minutes before finally pulling myself together and leaving the library.
My head was a mess, and my chest ached with every breath. Questions kept running through my mind.
When had they started doing this behind my back?
Poppy had sat with me, laughed with me, come to my house, listened to me talk about Axel. Meanwhile, Axel had continued playing the role of the perfect boyfriend. All while they were sneaking around behind my back.
Fucking cowards.
Why do it behind my back?
If they wanted to be together, they could have come clean. They could have told me the truth. It would've hurt, sure, but it would've been a thousand times better than finding them like this.
The moment I saw them together, I knew they had crossed the line.And not just crossed it. They had obliterated it.
Sleeping with the girl I called my best friend was beyond low. It wasn't something I could forgive. It wasn't something I could pretend never happened.
They had played me. Played with my emotions. Made a fool out of me. The worst part was that they probably thought I'd never find out.
Well, they were wrong.
Axel might not know me that well, but Poppy did. Poppy knew exactly who I was. And she knew exactly what happened when someone betrayed me.
I was done crying over those pathetic losers. Done letting them hurt me. I was going to get my revenge.
One that would be loud, public, and satisfying.
Poppy's revenge would be slow. She deserved that much. We had years of friendship behind us, years of memories. She deserved to watch everything fall apart piece by piece.
But Axel?
His revenge would be quick.
Just like the length of our relationship.
One move.
One perfect move.
And he'd remember it for the rest of his life.
Because I already had a plan.
Just wait, you two fuckers.
. . .
The smartest thing I did was not let them see me in the library. They had no clue I knew about them. And that surprise was going to make everything so much better.
So for two days, I endured it. I sat across from them while they pretended nothing was happening.
Axel continued acting like the perfect boyfriend. Poppy continued acting like my best friend.
And now that I knew the truth, I could suddenly see everything I had been blind to before.
The stolen glances. The secret smiles. The casual touches whenever they thought no one was looking.
The way Poppy's eyes softened whenever she looked at him.
It was pathetic.
Honestly, it made me want to throw up. I wasn't going to confront her and cry about why she did this to me. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.
That would hand her power over me. And she didn't deserve that.
No.
I had much better plans.
I was a great friend. Loyal. Protective. But I was an even worse enemy. And now, thanks to her own choices, Poppy had made me her enemy.
"Alright, babe, I've got to go to practice. See you later." Axel stood from the lunch table and leaned down, intending to kiss me goodbye.
The moment he moved closer, I leaned back. Far enough that his lips met nothing but air.
The entire table noticed. A silence fell over the group.
Axel froze. His eyebrows shot up in confusion. "Babe?"
"Sorry, you ate onion rings, and you know how much I can't stand it," I said out loud.
Silence fell over the table for a second.
I had never done this to anyone before. Never humiliated someone. Never deliberately made anyone feel bad.
I wasn't a saint, but I wasn't a b***h either. I was somewhere in the middle. Unlike my former best friend.
"You've never complained about it before," Axel said, his smile slipping. He clearly hadn't expected that reaction from me. And it was humiliating for him. One thing I knew about Axel Hart was that he had a massive ego and cared far too much about his reputation.
"You're kidding, right? She's just kidding," Axel said with an awkward laugh.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Poppy's eyes widening in alarm. I simply shrugged innocently and pushed myself to my feet.
"Oh well, it's time for my practice too. See you later." I addressed everyone at the table before turning around and walking away.
That would definitely spark some gossip. Maybe a few rumors. But who cared?
This would all be over soon.
I was halfway across the cafeteria when Poppy hurried after me.
"What was that, Wren?" she demanded. "You were so rude to Axel."
I turned to look at her.
Her wavy chestnut hair framed her face, her glasses perched perfectly on her nose. The freckles dusting her cheeks made her look innocent and harmless.
Funny.
Looks could be incredibly deceiving.
"Oh? And why do you care how I treat my boyfriend?" I snapped.
The moment the words left my mouth, surprise flashed across her face.
Just looking at her made me want to scream. Or punch something. Maybe both.
But I had a plan. A satisfying plan.
She stared at me for a moment before recovering. "Is something bothering you?" she asked softly. "You've been acting really snappy lately. That's not like you."
The fake concern almost made me laugh.
Hypocrite.
"I'm fine," I replied. "Just stressed. The championship game is coming up." I adjusted the strap of my bag before continuing. "Besides, I really need to get to practice with the girls. You can't imagine how exhausting cheerleading can be on top of all the academic pressure."
I said it deliberately. I knew Poppy didn't like my popularity.
Being a cheerleader came with attention, friendships, invitations, and social circles.
People gravitated toward me. Poppy only really had me.
And despite that, I had always tried to make sure she never felt left out.
I gave her priority. Invited her everywhere I could. Made space for her in my life. I never wanted her to feel less important just because she wasn't part of the same social circles I was.
And in return? I got a conniving b***h for a best friend.
"But we were supposed to go to the mall together," Poppy said. "And have our girls' night."
I offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry. Can't make it. Practice, the girls, and—"
"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time. No need to repeat it." Her smile tightened. "Actually, I just remembered I have plans after school too, so we'll have to postpone."
Of course you do. With my boyfriend.
My blood boiled. But I smiled anyway. "See you around, Poppy."
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked away, leaving her standing there.
Gone were the days when I was good to you, Poppy.
Gone were the days when I would have done anything for our friendship.
Now?
Now you were going to find out exactly what happens when you betray the wrong person.
But first, I had unfinished business.
And my first target was none other than Axel Hart.
- Writer
