Their Favorite Victim, Their Worst Nightmare

Chapter 3 : A New Era

Chapter 3 : A New Era

A new day begins. Another chapter is about to unfold.

Standing in front of my mirror, I look at my reflection, just as surprised to see how much these past two years have changed everything.

I carry a wound inside me that, unfortunately, will only heal once I get my revenge.

Today, I'm setting foot in this academy again. The academy of my nightmares, where I was at the mercy of a small group of people whose greatest pleasure was hurting and humiliating me.

Wearing my uniform, perfectly fitted to my new figure, I close the door with my head held high.

"I'm ready."

I leave behind the Lena who once wore this uniform, "the scared, chubby girl who was bullied."

As I walk downstairs, I see Mom with a worried look on her face.

"Mom, I know what you're thinking," I say.

"Lena, my daughter, do you think you're ready to face them? I don't want you to hurt yourself."

She takes my hand, and I can tell from her eyes that she wants to beg me not to go back. But I stand my ground and smile.

"Look at me, Mom. Do I look unhappy, weak, or scared?"

"No," she answers.

"I'm strong, just like you… and you've always taught me how to rise from the ashes… and that's exactly what I want to do. The only way for me to realize that I've made it through my past is to face it again."

"But Lena…"

"No, Mom. I've made up my mind. It's almost time. I have to go. And don't worry about me. I'll take the bus. You don't need to drive me there anymore."

"And if you run into him, how are you going to react, Lena? Please, stay away from them."

"Mom, we talked about this yesterday… What I do will depend on what happens. Don't worry. I'm going there to finish my studies and prove to myself that I'm stronger than what happened to me two years ago. Isn't that what you and the psychologist wanted me to do? Move on? Well, this is the first step, and I need you to encourage me, not be afraid."

"I'm a whole new Lena. Believe me, I intend to enjoy my year."

She nods, a slight smile on her lips. I smile back. I can tell she's feeling more at ease.

The bus is here, and I get on.

Half an hour later, I'm standing in front of the same unchanged building. It looks just the same, but brighter, with more vivid colors. It's almost as if the place itself has a new life.

A new reign. A new era.

"Yes, I'm moving on, but moving on means something different to me. It means getting revenge. I came back for one reason only: revenge. Revenge for the humiliation, the hatred, and to put an end to your reign. You showed me no mercy. There's no way you're getting away with this. Crystal, Lilly, Clovis, Marc, Marcus, and you, Steven. This time, we'll play by my rules."

I walk down that same hallway. The memories come rushing back. I keep moving, carrying the past in my eyes like an unforgettable mark.

But this time, one thing doesn't seem to have changed. Well, almost.

Everyone's eyes are on me, their stares just as intense as they are unsettling.

"Do they recognize me that easily?"

I keep walking, pretending not to notice their attitude, or at least how persistent their stares are, when suddenly…

"That's Mia!!" a high-pitched voice exclaims.

"Mia, Mia, Mia… This is unbelievable. It's Mia!"

And it's only when they come closer that I realize my channel has made me "famous" in real life, beyond the borders of the internet.

"You're amazing. And you're even prettier in person," one of them says, looking at me with admiration.

"Yes, this is incredible, Mia. Thank you for helping me believe in myself again. And my brother too. He's also a victim of bullying at his school. Thanks to you, we feel better about ourselves," another adds.

Behind a phone screen, you can read the messages and watch the numbers go up, but you can't really understand what it means in real life. Today, I realize that my channel has made a difference. It has helped everyone who has experienced bullying feel heard and regain their confidence.

I look at their smiling faces, and a warm feeling fills my chest.

Suddenly, they exchange a quick, cold glance and freeze behind me.

"What's wrong?" I ask. When I turn around, I come face-to-face with my targets: for now, Crystal and Lilly.

"Oh, well… Mia Moore," Crystal says.

"I'm burning up inside. So, she knows me too. That makes things easier. But the real question is whether she'll connect me to Lena. That's not what I'm here for."

I stay alert without letting them notice too much.

She walks forward with a queen-like attitude, looking down on everyone. The years have only made her even more confident in her arrogant attitude, almost as if the world around her doesn't matter. Honestly, I don't think it has ever mattered to her.

By her side is Lilly Williams, still following her around, I see. She's also still playing the role of the "loyal" partner in crime.

I watch them approach, completely surprised by this unexpected interest in me.

"Mia…"

"Yes…"

"Be careful… These girls are trouble. We're going to go now!"

"All right. I hope we'll have time to get to know each other… I'm in my final year."

"So are we… I'm Alexia."

"And I'm Winnie."

"I'm Mia. You already know that. It's nice to meet you."

"Mia?" Crystal's voice rings out again.

"See you later."

They walk away, giving Crystal one last cold look.

I turn around, and suddenly, all the memories come rushing back.

My fists tighten…

"Lena, calm down," I tell myself with a deep sigh.

"Yes, do you recognize me from somewhere?"

"Of course! You're super famous!" Lilly exclaims excitedly before Crystal shuts her down with a cold, warning look.

"Oh! I wasn't expecting to find some of my subscribers at my new school. That's great!"

"Yes, Mia, you've got a fan base. But anyway, I recognized you, and that proves I appreciate your work. You should be proud of yourself."

"Uh… I didn't do it for the recognition. You know about bullying, right?"

Suddenly, they fall silent and exchange quick glances.

"Of course you know what it is. You're the ones behind it, you stupid idiots."

"Well… I just remembered that we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Crystal Quincy, and this is Lilly Williams. This is a prestigious school, and who better than me to show you around? If you don't mind, of course."

"Since when are you so nice, Crystal?"

"Usually, I don't need anyone's help, but since you're asking so nicely, why not? Let's go."

They walk ahead, making sure to show me every corner of the place. What they don't know is that I recognize every single one of them. And in each of these exact spots, I remember what they did to me in front of everyone, acting as if they were better than me.

"What's this place?" I suddenly ask, noticing a new room that wasn't here two years ago.

"This is where you'll find the hottest guys in the academy," Crystal answers.

"But Crystal, this area is only for the players," Lilly adds.

"Stop it, Lilly. Nothing is off-limits to me."

I walk in and discover an ice hockey arena.

"Our ice hockey arena. Two years ago, the academy decided to get into sports…"

"Our athletes are the hottest, especially…"

Her eyes lock onto one person in particular…

"He's the hottest and strongest of them all."

At that same moment, the players leave the rink and walk toward us…

I notice that Crystal can't take her eyes off him…

"Aaron… I…"

For the first time, Crystal loses her composure in front of someone, to the point where she can't even find the words.

By accident, our eyes meet. Suddenly, I feel a tingling sensation in my chest. A loud "bang" echoes inside me.

"Damn."

He walks right past us without saying a single word, not even to "Queen Crystal."

"Damn, Crystal. Aaron really isn't falling for your charm."

"LILLY!!" she snaps, blushing with anger.

"So, Aaron has caught her attention. Very well. Then he'll become my tool."

And just behind him, who do I see?

"Mia, let me introduce you to Marc and Marcus."

"Girls… What brings you here?"

"They've only gotten taller… but they're still not very bright, and they still look just as messy."

"Guys, stop arguing," Lilly says as she sees them getting closer, still fighting.

"Marc keeps stealing my girlfriends. What am I supposed to do?"

"Stealing girlfriends… Okay, I'll remember that too."

"That's enough! Let me introduce you to Mia."

"Mia. Marc and…"

"Marcus…?"

"I messed up. Oops."

"Uh, I suppose that's right?" I say, trying to recover when I see their surprised faces.

"I like this girl already. Yeah, I'm Marcus. Nice to meet you."

He leans forward, takes my hand, and kisses it.

"Seriously. This is all a little too easy, if you ask me."

"And I'm Marc. Nice to meet you," he says with a smile too. And the furious look from his twin brother doesn't help matters.

"You guys are unbelievable. Anyway… Let's keep going, Mia."

"Uh… Where's Clovis?"

"As usual, he missed morning practice."

"Typical Clovis. He'll never change."

As we walk out, who do I see?

"Clovis, the bully."

"Speak of the devil! Here he comes. Clovis, this is Mia. Mia, this is Clovis."

His cold stare is still the same.

"Yeah… Sorry, guys. I had something to take care of."

"Thanks for the tour, but I think I'll keep going and follow the crowd. Bye."

"Uh, wait."

He stops me.

"Are you talking to me?" I ask, turning around.

I don't lower my eyes, and I get the feeling that it catches his attention.

"Yes, of course. Clovis Stuart. Nice to meet you."

"Mia Moore. Crystal and Lilly, right?"

Crystal looks at me with her usual smug expression. Lilly, on the other hand, nods in agreement.

"And the twins, Marc and Marcus. It was nice meeting all of you, but now I have to continue on my own. Maybe I'll see you around."

Then I turn around and tear apart the web Crystal wanted to weave.

For my first day, I managed to get right into the group without even trying.

Things are about to get very interesting.

But according to… MY RULES.