KENZIE
1013 Words
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AURELIA'S POV
Every step back to my dorm felt heavier than the last. The cuts on my knees throbbed beneath the fresh bandages Zane had wrapped so carefully. By the time I reached my room, my entire body ached.
I locked the door behind me, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto the bed without bothering to change.
I refused to think about today.
I refused to think about Kenzie.
Most of all, I refused to remember the humiliation that still clung to my skin no matter how many times I scrubbed myself.
Sleep eventually claimed me.
It wasn't peaceful.
Every time I closed my eyes, I heard laughter. Every whisper sounded like it was aimed at me.
When morning finally arrived, exhaustion settled over me like a second blanket.
I hadn't really slept; I only tossed and tossed until the sun rose.
The room felt suffocating, so I pushed open the window. A blast of icy air rushed inside, carrying flakes of snow that melted against the windowsill.
The freezing wind stung my cheeks and I welcomed it. At least the cold distracted me from everything else.
After getting dressed, I grabbed my bag and forced myself toward class.
The hallway buzzed with conversation but the moment I appeared, the noise shifted.
Their voices lowered heads turned.
A pair of girls standing near the lockers exchanged a glance before one leaned toward the other and whispered something behind her hand.
Another student looked straight at me before covering his mouth to hide a grin.
I kept walking.
Maybe they weren't talking about me.
Maybe I was imagining it.
That lie lasted exactly three seconds.
"There she is."
"Does she still smell?"
"I heard..." The rest disappeared beneath another round of muffled laughter.
I stared straight ahead.
If I acknowledged them, I would break.
When I reached my classroom, my stomach dropped. Kenzie sat on top of my desk as though it belonged to her.
One elegant leg rested over the other while three girls surrounded her, hanging onto every word she spoke.
"You always smell amazing," one of them gushed, smiling up at her.
Kenzie tucked a strand of glossy hair behind her ear before flashing a modest smile that looked practiced.
"It's nothing expensive," she replied lightly. "My mother bought it for me."
Another girl inhaled dramatically.
"It smells incredible."
"I'll send you the brand," Kenzie promised, patting the girl's hand.
Their attention shifted the instant I stepped inside and the smiles disappeared.
One girl wrinkled her nose, another dramatically waved a hand in front of her face. "Something stinks."
"I noticed it too."
Quiet giggles spread across the room and heat rushed into my face. I lowered my gaze and walked to my seat.
Kenzie didn't move.
Instead, she planted both palms on my desk. The loud smack echoed through the classroom Conversations stopped, every head turned toward us.
Several students immediately reached for their phones.
My heartbeat stumbled.
Kenzie climbed down from the desk with graceful ease before stopping directly in front of me.
Her expression softened. "I'm sorry about yesterday." The apology sounded so sincere that several students exchanged surprised looks.
I didn't answer.
She tilted her head. "Can you forgive me?"
I looked into her eyes. There wasn't a single trace of guilt, only amusement.
"What are you planning?" I asked quietly.
A tiny smile flickered across her lips before vanishing. She slowly turned toward the rest of the class.
"I told you," she sighed, spreading her hands helplessly. "She wouldn't believe me."
Someone frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kenzie glanced back at me with the expression of someone trying far too hard to be understanding.
"I wanted to apologize," she explained gently. "I know she's still grieving her mom, so I figured she's been under a lot of stress lately."
Several classmates nodded sympathetically.
"I wasn't expecting her to trust me."
The room erupted with laughter.
Someone muttered, "She's completely paranoid."
Another student chuckled.
"Kenzie is literally apologizing."
"She's making herself look worse." A third student scoffed.
My ears rang.
Every laugh felt louder than the last.
Kenzie covered her mouth with a delicate laugh, shaking her head as though she found the situation embarrassing.
"It's okay," she murmured sweetly. "I understand." She stepped closer until only I could hear her, the smile never left her face.
"Do you know why they believed me so easily?" she whispered, her voice smooth.
I stared at her without speaking. "Because people like you are easy to replace."
Her eyes glittered with satisfaction.
"I barely had to try."
My fingers curled into fists.
She leaned even closer.
"You should remember your place."
Her perfume drifted around me.
"I only gave you a warning yesterday," she continued so softly that no one else noticed. "Next time, I won't stop with embarrassing you."
She glanced toward the classroom door before looking back at me.
"Stay away from Zane." The warmth disappeared from her eyes. "If you don't, I'll make this school feel smaller than a prison."
She straightened her blazer as though nothing had happened.
"Have a nice day, Aurelia."
Kenzie walked away wearing the smile of someone who had just performed an act of kindness.
The classroom buzzed with admiration.
"She's so mature."
"I would've been angry."
"Kenzie is too nice."
The praise echoed through the room.
None of them had heard the threat hidden beneath her gentle voice. None of them had seen the cruelty behind her smile.
My hands shook uncontrollably and my breathing became uneven.
The laughter refused to stop. It bounced around my head until I couldn't tell whether it was real anymore.
Something cracked and I looked down.
The pen in my hand had snapped clean in half. Ink stained my fingers.
I didn't care.
My chair scraped violently across the floor as I shot to my feet. The sharp sound silenced the classroom every pair of eyes landed on me.
Kenzie had almost reached the door.
Without thinking, I bent down, picked up the broken half of my pen, and stormed after her.
- Writer
