CHAPTER 5: UNEXPECTED BETRAYAL
544 Words
CHAPTER 5: UNEXPECTED BETRAYAL
Camila's pov
The next morning, I woke up and got ready, feeling strange.
As I stepped off the bus, I immediately spotted Isabella waiting near the gate.
"There she is!" she called.
"Why are you always so energetic in the morning?" I grumbled.
"Because one of us has to be."
We walked into the building together.
Almost immediately, students started whispering around us.
I rolled my eyes. "I swear these people are obsessed with me."
"They're obsessed with Adrian," Isabella corrected. "And unfortunately, you're connected to him."
"By a freaking school project."
"Same thing."
I sighed.
By lunchtime, things had only gotten worse.
Everywhere I went, students stared.
A few girls even stopped talking the moment I walked past.
When I entered the cafeteria with Isabella, I immediately spotted Adrian sitting alone.
He looked up and, to my surprise, gestured toward the empty seat across from him.
"Oh no."
"What?" Isabella asked.
"He's inviting me over."
Isabella gasped. "You're kidding."
"I wish."
Across the room, Adrian raised an eyebrow. Clearly waiting.
I briefly considered pretending I hadn't seen him.
Unfortunately, he was already looking at me.
I had no choice but to accept his offer.
"You look stressed," Adrian said as I sat down.
"You make people stare at me."
He looked around before meeting my eyes again.
"They were already staring."
I rolled my eyes and studied him with an annoyed expression.
"Do you ever have a normal conversation?"
Adrian leaned back in his chair. "I am having a normal conversation."
"No, you're answering like a robot."
For the first time, a small smile appeared on his face.
"A robot?" He asked, amused.
"A rich robot."
He looked offended. "Well, that's very insulting."
I chuckled.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Surprisingly, the silence wasn't awkward.
It felt comfortable. Adrian took a sip of his drink.
"Did you finish the research I sent you yesterday?"
I groaned dramatically.
"Yes, I did."
Natalie watched us from across the cafeteria.
Her grip tightened around her juice box.
Her eyes twitched, and her jaw clenched so hard it looked like she might c***k a tooth.
Then she stood up and left the room.
After I finished eating and said goodbye to Adrian, I started looking for Isabella.
She was nowhere to be found in the cafeteria, so I assumed she had a class and headed to the girls' restroom to freshen up.
As I passed a nearby classroom, the voices caught my attention.
I stopped walking.
"I don't care how you do it."
The voice sounded familiar.
"You were paid for a reason."
My heart stopped in my chest.
It couldn't be.
I took a quiet step closer and peeked inside.
Three girls stood at the back of the classroom—the same girls who had bullied me. The same girls who had dumped lunch on me.
Standing before them was another girl. Her back was facing me.
"I've been patient long enough."
One of the girls shifted nervously. "We tried-"
"I don't care for your stupid excuses." The girl yelled.
Her voice was cold.
It sounded nothing like the cheerful voice I heard every day.
I let out a loud gasp, and the girl turned back, our eyes meeting.
"Isabella?"
- Writer
