LAUGHTER

Chapter 11 Unimpressed

Laughter's POV

Vanessa had somehow transformed the cafeteria into her personal stage.She started singing loudly,her voice slicing through the air like she owned it because in her world,she did.

Her so called backup dancers,Sasha,Beatrice,and Penelope swayed behind her,hitting rehearsed poses and dramatic twirls.The spotlight,though,never left Vanessa,I wonder why the cafeterias light would go off and a spotlight created.And more specifically, her eyes never left me.

Every note she hit was aimed like an arrow in my direction,every glance,a performance.It was almost theatrical...or desperate.

Then,in the middle of this circus,the cafeteria doors opened again.

They were too far from where I sat to see clearly, but something about the sound of the door,sharp, clear,made me pause.I waited,curious.

Then I saw her.

She was a few inches shorter than me,wore glasses, and had her hair tied neatly in a ponytail.A small backpack clung to her shoulders.But what truly caught my eye was how...different she looked.

She was the first girl I'd seen in this school dressed like an actual student,skirt just above the knee,shirt perfectly tucked,blazer crisp,shoes laced,stockings neat.No makeup.No distractions.Just pure elegance wrapped in quiet confidence.

Even through the cafeteria noise,I could tell she was affected by Vanessa's performance.Her forehead was creased,face slightly twisted in discomfort,despite the headphones over her ears.

"Their singing must really be that bad"I thought.

Suddenly,the boy behind me leaned forward."Hey bro,that beauty you're staring at?That's Natasha Williams. She's the governor's daughter.”

I turned slightly."And who are you?"

He grinned."Jamiel.Mayor's son."

I nodded."Nice to meet you.I'm Laughter Clark.My mom owns Laughter Restaurant&Resorts.She's also the Minister of Food"

His eyes widened."Bro!The pleasure's all mine.No wonder you look so chill in this mess and also look so familiar"

He pointed subtly at Vanessa."Looks like she's into you.She's been singing and dancing in your direction since you walked in.Normally,she's a big bully,but you've got her acting like a music video extra"

I shrugged."She can sing,dance,or go naked for all I care"

Jamiel chuckled,half shocked,half impressed.

I stood up,slipping my hands into my pockets."See you later,Jamiel"

And with that,I walked away past the spotlight,past Vanessa's stare,and toward something real... or at least,someone.

As I stepped out of the cafeteria, something made me turn back,her.Just a quick glance at Natasha. Still seated,still composed,but something in her eyes told me she'd noticed everything too.

But before I could look away,Vanessa stormed up and blocked my path,standing directly in front of me like a final boss in a video game.

She wasn't looking at me at first,she was glaring at Natasha,her eyes sharp and blazing,like she wanted to burn her alive with a single look.Then,slowly,she turned back to me and smiled.

But it wasn't a real smile.It was too wide,too polished.Like a photoshopped expression pasted on her face.

"So..."she began sweetly,"did you like the song?"