Chapter Ten: Thorns Beneath the Petals
938 Words
The glossy gates of Black-Vale Elite School shimmered in the morning sun as a new luxury car—a glittering pearl-white convertible—pulled up, drawing the attention of students like moths to flame. Out stepped Audrey, clad in a delicate cream dress that fluttered around her like angel wings. She adjusted her oversized sunglasses, flashed a saccharine smile, and whispered to herself, Let the act begin.
“She must be new. Look at that face. So... pure,” one girl murmured, captivated.
But for sss, who stood beneath a flowering cherry tree with her hair cascading like wildfire down her back, Audrey's appearance was nothing more than a stale page in a burned-out book. She took one bored glance before flicking her emerald eyes away and returning to her conversation with King, who had brought a can of strawberry soda and an odd plastic snake, attempting to prank her. (He failed. She kicked him lightly in the shin and stole his soda.)
Audrey noticed and stiffened.
She waited till lunch break to make her move.
---
The cafeteria was buzzing. Audrey stepped into the middle of the room, her lower lip trembling as she clutched her books.
"I... I didn’t want to come here. I just wanted to find my dear sister." Her voice cracked, and a perfect tear rolled down her cheek. “She left home… and we’ve been so worried. She’s not bad, really. She's just… misunderstood.”
Every student turned, whispering.
Amazon, who had just taken a bite of her sandwich, nearly choked. She stood, eyes hard as stone. “Sister? Don’t insult me.”
Audrey gasped softly.
“I’ve severed ties with your house of snakes. You’re not my family, Audrey. You’re a chapter I erased.”
The cafeteria fell silent. Even King stopped chewing his candy bar.
Audrey sniffled, voice small, "But... we're blood. I thought—"
“That’s your mistake.” sss walked away, unbothered.
Just then, Hermit entered the cafeteria.
His tailored black uniform clung like a second skin, and his gaze sliced through the tension like frost on steel. His eyes landed on Audrey.
“I suppose your audition for pity worked well on the crowd,” he said icily.
Audrey’s mouth parted. “I-I wasn’t acting—”
He tilted his head. “Don’t waste time here if you plan to use crocodile tears for sympathy. They don’t work on wolves.”
---
Meanwhile, King followed sss outside, now visibly amused.
“Not bad, Firecracker. You sure know how to burn bridges.”
She snorted. “I don’t build them just to watch them collapse.”
“Remind me never to get on your bad side.”
She gave him a lopsided grin. “Too late. You stole my soda.”
He tossed her a new can from behind his back. “Apology accepted?”
Amazon smirked but didn’t reply. From the shadows, Pisces and Scorpio watched the two interact.
“You think he likes her?” Pisces asked, slightly pouting.
Scorpio shrugged but didn’t answer.
---
Back at the Kingston Mansion, Sebastian, Hermit’s grandfather, stared at a screen. His brows furrowed.
“Find out who authorized the financial support for the Westbrook farm. And why their daughter ended up in our house.”
His voice was calm, but Mr. Willows felt his spine freeze. “Yes, sir.”
Sebastian looked out the window. “The past always returns. One way or another.”
---
Back in school, sss opened her locker to find an anonymous note:
“The snake has more heads than you think. Watch the ones that smile.”
Her eyes darkened.
------
That evening, the school group chat exploded with pictures—Audrey was seen crying into the shoulder of Norris, the popular student everyone adored.
The caption: “sss’s abandoned sister finds comfort in Black-Vale’s prince. What did she really go through at home?”
Amazon stared at her phone, unflinching. A slow smirk curved her lips.
“Time to flip the script.”
---
The corridors of Black-Vale Elite buzzed with whispers following Audrey's tearful cafeteria performance. Students debated the authenticity of her emotions, while sss remained unfazed, her focus unwavering.
During an art class, Audrey presented a painting titled "The Lost Sister," depicting a radiant figure overshadowed by a dark silhouette. The class murmured appreciatively, but sss's eyes narrowed.
"Artistic," she commented dryly. "Though fiction suits you better."
Audrey feigned hurt, her voice quivering. "I only painted what I felt."
Hermit, observing from the doorway, interjected, "Feelings can be deceptive, especially when painted with ulterior motives."
Audrey's facade faltered momentarily, but she quickly regained composure, offering a meek smile.
Later, in the library, sss found solace among the shelves. King approached, holding a book on ancient warfare.
"Studying battle tactics?" she inquired.
He grinned, "Figured it might help navigate the social skirmishes here."
She chuckled, "Wise choice."
Their camaraderie grew, marked by shared glances and witty exchanges. King's light-heartedness provided a contrast to the mansion's tension.
One afternoon, as they exited the library, they stumbled upon a scene: Audrey, surrounded by students, recounting tales of her 'troubled' sister.
Amazon approached, her voice steady. "Careful, Audrey. Tales spun too tightly tend to unravel."
Audrey's eyes glistened, "I only speak the truth."
Hermit, appearing beside them, added, "Then let truth be your guide, and fiction your downfall."
The crowd dispersed, leaving Audrey alone, her mask slipping ever so slightly.
As days passed, sss and King's bond deepened, their interactions filled with playful banter and mutual respect. Yet, beneath the surface, tensions simmered, secrets loomed, and the mansion's walls whispered of impending revelations.
- Writer
