The threat
1003 Words
The next day at school, Lexi spotted Julian in the hallway. She glanced at him, but Julian didn't even notice her. The encounter of the day before flashed across her mind but she shook it off.
Later that day, during a break between classes, Liam came up to Lexi and called her outside. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.
Lexi followed Liam to a quiet corner of the hallway. "I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday," Liam said, looking apologetic. He knew, since the day before that she would be the same person but he asked anyway. "Were you the one who saw Julian at the cake shop?"
Lexi nodded. "Yes, he came to our cake shop yesterday."
Liam sighed. "I'm sorry for the way he reacted. Julian can be...prickly sometimes. I don't know what happened yesterday, but I'm so sorry."
Lexi smiled graciously. "No, it's fine. He didn't know me, so I couldn't expect him to treat me differently."
Liam looked relieved. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Have you forgiven him?"
Lexi nodded, still smiling. "Yes, it's okay. I'm not angry at him."
Liam held out his hands, "I'm Liam Grey".
Lexi shook it, smiling. "I'm Lexi Thompson. Nice meeting you."
Liam smiled too. "Welcome to Ravenswood academy ,Lexi. I hope you enjoy your stay here."
As they chatted, Lexi couldn't help but notice the friendly way Liam treated her. She found herself smiling more and more as they talked, feeling a sense of belonging she hadn't expected.
Maybe, just maybe, this school wouldn't be so bad after all.
As Liam walked away, two girls approached Lexi. They were both stylishly dressed. One of them had long, curly brown hair and piercing green eyes. She had an expensive jacket on her uniform. The other girl had short, straight black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a silver necklace that sparkled in the morning's sunlight.
The girl with curly brown hair spoke first. "Why were you talking to Liam?" she asked, her voice firm and rude.
Lexi was taken aback by the girl's tone. "Actually,he was just saying hello," she replied, trying to sound friendly.
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Just saying hello? That's not what it looked like to me."
Lexi shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The girl smiled sweetly. "You should watch yourself, newbie . This is just your second day here. You have to be very careful ".
Lexi was surprised by the hostility in the girl's words. "I don't know what you're talking about," she repeated.
The girl with straight black hair spoke up. "Yes, you do. You're trying to steal Liam away from his girlfriend."
Lexi's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not trying to steal anyone away from anyone," she protested.
The girl with curly brown hair smirked. "Save it, sweetie. We're not buying it."
Just then, Ava grabbed her arm and pulled her outside. "Let's get out of here," she said.
Once they were outside, Lexi explained what had just happened. "I was just talking to Liam, and then those girls came over and started warning me to stay away from him."
Her friend listened attentively. "I think I know who those girls might be," she said. "One of them is Liam's ex-girlfriend. She's been trying to get back with him for months."
Lexi's eyes widened in surprise. "That explains a lot," she said. "I had no idea that was what they meant ".
Her friend nodded. "Be careful around those girls. They can get pretty nasty ".
Lexi looked terrified.
"It's alright Lexi, you don't have to get yourself worked up because of that. But what were you discussing with Liam, anyway?", Ava queried.
Lexi explained the whole story, from meeting Julian at the cake shop to his rude behavior. Ava listened attentively, her expression sympathetic.
When Lexi finished, Ava smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're friends with Liam now. I mean, it's not every day that someone gets to be friends with the great Julian Blackwood's best friend."
Lexi raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled. "What's so special about being friends with Julian Blackwood's best friend?"
Ava chuckled. "Nothing, nothing. Just forget I said that. It's all good. Don't worry about it ".
Lexi shrugged and they went back to the class.
************
Lexi and her aunt were in the kitchen, preparing dinner. As her aunt opened the pot to stir the stew, she turned to Lexi and asked, "How's the school going, Lexi? Have you been managing okay?"
Lexi replied, "Aunt, it's okay. I've been trying."
Her aunt smiled, looking relieved. "I'm glad to hear that, dear."
Just then, Lexi's thoughts drifted back to the two girls who had warned her to stay away from Liam. Her aunt noticed the look on her face and asked, "Is everything okay, Lexi? You look like something's bothering you."
Lexi hesitated, unsure how much to share. "No, nothing happened, Aunty," she said finally.
But her aunt wasn't convinced. "Lexi, I want you to be careful, okay? Those kids at school can be trouble. Don't get yourself into any situations that might get you into trouble. Your uncle, I'm not too sure as to why he took you to that school but he has his reasons . Don't make him regret it."
Lexi nodded, feeling a bit chastened. "I'll be careful, Aunty. I will".
Her aunt smiled, looking relieved. "I know you will, dear. You're a smart girl, and I know you'll do well."
Lexi smiled back, feeling a bit better.
"And if anything happens at school, do not hesitate to tell me about it. Even if you don't want to tell your uncle, just let me know, Lexi".
Lexi nodded.
"Is that a promise?", Lexi's aunt prodded.
Lexi nodded again and hugged her aunt tightly, grateful for her love and support.
Her aunt patted her back lovingly."It's okay, dear. Let's get dinner ready. Your uncle will be home soon."
Together, they finished cooking dinner, the delicious smells filling the kitchen.
- Writer
