Episode 4: “The Morning After Lies”
650 Words
---
📍 SATURDAY MORNING — CHARLOTTE'S HOUSE
I woke up to the sound of my sister slamming her door.
Emily.
Her footsteps stomped across the floor like a warning. Loud. Angry.
I stayed under my blanket, frozen. Not because I was guilty...
But because I didn’t want to admit the truth:
Last night happened.
Liam talked to me.
We almost held hands.
And someone definitely saw.
---
👑 EMILY’S POV
The fact that Charlotte had the nerve to show up at Nova’s party?
Uninvited.
In a black dress that was clearly Leah’s.
And worse — she lied to my face about “studying.”
Now Cassie won’t stop asking questions.
Nova’s smirking like she’s planning something.
And Liam?
He hasn’t even called me.
Everyone’s whispering.
And they’re whispering about my sister.
---
📱 GROUPCHAT: “The Circle 👑”
(Nova, Emily, Cassie, Zoe, Maxine)
Nova: she really thought she could sneak in unnoticed 😭
Zoe: and she was eyeing liam like she wasn’t scared 😭
Cassie: I’m just waiting for someone to slip 🤭
Emily: she’s playing dumb. she wants attention.
Nova: well, she got it.
Emily: and now she’s gonna regret it.
---
🐍 CASSIE’S POV
Every school has one.
That quiet girl in the background.
Always overlooked. Always underestimated.
Charlotte Brown used to be invisible.
But now?
Now she’s a headline.
And I don’t mind flipping the page.
---
🛵 LEAH’S POV
Charlotte wasn’t answering my messages.
I knew she was spiraling. But Rocksville doesn’t wait for anyone to “feel better.”
It chews you up.
I showed up at her gate anyway.
Me: “Come outside. We’re going for a walk.”
She replied:
Charlotte: “I think Emily hates me.”
Me: “Emily hates everybody. She’s just louder with you.”
---
🚶🏽♀️ WALKING HOME — CHARLOTTE & LEAH
Charlotte: “I didn’t even do anything…”
Leah: “You don’t have to. You exist. That’s enough for them.”
Charlotte: “We didn’t even kiss.”
Leah: “But you wanted to.”
Charlotte: “…So what if I did?”
Leah: “Then own it.”
She stopped walking.
Leah: “You can’t be soft in this school, Char. They’ll eat you alive.”
I nodded.
But I didn’t know how to be anything but soft.
---
🎒 MONDAY MORNING — ROCKSVILLE HIGH
Post-party school always hits different.
Silent hallways. Stares. Rumors in the air like perfume.
I opened my locker...
And froze.
Taped inside: a printed screenshot of the photo.
Liam.
Me.
By the pool.
Looking like a love confession.
---
🤯 CHARLOTTE’S POV
I ripped it down so fast, I almost cut my finger.
Behind me, someone laughed.
Nova.
Loud enough for people to hear:
“She’s so mysterious now. Like a dark romance novel or something.”
I didn’t respond. I kept walking.
But then someone brushed past me.
A new face.
River. The transfer student no one could figure out.
Black boots. Messy bun. Rings on every finger.
They glanced at me and said:
River: “People are only loud when they’re scared of you.”
Then walked off like nothing happened.
Wait… What?
---
🎧 JACE’S POV (Liam’s Best Friend)
I hate drama.
But even I couldn’t ignore this.
Liam was distracted. Emily was furious. Cassie was too quiet. And Charlotte?
She was at the center of everything, like she didn’t even know she was holding a bomb.
I pulled Liam aside.
“Bro, back out before this explodes.”
He just shook his head and said:
“It already did.”
---
💄 EMILY’S POV — GIRLS' BATHROOM
Nova passed me her lip gloss.
Cassie showed me her phone.
Cassie: “Do you want the photo posted or not?”
I stared at the screen.
My sister.
My ex-boyfriend.
Looking like the new main characters.
I didn’t blink.
Me: “Do it.”
TBC
- Writer
