7.

-HER-

I return home from Ivelle’s place the next morning. Since it’s weekend, I am not required to show up at the college with my misery. It was Sunday morning and I had a day to myself to contemplate about the situations that I may have to face when I show up to college tomorrow.

I keep thinking about Lisa’s plan too. It’s nasty and dangerous. If we do it right then Holly will get into a lot of trouble but if anything goes wrong then we will be in a lot of trouble. To be honest, I don’t want to do bad to her. I am angry at her because of what she did, ruined my reputation but at the same time, I don’t want to ruin it further by doing harm to her.

Though Lisa would not have any of it. She is stubborn about the plan. Even Ivy and Troy are involved. I don’t know what to do. To stop them or to take part in it. It’s hardly been a few weeks since I started college and I have already managed to get myself into such a situation.

I sigh before deciding to take a nap. I wake up in the late afternoon. After taking a bath and having lunch, I try to distract myself by reading a book. In the evening when I check my phone, I am overwhelmed by the messages that Ivy, Ivelle, Lisa, and Troy sent.

They have been active in the group chat and plotting for tomorrow’s revenge plan. Feeling anxious, I keep my phone away and go downstairs for dinner. There, I am bombarded with questions again. Mom asks me about the party while dad shows interest in the kind of company I have chosen to keep in college. I answer most of their questions with lies and half-truths.

Today Agatha is missing due to one of her important appointments while Agnus is out with friends. Hence, the limelight is on me for the most part of the dinner. I hate it when the twins are not home. This grants me more attention from mother and father than I could appreciate.

Even though I am not close with the twins, it’s one of the reasons for which I prefer having them at home.

Although the twins have their own jobs, they live with us. Well, we have a nice home and my parents love it when everyone is home. Also, the places where they work are in the city and could be accessed easily from home, which gives them another reason to live with us. In return, they contribute a fair share in the household to maintain balance.

I am grilled throughout the dinner by my parents, tempting me to disappear under the table or to run to the safety of my room but I stay seated. When the dinner is over, I skip two stairs at once to upstairs before locking myself into my bedroom.

It’s time to go to bed and the next morning, I would have to go to college and face reality. I don’t know how I am going to sleep knowing that I would have people to face tomorrow but I go to sleep anyway.

The rest of the night, I am tortured by nightmares. I feel groggy and tired when I wake up in the morning. I drag myself out of the bed before getting ready to face hell. The food I eat for breakfast seems to be made of concrete even though it’s a simple toast. After finishing breakfast, I step out of the house to face the dreadful day.

The anxiety slowly increases inside me the closer to get to the college. I meet Lisa at the entrance of the college before she drags me to the small alley where we met for the first time. I find the rest of the three are waiting there for us when we reach there.

“We are clear with the plan, right?” Troy asks and everyone nods, except me. I did not check their chats from yesterday, leaving me totally clueless. He sighs before telling me everything in detail.

“One phase at a day,” Lisa comments when Troy is done explaining everything to me. I am surprised by the details of the plan. I am convinced that the four of them can easily break into a bank and loot it and no one would be able to catch them.

“What if we are caught?” I express my worries. Ivelle puts an assuring hand on my shoulder before squeezing it lightly.

“It will be alright. We have thought out everything,” Ivy speaks.

“Guys, we don’t really have to do this…” I speak but everyone shakes their heads.

“Whatever happened to you was very wrong and no one should get away with it,” Troy speaks grimly. It’s when I realize how serious they’re about this. They are doing this for me. This brings back the tears in my eyes and soon, I am being hugged by the wonderful friends that I have managed to make in just a couple of weeks of college.

“Thank you for this,” I mutter to them as we head towards the main building for our classes. I get assuring looks from them before we part our ways. I couldn’t feel more grateful that Lisa is in my class to keep me company. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’d do.

I start to get more anxious as we climb the steps and reach the floor where our classes are held.

“It’s all right. We’ll do it,” Lisa assures me before we enter the class. My eyes instantly find Holly and her group. They are at their usual place in the class, gossiping. They notice us as soon as we enter the class. Not only them, but everyone notices me when I enter the class.

I feel everyone’s eyes on me, making all the blood rush to my cheek. I avoid making eye contact with anyone while I settle down on my seat with Lisa. Lisa keeps throwing glares at Holly’s group, who are busy passing comments and laughing at me.

Some of the boys have joined them. I feel their eyes on me. They look at me as if they could see through my clothes. No matter how much I cover myself, to them I am already naked. They have already seen me and there’s nothing that could reverse this.

I fight back my tears as I busy myself with taking out my books and writing stuff. The professor enters the class soon, diverting everyone’s attention from me but I know it will be back on me soon.

“Holly will soon pay for it, Cybele,” Lisa mutters beside me while I sink lower in my seat, wishing to be invisible.