"uh...  What about the fault in our stars?"

I spoke nonchalantly, not sparing Liv a glance while I ransacked my locker for the books necessary for my assignment since school's over "nope"

Without needing to look, I could predict her eye roll before she continued "what about-"

Cutting her off by shutting my locker, I smiled at the glare she shot me through the mirror in her locker which was just right beside mine, and completed her sentence wittily "nope"

This time I caught her eye roll as she tied her hair in a ponytail with the help of the mirror "you didn't even give me a chance to say what movie!" She whined.

"I don't need to. We're not watching 17 again again, not mean girls, no kissing booth or any other sappy romance movie" she paused fixing her hair to pout at me and opened her mouth to speak but I stopped her with my index, reading her like a book "and most definitely not the notebook" Ha!

She gave up at this point and shut her locker in frustration.

"What other movie is best for a girl's night-" this time it was her turn to cut me off when I was about to speak. "Horror movies excluded".

"So many. Like for example, there's this new thriller movie Smile. I just can't wait to finally watch it, it's downright bone chilling and exactly what the movie industry needs to capture the minds and souls of its watchers again" she looked at me like I'd suddenly gone bananas, maybe I was a little lost in gushing on about the movie I so badly want to watch with her but still not bananas.

"I said horror movies excluded!"

"How'd you know its horror?"

She gave me that 'are you for real?' look "Raven seriously I've known you since we were like what-7? You only talk about movies that way if it's something horror or jump scary" Damn she knows me too well.

"Well, it's mostly thriller?" I dragged out. The statement actually came out as a question as if unsure but I knew deep down its quite the opposite. I smiled in an attempt to compromise but she only raised a perfect brow in a seriously? kind of way making my wry smile increase.

"That's what you said about that movie... uh what's it called..." she pouted with her brows pinched together as she looked upwards as if the word she's looking for would magically be written there making me purse my lips in attempt to hold back my laughter at her constipated thinking face.

"That's it" She snapped her neatly filed fingers, her brows shot up, eyes widened as she remembered whatever she wanted to say

"Old. The movie's old. You told me it's basic thriller and next thing you know there's a creepy looking replica of the exorcist"

I smiled inwardly at the memory of us both wrapped up in her cozy blanket, I could almost smell popcorn in the air, my mood set for our regular now a tradition freaky girl Friday sleepover. As the weird name goes which was my idea by the way-don't blame me I was only 10 then and it seemed so catchy- we basically just have sleepovers at either of our places, doing the regular routine of dancing around while singing along to trending pop hits, dressing up only to make crazy tiktoks and even in our pajamas, doing some skincare while we gossiped amongst other fun activities then ending it all by stuffing our faces with popcorn, root beers, several tubs of ice-cream and oh freshly prepared homemade bagel bites courtesy of my mum while watching a movie which of course explains our previous argument on what to binge all night.

On a more serious note and in my defense, no one saw that coming. Who would've expected a hot supermodel mum to later become a disturbing freaky contortionist? Well, most definitely not me.

"Omg Livia!" fire face squealed behind us. Remember that annoying bitch and her squad?

"You'll never believe..... our video now has a million likes on tik tok" the dance video of four of them on the screen of fire face's phone with 1M clearly written under the heart shape confirmed her claims and I was actually quite impressed and happy for them.

One second, Olivia had her mouth hanging open and the next, she was hurdled in a circle with the rest of them, jumping and squealing like hyperactive bunnies. Scratch that, I'm not impressed anymore. I rolled my eyes and shut them after leaning my head against my locker, preventing my eyes from being scarred by their antics.

"We need to celebrate this'' one of them spoke up but with my eyes shut, I couldn't tell who.

"Drinks on me'' another voice said followed suit by series of squeals.

"Hey" my brows scrunched at the rather boyish voice that had my eyes opening out of curiosity and the second I saw the owner, I wished I hadn't. It was quite hard to miss the dazed look on the faces of onlookers, sending me into panic mode silently begging Alan with my eyes to leave.

Did the giraffe with two heads finally make out? Speak of stranger things.

"Uh... what are you doing h-here?" my gaze kept shifting from the confused look on his face to the smutty look each girl wore except Olivia who still looked dumbstruck at seeing him talking to me so openly. Yeah, it was really that big of a deal.

"Just wanted to give you this" he lifted the brown bag that contained my lunch my way. "You kind of left in a hurry and forgot" Oh shit.

"Y-yeah, thank you" forcing a quick smile, I yanked it from his grip. He must have finally understood the situation after slowly regarding the curious faces and giving me a long hard stare. He nodded subtly, sending me a faint smile before turning around to leave and I couldn't have been more grateful.

My state of relief was short-lived when he turned around abruptly, coming closer to me such that had my eyes the size of golf balls and breathe hitched at the proximity.

"See you on Monday Barbie" his voice intentionally low enough for me alone to hear. His hand subtly brushed mine, making me jolt from the little yet scalding touch. I froze. I searched his eyes, wanting to know if he felt it too or I'm the one making a fool of myself. As usual, all emotions were properly hidden behind his brown eyes but it didn't hurt trying I guess or maybe it did knowing he read my reaction and liked it judging by the little smirk he wore. He sent a quick wink my way such that I only saw it and strutted away like he owned the school while I stood staring at his retreating form which was now covered by the crowd of students like the idiot I am, still frozen. Not even blinking, just breathing.

"What the fuck? Did Alan just get you lunch?" I blinked back to reality, the reality where I had several eyes staring me down in disgust, the reality where people judged without even knowing shit, not even caring to know, a reality where the past still and will keep haunting you till the grave, a reality where no one cares about your opinion cos you don't matter. Just another ash blowing in the air. Yes that fucked up reality I live in, sadly but inevitably.

"Are you fucking Alan?" what the fuck????!!

I failed to hide the ghastly expression that quickly morphed to one of great resentment at fire face's accusation.

"No need to pretend cos there's no way Alan would even look your way......" her eyes trailed my body in disgust "unless you're fucking"

"Not sorry to break it to you but he's only using you" Paula chirped in after checking herself out in her mirror and flipping her perfectly knotless shiny brown hair with pink streaks to appear unbothered then snapping the mirror shut rather loudly to stretch her standoffish bloody red coloured lips in a wicked grin. If not for the situation at hand, I'd have said a thing or two about going a tad lower on the makeup but there are more noteworthy things right now.

My eyes landed on Olivia who avoided my gaze altogether but yet my eyes never left hers, needing her to say something, anything at all. I don't need anyone fighting my battles but these were her friends who were openly scorning me in her presence. Aren't best friends supposed to support each other, be there for each other, defend each other? But yet no, she said nothing, the hallway floor we've walked on for several years seemingly more interesting now. I was utterly speechless. At the false accusations that's gonna cause a huge gossip or the fact that my best friend couldn't even stand up for me. Either way, nothing could reverse how letdown and embarrassed I felt.

Nodding in discernment, I tried my best to control the hot tears desperately begging to pour down from my eyes, to reveal the level of emotion and hurt wearing me down but instead I backed out slowly, my eyes still on Olivia who now wore a sad look but I shook my head in denial to the fact that no matter how sad she may be, she didn't defend me when I needed that and that's the bottom line.

The Rock really had nothing on the smouldering look I put on after thrashing my lunch Alan got as I strided down the hallways, away from my supposed best friend and hell hole of a school filled with life draining people, not even bothering to wait by for practice but instead reveled in the cool breeze wafting my hair in every direction, traitor by Olivia Rodrigo blasting through my ears while the world moved in slow mode around me.   

Another deep chapter about Raven's life. What y'all think? 

Have you ever felt betrayed by a supposed friend, let's be open for some deep thoughts.....(I promise i won't spill.... hehe)

Xoxo Ruth:)