Chapter 6

It was her first day at school as Cara, and anxiety clung to her like a second skin. Everything unsettled her especially the folded paper tucked into her pocket, stained with dried blood. Questions swirled endlessly in her mind, but for now, there was only one thing she could focus on: finding her classroom.

Cara had already told her the name.

Taking a steady breath, she pushed the door open, her hands trembling even as she forced herself to wear a bold expression. The moment she stepped inside, gasps rippled through the room. It was as though a celebrity had walked in.

The girls crowded around her instantly.

“How are you, Cara?” one asked excitedly.

“Where have you been?” another added.

“I saw your new magazine pictures you look amazing!”

She forced a smile, though the overlapping voices made her head spin. Before she could react, a random girl suddenly grabbed her bag. Startled, she resisted, but Maya was already there.

“Get away,” Maya snapped, shooing them off like rats.

Then she turned sharply to the timid girl still clutching the bag. “You’re always supposed to be standing at the doorway waiting for her. Do you even know how heavy that bag is?” she shouted.

Sara froze, shocked. She quickly grabbed Maya’s hand, trying to stop her.

“Did I do something wrong?” Maya asked, confusion flashing across her face.

“N-no… no,” Sara stammered. “But the teacher is about to come in. We should take our seats.”

Maya hesitated, then nodded. As Sara followed her to their desks, unease settled in her chest. She couldn’t stop wondering why Cara always had someone to carry her bag or why Maya had been so harsh to that girl.

Something felt off.

She settled into her seat, forcing her shoulders to relax. Sara had always been careful about her studies; learning was her refuge. When the teacher walked in, she welcomed the familiar routine, hoping it would quiet her racing thoughts.

The lesson began smoothly until the teacher started handing back papers they had already written.

When Sara received Cara’s paper, her breath caught.

The marks were shockingly low. Beyond bad. A bold 23/100 stared back at her from the math paper. Her fingers tightened around the page as she glanced at Maya, whose score hovered in the same miserable range.

But what Maya said next stunned her even more.

“I think we actually did well today,” Maya scoffed. “Considering that loser Claire didn’t even give us the answers. Honestly, why did you even pay her to copy for us?”

Sara’s heart lurched. She masked her reaction quickly, clearing her throat as she forced a casual tone.

“Y-yeah… I know,” she murmured, trying to blend in.

“But still,” Maya continued, scrolling through her phone with a grin, “this definitely calls for a celebration.”

A celebration? Sara echoed silently.

She stared at the paper again. She had always been used to straight A’s scores that reflected effort, discipline, pride. Seeing a 23 felt like a quiet disaster.

There was nothing to celebrate.

Soon, the lesson ended, and the bell rang sharply through the halls. Before Sara could even gather her things, Maya grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the cafeteria.

The smell of food instantly lifted Sara’s mood. For a brief moment, she forgot everything else. Smiling, she stepped forward to join the line

“What do you think you’re doing?” Maya asked, arching a brow.

“Getting food,” Sara replied simply.

Maya chuckled. “Oh no, sweetheart. Bestie.” She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Then why do you think Claire is here? She’s here to do all that work. You don’t pay for nothing.”

Sara hesitated, unease creeping into her chest. She glanced around and spotted Claire standing near the counter, stiff and silent, already holding a tray. Why was Claire always being ordered around? And paying her for what, exactly?

Maya didn’t wait for questions. She dragged Sara toward a table instead.

As they sat down, Sara felt eyes on them. Students whispered, stared, admired. It was the kind of attention that made her skin prickle bright on the surface, uncomfortable underneath.

When they sat at the table, Claire approached timidly, carrying their food. She kept her eyes lowered, her hands trembling as she set the trays down. Before Sara could say a word, Maya suddenly stood up.

In one swift, furious motion, she grabbed a carton of milk and poured it over Claire’s head.

“Is that what I told you to bring, loser?” Maya snapped.

Sara gasped.

“Do you think we want to end up shapeless like you?” Maya continued coldly.

Claire shivered, milk dripping from her hair and uniform as she stammered out apologies, her voice barely audible. Tears welled in her eyes as she begged for forgiveness.

Maya raised her hand to slap her.

Sara reacted without thinking.

She grabbed Maya’s wrist midair.

“I ” Sara’s breath came fast, her heart pounding. She couldn’t stand there and watch this.

Maya froze. Slowly, she turned and stared straight at Sara her eyes wide with pure confusion, as if she couldn’t understand what she was seeing.

The cafeteria fell eerily quiet.