Chapter 3

Chapter 3 : knock knock trouble 

Charlotte's POV 

Out of all the schools in the world to go to , why did it have to be mine? I started pacing in my room, debating on what exactly I should tell her .

“Ohhh, I've heard of that school before. It's a very boring place and nothing exciting happens there”.

The moment I sent this, regret grabbed my neck but it was already too late. I threw my phone on the bed, switched off my lights and pretended to go to sleep like that would magically solve all my problems.

The next morning, I walked into school clutching my books like they were emotional support objects. I barely slept, my dreams were just Sophie’s message floating around my head like a ghost

I was still trying to breathe like a normal mammal and I had barely opened my laptop, when someone dropped into the seat beside me so hard the whole table shook.

Nai Brook, head cheer captain, loudest human on the planet and my friend, I think.

Sometimes I wonder if she sleeps with her hair tied to a ring light because how else does it stay bouncing like that? Meanwhile I woke up today looking like a squashed plantain. Life was not fair. 

“Babe, you will not believe what just happened,” she announced, flipping her ponytail like she was auditioning for something.

I sighed and shut my laptop slowly, Goodbye peace.

“What happened now?” I asked.

I braced myself, this girl only comes with two types of news: gossip that shakes the entire school or gossip that somehow ruins my day first before shaking the entire school.

She leaned in, wearing that smile she does when she’s pretending everything is fine, it’s cute, but it never means good news and okay maybe I noticed she looked me up and down too long. 

 I know she says she’s happy for me, but the way she always brings up my “perfect boyfriend” makes me suspicious, seriously girl just shut up about it already .

“I swear your relationship is trending,” she said, half laughing, half annoyed. “Everybody keeps asking if you two are still together, because you haven’t posted anything in weeks.”

I rolled my eyes so hard they could’ve flown out the window. I mean, imagine if people judged your relationship based on your I*******m activity.

Some of us are fighting for our lives academically, emotionally, spiritually, we can’t be posting soft launch pictures every minute. 

“People act like if you don’t post, you’ve broken up.”

Nai shrugged. “Well I’m just saying. Charlotte this, Charlotte that, you’re like the girl everyone wants to be right now.”

There it was, that weird tone.

The “I love you but I kind of hate you but I still love you” tone.

The tone that makes me want to squint at her like,

Are you okay? Or are you planning my downfall?

Because honestly, with Nai, both are possible.

Before I could answer, she reached for my laptop.

I smacked her hand “Don’t touch my stuff!”

“I wasn’t! I was just checking the time!” she said, even though the clock was literally on the wall.

I hugged the laptop closer “Right,totally believable.”

She stared at me for a second, her expression softer than usual “You okay though? You’ve been acting, I don't know, distracted.”

I mean, she wasn’t wrong but how do I explain distracted without explaining everything?

“I’m fine,” I lied, because the last thing I needed was her turning my life into a whole school wide announcement.

She didn’t look convinced, but before she could push it, the bell rang. Nai stood up, fixing her skirt and brushing her hair behind her ears.

Her eyes stayed on my face like she was trying to read my thoughts but if she could, she’d be traumatized.

My thoughts right now are basically:

panic and Sophie’s username on repeat.

“Fine, whatever but after school, you’re telling me everything.”

“I literally have nothing to tell,” I said.

“Sure” she said, giving me a look like she knew I was lying.

She grabbed her bag and walked off, her ponytail swinging like it had its own personality.

I waited until she disappeared around the corner before I opened my laptop again. My heart was beating stupidly fast for no reason and my hands were sweaty.

But before the screen even loaded, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out and stared at my screen. My stomach dropped to my knees and my brain simply said, “We are finished.”

The notification said:

“A new student was added to Bridgehall’s roster.”

And underneath it a name, Sophie Hart

Immediately, I ran to the bathroom to wash my face. I couldn’t believe it. My brain was spinning and my hands were shaking.

“Calm down, calm down, calm down…” I whispered to myself, splashing more water on my face. The droplets went into my bra, which was annoying, but I was too stressed to care.

It's not like she even knew who I was.

I kept repeating that part like I was hypnotizing myself.

She didn’t know I was Lottie and my profile picture on the app was blurry because Maya said “mystery is sexy” Her words, not mine.

I inhaled big girl oxygen and pushed the bathroom door open.

 The hallway was somehow quiet and loud at the same time.

People were whispering, but the whispers felt like shouts. Even some Year 12 boys who normally acted like their fathers owned the whole school suddenly stood straighter, like they were trying not to look too impressed.

A girl from my class even dropped her lip gloss, and it rolled across the floor dramatically and no one picked it up. That was how serious the vibe was.

I wiped my wet face with my sleeve, trying to look normal, but my heartbeat was still going “KUNG KUNG KUNG” like it wanted to make an exit through my ribs.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to something behind me.

"She looks like a rebel,” someone whispered.

I turned around and Sophie walked in and stared at me .