All Chapters of It Was Never Just a Prank: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

I braced myself against a wall and pushed upright, only to feel a sharp pang shoot through my ankle. I belatedly realized that I had sprained my ankle while rushing to check on Jolyn. I had been so anxious to reach her that the adrenaline had masked the pain entirely.But now? The pain had become so severe that I could barely walk. I could only limp toward the nearest clinic, dragging my injured foot and wincing with every step.I entered an alley and heard footsteps behind me. I spun around, but no one was there.I took a few more steps. Suddenly, the footsteps suddenly closed in. They crept closer and closer until I felt a hand settle on the small of my back.I screamed and lunged forward, ignoring the sharp protest from my ankle. I ran for my life out of the alley."Watch out!" Someone grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me to a stop.I stumbled.A car sped past right before my eyes, missing me by inches.>Still shaken, the stranger who'd seized me panted out the questio

Chapter 2

My entire unit was flooded. The water was deep enough to cover my ankles, and it had soaked into the wooden floor long enough to cause serious damage. My mattress was completely drenched, and spilled trash floated all over the unit.My downstairs neighbor and the landlord came to confront me."What the hell were you thinking?! You should've closed your windows when the National Weather Service had already warned us that a hurricane was coming! Now my ceiling's leaking!" one of my neighbors yelled.I had to pay them nearly 3,000 dollars in total. That was three months' worth of my wages!My mind went blank as I sat amid the trash and ruined furniture.I was sure I'd closed the windows before I went out. Had the hurricane been strong enough to blow them wide open?Then I checked the small surveillance camera in my unit and saw Jolyn sneaking into my unit. Jolyn had snuck into my unit with a key and opened every window wide. She giggled as she took pictures, then left. Half an hour

Chapter 3

Will's expression darkened. "What the hell? Jolyn is your best friend! She would never betray you like that!"Jolyn immediately took off the parka and clung pitifully to my arm. "This is all a misunderstanding!"My landlord sold his apartment without any warning, so I suddenly had nowhere to stay! That's the only reason I've been staying with Will for the past three months. I promise!"I laughed bitterly in disbelief."Oh, so you two have been living together behind my back for three whole months! And you told me not to overthink things!" I sneered. "Let's cut to the chase, Will. We're done. And Jolyn?"I shoved her arms away and turned from her. "Don't ever call yourself my best friend again. It disgusts me."I picked up my suitcase and left without looking back.Will rushed to the door as if he wanted to chase after me, but Jolyn suddenly burst into loud sobs behind him. He hesitated for a second, then turned back to her.…After I arrived at the hotel, several missed calls

Chapter 4

The brilliant plan Will had in mind?Forcing me not to go to the police and report the assault I had endured."Why are you even planning to tell the cops about this? Do you really want people to know you've been violated? What good is that gonna do? It's like you want everyone gawking at you as the girl who got ruined!"And think about it. What happens after they're released from jail? What if they come after you for revenge?"Drop it, Petra. It's already happened! Reporting it isn't gonna help! Trust me!"Back then, Will held me tightly in his arms. He stayed by my side for days on end. He told me he would never find me appalling, no matter what those people had done to me.After all, it had all been to protect Jolyn.The taste of blood filled my mouth. Only then did I realize I'd bitten my lip hard enough to draw blood.Five years had passed, yet I still dreamed about that night constantly. Again and again, I woke to the sound of my own sobbing, then lay awake for the rest of

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, Will wearily rolled his tired wrist after moving a couch into the desired spot in Jolyn's newly rented home. "Did she respond to you? Or do you think she's still mad at us?"Jolyn shrugged. "Nope. No response, and honestly? Who the hell cares? She's always been a sensitive drama queen."She snatched Will's phone away before he could call Petra. "What? You're gonna try to please her now? What part of 'this is just a practical joke' don't you understand, dude?"I'm trying to groom your girlfriend into becoming the kind of partner you want, man. If you make a habit of soft-soaping her every time she starts to sulk, you've only got yourself to blame when she starts expecting you to get on your knees and grovel every time you piss her off."Jolyn wiped the sweat from his forehead. "You should take a shower at my place before you leave."For some reason, Will felt antsy. "I'd better not. I can just shower at my own place. I mean, Petra's not gonna be happy if she finds out. I

Chapter 6

After taking my statement, an officer called Jolyn into the station to the station.I was hardly surprised to see Will trailing behind her, but it was the first time I'd ever seen them look so panicked.Jolyn burst into tears the moment she stepped inside. "All I did was play a practical joke, P! We've always been like this. That's how our friendship works! Is it really appropriate to drag this to the police station over and over again?!"His eyes were bloodshot and grabbed my wrist hard. "We told you we'd return the money another time, Petra! Did you really have to call the cops on Jolyn as some kind of counter-joke? Drop the charges already! This isn't how friends treat each other!"I shook off his hand and sneered, "Friends? You actually think we're friends? What kind of friend quietly siphons away the money that could have saved my mother's life? What kind of friend sleeps with my boyfriend while I was at my most helpless?!"Will immediately slapped a hand over the love bite o

Chapter 7

Will choked on my words. For a long moment, he could not come up with a response.Then he finally opened his mouth and said hoarsely, "You brought this upon yourself, Jolyn. Sorry, but I'm out."Her eyes widened in disbelief. "W-What the fuck?! How the... What the fuck?! You went along with all those pranks too! How dare you act like you had no part in any of this?! How dare you make me shoulder all the blame and sit in jail alone?!"I'll ruin you, Will! You're not getting away with this! Just you wait!"She still had plenty more choice words to spew, but an officer finally pulled her away and took her into custody. I signed some documents and left without a word.…While I waited for the case to move forward, I returned to my hometown.Tears burst from my eyes as soon as I stepped into the old, worn house I called home. Unwashed dishes still sat on the table. My mother had not even had time to clean up.It felt so strange to be there. Everything looked as though she had only s

Chapter 8

Will and I had just started at our new high school. Jolyn was one of our classmates and the poorest student in the class. Back then, she wasn't even named "Jolyn." She was "Rainbow Jones."Her parents were poor, poorly educated, and deeply distrustful of public education because of the conspiracy theories they believed.Jolyn almost didn't make it to high school because of their resistance, but she was stubborn enough to attend classes and sign up for the qualifying exams anyway. She earned a place at an elite school in the city and, as a compromise with her parents, promised to send most of her scholarship money back home.Many of our classmates disliked her, so they began bullying her under the guise of friendly teasing and harmless pranks.Once, they locked her in a bathroom and poured water all over her. Another time, they tricked her into going to the equipment storage room, then locked her inside for the entire night.I had no idea any of that was happening. I only discovere

Chapter 9

My neighbor sent me footage from her surveillance camera, and one look was all it took for me to recognize Will. He had been sitting outside my house for an entire day and night, littering the area in front of my porch with cigarette butts.I was instantly irritated."No, you don't have to report him. I know this guy, and since he hasn't actually done anything to me, calling the cops won't accomplish much," I said. "Don't worry about it. I'll deal with him when I get back."Then, almost as if the universe were trying to tell me something, I received an interview invitation for a job I'd applied to before the trip.…I went straight home once my trip was over.To my surprise, Will was still there. He leaped to his feet the moment our eyes met."Where have you been, P?" he began as he stepped toward me.I immediately covered my nose and took a huge step back.He froze, and panic crossed his face once he realized why.Will had always been particular about his grooming, but a mon

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