The mornings at Lakeside Preparatory always felt a little too perfect. The floors shined like it never got dirty before. No one's uniform had wrinkles. Like no one is allowed to stand out. Like little perfect dolls. In the middle of this, Lila felt exhausted, not physically but mentally. Which somehow felt worse. She adjusted her bow in her hair then leaned against the lockers taking her place against the others. Lila tries hard not to think about the messages from last night. Trying not to think about how the messages hit a little too close to home. She was deep in her thoughts that she jumped when Zara spoke. "Those bows make you seem like a little child, 5 or 8?" Lila blinks, taking in her words, and it bothered her that Zara said it so causally. “What is wrong with you?” Lila says, biting her lip. Zara just shrugs at Lila “You did ask for honesty the day we met.” Ari jumps in. “Zara, that's a little harsh don't you think. Be nice.” “I am nice.” Ari chuckles “You told Chloe her eyeliner looks flammable yesterday during English.” Zara rolls her eyes “Cause it did?” Lila smiles a little despite not wanting to. Right beside them, Sabrina takes one last look at the mirror and closes her locker with a sharp click. “Are you guys really still thinking about the messages” Lila's smile dropped instantly. “It was weird” Lila murmured defensively “It was a prank account.” Sabrina scoffs “That knew things.” Lila shots back Sabrina rolls her eyes and mutters something about cowards. “No it just said random vague whatnot that you made personal” Zara “Yet here you are, still talking about it.” The tension in the air thickens. Sabrina crosses her arms “Well maybe because you guys are turning this all into a big deal and exaggerating it like someone's stalking you” “Maybe they are,” Lila mutters under her breath. “Thats dramatic” “A little dramatic,” Zara corrected. Ari tries to say something but Lila cuts her off with a glare at Zara “Whose side are you on” “I don't take sides. You're just looking at everything a little too deeply.” Sabrina exhales, clearly annoyed “I think everyone's just paying too much attention to it” Before anyone could reply to Sabrina's comment, Chloe Bennet appears out of thin air. “Oh my gosh, why do you all look like you're being tortured!?” “Lila is bullying children again.” Lila responds. “Theyre bows” Ari says “Theyre childish” Zara shots back Chloe bounces clearly not noticing the tension. She looks at the girls, “This is why I love sitting near you guys,” “You don't even sit near us” Sabrina replies. “I spiritually do” Chloe grins Ari lets out a small laugh, even Zara smiles at that. The tension became a little lighter, but barely. Lila feels her phone buzzing in her pocket. Lila takes it out and she freezes when she looks at the screen. She felt like she was gonna puke. It was a message from , “Bows are for babies don't you think?” Immediately, Lila's eyes go to Zara, and she just stares at her, her stomach tightening. Zara notices Lila staring at her and frowns, “What?” Zara puts away her own phone that she was using, Lila didn't even notice that Zara had her phone out. Lila didn't answer, she felt like she couldn't. For the first time, Lila felt like someone was watching her every move.
