Tales of the Cursed Games Club

12.0 Friendship Triumphs

As Belle arrived at school, she couldn't help but notice the whispers and murmurs that seemed to follow her every step. Before she could even settle into her routine, a girl from her class approached her with a curious expression.

"Hey, Belle, is it true that there's something going on between you and Jax?" the girl asked, her voice filled with intrigue.

Before Belle could respond, Jax appeared beside her, his irritation palpable. "Oh, come on, not this again," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Why can't this school just mind their own business for once?"

Another girl chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. "But seriously, Belle, we heard you were seen with Jax and your brothers at the mall. If you're not dating, then what's going on?"

Belle opened her mouth to explain, wanting to set the record straight, but Jax cut her off with a shake of his head. "Forget it, Belle," he said firmly. "These people don't deserve an explanation. Let them speculate all they want. It's not worth our time trying to convince them otherwise."

Feeling a mix of frustration and resignation, Belle nodded in agreement, knowing that sometimes, silence spoke louder than words. With a shared glance, she and Jax turned away from the prying eyes and continued on their way, leaving the rumors and gossip behind them.

As the morning wore on, the whispers and gossip only seemed to intensify, swirling around Belle like a relentless storm. It wasn't just the assumed affair between her and Jax that fueled the rumors; now, there were whispers of a secret relationship between Belle and Milo, casting her as a two-timer caught in the tangled web of her own deception.

The rumors painted a picture of Belle and Milo as childhood friends turned secret lovers, with Belle callously betraying Jax's trust for the allure of a new romance. There were murmurs of clandestine meetings and stolen glances, each whispered word adding fuel to the fire of speculation.

But the gossip didn't stop there. No, it seemed the rumor mill had spun a web of deceit around Belle, casting doubt on her very character. According to the whispers, Belle was not the model student she appeared to be; instead, she was painted as a flirtatious temptress, toying with the hearts of unsuspecting boys for her own amusement.

The rumors suggested that Belle's innocent facade was just that—a facade. Behind her sweet smile and demure demeanor lay a cunning manipulator, reveling in the attention and adoration of her male classmates while secretly believing herself to be superior to them all.

With each passing moment, the weight of the gossip grew heavier on Belle's shoulders, threatening to suffocate her beneath the weight of their unfounded accusations. But amidst the storm of whispers and lies, Belle remained resolute, refusing to let the cruel words of others define her. She knew the truth, and that was all that mattered.

Milo's classmate approached him with a furrowed brow, concern etched in their features as they broached the topic of the rumors swirling around Belle and himself. "Hey, Milo, have you heard the rumors going around about you and Belle?" they asked tentatively.

Milo's initial response was a simple shake of his head, a gesture of denial that belied the storm brewing beneath the surface. But as his classmate continued to speak, detailing the hurtful whispers and accusations that had spread like wildfire through the halls of the school, Milo's expression shifted from one of cluelessness to one of silent rage.

His jaw clenched, and his fists tightened at his sides as he struggled to contain the anger simmering within him. With a deep breath to steady himself, Milo turned to his classmate, his voice deceptively calm but laced with palpable fury.

"Who started these rumors?" he asked, his tone measured but with an intensity that brooked no argument. Behind his controlled facade, the fire of indignation burned bright, fueled by a fierce protectiveness over Belle and a deep-seated anger towards those who sought to tarnish her reputation.