Serenity Falls

Chapter 25

So this is my last upload before I go back to school on Thursday... I will still be uploading regularly though! I've got most of it written in advance so even though I'll be busy you can still get new chapters :) So here's the next chapter... remember to vote and comment!

There is another picture on the side of Sammi... found by xwishingdustx so thank you for that! :)

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The Chemistry lab was hot and provided little ventilation, which meant that especially in the afternoon, when the sun had been shining through the windows for a couple of hours, the room was hot, sticky and almost unbearable. And it was Olivia’s misfortune that her schedule meant she was to spend every afternoon in there.

She tapped her pen against her notebook rhythmically as she stared ahead blankly, waiting for the teacher to arrive in the classroom. She did not even attempt to join in with the aimless chatter of her fellow pupils, most of which was gossip and probably relating to her in some way.

She had certainly noticed the whispers and stares starting to increase these past few days. Whether this was due to the drama with Alyssa, or from her spending a little more time with Ethan, it was unclear. Whatever it was, though, it obviously was interesting as it seemed the hushed conversations and unreadable stares followed her wherever she went.

It was not knowing what they were saying that got to her the most, though. For all she knew they could be spreading rumours that she was now pregnant. As the thought entered her head she immediately wished it hadn’t – what if they were saying things like that? What if she was now the school’s biggest slut, and she was completely unaware of it? With Alyssa now as her enemy, anything was possible, as she had the power to turn the whole school against her in just a few hours.

Just calm down, she told herself, looking down at her blank notebook and trying to take normal breaths. She had to stop this paranoia and try to think normally.

It seemed that altogether Serenity Falls had changed her as a person, despite only having spent a couple of weeks there. Already she had been more confident, flirtier, bitchier... and now she was quieter, and constantly trying to shy away from the spotlight that Alyssa kept shining on her.

The school brochure definitely hadn’t mentioned that.

Moments passed and she was lost in her own daydream – admittedly starring Ethan as the lead – and barely even noticed the girl who strutted into the classroom as if it was a catwalk in Paris or some equally fashion-conscious location, walked straight towards Olivia’s desk and plonked herself down on the empty stool next to her without hesitation.

Olivia turned her head and glanced at the girl, somewhat surprised. Her sleek black hair was cut into a short style which went upwards at the back, and her flawless complexion was obviously the result of a few layers of foundation. She had a lot of eye make-up, so much so that Olivia wondered if it weighed down on her lids, and her school uniform was customised to the extreme limit without being classed as non regulation. Her sleeves were rolled up so they finished at her elbow and she hadn’t even bothered with a blazer.

"Olivia, isn’t it?" The girl smiled, yet she still didn’t seem warm or friendly. There was a glitter in her eyes that told Olivia otherwise, and the way she looked her up and down with a slight smirk made her feel like she was constantly being judged.

"Um, yeah." Olivia looked down at her notebook again, which was open on a blank page. She had written the date at the top, and had mindlessly doodled the word ‘Ethan’ in small text at the bottom of the page with a scribbled heart, which she placed her arm over to hide from this new girl.