Her eyes, his lies

Chapter 4

Lunch. Jane had momentarily forgotten the texts between Ryder and Beatrice.

The thin plastic seats were almost entirely full. Rows upon rows of students sat, crowded together, their voices fusing into a single chaotic mess of noise. The principal cleared his throat to test the microphone.

"Good morning, Alexander state," he said, his voice amplified by speakers near the stage. The sound quality was crisp enough that one could make out the nauseating sounds of his lips smacking together. "I welcome you to the assembly. Today, we have invited a host of former Alexander alumni, just like you will all be once you have graduated."

Beside Jane, Victoria's painted fingernails tapped away on her phone. Jane could see her trading messages with one of her classmates, the phone emitted a quiet vibration for each time they sent a text to her.

The principal was still speaking, up on the podium. "These former students will be demonstrating the importance, or shall I say- gravity, of being straight edge. Of ensuring that you keep yourselves pure, and as far away from narcotic substances as possible."

A boy somewhere amongst the crowd booed, his voice punctuating the principal's lecture with a mocking finality. Staggered laughter and cheering followed this outburst. It seemed that the general student body, much like Jane, did not want to be here.

The principal cleared his throat again, glaring in the direction of the boy. "Many lives have been derailed because of the danger that illegal drugs pose..."

His voice seemed to fade into the background as Jane's interest rapidly waned. Victoria elbowed her.

"What?" Jane whispered.

"Over there. That's Beatrice Ruth." Victoria was covertly pointing at a tall brunette dressed in a scarf and plaid skirt.

Jane, surprising herself, disliked her immediately. Something inside her instinctually knew that Beatrice and herself would not get along.

"What about her?" Jane asked.

"She's, like, the queen bee. I heard she's trying out for cheerleader captain, and all the other girls are too scared to oppose her. Combine that with the fact that she's dating Ryder Jackson, and you've got the queen bee of Alexander High. Nobody crosses her."

The idea that Jane's suspicions about Ryder and Beatrice were true disturbed her in a way she didn't quite understand. She did not like the idea.

But, instead, Jane rolled her eyes sarcastically. She never cared much about the happenings and drama around school, but it seemed to be one of Victoria's many hobbies. Her friend always had her ear to the ground.

And yet she couldn't help but continue to stare at the future cheerleader captain, wondering what life would be like if Jane was in her place. Would she be as intimidating as Victoria makes Beatrice out to be? A 'queen bee', wielding the power of social exclusion?

No, if she were that popular, she'd be nice. She'd work to improve everyone's lives, to help the people around her. Everyone would love her, she reassured herself. She would be nothing like Beatrice Ruth.

The principal, much to the relief of the students, was wrapping up his exceedingly long speech. "And with that, I am pleased to introduce you all to Mister Jackson, who has provided a generous donation that allowed us to host this educational seminar."

A tall, balding man in a crisp suit stepped onto the stage. Sharp emerald eyes under a stern brow took in the crowd of teenagers as he strode before them. A surprisingly modern looking watch glittered from his wrist, peeking out from beneath his sleeve.