STRINGS BETWEEN US

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: OF DAMAGE CONTROL, UNINVITED HISTORY, AND A PRESIDENT WHO

"And you..."

His eyes glinted, smug again, that teasing edge back in full force.

"Try not to start another civil war before lunch."

I gawked at him, completely thrown. "You're unbelievable."

He grinned. "Good to know."

And just like that—he walked away.

Leaving me standing there, still shaking, still stunned, but somehow...

A little less alone.

---

I didn't know how long I stood there. Long enough for the adrenaline to fade. Long enough for reality to start creeping back in—slow, sharp, relentless.

And then—

"Rielle!"

The shriek came loud and fast before I could even blink.

Suddenly, I was being tackled.

"What the heck, Arielle Rylance Del Rio?!" Jodie screeched, shaking my shoulders so hard I nearly fell off the bench.

"You—you—you didn't tell us any of that!" Xylia shouted, eyes wide like she'd just seen a ghost. "Celestine Academy?! Valedictorian?! Freaking essay laureate?!"

"Bro," Mico muttered, still staring at me like I'd just descended from Mount Olympus. "We've been sitting with a hidden goddess this whole time."

"She's not just a goddess," Errol gasped, gripping his phone tightly. "She's the main character of the teleserye of the year, bro. It's trending already—LOOK."

He shoved his screen in my face before I could stop him.

And there it was.

Screenshots. Videos. Blurry photos.

#DelRioReveal
#CelestinePrincessNoMore
#SovereignCourtScandal

Oh. My. God.

I felt the blood drain from my face.

"Rielle, it's everywhere," Jodie whispered, still breathless from panic. "Everyone's losing their minds. The forum crashed twice already!"

"And half the campus is convinced you're some runaway heiress now," Xylia added, voice shrill.

Mico let out a shaky breath. "Low-key... that would explain a lot."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands as the reality hit me all at once.

This was it. The point of no return. The whole school knew. Not just about Celestine.

Not just about my academic record.

But about everything.

Xythe.

The punches.

And worst of all—
Me.

The transfer girl who wasn't supposed to make waves.

Now drowning in them.

"I can't believe this," I muttered, voice muffled against my palms.

"You think we can?!" Jodie yelped, still visibly malfunctioning. "Rielle, we just watched Saichel freaking Levesque punch the Celestine Prince on your behalf. Twice."

"And Khaizer Dylan literally blocked him like some drama bodyguard," Xylia added, still half in shock. "Bro, you're living in a Wattpad plotline. No offense."

"None taken," I groaned.

"Also," Errol added, voice hushed but curious, "uh... we all heard what Khaizer said back there."

I froze.

No.

No, no, no—

"'She doesn't want to talk to you.'" Errol quoted, eyes wide as saucers. "Bro. He literally declared war."

Xylia let out a loud gasp. "Wait, wait—AND he said 'my girl' earlier too! Bro, that wasn't even subtle."

Jodie grabbed my arm, shaking it wildly. "Explain. Right. Now."

"I—there's nothing to explain!" I choked out, heat flooding my face again. "KD is just—he's—ugh! He's just being annoying as usual!"

They stared at me.

Silent.

Unconvinced.

"Annoying?" Mico said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "He looked like he's ready to burn the school down for you."

"And you didn't exactly look like you hated it," Xylia mumbled.

"I—!" I gawked at them, absolutely scandalized. "That's because he cornered me! Again! Like he always does!"

But even as I yelled it, my voice cracked. Because in the back of my head...

That stupid line wouldn't stop replaying.

"No one touches you without going through me first."

God.

I wanted to scream.

But before I could spiral deeper, another notification sound pinged across the courtyard.

Everyone's phones buzzed simultaneously.

We froze.

Errol was the first to check.

He went pale.

"Uh... guys?"

His voice shook.

"It's not just students anymore."

My stomach dropped.

"What do you mean?"

He turned his screen toward us.

My heart stopped.

A faculty memo.

Circulating fast.

"Emergency Chamber Session Called – Immediate Review of Sovereign Court Incident"
All High Chamber Members Required.

"Oh my god," Jodie whispered.

"The High Chamber?!" Xylia gasped, clutching her phone. "They're pulling in the student council?"

"They never do that unless it's serious serious," Mico muttered, eyes wide.

Errol looked between us, paling even more.

"Khaizer's already moving," he said quietly. "You think he'll—"

"He'll handle it," I said automatically.

I didn't even think before answering.

And the worst part?

I believed it.

Because no matter how much I hated to admit it...

I'd seen it in his eyes before he left.

That calm, terrifying certainty.

KD wasn't just going to handle it.

He was going to end it.

But the real question was—

At what cost?