Trapped Love ✓

•36• International Calls

"Yeah." I smile weakly back at him, paying more attention to my food.

"Lola, I promise you that it'll be fine. One day we'll be sitting back over there." Zac says softly, placing his warm hand over mine.

"I hope so." I reply, my eyes scanning back over the table, praying that Zac will be right.

The first day of phase one of the plan was explosive. To make sure it looked convincing that the group had cut ties with me, they made anonymous, hurtful posts about me on the school feed. Everyone made sure that they ran their posts by me first, to make sure it didn't upset me too much. Regardless of whether it did or not, I had to agree, for the plan's sake.

The school hummed with whispers, amazed that I'd been kicked out of the group. Amelia took it as her biggest victory yet and it wasn't long before she was caught talking to people in the group, worming her way back in and eventually sitting in the middle seat of the table in the cafeteria; treating it like her throne.

Zac has been constantly questioned. Many people are confused because the group still speaks to him, especially Blake and Kieran due to football but he refuses to comment in the same way he refused to join the others in this plan. He remains neutral, trying to please both the group and me. He keeps in high spirits, for my sake but I can tell that this has some effect over him. Zac Enderly has always been popular so this is quite the culture shock for him.

Despite all of this, the school remains 50:50. There's been a few minor incidents which has led to people questioning the realness of everything.

The first was on the day after the meeting at Sophie's. Steven slipped up by speaking to me between lessons, walking with me in the hallway. It created confusion as to which side Steven was on and we all knew that he was the key to making people believe it. He's my closest friend in the group and if he turns against me then it was certain that people would believe the plan, including Amelia.

Sophie has messed up numerous times, either by flashing me her famous grin or complimenting me. We all hope that people think it's just in Sophie's nature, she's known for being kind to everyone, a trait of hers which she holds highly to ensure that she never morphs into Amelia. Once again though, she needed to make sure that she looked like she had cut me out, we knew that Amelia would make Sophie her 'best friend' again.

Luckily for Zara, as she's somewhat an outsider in the group and was never involved before Amelia was kicked out, she can get away with occasionally speaking to me. I'm always grateful for our short conversations, Zara's kindness also motivates me to keep my head high, anxiously waiting for the day when this will all be over.

However, the main reason that people questioned the sincerity of me being removed from the group was ultimately down to George and Sophie. No matter how hard they tried, their discomfort of having to be around Amelia and more importantly pretend to like her, endure her conversations and laugh at her jokes, was evident to every student in the cafeteria.

George had to be careful not to snap at Amelia's sarcastic comments whilst Sophie had to pretend to be best friends with her again, meaning also becoming her personal assistant.

Everything has been shaken up at Oakmore. It's messed with the popularity chain which had been enforced at the start of every year by the group. Amelia brought a dark cloud with her, casting it over the whole school and each of us are praying that we won't be in the way when her lightning strikes.

***

Streaks of the burnt orange sky kiss the fields which roll beyond my bedroom window. Autumn leaves littered the grounds as they shone in the late evening sky. Sunsets are always better in the latter half of the year, there is no doubt about it.