Alone in the dimly lit janitor's closet, I huddled in a corner, my head bowed low and tears streaming down my face. My once crisp shirt now clung to my skin, drenched with sorrow, while my pants bore the marks of the dusty floor. A faint beam of light crept in from the hallway, casting a fleeting glow upon the cluttered space, revealing fragments of the room. Through a small crack beside the door, I glimpsed the shadows of passing students, led by Liam, their voices echoing faintly as they searched for me.
"I hate that boy. Can't stand him!" I huffed dramatically, tears welling up in my eyes.
Thanks to him, here I am, stuck in this dreary room with nothing but cleaning supplies and enough breathing space to barely survive. Want the whole scoop on how this madness began?
Well, hold onto your seats, folks, 'cause I'm about to spill all the juicy details.
My name's Zoey Hughes, and I'm strutting my stuff as a senior at Brooke High School. Picture your typical girl next door, the kind nobody in their right mind messes with. No self-deprecation here, no siree. I won't sugarcoat the truth, but hey, I won't be serving up any lies either.
I wasn't nice to anyone.
I love to dance, sing, and play basketball. However, the musical aspect wasn't my thing. I was famous for doing what I love and doing it, the best way I can. I was admired and treated as special.
But, before you judge me for being mean, and on the sloppy side. Get to know more about me.
***
It all started in English class. As usual, the class was filled with serious, brilliant, and dedicated students who were eager to learn and some who weren't interested but occupying space. Mrs. Amber, our English teacher, stood opposite us with a reluctant smile.
Mrs. Amber picked up a textbook from her desk and glanced through it before adjusting her glasses. She looked up at the class with a weary expression, seeming unsure about her outfit choice.
As she brushed her hand against her skirt and adjusted her top, Caroline, Betty, and I found ourselves seated across from two boys who were more interested in the teacher's outfit than the lesson. Their whispers and giggles filled the air, making it hard to focus.
Caroline couldn’t help but roll her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh, impatiently tapping her pencil on the desk, silently wishing for the class to be over already. Meanwhile, I sat there trying to keep a straight face, pretending to be focused on the lesson while sneakily messaging my boyfriend on my phone.
The boys’ antics may have been amusing, but Caroline's dramatic reactions and my covert texting made the whole situation a lot more entertaining than the lesson itself.
"Miss Hughes," Mrs. Amber called out, making me flinch. "Please tell us about today's topic." Her gaze bore into me, and the class turned to listen, expecting me to stumble.
I reluctantly put my phone away and looked at the board, trying to come up with an answer. I realized I hadn't been paying attention, and the blank board didn't offer any help. Feeling ashamed, I mumbled, "Um... Mrs. Amber, I wasn't paying attention."
Mrs. Amber gave me a stern look and asked for my phone, which I reluctantly handed over. The class laughed, as expected.
"Miss Browns, please share what you learned from today's class," Mrs. Amber instructed.
A girl in the front row stood up confidently and started talking, sounding a lot like Mrs. Amber had earlier. After a while, she winked at me and sat back down.
An icy chill ran down my spine, with rage growing within me. I tilted my head to the desk and rolled my eyes. She isn't better than me.
“Miss Hughes, I'm so disappointed in your lack of interest in this subject lately. You're not getting this phone back until this class is over.” Mrs. Amber gleamed at me before turning to the girl. “Miss Brown that's a reasonable explanation. I'm impressed.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Amber,” she replied with a smile.
“Someone's head is about to explode,” Caroline whispered to me.
I let out a deep sigh, followed by a glare aimed toward Gemma. “Whatever!”
There's the saying; Don't start what you can't finish.
Gemma Browns, a senior and self-proclaimed nerd, had always flown under my radar. She was mostly introverted until today, when Mrs. Amber's praise seemed to give her a confidence boost.
Now, she kept bothering me with an annoying smile and even tried to strike up conversations. Who did she think she was?
★
Caroline stood by her locker, sharing with me the story of a luxurious event she couldn't go to because her parents wouldn't allow it. She looked sad as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Darn, I wish I could go to Katie's party," Gemma said sadly. "But my parents won't let me."
"Too bad," I replied with a pitying laugh. "Guess you don't have the freedom I do. Be grateful your parents actually care."
Gemma shot me a disgusted look and sighed. "Lucky me."
"Hey, girls!" Freddy called out, waving as he walked past us to his first class of the day.
"It's like someone forgot to check their reflection," Caroline chuckled. "Your face says it all."
I laughed, twirling a strand of my hair. Freddy pouted with his middle finger raised at us before he disappeared into the class. I wonder why he attempted to talk to us when he already knew how we'd respond.
"That's what happens when you try to be friendly to people who don't care about you!" I muttered under my breath.
The loud chatter from down the hall caught my attention, and I hurried toward the source with Caroline trailing behind me. When we finally reached the center, we were stunned by what we saw.
Gemma stood with two other girls, handing out small books with pink and blue covers. I tried to figure out why everyone was so excited. My gaze landed on Gemma's outfit, which seemed to be the center of attention at Brooke High School.
She wasn't dressed in anything fancy. Her faded blue hoodie and black jeans didn't catch my eye, but her old slip-on shoes with gold sequins looked appealing to the eye.
Her messy bun reminded me of the school's lack of fashion sense. It became clear that the crowd wasn't chattering over her outfit.
"We love you, Gemma!" a girl beside me squealed. I resisted the urge to shut her up.
"This," Caroline scoffed, "is what they're cheering for?"
"It's ridiculous to see everyone cheering over some silly book," I groaned, trying to push my way out of the crowd.
“Zoey,” Gemma called out. I stopped and turned to see her making her way through the crowd towards me.
She almost bumped into me as she pushed through. I stepped back in irritation, waiting for whatever absurdity she was about to say.
“Zoey, I want you to have this.” Gemma held out a book titled "Becoming a Decorous Girl". I reluctantly took it, giving her a skeptical look.
“It's a Christian book written by my mom. You're going to love it," she continued.
I interrupted her and rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Gemma.” I flipped open a page before throwing it on the floor and stepping on it with my high-heeled boots.
“This looks good. Gemma, your mom's book fits perfectly underneath my boot,” I chuckled in satisfaction. “It must be lucky to be under the latest high-heel boot from upstate NYC.”
Gemma stomped off in tears. I kicked the book away and walked to my next class.
At lunch, everyone seemed to talk about Gemma and her mom's book. The cafeteria, which used to be a place for eating and cool gists, became a marketplace and no one noticed me, even the group of girls who used to admire my outfit and talent.
“Gemma's mom is an author," Daphne exclaimed. "She's so talented. I've read most of her books. They are inspiring and life-changing.”
I clenched my fist as she continued. “I like her now. Someone like her is what we need.”
“We were blinded by Zoey's fake lifestyle, which didn't add any value to our life,” Rose added.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It felt like everyone in the cafeteria was turning against me and siding with Gemma, just because she gave out her mom's books for free. I despised her even more for that.
I hate free things
“What are you going to do about this?” Caroline asked, with a furrowed brow. “Gemma is stealing your spotlight.”
I bit my lip, deep in thought. “I have an idea.” With a confident smile, I shared my plan with Caroline.
“That will surely put her in her place.” Caroline chuckled in agreement.
As I predicted, Gemma entered the cafeteria and headed toward an empty table nearby. I stepped into her path, causing her to trip and fall, spilling her food all over herself. She got up, glaring at me.
“Why did you do that?” she demanded angrily.
I just smirked, at a loss for words. Caroline burst out laughing, and soon others joined in. Gemma groaned and stormed out of the cafeteria. Caroline and I exchanged high-fives.
“Did you get that on camera?” I asked.
She raised her phone with a grin. “Yep!”
I posted the edited video online, and soon everyone was talking about it. My popularity soared, much to Gemma's dismay.
ON MY WAY TO BASKETBALL practice, I ran into Gemma and Tori heading to the library. Gemma waved at me, but I ignored her. She called my name again.
“What?” I snapped, turning to face her. “Stop calling me like that.”
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. “I know you don't like me, but what you did in the cafeteria was mean, and the video was terrible. But I forgive you. Let's be friends.” She smiled and extended her hand.
I scoffed. “Why would we ever be friends? Look at you. You're so outdated.” I brushed past her, giving her a push on the shoulder.
THE PRACTICE WAS about to start when I walked in, I dropped my bag on the floor close to the others and took a few jumps and jogs. I tied my hair in a ponytail.
“Zoey, you're up in two minutes,” Ms. Lanai signaled me.
Julie was ranting with self-compliment because she managed to steal three points from the other players. Ms. Lanai indicated for me to enter, I bounced in with brimful action without strenuous efforts, I snatched the basketball from Julie and scored five points within three minutes.
She was like, who's this girl, I mean, where's she from?
Let's just say. I'm a very dedicated basketball player, I have won so many championship cups for my school, making myself proud and pompous. The truth is that I wasn't doing all that for anybody to see me or praise me, until senior year, when I started noticing people's love for me.
Gradually, my feelings for Gemma began to shift and I started to develop negative emotions towards her. She followed my lead in the school cheerleading squad, which possibly led the girls to perceive her as superior to me.
Mrs. Cora gave my role in the school play to Gemma because she's taller than me. Then, to top it off, Rose claimed my usual seat in the cafeteria. They called it their territory, leaving me and my friends stuck sitting with the weirdos. No matter how angry I got or how harshly I confronted them, they wouldn't budge.
“What else does she want to steal from me?” I grumbled to Caroline as we headed to the field.
“I don't think Gemma is stealing anything from you,” Betty remarked, her words stoking the anger within me.
“I can't believe you're saying that,” Caroline exclaimed in disbelief.
“Betty, I can't believe you're taking her side, not only behind my back but to my face,” I yelled at her. “I don't know what that girl did to you, but it ends right now.”
My wicked plans begin now!
I started by claiming my table at the cafeteria and made it clear to everyone that my table at the cafeteria was off-limits to anyone else. I targeted Gemma, destroying her penguin statue, her craft for the drama club, and her sports jersey. I turned her friends against her.
Yeah, that's me! Wicked me.
The first chapter I hope you love it. Don't worry, the story is just getting started, many more are yet to come.
The fight between Gemma and Zoey has just begun.