Mrs. Angelica was in the kitchen when she heard the door slam open. She glanced up, her brow furrowing, and stepped to the doorway to see who had entered.
“Lucretia…” she murmured, recognizing her daughter’s figure slumped by the door.
“It’s me, Mum…” Lucretia replied dully, closing the door gently behind her.
Mrs. Angelica's face softened with concern as she approached. “What are you doing home so early, dear? Did something happen?” she asked, her voice filled with worry.
Lucretia sighed heavily, sinking onto the sofa just inside the door, the weight of the day’s events pressing her down.
“Are you all right, sweetheart? Are you feeling unwell?” Mrs. Angelica sat beside her and began gently brushing her hand through Lucretia’s hair. “You know you can tell me anything.”
At this, Lucretia turned slowly to her mother, her eyes glistening with tears that she’d fought to hold back.
“Why are you crying, dear?” Mrs. Angelica’s voice softened even further, as she reached out, worried.
“It’s… it’s Phil,” Lucretia whispered, her voice breaking. “It feels like I don’t even know him anymore, Mum. He’s been so cold and distant, like he’s… someone else.”
“Oh, darling, what happened between you two?” Mrs. Angelica asked, pulling her daughter close, letting her rest her head on her shoulder.
Lucretia took a shuddering breath. “I think… I think he hates me.”
Mrs. Angelica’s arms tightened around her daughter. “Oh, no, honey. I’m sure that’s not true. It sounds like a misunderstanding. Why don’t I call Philip and see what’s going on?”
“No, Mum,” Lucretia murmured, wiping her tears. “I think it’s best if I just give him some space.”
At that moment, her phone chimed with a new message. She glanced at it, frowning slightly, then tucked her phone away. “I’ll be in my room, Mum.”
“All right, sweetheart. Just… try not to dwell on it too much,” Mrs. Angelica murmured, watching her daughter as she made her way up the stairs.
“Okay, Mum,” Lucretia replied faintly, disappearing into her room.
Meanwhile, in the locker room, Philip, Mike, and Eugene were changing into their jerseys. Mike leaned against his locker, arms crossed, studying Philip with an increasingly frustrated gaze.
“Why are you acting like this with Lucretia?” Mike finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Yeah, Philip, you didn’t even ask what happened,” Eugene added, shaking his head. “You acted like a jerk, man.”
Philip angrily slammed his locker door shut, giving Eugene a piercing glare. “Are you both done?” he shot back coldly. “I’m not in the mood for a sermon.”
With that, he stalked over to the bench and dropped his boots on the floor with a loud thud. Mike and Eugene exchanged a look, taken aback by Philip’s attitude. Suddenly, they heard hurried footsteps and voices outside the door.
“Jayden, hold on! Jayden, please—” Crystal’s voice echoed down the hall.
“Isn’t that Crystal?” Mike whispered, glancing at Eugene in confusion.
“I think so. What’s she doing here?” Eugene muttered, but before Mike could answer, the door flew open with a loud bang.
“What the hell—” Eugene began, but he stopped short as Jayden stormed in, his eyes blazing. Before anyone could react, Jayden grabbed Philip by the jersey, pulling him close before delivering a hard punch to his face. Philip stumbled back, crashing onto the floor.
“Jayden, stop!” Mike and Eugene yelled, rushing forward. Philip scrambled to his feet, preparing to retaliate, but his friends held him back.
Crystal and Mimie ran into the room, gasping in horror at the scene.
“What are you doing, Jayden?” Crystal cried, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. “Do you think Lucretia would be happy to see this?”
Jayden yanked his arm from her grasp, his gaze never leaving Philip. “Whatever, Crystal. This jerk doesn’t deserve to call himself Lucretia’s friend,” he spat.
Jayden turned to face Philip, who was still struggling against his friends’ hold. He met his furious stare, unflinching. “If you can’t treat her right, then stay away from her,” he warned. With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving an awkward, tense silence in his wake.
Philip yanked free of his friends’ grip, fuming silently. Crystal and Mimie exchanged a worried look before following Jayden out, leaving the boys alone.
Mike and Eugene sighed, settling onto the bench. They watched Philip as he wiped the blood from his split lip, frustration simmering between the three of them.
---
Back at home, Lucretia sat at her desk, trying to distract herself. She opened her laptop and started a video call with her friends, Linsey and Anita. After a few seconds, their faces popped up on the screen.
“Hey, girls…” she greeted them weakly.
“Hey, Lucretia! You don’t look too happy to see us. Is something wrong?” Linsey asked, her tone light but with a hint of concern.
Anita chimed in playfully. “Yeah, where’s that sweet, sunny girl we know? Did the aliens get her?”
Lucretia managed a faint smile. “I just had a rough day, that’s all. Anyway, let’s not talk about me. How are you two?”
“Oh, just dealing with the usual,” Anita said with a shrug.
“Yeah, Lucretia, but you look really down,” Linsey said gently.
Before Lucretia could respond, she heard her mother calling from downstairs.
“Lucretia, can you come help me with these groceries?”
“Coming, Mum,” Lucretia called back. She looked at the screen and sighed. “Sorry, girls. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Sure, take care!” Linsey and Anita chorused before the call ended.
Later, as evening fell, a soft, warm glow filled Lucretia’s room, the last rays of sunlight filtering through her curtains and casting a gentle amber hue across her walls. Outside, a cool breeze rustled the leaves, carrying with it the faint scent of grass and distant chimneys, marking the slow descent into night. The world seemed to quiet, and Lucretia, wrapped in a thick blanket, sank back into her bed, a book resting on her lap.
The room held a comforting stillness, broken only by the occasional creak of the old house settling or the faint hum of distant traffic outside. On her ceiling, the glow-in-the-dark stars started to come alive, illuminating her room with a soft, otherworldly light. She watched them for a while, her thoughts drifting to the day’s events, the tension with Philip still heavy in her heart.
Just then, her door knob turned, and she looked up to see her father, Mr. Gilbert, silhouetted against the dim light from the hallway. “Can I come in, dear?” he asked, stepping into her room.
“Sure, Dad,” she answered, setting her book aside. Mr. Gilbert sat beside her on the bed, offering a comforting smile.
“Sweetheart, I heard you had a fight with Philip.”
“It’s not exactly that, Dad…” Lucretia paused, struggling to find the words. “He just… he feels so distant lately.”
Her father nodded thoughtfully. “You know, sometimes people need a little space to work things out. He might be going through something. Maybe a little time will help you both understand things better.” His words were gentle, each one meant to reassure her.
She nodded slowly. “Okay, Dad… I’ll try.”
“That’s my girl.” He kissed her forehead lightly. “Now get some sleep. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow.” With a smile, he stood, heading back toward the door.
“Goodnight, Dad.”
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
As the door closed, Lucretia laid back on her bed, staring up at the stars that glowed softly above her. She breathed in the stillness of the night, letting it soothe her, and soon drifted off to sleep.
---
 Lucretia woke up with the first rays of sunlight streaming through her window. After getting ready, she made her way to school, where her friends, Mimie and Crystal, were already chatting in class. The moment they saw her, they waved her over.
“How are you feeling today?” Mimie asked gently.
“Better, just trying to move past it,” Lucretia replied, managing a small smile as she glanced subtly toward Philip’s desk.
“Who are you looking for, Lucretia?” Crystal teased, raising an eyebrow.
“Um… nobody,” she said, her cheeks warming slightly. Just then, Jayden joined them, taking a seat beside Lucretia and giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.
“I didn’t get to check on you before you left yesterday. Feeling better now?”
“Much better, thanks,” she said with a genuine smile. “I actually need to head to the library before class starts. I’ll be back soon.” She said, getting up.
“Want me to come with you?” Jayden asked, eyes bright with hope.
“No, I’ll be fine,” she replied gently, starting off towards the library.
Lucretia was just about to enter the library when the door swung open. She stopped in her tracks as Philip stepped out, his face bearing a fresh bruise. Her eyes widened, and she instinctively reached out.
“What happened to you?” she asked, but Philip pulled back, his eyes hard.
“You should ask your boyfriend,” he muttered bitterly before brushing past her.
From down the hall, Daisy watched them, a satisfied smile curling on her lips as Philip walked away. The look of hurt on Lucretia’s face was everything she had hoped for.
“Oh, this is going better than I thought,” Daisy whispered to herself with a self-satisfied grin as she walked away, leaving Lucretia standing alone, her heart heavier than before.