Lucretia sat alone on a bench in the school's garden, gazing down at her feet as she absentmindedly tapped them against the ground. Her thoughts swirled, replaying the recent arguments with Philip, each memory sharp and bitter.
"I never thought things would go this bad between us,” she murmured to herself with a sigh. “I couldn’t even tell him how I really feel.”
Lost in thought, Lucretia was startled by the appearance of a hand holding an ice cream cone in front of her. She looked up to see Jayden standing there, smiling softly.
“Here, for you,” he said, his tone gentle.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, taking the ice cream from him.
“I know you love ice cream, so I figured this might cheer you up,” he said, sitting down beside her. “Hope you like the flavor.”
She smiled, taking a small bite. “I do, thanks.” After a pause, she added, “Anyway, how did you even know I was here? I managed to dodge Mimie and Crystal, but you still found me.”
Jayden chuckled. “I was passing by when I saw you sitting here, looking a little lost. So, I went to grab some ice cream, thinking it might lift your spirits. And, well, I figured you were probably thinking about Philip.”
Her smile faltered for a moment. “Maybe…” she admitted, casting her gaze down.
Jayden glanced away, his voice growing serious. “I heard you had a fight with him yesterday.”
Lucretia bit her lip, nodding. “I know… but it’s fine, Jayden. I’m not upset with you, even if I do feel bad about all this.”
“I’m sorry if my actions bothered you, Lucretia. But I don’t regret it,” he said, his voice steady. She looked at him, a hint of gratitude in her eyes, and gave his leg a light pat.
“Never mind, Jay. I’m actually glad you stood up to him. He deserved it,” she said with a small chuckle, causing him to laugh as well.
“Jayden…” she murmured after a moment, her voice quiet.
“Yeah?” He turned, sensing a shift in her tone.
“I’m sorry… that I’m not able to return your feelings the way I should,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Hey…” he said quickly, cutting her off. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m here for you, Lucretia. Always. If you ever need someone, I’ll be right beside you to cheer you up, or just to give you a shoulder to lean on. Okay?”
She looked at him, her gratitude unspoken but evident in her eyes. Before she could say anything more, the school bell rang loudly, interrupting the moment.
“We’d better get going or we’ll be late,” he said, standing up and extending a hand toward her.
She took it, a smile tugging at her lips. “Alright. Let’s go,” she replied, and they headed back toward class, hand in hand.
From a distance, Philip watched them, his jaw clenched tightly as jealousy flickered in his eyes.
“I hate seeing him around her,” he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Mike noticed his reaction and smirked. “Are you jealous?” he teased. “Why don’t you just admit that you have feelings for Lucretia and stop pretending you hate her? You’re only fooling yourself, you know.”
Philip’s face darkened, his expression stormy. He shot Mike a glare before storming off, leaving his friend laughing behind him.
“Hey, what did I say wrong?” Mike called out, watching Philip disappear down the hallway. Just then, Eugene joined him.
“Mike? Where’s Philip?” he asked, slightly out of breath.
“He left.”
“Why? What happened?”
Mike shrugged. “I told him the truth, but he’s too stubborn to accept it.”
Eugene shook his head, muttering, “Oh, Mike…” before jogging off in the direction Philip had gone. Mike chuckled to himself, casually trailing behind.
---
It was 3 p.m. when Lucretia stood in the hallway, glancing around and tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Mimie to return from the classroom.
“What’s taking her so long? She only went to grab her book…” she mumbled to herself, shifting her weight from foot to foot.
“Look who’s here,” a voice drawled behind her. Lucretia turned and saw Daisy approaching, a sly grin on her face.
“Oh, talk of the devil…” Lucretia muttered under her breath.
“Miss me?” Daisy asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she neared.
Lucretia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “Please, Daisy, I’m not in the mood for your games today.”
Daisy smirked. “I can tell. But I warned you before, didn’t I? You should have listened.”
“Oh, spare me, Daisy. I’ve had enough of you already. Do whatever you want, but don’t think for a second that I’m backing down.”
“Who’s going to stop me?” Daisy sneered, letting out a mocking laugh. “Face it, Lucretia, you’re way out of your league.”
Lucretia met her gaze head-on, refusing to flinch. “Laugh all you want, Daisy, but I’m not going down that easily. You’ll see.”
Daisy’s smirk faded slightly as they stared each other down, the tension between them thickening. Just then, Mimie returned from the classroom and spotted them facing off.
“Oh… my… gosh…” she mumbled, her eyes widening as she hurried over. She gently tugged on Lucretia’s arm from behind.
“Come on, Lucretia, let’s go,” she whispered urgently, pulling her friend away. Lucretia held Daisy’s gaze a moment longer, then allowed Mimie to guide her down the hallway.
Daisy watched them leave, her expression twisted with frustration. She narrowed her eyes, muttering to herself, “Bring it on, Lucretia…”