“Maybe it’s all happening so you can become a stronger and more resilient version of yourself.”
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~ Elizabeth ~
“Good morning, Students!” The principal’s voice rang through the two-thousand-capacity hall.
It was a Friday, and the day had started like every other—calm, routine, ordinary—until we were suddenly summoned to the school hall for an unexpected announcement.
But seriously, what could be so important that it couldn’t just be sent via email?
I glanced around the hall and caught sight of Evelyn clinging to Patrick like her life depended on it.
For someone who always preached against obsessiveness, the irony of her current behavior made me almost gag.
How could she now embody everything she used to mock?
“As you all know, I will be turning fifty next Friday,” the principal announced, her voice full of cheer. “So there will be no lectures on that day. Instead, we’ll be having a birthday celebration. You're free to come in with your partners—think of it as a mini prom!”
I almost rolled my eyes. A birthday party in the school compound?
Who even does that?
Well, she didn’t say it was compulsory, my subconscious whispered, and I nearly smiled—until her next words landed like a slap.
“And it’s compulsory,” she added sharply. “Attendance will be taken. Anyone absent will serve two weeks’ detention.”
Her voice was firm—dead serious—and the entire hall stilled.
Detention didn’t sound all that terrible… but two weeks? With final exams looming? That was a disaster I couldn’t afford.
. . .
“Will you be wearing your cocktail dress on Friday, Bella?” a girl asked her friend as they passed by in the hallway.
“Of course! The principal didn’t mention anything about dress codes, so… anything goes!”
“Gosh, I’m so excited!”
“Me too!”
“Nick has always wanted to go to prom with me, and now he finally can!”
“Same here! Isaac asked me to dance once, and it was magical. I can’t wait to rock the dance floor with him this time!”
The hallway buzzed with excitement. I stood quietly by my locker, pretending to arrange it—just so I wouldn’t look like I was eavesdropping.
But of course, some people have no clue what it means to mind their business.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Little Miss Virgin Mary, all alone,” came Rose’s shrill voice, dragging me out of my thoughts.
“She’s truly pitiful, isn’t she? No boyfriend, no best friend, no friend group,” another girl added. 
“She must be dying of loneliness… just too proud to admit it,” Blue said with a mocking sigh.
I turned, expecting to see Sarah Hampton standing behind them. She wasn’t there.
Oddly, I wondered where she was.
“Are you done?” I asked, meeting their surprised stares. I slammed my locker shut and walked away.
Why waste my energy on pawns when I have better things to do?
. . .
The party buzzed with life and energy. I walked in wearing a blue, off-shoulder embroidered gown with a slit at the side.
Mom had suggested pencil heels, and I had agreed, though they made me feel both confident and… slightly uncomfortable. As I wasn’t used to them.
I found a spot near the gallery, beside a group of science students setting up for an exhibition. I wasn’t a science student, but I’d always been curious about their world. Especially after that debate with Eliezer at my former school—art vs. science: which was more important?
Truthfully, they were equally vital.
Science has made life easier and more convenient.
But art? Art made life meaningful. It captured beauty in the mundane—in early mornings, in the rustle of leaves, in the way silence could speak.
Still, the competition had required a winner. And so the trophy had gone to a science student.
I often wondered if they even realized how much art shaped the soul.
But well, what’s done is done.
Just as I shifted my gaze, gasps rippled through the room. I turned toward the entrance…
And nearly gasped myself.
Evelyn and Patrick had just arrived, hand in hand, looking like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
Patrick looked handsome in a deep green tuxedo. Evelyn wore a flowing, plant-like green gown with a thigh-high slit. Her hair was styled up elegantly, her earrings leafy, her makeup light—except for the bold green lipstick that matched her theme perfectly.
For some reason, it felt like a Déjà vu.
They walked in like royalty, commanding attention.
“Gosh! They look so good together—like a couple from a fashion magazine.”
“My poor heart! Look how Patrick’s holding her with so much love!”
“I’d do anything to be in her shoes. Anything!”
Voices buzzed all around me. I kept my expression neutral, even though my heart ached.
. . .
The party flowed on, but I was already dreaming of going home…
Until the couple dance was announced.
I watched as Patrick stood up and held out his hand to Evelyn. She smiled and rose to her feet—only to freeze.
“Oh no… Evelyn, you’re stained!” Rose shrieked.
Heads turned. My eyes darted to the red patch glaring on the back of Evelyn’s dress.
Her eyes widened in horror as she reached behind, confirming it with her hand. In seconds, she was running off to the bathroom.
At first, I thought it was just an unfortunate accident… until I spotted Sarah stepping out from behind a column, smirking smugly.
She approached Patrick.
“Hey, mate. Dance with me?” she asked sweetly.
Patrick didn’t even hesitate. He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.
Something clicked.
It was planned. All of it.
My suspicion deepened when I caught Blue pouring something into a champagne glass at the far table.
Poor Evelyn.
She chose to dine with snakes, not realizing she could get bitten too.
How pitiful.
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A/N: What do you think of the chapter, guys?