Octavia scrolled through her phone, reading the news headlines.
"FUTURE HOMEWRECKER IN THE MAKING" The newest one read.
"This suicide talk isn't working, Mom."
Victoria picked out the watermelon seeds, sitting by the bedside of her daughter.
"Calm down. Sensitive matters like suicide take quite a time to completely overturn public opinion. Give it a few weeks."
"A few weeks? Mom, I don't have a few weeks. The school's anniversary is coming up and I have to go."
"I'm sorry honey. For now, you're temporarily displaced from school. No school for a few weeks few months even."
"Months? Mom, do you know what's going to happen to my social standing?" Octavia shouted.
"You should have thought of your social standing before you made such a beginner-level mistake," Victoria said sternly.
"It really wasn't my fault but it was Alive, and that was her stupid friend."
