Munnay reached her locker, her steps hesitant. A knot of dread tightened in her stomach. Yesterday's humiliation was still raw, the memory of the spiders crawling over her skin, the chilling "R.I.P." note, a constant source of unease.
As she approached her locker, she noticed something new, something that made her heart sink.
Staring at her locker, the word "WEIRDO" seemed to twist and writhe like ink bleeding through paper. She blinked, and it was normal again. But the chill in her bones told her she wasn't imagining things.
A wave of humiliation crashed over her, drowning her in an ocean of whispered insults and stifled giggles. She knew everyone was watching, their eyes boring into her back. She could feel the laughter, the whispers, the mockery. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.
Her fingers trembled as she reached for the lock. 'What if something was inside?'. She was afraid to open the locker, afraid of what she might find inside, afraid of reliving the terror of yesterday.
This was supposed to be a fresh start, but instead, it felt like she had waded straight into a nightmare that refused to end.
Then—a shift in the atmosphere.
The laughter died down, replaced by a murmur of excitement. The air crackled with anticipation. Everyone knew that feeling. It was the feeling that always preceded the arrival of royalty. And in Prevailers Academy, there was only one Queen.
Munnay didn't need to turn around to know what, or rather, who, caused it.
Amara.
The Queen Bee of Prevailers Academy.
Amara, flanked by her entourage, the Maras, strutted down the hallway like she owned it—because in a way, she did, her phone held high, broadcasting live to her legions of followers. She was dressed impeccably, as always, her designer clothes and flawless pinkish makeup a testament to her wealth and status. Today's episode of her reality-show-in-the-making had a special guest.
Munnay
"Hey, guys! Queen Amara here, live from Prevailers!" Amara's voice was smooth, confident, and laced with the perfect amount of venom. She pouted at the camera, adjusting her perfectly curled dark locks.
"As you can see, we've got a little situation happening over here," she continued her voice dripping with sarcasm, turning her phone to Munnay.
Munnay shrank against the locker, desperate to disappear.
"Looks like our little 'weirdo' is back for more. Remember yesterday's viral video? Yeah, that was a classic. #LockerFail #SpiderAttack #RIPNewbie"
Her Maras cackled. Munnay tried to shield her face, but Amara's Mara girls surrounded her, blocking her escape. One of them shoved Munnay lightly—just enough to jolt her against the locker.
Tears threatened to spill. 'Not again. Please, not again.
"Oh, look, she's crying!" Amara sneered, her voice amplified by her phone. "Someone get the poor thing a tissue. Or maybe a diaper. #Crybaby #WeirdoForever"
The hallway roared with laughter.
Then a voice cut through the noise. Sharp. Clear. Unafraid.
"When will you grow up and act your age, sis?"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. More phones shot up in the air, ready to capture the unfolding drama.
Amanda.
She stood at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, eyes burning with angers and disgust
"Look who's here," Amara said, her voice laced with venom, her smirk widening. "The knight in shining armor, always rushing to the rescue. Trying to save the 'damsel in distress.'"
"At least I have a conscience," Mandy shot back her eyes flashing. "Unlike some people, who are so desperate for attention they have to bully a new student."
"Oh, please," Amara scoffed. "Don't act like you're so innocent… like some saint. You're just jealous because I'm the queen, and you're just…you"
"Jealous?" Mandy laughed— actually laughed. "Of what? Your fake friends? Your pathetic need for validation? The only thing I'm jealous of is your ability to be so mean and heartless without a shred of remorse."
The crowd oohed.
"Ouch," Amara said, feigning hurt. "That's gotta sting." But Amara wasn't one to back down. "You know what's funny?" She tilted her head, her voice deceptively sweet. "No one ever stands up for you. Ever."
Amara's words hit Mandy like a slap. Her face face faltered for just a second. She knew how to dig deep, to twist the knife where it hurt the most.
She squared her shoulders. "That's because I don't need anyone to stand up for me," she said. "I can fight my own battles. Unlike you, who needs an army to feel powerful; who hide behind your Maras and your social media." she said. "It still marvels me on how you came up with the sick name, 'Maras'"
"Oh, really?" Amara sneered. "You can fight your battles, huh? Then let's fight. Right here, right now."
The students erupted
Phones hovered in the air— recording every word, every gesture. The tension in the air was palpable. This was better than reality TV.
Then a new player entered the game before the argument could escalate into a physical fight.
Brittany.
Her voice chimed in, smooth and deceptively sweet. "Well, well, well," Brittany purred, her eyes gleaming with mischief whilst stepping forward, phone already recording.
She was dressed impeccably, her black accessories a stark contrast to the school's dark green, gray and white uniforms. She exuded an aura of wealth and power, a true 'Angel of the Devil.'
She pulled out her phone, broadcasting live to her own massive following. "#TwinsFight #StopTheBullying #QueenBeeDown"
"See who you guys call their queen," Brittany said to her followers, her voice laced with mockery. "Fighting with her own sister? Over a new kid? How pathetic can you get?" She zoomed her camera in on Amara, capturing her flushed face and angry expression. "What's wrong, Amara? Cat got your tongue?"
Amara glared at Brittany, her fists clenched. "This has nothing to do with you, Brittany," she spat.
"Oh, but it does," Brittany said, her smile widening. "Everything has to do with me. Especially when it involves drama, humiliation, and a good old-fashioned catfight."
The hallway was on fire with tension.
Just then, two teachers arrived, their faces grim. "Alright, ladies, that's enough," one of them said. "You're coming with us."
Amara's eyes widened. "What?!"
"Ooh, looks like someone's going to be in trouble," Brittany tutted to her live audience. "Stay tuned for updates, besties! #DetentionDrama"
As the teachers escorted the twins away, one of them turned to Munnay. "You too," he said. "Come with us."
The hallway buzzed.
Munnay froze.
"Wait, what?! What did I do?!"
The crowd erupted into whispers. Why her?
"Poor new kid," Brittany commented to her followers. "First the locker incident, now this. Talk about a bad day." She ended her live stream with a flourish. "Follow me, guys! Brittany, aka Angel of the Devil!"
Her live stream ended with over 400,000 viewers, surpassing her own record. The students that had gathered and formed a mini-crowd started dispersing.
The rivalry between Amara and Brittany was legendary. It had started in their freshman year, a battle for popularity, for attention, for everything. Mandy had 12.2 million followers on TikTok, while Brittany had 11.3 million. They had even competed against each other in the Miss X-City pageant, a preliminary for Miss Universe. Amara had won, of course, but the competition had been fierce and bitter. And now, with the upcoming fashion show, where both Amara and Brittany were set to debut their new athleisure lines, the tension between them was at an all-time high.
***
The tension in the office was suffocating.
Superintendent Brooks sat behind her desk, her expression a mask of disappointment. Amara and Mandy stood before her, their faces flushed, their eyes filled with anger.
"I am utterly appalled by your behavior," Superintendent Brooks said coldly. "Fighting in the hallway? On live video? You've embarrassed yourselves, your families, and this school."
"She started it!" Amara protested, pointing at Mandy.
"No, she started it!" Mandy retorted, pointing back at Amara.
"ENOUGH!" Superintendent Brooks yelled, slamming her hand on the desk. "I don't care who started it. You're both going to be punished."
"But what about her?" Amara whined, pointing at Munnay, who stood quietly to the side, still shaken by the events of the morning.
"Leave her alone," Mandy snapped, glaring at her sister.
"STOP!" Superintendent Brooks yelled. "Both of you! Mandy and Amara, you're both suspended for the rest of the day. Detention. No classes for you. Now get out of my office."
Amara's face twisted with fury. "That's not fair!" she exclaimed. "What about her? She gets to go free?"
"She's out of this," Mandy said, her voice cold. "So leave her alone."
"OUT!" Superintendent Brooks roared, her patience exhausted.
Amara and Mandy stormed out of the office, their argument continuing in the hallway.
Munnay turned to leave—when Brooks called her name.
"Close the door."
Munnay did.
"Why do you think I let you go?" Brooks asked, voice low.
Munnay's blood ran cold.
"I... I don't know."
Brooks stared at her for a long moment.
Superintendent Brooks turned to Munnay, her expression softening slightly. "You can go back to class," she said quietly.
Munnay nodded, her head bowed. She turned and left the office, her mind still shaken from the events of the morning.
As she walked down the hallway, her phone buzzed repeatedly. She pulled it out and saw a notification. Someone had tagged her in Brittany's live video. The live video, already now a post, had millions of views. Munnay's heart sank. She knew what this meant. Her humiliation was complete.
"Oh no," she whispered, her voice filled with despair. "This is so bad."
She had used a different identity on TikTok, yet someone figured her out.
She was still reeling from the events in the principal's office and the viral video, and desperately needed a moment to herself. She headed towards the girls' bathroom, hoping to find a quiet space to collect her thoughts. But as she reached the door, she was intercepted by Xwen and a crew that gave her intimidatory stares.
"Goddamnit" she thought.
Xwen's face was a storm cloud, his usual playful smirk replaced by a hard, angry glare. "Well, well, well," he sneered, his voice laced with menace. "Look who it is. The little cockroach who got my girl in trouble."
Munnay's heart pounded in her chest. She knew Xwen was Amara's boyfriend, and she braced herself for his wrath. "I… I didn't mean to…" she stammered, her voice trembling.
Xwen stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Who do you think you are?" he hissed. "You think you can just waltz in here and cause trouble for the queen? You're nothing. Just a pathetic little nobody."
His gang, a group of hulking guys and mean girls, circled her, their faces mirroring Xwen's anger.
Munnay's pulse skyrocketed.
They were the classic high school bullies, the kind who thrived on fear and intimidation. They whispered amongst themselves, their words like tiny daggers piercing Munnay's heart.
"Look at her," one of the girls sneered. "She's shaking like a leaf."
"Maybe we should teach her a lesson," another guy suggested, cracking his knuckles.
Munnay's eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but she was trapped. They'd also blocked the entrance to the girl's restroom. She felt a surge of panic, remembering all the stories she'd heard about Xwen and his gang, their cruelty, their violence from Mandy.
"You're going to regret this," Xwen said, his voice low and threatening. "You messed with the wrong person."
He reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip tight, his fingers digging into her skin. Munnay winced in pain, her eyes welling up with tears. Xwen's grip on her arm tightened, but for a split second, something flickered in his expression—uncertainty. His brow furrowed.
"What the hell…" he muttered, rubbing his temple as if fighting off a sudden migraine that had hit him like an electric shock. "What are you?"
"Let me go," she pleaded, her voice trembling.
Xwen laughed—a harsh, cruel sound, regaining composure and tightening his grip on her the more. "Why should I?" he said. "You think you're so special? You think you're above the rules? Well, think again."
He shoved her roughly against the wall, the impact knocking the air out of her lungs. Munnay gasped for breath, her body shaking uncontrollably.
"You're going to learn your place," Xwen said, his voice dripping with venom. "You're going to learn not to mess with Amara. And you're going to learn… to fear us."
He raised his hand, his fingers curled into a fist. Munnay closed her eyes, bracing herself for the blow.
"Wait!" Xwen suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "There's something I don't get. How come you weren't detained? Amara and Mandy got detention. Brittany too, for that matter. But you… you're just walking around like nothing happened. Who are you, really?"
His question hung in the air, thick with unspoken accusations. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against Munnay's ear. "Don't play coy with me," he hissed. "I know you're involved somehow. You think you can just slither away after causing all this trouble? Think again."
He grabbed her arm again, his grip tightening. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," he said, his voice a low growl. "Who are you? And what's your game?"
Munnay's mind raced, trying to come up with an answer, anything to appease him. But she was too scared, too intimidated to think straight. She just shook her head, her eyes wide with fear.
Xwen's expression darkened. "Fine," he said, his voice cold. "If you want to play it that way, we can do this the hard way."
He gestured to his gang, and they moved in closer, their faces menacing. Munnay felt a wave of terror wash over her. She knew she was in serious trouble.
Just as Xwen was about to speak again, a voice called out from the end of the hallway. "Xwen! What are you doing?"
Xwen turned around, his face breaking into a surprised smile.
Munnay felt her heart sink into her chest. "What the hell is she still doing here?" she cursed.
It was Amara, walking towards them, her expression softening as she saw him.
"Hey, baby," she said, her voice sweet. "What's taking so long?"
Xwen glanced back at Munnay, his eyes still filled with suspicion. "Just dealing with a little… problem," he said, his voice low.
Amara looked at Munnay, her eyes narrowing. "What's she doing here?" she asked, her voice sharp.
"I don't know," Xwen replied. "She's not talking."
Amara smirked. "Looks like someone's scared," she said, her voice laced with mockery.
She stepped closer to Munnay, her eyes scanning her up and down. "You know," she said, her voice low and menacing. "I thought you were just a weirdo. But now I'm starting to think you're something else. Something… more of a threat." She leaned in to her, "No. Threat is a good word, and you're not worth it. You're a cockroach—always afraid of everything. A creep!"
Munnay's heart pounded in her chest. She knew they were trying to intimidate her, trying to make her say to something she didn't even understand. But she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. She wasn't going to let them see how scared she was.
She clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palm. She forced herself to meet Amara's eyes, even as her pulse pounded in her throat. "You think I'm scared?" she said softly, tilting her head, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "That's cute." she said, her eyes defiant, , her voice surprisingly steady.
Amara laughed, a harsh, cruel sound. "Oh, really?" she said. "We'll see about that."
She turned back to Xwen, her expression softening. "Let's go, baby," she said, taking his arm. "We have better things to do than waste our time on this… nobody."
"You know I have to go for detention" she said with a frown and a peck on his cheeks.
"I'm gonna miss you baby"
"I'm right here with you" she blew a kiss, thereby irritating Munnay who scoffed silently. "Let's run along. You don't want your Princess to get into more trouble".
Xwen glanced back at Munnay one last time, his eyes filled with warning. Then, he turned and walked away with Amara, their arms intertwined.
Munnay stood there for a moment, her body trembling, her mind racing. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew one thing for sure: she was in trouble. Big trouble. "So much for a second day, tsk tsk"
Her phone vibrated again. She pulled it out, expecting another tag in Brittany's viral video or another one. But instead, a new message flashed across the screen. No name. No number. Just two chilling words:
"You're next."