The cafeteria was still buzzing with laughter and whispers long after Tessa stormed out.
April, unfazed, finished her meal at a leisurely pace. She could feel people sneaking glances at her, some amused, others impressed, and a few just downright confused.
She wasn't surprised. Most of them still refused to believe she was really blind and deaf. But after today? She had a feeling the rumors would only get wilder.
A chair scraped across from her.
"That," Michelangelo said, grinning, "was legendary."
April didn't bother looking up. "What do you want?"
Michelangelo rested his chin on his hand.
"Oh, nothing much. Just admiring a master at work."
April stabbed a piece of food with her fork.
"If you're expecting me to be grateful for the attention, don't hold your breath."
"Ouch," he said, placing a hand over his heart. "You wound me, April."
She mentally rolled her eyes. "Go bother someone else."
Michelangelo chuckled but didn't move.
Other students were still watching them, and April could already tell what they were thinking.
Why is he still talking to her?
Is he actually interested?
Is she some kind of freak?
April didn't care. She had bigger problems to deal with than high school gossip.
Michelangelo leaned forward. "You know, you just made an enemy for life, right?"
April smirked. "She started it."
"And you ended it. Beautifully, I might add."
He tilted his head. "But don't think for a second that Tessa's gonna take this loss quietly."
"I'd be disappointed if she did," April said.
Michelangelo laughed. "I think I like you."
"Tragic," she deadpanned.
He grinned, clearly enjoying himself.
"Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone—for now. But just so you know..." He stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "You're officially on Tessa's hit list now. Hope you're ready for round two."
April barely acknowledged him. "She can try."
Michelangelo smirked. "I really like you."
And with that, he walked off, leaving April alone again.
She sighed, rubbing her temple.
Highschool was already annoying before.
Now it's just getting worse.
April pushed herself away from the table, standing as other students glanced curiously in her direction.
A girl from the next table leaned closer, eyes wide. "Wait… I've been wanting to ask since the very beginning, you've appeared. What is that behind your head? Is it… real?"
April turned slightly, her tone casual but confident. "Oh, this?" she said, tilting her head just enough to give a hint of the golden glow. "It's a custom-made accessory. Part of a headband design I came up with myself. Very pricey, but worth it."
The girl's jaw dropped. "Seriously? That's amazing! It looks so real!"
A few other students nearby craned their necks, murmuring in awe.
"Thanks," April replied smoothly, stepping past them. The hum of whispered admiration followed her like a shadow.
Exactly as planned, she thought, feeling a small, satisfied smirk tug at her lips.
No one would suspect it was part of a Gear or some unusual power—just a luxurious, custom-made accessory.
The rumors were already beginning to spread.
"She made that herself?"
"No way, that's insane."
"I need one of those…"
April walked on, her dull orange hair deflecting the light, the golden sigil behind her head glowing faintly, marking her as unforgettable—and untouchable.
The fallout from the cafeteria incident didn't take long.
By the next day, Tessa had already set her plans in motion.
April walked into school, fully aware of the whispering around her. She could feel the tension in the air, the barely concealed glances, the passive-aggressive giggles from Tessa's usual group.
Here we go.
She made it to her locker, moving smoothly as always, when she felt another presence step beside her.
"You're popular today," Michelangelo's voice came, amused as always.
April sighed. "And here I thought you'd have better things to do."
He chuckled. "Nah. Watching this whole drama unfold is way too entertaining."
April ignored him and opened her locker.
But as soon as she did, a thick pile of papers spilled out, scattering all over the floor.
She froze.
Michelangelo bent down and picked one up. The second he saw it, his grin vanished.
April didn't need to see it to know what it was.
Because the entire hallway had gone silent.
She took the paper from his hand. The texture was off—thicker, almost glossy.
It was a printed photo.
Of her.
More specifically, of her sitting alone in the cafeteria, completely unaware that someone had taken a picture. Bold text was written across it:
"FAKE BLIND FREAK"
April's grip tightened.
The other students stood in awkward silence, watching, waiting for her reaction.
Some were amused. Others looked guilty. A few quickly turned away, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
Michelangelo let out a slow breath. "Damn. She really went all in on this one."
April crouched down, calmly picking up the photos. Not a single sign of anger crossed her face.
She wasn't going to give them that satisfaction.
Instead, she took every last one, stacked them neatly, and—without a word—ripped them in half.
Michelangelo blinked. "That's it?"
April turned to him, smirking slightly.
"What? You wanted a dramatic speech?"
He grinned. "I mean, yeah. A little bit."
She scoffed and threw the torn pieces into the trash. "Tessa's an idiot if she thinks this is enough to get under my skin."
But even as she said it, she could feel Tessa watching.
Across the hall, leaning against the lockers with her arms crossed, the queen bee smirked.
April didn't even have to turn to know who it was.
Here we go.
Tessa had finally decided to make her next move.
April exhaled, already bored. "Tessa."
The queen bee strutted in front of them, arms crossed, her signature fake smile in place. "I have to say, I'm impressed."
April raised an eyebrow. "That you managed to print a hundred copies of the same pathetic insult? Yeah, I guess that's an achievement."
Tessa's eye twitched.
Michelangelo stifled a laugh. "I'm just here for the show."
Tessa ignored him, locking eyes with April's stitched eyelids.
"You can drop the act. No one actually believes you're blind."
April tilted her head. "You sure? Because I've definitely seen you make some dumb choices."
The students nearby let out a few gasps. Someone muttered, "Oh, damn."
Tessa clenched her jaw, but she covered it quickly with another smile. "You're just lucky Michelangelo finds you entertaining."
April smirked. "And you hate that, don't you?"
Tessa's fingers twitched, but she didn't rise to the bait. Instead, she gave a small, amused laugh. "Enjoy your little moment, April. Because trust me—when I'm done, you won't have anywhere to hide."
April shrugged. "That's cute. But next time, if you're gonna try and ruin me, at least be original."
Tessa's expression darkened.
And for the first time—April knew she had gotten under her skin.
Checkmate is coming.