Chapter 4: Broken Record 2
The hallway between classes was a river of students, a current of chatter and shuffling feet. Isadora and Lena moved through it hand-in-hand, a two-person island of solidarity. Lena suddenly stopped, pulling Isadora to the side near a bank of lockers.
"Isa, guess what!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "My dad said he can talk to his friend about giving us a chance at one of the finance companies after graduation. We could get an interview!"
A genuine smile broke across Isadora's face, a rare and precious thing. "Really, Lena? That's amazing news."
"I know, right? But he's worried about my grades," Lena continued, her expression turning pleading. "But I have you. I know if we study together, I'll make it."
"Yes, I'll make sure you're not slacking off," Isadora promised, nudging her friend with her shoulder. They shared a laugh, a brief, bright moment of normalcy.
The moment shattered as they entered their classroom. The space was in chaos, students lounging on desks and standing in chattering groups; the lecturer was nowhere to be seen. Isadora's gaze, almost against her will, drifted to the back of the room. There, holding court with her usual trio of followers, was Chloe.
Their eyes met across the crowded room. Chloe's lip curled, and she rolled her eyes with practiced drama before turning away.
"She always does that," Lena muttered, having caught the exchange. She pulled Isadora toward two empty seats. "Come on, let's sit. Don't even bother with her."
They had just settled when a student representative walked in and raised his voice over the din. "Listen up! Professor Jensen can't make it; she has a family emergency. All lectures for the day are canceled."
A collective cheer went up from most of the class. Lena turned to Isadora, her earlier idea resurfacing. "Perfect. Let's go to the back of the library and study. Finals are coming up, and I need all the help I can get."
But their escape was cut short before they even left the classroom.
"Well, look who it is. The scholarship case and the charity project."
They turned to find Chloe and her two primary lackeys blocking the aisle. The third girl, a quiet shadow Isadora recognized as Mia, lingered a few steps behind, her arms laden with expensive bags that weren't her own.
"What do you want, Chloe?" Isadora asked, her voice flat.
Chloe pointed a perfectly manicured nail at Isadora's chest, her face a mask of feigned innocence. "Oh, nothing. I just wanted to ask how your night was. Did you try to seduce Sebastian last night? Try to get him to fuck you, just like your mom did to get my dad pregnant with you?"
A wave of cold numbness washed over Isadora. She had heard variations of this her entire life. The two friends flanking Chloe tittered behind their hands, a performance of elegance that only highlighted their cruelty.
Lena stepped forward, her body tense. "Hey! Watch your mouth, you cheap"
"Cheap?" one of the friends, a brunette named Stacy, sneered, stepping forward. "That would be your friend and her mother."
"Yeah," the other, a girl named Brittany, chimed in. "I mean, who seduces a married man, gets pregnant, and then abandons the child on his doorstep just to ruin his life?"
Isadora simply sighed, the insults bouncing off the armor of lifelong repetition. It didn't matter to her anymore. But for Lena, the injustice was a fresh wound every time.
Chloe's eyes raked over Isadora from head to toe, her gaze lingering on her simple jeans and crop top. "I guess since you're still looking like… that… he couldn't bring himself to touch you." A vicious smile played on her lips. "Well, maybe you should beg him. Tell him you're a virgin and it's your first time and you're just so desperate to be rich."
Her friends burst into loud, cackling laughter.
Chloe's face suddenly hardened, all pretense of humor gone. "Father said to tell you not to do anything to embarrass him. Having you is enough of that for him already." With a final, contemptuous look, she turned, and her entourage swiveled with her. They swept past Mia, the silent messenger, who followed them out without a backward glance, her shoulders slumped under the weight of their designer bags.
Once they were gone, Lena squeezed Isadora's hand, a wordless communication of shared anger and sorrow.
"I feel bad for her," Isadora said softly as they finally left the classroom.
"For Chloe?" Lena asked, incredulous.
"No. For Mia. She can't escape them. I hope she gets to be free after we graduate."
Lena sighed, the fight going out of her. "I agree. Let's just get to the restaurant. I don't want to spend another second in this school."
They made their way to the student parking lot, the bright sun a stark contrast to the gloom of the confrontation. Lena's car, a reliable but aging sedan, was parked between two much newer vehicles. They were just a few feet away when a voice, sharp and familiar, cut through the air.
"Ugh, not again."
They turned to see Chloe, this time attached to the arm of her boyfriend, Aries. He was everything Chloe valued: handsome, with artfully tousled blonde hair and striking gray eyes that made Chloe's bottle-blonde hair look like a cheap imitation. A smug, possessive smile was permanently etched on his face.
"Can you not park this trash next to my car?" Chloe said, pointing a trembling finger at Lena's sedan. "It's pathetic."
Lena rolled her eyes, already reaching for her keys, but Isadora had reached her limit.
"Oh yeah?" Isadora said, her voice deceptively sweet. She let her eyes drift meaningfully from Aries back to Chloe. "Like your relationship?"
The barb landed perfectly. Lena snorted with laughter, and they watched with satisfaction as a blotchy red flush crept up Chloe's neck. Not giving them a moment to retort, the two friends slid into the car. Lena turned the key, and the old engine roared to life with a dramatic puff of smoke from the exhaust. She revved it once for good measure, enveloping the perfect couple in a cloud of gray fumes that sent them into a fit of coughing and waving their hands.
"You little bitch!" Aries snarled, his ego visibly bruised.
But Lena was already pulling out of the spot, leaving the sound of their sputtering curses far behind.