After threatening Linda McGim and forcing her to find a way to lure Clara Johnson into the storage room, Jubina Loxter and Catherine hid behind a tall cabinet inside the cramped space.
Students from other classes came and went, returning mops and buckets one after another—yet Clara never appeared. Outside the window, the sky slowly darkened, and both girls were running out of patience.
Just as they were about to step out and see whether Linda had played them, the hallway echoed with the clang, clang of a mop knocking against a bucket.
"She's here! It has to be her!" Jubina blurted out excitedly. "All the other classes are done—only Clara Johnson is left!"
Catherine slapped a hand over her mouth before she could shout any louder.
Clara walked into the storage room carrying the bucket and mop—only for the door behind her to slam shut without warning.
She jumped in surprise.
Click.
The light snapped on.
Standing in front of her was a completely unfamiliar girl, about seventeen years old, ordinary-looking. Behind her, the one who had closed the door was none other than Jubina, her classmate.
"Jubina," Clara asked calmly, though her guard was already up, "what exactly are you doing?"
This didn't look friendly at all.
"So you're Clara Johnson?" Catherine crossed her arms, eyeing her disdainfully. "The one who stole Jubina's boyfriend?"
To sneak into the school, Catherine had removed all the flashy accessories she usually wore. Clara didn't recognize her as the delinquent who had slapped her months ago.
Catherine, however, recognized Clara immediately.
She'd grown a little taller, a little fuller—but not enough to hide who she was. Seeing the once-skinny girl now even prettier stirred a sharp stab of jealousy in Catherine's chest.
Still, she knew her limits. She was only here to threaten—not to hit. If the school found out, she wouldn't escape unscathed.
"Boyfriend?" Clara tilted her head slightly. "Jubina, since when do you have a boyfriend?"
If Jubina really had one, she'd have been bragging about it nonstop.
"I… well…" Jubina hesitated, face flushing. She and Kade had never been anything. Claiming him outright made even her feel embarrassed.
"He's on your school's basketball team," Catherine cut in impatiently. "Name's Kade or something."
"Kade Davis?" Clara spread her hands. "He's your boyfriend? That's news to me."
She truly had no interest in figuring out who belonged to whom.
"So you're admitting you seduced Jubina's boyfriend," Catherine sneered, her eyes full of contempt. She despised girls who stole other people's men—especially ones with faces made to tempt.
Clara frowned.
"First," she said coolly, "Kade Davis confessed to me, not the other way around.
Second, I didn't accept.
Third, apart from bandaging his injury a month ago, I've had zero contact with him."
She lifted her chin slightly.
"Watch your language. Using words like seduce only shows a lack of upbringing. Didn't your teachers ever teach you how to speak properly?"
The crude tone coming from a 17-year-old made Clara's brows knit tightly.
"Upbringing?" Catherine's face twisted. "You're talking about upbringing with me?! I'll show you what my upbringing looks like, you little—!"
Being expelled early had left a scar Catherine never admitted to. It was self-inflicted, yes—but anyone who touched it lit the fuse instantly.
She raised her hand high, ready to slap Clara again—hard enough to teach her a lesson.
Smack.
The slap never landed on Clara.
Instead, it rang sharply across Catherine's face.
Clara struck first—faster, cleaner—and then shoved Catherine hard against the cabinet behind her. The metal let out a dull thud.
Clara's hand shot up, gripping Catherine by the throat.
Though shorter, she radiated absolute dominance.
Jubina panicked and rushed forward—but Clara's sudden shout froze her in place.
"If you don't want to get expelled," Clara snarled, "stand right there and don't move!"
Her eyes were wide, blazing with fury—predatory enough to make Jubina's blood run cold.
Catherine was stunned, too shocked to even resist, staring blankly as Clara's fingers tightened around her neck.
"You think you're something special?" Clara whispered, her voice low and dangerous.
"What gives you the right to insult my mother?"
"Do you know how snakes hunt?" she continued slowly.
"They coil around their prey… tightening… crushing the bones bit by bit…"
"Then they swallow it whole… and let stomach acid dissolve it—slowly…"
"Before digestion is finished…" her voice dipped further, "the prey is still alive."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Let me hear those words again—about my mother, or about me—and I'll become that snake."
"And you…" she leaned closer, "will be the prey."
The chilling imagery, paired with Clara's deliberately lowered voice, created an eerie, suffocating atmosphere.
Jubina shuddered violently.
Even Catherine—who feared nothing—felt a stab of cold fear.
Clara released her grip and turned toward Jubina.
Jubina scrambled backward as if she'd seen a demon.
Seeing her reaction, Clara felt oddly satisfied. Last night's Animal World episode—watching a snake devour its prey—had nearly ruined her appetite. At least it wasn't wasted.
Snapping out of the shock, Catherine felt humiliation burn through her veins.
She'd been scared—by a kid's scary story.
Rage drowned out reason.
Her eyes locked onto a broken stool in the corner of the storage room, one leg missing.
She grabbed it and swung with all her strength—
Crack!
Clara had just reached for the door when the stool slammed into the back of her head.
Her vision exploded into darkness.
She turned slowly, disbelief written across her face, staring at Catherine still clutching the stool—then her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the floor.
"She—she killed her!" Jubina screamed in terror. "She killed her!"
Catherine panicked—but unlike Jubina, she forced herself to stay calm. She dropped the stool and pressed her fingers to Clara's neck.
A pulse.
Breathing.
She exhaled in relief. Prison was not in her plans.
"Shut up," Catherine hissed, clamping a hand over Jubina's mouth. "She's not dead—just knocked out."
"Then… then what do we do…?" Jubina's voice trembled. She already regretted bringing Catherine into the school. If this got out, her parents would kill her.
"We leave," Catherine said coldly, dragging Jubina toward the door. "Act like nothing happened. If anyone asks, deny everything. We're minors—they can't do anything to us."
"What about her?" Jubina glanced back at Clara's unmoving body.
"Forget her. She'll wake up and go home on her own."
The two girls fled.
The storage room fell silent.
Clara lay unconscious on the cold floor, alone.
…..
Deep beneath New York City, red warning lights suddenly flared inside Tony Stark's underground workshop.
Mid-calculation, Tony frowned.
"What is it, JARVIS?"
"Sir, Clara Johnson may be in danger."
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