Chapter 24 Threat.
It's Monday and Stephanie Valentine isn't in a good mood because it's that time of the month. Yeah, mother nature has visited her. And her parents are back to work, they left this morning. Their break is over. She doesn't even bother to make herself breakfast. When Brooke arrives, she leaves the house with her backpack and enters her car - her movements are almost robotic.
"Hey," Brooke greets once Steph enters.
"Good morning," Steph grumbles, buckling her seatbelt, then placing her backpack on her lap. Brooke notices her countenance and knows almost immediately that something is wrong.
"What's wrong? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" Brooke says the last part jokingly in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. It does not work.
"Mother nature visited and I just have this feeling in my gut that today is gonna be a bad day."
"Don't be pessimistic and you're always cranky when aunt flow visits," Brooke points out.
"Whatever. Just drive us to that hell hole," Steph grunts and slumps in her seat.
Brooke chuckles lightly and ignites the engine.
Minutes later, they're heading for Brooke's locker.
"Cole suggested that the four of us go see a movie on Saturday since we couldn't see one the other day," Brooke says.
"Whatever," Steph groans again.
She isn't sure she wants to hang out with them again. She had a good time but she doesn't think it would be a good idea.
She's beginning to feel somehow about Luke and she doesn't like it.
Not one bit.
It started happening during their talk at the amusement park on Saturday. She found out how cool, funny, and interesting he is.
Poison Ivy is one lucky bitch.
As they kept talking, she was getting fascinated by him. How he talks, his smile, his laugh that sounds like music to her ears, and the way he purses his kissable lips when thinking.
Good gravy!
Now she sounds like Brody except that Brody's situation is different.
He likes Keeley; she doesn't like Luke. Or does she? No, it isn't possible.
She has always thought he was cute and good-looking but never liked him in that way. Though she got to know a little about him on Saturday, that doesn't mean she likes him, right? Is it possible to start to like someone just like that?
Absolutely not.
She's leaning on the locker next to Brooke's, busy thinking as she absentmindedly watches her.
"Hey, Brooke."
Steph knows that voice.
The voice of the person that just kinda barged into her life.
"Chris," Brooke smirks, turning around to face him.
"Hazel," he gives her a subtle nod.
She's tired of correcting him about the name and trying to push him away. If he wants to be her friend, well, we'll see about that. And if he's trying to hook up with her - it won't happen. And besides, she's in no mood to start with him this awful morning.
So she sighs and answers, "Hi."
That surprises Chris while Brooke smirks, apparently enjoying the look on his face.
Chris stares at her in disbelief. She just answered without correcting him about the name. What happened to "Don't call me that and what do you want?" He muses.
This was not want he expected.
So he decides to ask the safest question.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Steph groans, pushing herself off the locker.
"I need to get some notes from my locker. See you later B," she tells her, then turns to Chris. "You too, Christopher."
Then she walks away.
Chris finds her behavior rather strange as he watches her go.
"What's wrong with her?" He asks Brooke.
"She's a little cranky so I'll give her some space if I were you," Brooke answers him.
"Okay. I'll see you around."
"Sure," she replies.
Stephanie is already seated when Like walks in. He sees her just as she notices him which leads to their eyeballs meeting. Luke grins and begins to walk to her.
She feels something in the pit of her stomach at the sight of his grin. She feels weird. She doesn't know why she feels this way. She looks away momentarily and shuts her eyes to take a deep breath as if in preparation for something big about to happen.
"Hey, Steph," Luke says as he's already in front of her. She opens her eyes and looks up to meet his eyes.
"Hi," she tries to smile, trying not to make this awkward.
"How are you?" He asks, taking the empty seat beside her.
"I'm good. You?"
"Great." Luke smiles. "I had fun on Saturday. We could all go see a movie next time," Luke suggests.
Steph shrugs. She doesn't think she'd want a next time. But he doesn't need to know that. The teacher walks in, preventing further conversation which Steph is grateful for.
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It's lunch break and Ivy isn't heading in the cafeteria's direction. She's heading towards the girls' bathroom with a blank look on her face. Aspen is right beside her and they look determined to get to their destination.
Ivy had received a text from an unknown number yesterday.
It said:
Hey Ivy. I have something that would be of use to you. Where should we meet in school tomorrow?
Ivy had replied after a little deliberation, wondering who it was.
Who is this?
She got a reply:
It's Olivia from school. We have chemistry together.
Ivy frowned on seeing that reply. She tried to recall Olivia from her chemistry class but she couldn't. She doesn't know anybody called Olivia. So she texted back.
I don't remember any Olivia from chemistry. What did you say you have?
She got a reply in seconds:
It has to do with Luke.
That caught her interest.
Okay. Meet me in the girls' bathroom during lunch tomorrow.
I will.
She got that reply.
She had wondered what the so-called Olivia could possibly have that'll be useful to her. And she's still wondering. If whatever Olivia has isn't of use to her, she's in for it for bothering her.
Now, she's about to find out with Aspen. She had told Aspen everything this morning.
They walk into the bathroom to find it empty. No one in any of the stalls and Ivy doesn't like it.
"Olivia isn't here yet," Aspen announces.
"And you think I can't see that?" Ivy replies with a scoff.
They walk to the front of the mirror and begin to touch up their makeup.
About a minute later, someone enters the bathroom in a hurry and breathing heavily.
They both turn to find a girl with ginger-colored hair who has a phone in her hand. She props her hands on her knees as she tries to catch her breath. It's quite obvious she sort of raced here and Ivy doesn't need anyone to tell her that it's who they've been waiting for.
"You're late," Ivy says snootily, putting her lipstick away.
"I know," Olivia sighs. "I'm sorry."
"So what is it you have that would be of use to me?" Ivy inquires without preamble, inspecting her fingernails as if not interested in the conversation.
Olivia stands upright and walks closer.
"I think Luke is cheating on you," she drops a bomb.
"What?!" Aspen exclaims.
Ivy doesn't look bothered by that bit of information. She just looks slightly interested.
"What proof do you have?" Ivy asks.
"I saw him at an amusement park on Saturday with a girl," Olivia tells them.
"And who is this girl? Does she go here?"
"Yes. I think her name is Stephanie," Olivia answers promptly.
"How do you expect us to believe you? For all I know, you might be feeding us crap," Aspen huffs, skeptical.
Olivia goes on her phone, scrolling and clicking until she finds what she's looking for - the picture of Luke and Steph that she took on Saturday.
"Here," she says, turning the screen of the phone so that they can see it.
Ivy's eyes widen and she takes the phone from Olivia's grasp to get a better look. She sees that indeed a girl is in the picture with Luke. They're sitting on a bench and seem to be enjoying each other's company.
"Who the fuck is she?" Ivy growls. "How dare she? Does she know he's my boyfriend?"
Olivia doesn't say anything but Aspen does. "She clearly doesn't."
"I took another one of them in class this morning," Olivia shows them.
Ivy hands the phone to Aspen for her to get a better look. She's seething.
"Send me those pictures," Ivy commands as Aspen hands Olivia back the phone.
"And what is it you want in exchange for this information?" Ivy asks. She knows that Olivia would something in return.
"I want you to hook me up with Cole," Olivia says without hesitation.
Ivy and Aspen exchange a knowing look. They know they can't do that. It would be a lost course. Cole would never agree to that. He barely talks to them let alone this. There is no chance they'd be able to do what Olivia wants.
"I'll see what I can do," Ivy remarks and heads out with Aspen behind her.
After the last class of the day, Steph heads to her locker. Her path gets blocked by two bodies. Poison Ivy and her puppet.
"If it isn't 'the' Stephanie," Ivy snickers, giving Steph a once over.
Steph mentally freaks out a little.
Why would Poison Ivy be talking to her? And why did she say article 'the' before her name? And with emphasis?
Steph tries to speak but Ivy stops her. "I don't even want to hear your pathetic voice so zip it."
"I wanna warn you to stay away from Luke. I don't wanna see you with or anywhere around him. If I do, I'd make your life hell in this school," Ivy says menacingly with a vicious glare. Then she and Aspen walk away, swaying their hips.
"Bye Bitch," Ivy hollers before turning into another hallway, leaving Steph to process everything that she just said.
Steph finds her way to Brooke after stopping at her locker, still in a daze and finding it hard to believe what happened.
"What's wrong?" Brooke inquires.
"I...I think poison Ivy just threatened to make my life miserable if I don't stay away from Luke," she answers, still not quite believing it.
Today sure is one bad day- just as she predicted.
"What?!" Brooke gapes.
"Do you know the worst part of all this?"
Brooke shakes her head.
"I think I like Luke."
"Holy shit!" Brooke drops the things in her hands with her mouth wide open.