Chapter 122: Playing with Fire

"Wait, Sharon," Nicole called after her as they left the school grounds, heading home.

"How could he do that?" Sharon exclaimed. "In front of everyone?! He should've been more subtle, like writing me a note or something."

Nicole caught up, hands on her knees, catching her breath. She hadn't realized Sharon could move so quickly.

"That was so embarrassing!"

"I guess he liked you then, not me," Nicole remarked, drawing attention to herself as usual.

"I suppose he's silly,” Sharon said.

"There are way prettier girls than you at school," Nicole said, attempting to bring Sharon down a notch.

"I know, right?" Sharon said, agreeing with her.

Nicole was taken aback by Sharon's response. How thick skinned was she not to be offended by that statement?

"And what about Molly, his girlfriend? Huh?" Sharon questioned.

"Who cares about Molly? She's an awful person. No one at school likes her."

"I do care about her! Her boyfriend just let his feelings out for another girl. In front of the whole school. She must be feeling like shit right now."

"Don't sweat it," Nicole said. "She'll be alright."

"How can you tell?"

"If she's okay with treating people like shit, she should be able to take being treated like shit as well," Nicole calmly stated. Her dislike for Molly was evident due to Molly's arrogant demeanor.

"That's…I don't know…I feel sorry for her."

"I told you, a girl's guy is still just a guy," Nicole recalled.

"But it doesn't make any sense. Why? Why would he do that, though?"

"Maybe they broke up?" Nicole implied.

"She doesn't look heartbroken. Did you see how happy she was with the cheerleading stuff?" Sharon said.

"Who cares? So Brandon, hmm…are you excited he likes you?" Nicole asked, her smile lacking genuine enthusiasm.

Sharon smiled shyly.

"You do like him," Nicole said, playfully tickling her.

"Stop," Sharon said, laughing for the first time since the incident.

"Come on, admit it," Nicole teased.

"Well, he is very handsome and tall. I like his hair."

"I knew it! Pretender."

Nicole continued to tickle her, and the laughter reverberated between the two friends.

But you know you can't have anything to do with him, right?" Nicole said.

"Of course, I know that," Sharon said. "Boys are the last thing on my mind, right now. Believe me."

"What's on your mind?" Nicole inquired.

"My high school diploma. I don't have time for boys."

"Well, I do," Nicole said, chuckling.

"Of course you do," Sharon said, joining in the laughter.

"You better brace yourself for Monday. Miss Nasty and her friends will be paying you a visit."

"Oh shoot, I almost forgot about that. What am I going to do, Nicole? I don't want to fight. I don't even know how to."

"Don't worry, I've got you," Nicole assured.

"You're going to follow me around all day?"

"If I have to."

"Thanks, Nicole. I'm happy I have you."

"Me too, Babycakes."

"Babycakes?" Sharon asked, puzzled.

"My new nickname for you," Nicole explained.

"Babycakes, I like it." Sharon said, smiling, finding solace in the support of her friend.

'Maybe Nicole is not as bad as I thought.'

The girls got home, and Ms. Smith, their guardian, let them off the hook for being late due to the football game.

Sharon went to bed happy that night because, despite the circumstances, what Brandon did was very romantic and sweet. It made her feel special and seen for the first time in her life.

Nicole, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. She was furious and enraged with jealousy. Why couldn't the towel have landed on her? Just a few more inches to the left. Damn his precision!

Even if he didn't mean to throw it at her, the glory of that moment would have been hers, not little Miss Perfect's.

She had been so envious on their walk back home, but she had to pretend. Luckily, she was good at it; otherwise, her frustration would have shone through.

She brought the towel out of her bag and wiped it on her face, inhaling Brandon's scent, rolling her eyes as if she were in a trance.

In her mind, she believed she deserved Brandon, not Sharon. She deserved all the good things Sharon had. And she was determined to take them for herself.

Nicole's emotions reached a boiling point and was engrossed in a storm of jealousy and envy, desperation fueled her hope that Brandon liked her instead of Sharon.

As the worry of him not choosing her and the possibility of an undesired reality gnawed at her, a sinister sensation stirred within her.

The seed of insecurity planted itself firmly within her. A feeling so malicious, a force she couldn't or maybe didn't want to control.

The dark compulsion took root, like an insidious whisper urging her to surrender to the malevolence that simmered within.

The destructive desire to burn something... anything, began to smolder within her, a dark force she hesitated to resist.

The strange urge whispered to her, pushing her to embrace the dark feelings inside, pushing her to give in to the attraction of doing something destructive. It thrilled and scared her at the same time.

Nicole let these intense emotions steer her actions, as if a mysterious power had taken hold of her, pulling her towards the appeal of causing destruction.

The urge of burning something fascinated her deeply, and with curiosity and fear, Nicole allowed her emotions to guide her.

At that moment, the flames she imagined mirrored the fire of jealousy inside her, creating a disturbing connection between the chaos outside and the turmoil within.

Nicole succumbed to the irresistible urge. Throughout the weekend, she immersed herself in the yard, experimenting with the art of burning.

Toys, clothes, paper, and various objects from both the house and shed became fuel for her newfound fascination.

Her eyes sparkled with an unusual intensity, reflecting the dance of flames that seemed to hold her in a captivating trance.

The way the fire flickered within her gaze mirrored an unspoken connection, a secret language only she and the flames understood.

As the fiery glow enveloped her eyes, an unexpected sense of calm washed over Nicole.

A contented smile played on her lips, as if she had stumbled upon a long sought refuge for the boisterous emotions that had plagued her.

The flames became more than just destruction; they became a cathartic release, an outlet for the jealousy and envy that had consumed her.

In that fiery dance, Nicole found solace, and the flames, like obedient companions, flickered in harmony with the rhythm of her newfound emotional outlet.