Chapter 129: Who's that Girl?

Nicole sat alone on the bleachers until darkness fell over the empty field. Hot tears streamed down her face, smudging the makeup she had so carefully applied hours earlier.

Brandon's rejection rang in her ears over and over.

"I'm sorry I have to decline. Sharon is the only girl I'm interested in."

"Sharon is the only girl I'm interested in."

"Sharon is the only girl I'm interested in,"

She had tried everything; changing her look, lying about Sharon, throwing herself at him shamelessly. And still, he had barely glanced her way before telling her that he wasn't interested.

The humiliation ate away at Nicole like acid in her veins. She let out an anguished scream, the sound echoing across the vacant field.

Gripping the pink sundress in her fists, she tore violently, ripping it to shreds. She ripped and tore until the dress was nothing but tatters scattered on the ground.

Nicole stripped off the pastel outfit with disgust and quickly changed back into her own ripped black clothes and heavy boots.

She applied heavier makeup as her eyeshadow and lipstick were shades darker than usual.

She instantly felt more like herself, though the anger and bitterness still boiled inside of her; her appearance was a perfect reflection on how she was feeling inside.

Picking up the torn remains of Sharon's dress, Nicole carried them over to a trash can on the edge of the bleachers.

She was now indifferent to the possibility of anyone witnessing her charred items.

Pulling out a lighter from her pocket, she set the fabric remnants on fire and watched with dark satisfaction as they burned, the pink fabric blackening and curling into ashes.

She had succeeded in coming between Brandon and Sharon, her manipulations convincing Sharon to stay away from him.

But winning Brandon for herself had been the real goal, and she had failed utterly. The pain of that failure ate at her, demanding vengeance.

Even if she had to destroy Sharon completely to make it happen.

The last of the dress burned away, smoke spiraling up into the dusk. Nicole's mouth curved into a grim, determined smile.

Sharon would pay. One way or another.

***

The news of Sharon's alleged assault plagued Brandon's mind, refusing to let his doubts subside.

Though unconfirmed, he felt an urge to connect with her, to see her face and hear her voice, searching for any sign confirming she was unharmed.

Brandon had been keeping an eye out for the mysterious girl in the soft pink pastel dress, but regardless of where he looked in the school halls and classrooms, he couldn't find her.

He wondered if they even attended the same school.

Even though Nicole, walked past him several times, he didn't recognize her. Her overall appearance was altered enough that he wouldn't make the connection to their previous encounter.

He hardly glanced at her. And even if he did, there was no way for him to identify the girl as the same one from before.

Her drastic change in look provided a disguise that kept her true identity hidden from Brandon.

He kicked himself for not engaging with her more diplomatically when they had interacted, at least to learn her name; he could have exposed her deception.

Sharon deserved to know about the mysterious girl in the pink dress and the false rumors she had spread. But Brandon had no identifying details about her to share.

He wished there was a way for Sharon to learn about the girl. Then the girl could have been confronted and the false gossip halted.

Now there was no way for Sharon to learn who was responsible for spreading lies about her.

Brandon reached out relentlessly to Sharon, calling and texting, despite the clear message in her silence.

She kept avoiding him, showing she wanted to be alone. This led to Brandon repeatedly missed calls and unanswered texts from Brandon's restless fingers, but she didn't respond.

As she continued to stay distant, Brandon's desperation turned into acceptance. Even if they couldn't be romantic, he would have loved to be her friend. To be there for her without expecting anything in return.

But her continued silence said a lot, she needed distance. As painful as it was, Brandon accepted that his presence would only cause further harm.

With a heavy heart, he surrendered to her wishes. No more calls, no more texts. As much as he longed to be there for her, he would keep his distance if that was truly what she needed to heal.

Sharon's well-being mattered more than his own restless heart.

He would wait silently in the wings, ready to answer her call if she changed her mind. Until then, he would give her the space she deserved.

Even if it crushed his spirit, he refused to cause her any more pain.