Chapter 45: CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE

Chapter Forty-Five

The next morning at school, the hallways buzzed with their usual chaos—lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking against the tiled floor, and students shouting across the crowd.

Mandy clutched her books a little too tightly as she walked beside Liz. Her palms were damp, and she kept shifting her grip, pretending it was just the weight of her bag straining her arms. But inside, her stomach was a knot.

The secret Piper had shared with her the night before still echoed in her mind, heavy like a stone she couldn’t shake off.

Every time she opened her mouth to say something, her conscience screamed at her to stay quiet. Don’t betray her. She trusted you. And yet, the words pressed against her lips like they were desperate to be free.

Liz, meanwhile, was her usual self—strutting with an energy that filled the hallway, her eyes darting left and right as if she was searching for the next exciting piece of gossip to liven up the morning.

She noticed Mandy’s silence, the way she kept biting her lip and avoiding eye contact.

“What’s with you?” Liz finally asked, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you swallowed a whole lemon.”

Mandy forced a laugh, shifting her books again. “Nothing. Just tired.”

But Liz wasn’t the kind of girl you could fool with a weak excuse. She slowed her steps, narrowing her eyes.

“Mmm, no. Something’s up. You’ve been jumpy since we walked in. Don’t even try to tell me it’s just homework.”

Mandy’s cheeks warmed. She shook her head, but her voice came out weaker than she wanted. “Seriously, Liz. It’s nothing.”

Liz smirked knowingly, leaning closer like a detective pressing for a confession. “You’re hiding something. I can see it all over your face. Spill, Mandy.”

Mandy’s pulse thundered in her ears. She looked ahead, watching clusters of students gather by their lockers, the air thick with chatter.

It felt like the whole hallway was waiting for her to open her mouth. Don’t say it. Piper trusted you. Don’t—

But Liz was relentless. “Come on, we’re friends. You can tell me. Whatever it is, I won’t say a word.”

That promise—so casually spoken—was the final crack in Mandy’s resolve. .

She bit her lip hard, her thoughts a blur of guilt and pressure. Before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out in a rush, barely louder than a whisper.

“It’s about Piper.”

Liz’s eyes lit up immediately. “Go on…”

Mandy’s throat tightened. Her books pressed painfully into her chest, like a reminder of the burden she was about to unload. “She… she likes someone.

Like, really likes him. And she’s been talking to him online. But it’s a secret, Liz. You can’t tell anyone, okay?”

Liz leaned back slightly, her lips curving into a slow grin. “Ooooh. This is already good. Who is it?”

Mandy hesitated, shaking her head. “No, I shouldn’t—”

“Mandy,” Liz cut in, folding her arms. “You can’t drop something like that and then leave me hanging. That’s cruel.”

Her stomach churned. Piper’s tearful face from last night flashed in her mind—how nervous she had been, confessing her crush.

But Mandy was caught now, tangled between loyalty and Liz’s piercing stare. The words slipped out, barely audible.

“It’s… Caelum.”

Liz gasped so loudly that a few students nearby glanced their way. She quickly covered her mouth, eyes sparkling like she had just found treasure.

“Caelum? As in, tall, mysterious, perfect-hair Caelum?”

Mandy’s shoulders hunched. She nodded, her voice breaking with guilt. “Yes. But you cannot tell anyone. Piper would kill me if she knew I said something.”

Liz linked her arm through Mandy’s and grinned wider. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

But deep down, Mandy knew that grin too well. Liz loved drama. She fed on it. And secrets like this never stayed in her pocket for long.

\---

The rest of the school day dragged on, but Mandy couldn’t shake the heavy pit in her stomach.

Every time she saw Piper across the cafeteria or in the hallway, laughing like nothing was wrong, guilt stabbed sharper.

She avoided eye contact, terrified her friend would somehow sense the betrayal.

Liz, on the other hand, was practically glowing.

She didn’t say a word aloud during the day, but her smirk told Mandy everything she needed to know. Liz was sitting on a ticking bomb, waiting for the perfect moment to drop it.

\---

That evening, after dinner, Liz sat on her bed with her laptop open, her fingers flying across the keyboard.

The glow of the screen lit up her mischievous smile. She had promised Mandy she wouldn’t say anything… but the temptation was unbearable.

And if there was one person she had to tell, it was Chloe.

Chloe, who had been swooning over Caelum since the start of the year.

Liz clicked into the chat box and typed quickly:

Liz: You will NOT believe what I found out today 👀

It didn’t take long for Chloe to respond.

Chloe: Girl, you’re being dramatic again. What is it?

Liz grinned, her fingers tapping eagerly.

Liz: Piper has a crush on Caelum. Like, a serious one. She’s even been messaging him anonymously.

For a moment, there was no reply. Then Chloe’s typing bubble appeared and disappeared again, like she didn’t know what to say. Finally, the message came through.

Chloe: …You’re joking.

Liz: I swear. Mandy told me herself. Piper’s obsessed with him.

Chloe’s stomach flipped as she read the words. She had spent weeks daydreaming about Caelum, secretly doodling his name in her notebook when no one was looking.

The idea of Piper—quiet, sweet Piper—going behind her back and talking to him made her blood boil.

Chloe: Wow. I can’t believe her. She’s been pretending like she doesn’t even notice him, and all this time… she was lying?

Liz: Guess so 😉

Chloe threw her phone onto the bed, her chest tight with anger.

Her crush on Caelum wasn’t just a silly thing—at least, not to her. He was the one person she felt drawn to in ways she couldn’t explain. And now Piper was in the way.

She picked the phone back up and typed furiously.

Chloe: She better hope I don’t say anything. Because if Caelum finds out about this from me… she’s done.

Liz smirked at the screen. She had unleashed the

storm she’d been itching for, and now she just had to sit back and watch the drama unfold.

And as Chloe lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, one thought burned in her chest: Piper wasn’t going to win. Not this time.