Episode 5
Mariel's POV
"Oh no…"
"Mariel Coretta Smith!" Mrs. Shapiro's voice thundered through the room like lightning striking a tree. "What has gotten into you?"
Why me? Why always me? Ellie had been running too—okay, maybe not exactly running, more like skipping in a graceful, ballerina-on-a-mission kind of way. But still! Why was my name the only one echoing through the room like a death sentence?
I turned my head and caught Ellie already perched at her seat like a perfect little angel, lips twitching with a secret smile. She'd clearly spotted Mrs. Shapiro the moment we started playing around and bolted for safety without so much as a warning.
I shot her a glare so sharp it could slice bread. She smirked, leaned back, and mouthed, sorry not sorry.
"Traitor," I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. She giggled into her palm. Playful, sneaky little devil.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Shapiro's hawk eyes were still locked on me. If glares could kill, I'd be six feet under and Ellie would be giving a tragic eulogy about how I died chasing her across the classroom.
"Why are you running inside my class, Mariel?" Her tone was calm but deadly.
My lips parted, but words failed me. I wanted to say, I was just exercising… or Ellie started it!… or maybe I was auditioning for the 100-meter dash. But nothing came out. Just silence.
And then, because the universe clearly hated me, Caleb's voice cut through the room.
"Maybe she missed her exercise routine this morning!" he called out, dripping with sarcasm.
The class erupted into laughter. Even Ellie chuckled, though she tried to cover it with a cough.
My jaw dropped. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Humiliation, thy name is Caleb.
Mrs. Shapiro didn't laugh. She crossed her arms, disappointment oozing off her like perfume. "I should punish you," she said slowly, "but your parents have asked us to be lenient with you."
And because I'm secretly your favorite student, I thought smugly, even though the heat in my cheeks betrayed my embarrassment.
I slunk back to my seat, trying to shrink into invisibility.
"Not fair, ma," Caleb groaned dramatically, as if he was five and someone stole his lollipop.
I snapped my head around to glare at him. He just clicked his tongue, that lazy smirk tugging at his lips. My blood boiled.
Mrs. Shapiro ignored him and turned back to the board. "Now, today we'll be discussing metals."
Alright, Mariel, redemption arc, here we go. I straightened in my chair like the model student I was supposed to be.
"So," she asked, scanning the room, "which metal is liquid at room temperature?"
My hand shot up so fast I nearly dislocated my shoulder. "Mercury!"
Her eyes lit up. "Very good, Mariel. Someone has been reading ahead."
I gave a modest smile, basking in the warm glow of praise. Across the room, a few classmates rolled their eyes so hard I thought they might actually detach. Not my problem.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Caleb standing, hands in pockets, strolling toward the door like the rules of gravity didn't apply to him. He didn't even bother with an excuse. Just left. Typical.
---
The rest of the morning dragged, but eventually, the bell rang for break. Ellie and I made a beeline for the cafeteria, collected our trays, and settled into our usual spot. Today's menu: pasta with a small chicken drumstick.
I poked at my pasta thoughtfully, still replaying the scene in chemistry. Ellie was cheerfully ranting about how boring algebra had been earlier, but I wasn't listening. My mind kept circling back to Caleb's grin when the class laughed at me.
At least he wasn't in the cafeteria. Small blessings.
Halfway through, I felt the familiar pressure in my bladder.
"Ellie," I groaned, leaning closer, "I need to pee."
She shrugged, already busy peeling her chicken apart. "Go ahead. I'll watch your food."
I narrowed my eyes. "You better."
---
The girls' restroom was spotless, as always. Polished tiles, faint lemony fragrance, working locks on the stalls. The administration took weird pride in keeping this place pristine—probably the only part of the school you could actually call luxurious.
Which is why I froze when I heard it: a male voice echoing faintly from the far end of the row.
I stiffened, goosebumps racing up my arms. This was the girls' restroom. The very separate-from-the-boys building.
Maybe I imagined it. Maybe my ears were playing tricks.
Shaking it off, I chose a stall, did my business quickly, flushed, and washed my hands with sanitizer. My nerves were still prickling, though. Something felt… off.
I pushed open the door to leave, already planning to tease Ellie for abandoning me earlier.
But before I could step out, a hand shot out and gripped my wrist. Strong. Unyielding.
My breath caught in my throat.
I whipped around—heart hammering—only to find Caleb leaning casually against the tiled wall. His eyes glittered with amusement, his smirk infuriatingly calm, like he hadn't just scared the life out of me.
"Going somewhere, partner?" he drawled, voice low and mocking.
My pulse roared in my ears. And for a split second, the bathroom felt far too small.
---
TBC…