High school had officially declared war on me. I wasn't just a student anymore—I was a walking, talking target for Stella and her elite squad of chaos queens.
It all started that morning when Stella cornered me at my locker.
"Aisha," she said, twirling a perfectly manicured finger. "You want to be our friend? You want… perks?"
Perks. I immediately imagined free snacks, VIP access, and maybe even a day off from embarrassing math tests.
"Yes," I said, bright-eyed and hopeful. Mistake number one: I actually said yes.
"Good," Stella continued. "Then you have tasks. Obey. Embarrass yourself. And prove loyalty."
I swallowed. "Uh… tasks?"
"Exactly," Serena said, smirking. "Make the teachers notice you. Make students notice you. Make the principal notice you. Make history."
I blinked. History? I could barely survive math class.
Phase One: Teacher TorpedoThe first task was simple (if you consider yelling at a teacher for "teaching wrong" simple).
"Excuse me," I announced in the middle of English class, pointing at the whiteboard like a wannabe dictator. "This is clearly incorrect. Shakespeare never… blah blah blah—"
The teacher blinked. Students snickered. I realized I had made up half of it.
"Thanks for… contributing, Aisha," she said, awkwardly. My face burned red. Mission accomplished? Sort of…
Phase Two: Cafeteria CatastropheNext, the cafeteria. They told me to "accidentally" knock over the dessert tray near the principal.
I held my tray with all the grace of a newborn giraffe and… tripped. Chicken nuggets flew like tiny missiles. Juice splashed like a red waterfall. And a pudding cup landed perfectly on my best friend's hair.
Principal Jones looked like he'd just seen a ghost. Students whipped out their phones faster than I could blink.
And Eden? He was standing nearby, silent, unimpressed… but I swear I caught him hiding a smirk.
Phase Three: Hallway HumiliationFinally, Stella's pièce de résistance: the hallway announcement.
"Walk down the hallway," she said. "Loudly. Tell everyone the school is boring and annoying."
I did it. I shouted. I flailed. I accidentally kicked a backpack. Everyone filmed me. I could feel my dignity evaporating.
And just when I thought it couldn't get worse… Eden appeared.
"Okay, that's enough," he said, calm but commanding. In one smooth move, he guided me away from the crowd, shielding me like a knight in nerdy armor.
My faith friend appeared too, whispering: "Breathe, Aisha. You're still amazing, even in pudding hair."
I collapsed in laughter, tears, and embarrassment.
"You… you saved me," I said, sniffing.
"No," Eden said, serious but soft. "I'm just making sure you survive high school chaos."
And I realized… maybe surviving high school with Eden and my friend was more fun than I expected. Even if my pride was permanently injured.
Subtle DangerLater that afternoon, as I was packing my bag, I noticed Eden's phone buzzing. He stepped away, talking quietly into it. I didn't hear the words, but his face stiffened. His usual calm, teasing demeanor… gone.
Something about that call felt heavy. Dangerous. And my stomach twisted in a way that wasn't just from embarrassment this time.
Maya noticed too. "Aisha… something's up," she whispered. "But for now… just focus on surviving the rich girls."
I nodded. Sure, surviving the rich girls was one thing… surviving whatever Eden was hiding? That was going to be way harder.