Detention Room — SMA Prestasi Mandiri, six years ago
Instead of throwing a punch back at Tashi, Lacy burst into manic laughter. "Waste of energy, Ta," she wheezed. "You're bleeding for people who don't even matter." She pushed herself upright from the desk she'd been leaning on. "No wonder you and Cassandra are cousins. Same disease. Can't be selfish to save your own lives."
Tashi's jaw tightened. "You'll never know what it feels like to lose your parents."
Lacy's laughter didn't stop. "And you'll never know what it feels like to be treated like a burden by your own parents," she shot back—then turned her gaze to Artemis, who had been staring at her the entire time. "Especially when you've got a step-sibling busy living in their own perfect little world."
Artemis knew exactly who Lacy meant. Her best friend who is also Lacy's step-sister. "Gita's building her own business—" Artemis' words are never finished. Lacy ripped off her dark brown coat and slammed it onto the table. The metal legs screeched against the floor. Two wide lashes carved across her right shoulder and the back of her left arm. Belt marks, or worse.
Patra couldn't take it. He bolted out of the room—headed for the infirmary. Apollo let him go this time. Instead, he glanced at Tashi. "She's right," he muttered before sitting in Patra's empty seat. "Not every family's a love story like your late parents."
Tashi's hatred toward Lacy flickered—then shifted toward Apollo. "I didn't mean to disrespect Mrs. Charis," she said, hoping it sounded sincere. For Apollo. For Artemis.
Artemis stepped closer to Lacy. "Does Gita… get hit too?"
Lacy tilted her head up lazily. "Don't worry about Gita. Maybe worry about your mom flirting with Patra's dad."
Her smirk lingered—until Artemis simply turned away. No rage, no pity, no sympathy. Just indifference. She walked toward the lockers at the back of the room.
Apollo snapped. "Insulting us won't stop your mom from kicking you out of fam!" He yanked open Patra's desk drawer. Inside—a journal. Photos of Patra with his father… and his late mother. A to-do list written in excited handwriting about having siblings one day. Apollo scoffed at the optimism inked on paper.
The room fell quiet. Four teenagers on the edge of choices they didn't fully understand yet. Tashi, who had grown up drowned in affection, suddenly felt exhausted convincing Cassandra that she didn't need fake love from extended family. Apollo flipped to the last page. Patra's biodata. Same age means they were both older than Artemis. Both firstborn sons of two different men Charissa loved in two different timelines.
Lacy's gaze shifted to Artemis. The Sariputta student was flipping through Macbeth, searching for the missing page. Lacy's fingers moved from her cheek to her lips. "You like hurting yourself?" she whispered.
Artemis blinked and touched her peeling lower lip. "Probably dehydrated."
Lacy frowned as Artemis absentmindedly tugged at the dry skin. She reached into her sling bag and tossed over a strawberry lip balm. "My mom already gave me—"
"If you refuse it," Lacy cut in smoothly, "I'll tell my mom Gita doesn't want a new sibling."
"Hah?" Lacy smiled sweetly at Artemis' reaction.
"Gita and I both don't want our mom pregnant again. I'm just the only one loud enough to say it." She dangled the lip balm in front of Artemis' face, but Artemis still ignores it. "Reject me—and Gita pays." Artemis snatched it instantly when her best friend's name mentioned. Lacy giggled. Loyalty. The most dangerous weakness. _Just like Tashi and Cassandra who bleed quietly for others,_ mocked Lacy's heart in arrogance.
Patra returned. Apollo had already closed the journal. Patra awkwardly handed Lacy aloe vera ointment from the infirmary. She rolled her eyes—but took it. He tapped Artemis' shoulder. "Macbeth." She held it tighter.
"Tell me first. Why did you tear the Lady Macbeth suicide page?"
Even if the library stupidly didn't list "respect the books" as a rule, someone like Patra should've known better. His hand dropped. Silence stretched. "My mom killed herself after she finished breastfeeding."
The air shifted. Lacy turned her face to Patra. Tashi froze in her seat. Patra swallowed. "Don't ask me why. I don't know either."
Artemis looked at him. "I don't want to know." Then—"Come watch Macbeth at my place."
Apollo shot up instantly. "Tonight's Mom's last night home, Art."
Artemis shrugged. "I just want to watch with a new friend."
"That 'new friend' is about to become your new brother!" Apollo stormed out.
---
Blair Portia's Bedroom — Present Day
"Where's my coffee—" Tashi's cheerful tone died the second Artemis opened the door with Cassandra behind her. Patra, completely tone-deaf to tension, blurted—
"Lacy came home a day early."
"Thanks, Pat," Tashi muttered darkly while typing furiously on her phone.
You idiot. Patra replied instantly. You're also part of why Casey hated high school. So yeah. Keep being her bestie ^^
Tashi stared at the screen. Apollo busied himself setting up Heathers on Blair's projector. Patra rushed out again. Tashi sank deeper into pillows beside Blair.
"You're a Winona fan too?" she asked casually.
"Regina George," Blair replied flatly, stabbing her salted caramel cappuccino straw. Tashi blinked, mesmerized by the fact she just heard.
Artemis once joked that if Regina George and Janice Ian existed in real life—they'd be Tashi and Lacy. Toxic mirrors of each other.
"Winona kills all the bullies," Artemis argued from her bean bags beside Cassandra.
Apollo laughed, until Patra returned with Lacy along. "Oh? New member?" Lacy greeted lazily from the doorway. Patra asked if she'd stay at Tashi's apartment or go home. Tashi clicked her tongue, gets annoyed if Lacy truly came to her apartment.
Cassandra stared at Lacy. Anger? Fear? Disgust? Too many girls Lacy had hurt. Only one ever broke through her arrogance. Lacy closed the door quietly and walked past Artemis and Cassandra. Middle finger raised fromTashi and Patra to Lacy for blocking the projector. Apollo offered Lacy dinner.
"Oh, hi Blair. You look prettier." Lacy grabbed an americano from Artemis' shopping bag, and told Apollo, "I already had steak at the airport."
Apollo smirked. "Lacy prefers eating something else."
"Don't project your libido onto her, Polo," Tashi shot back sweetly.
Apollo sneered something crude. Patra turned pale. Blair finally snapped at them to take their fight elsewhere. Patra ran to the bathroom attracts Artemis' atenttion of stopped watching.
Lacy's voice echoed louder than the film. Her gaze followed Patra disappearing into the bathroom. The glass door didn't close fully. Artemis stepped in and shut it. "Pat?" she whispered.
He moved fast—locked the door and face Artemis while his body trembling. The way Patra breathing was wrong. Rapid blinks like he was fighting something inside his skull.
"Patra… I'm scared." Artemis opens her mouth, breaks the silence between both of them.
Patra looked back at her. Whenever she stopped calling him "Bang," it meant she was serious. His trembling hand pulled out his phone. If she was stepping into his chaos—he'd let her see.
The video played. Recorded secretly after taking sleeping pills. Artemis' eyes widened. "That's… impossible. Polo wouldn't—he's too straight to be gay," she forced a stiff laugh. Deep down she keeps wondering—did she even know her brother anymore?
"I don't care if he's gay or straight!" Patra snapped. "This isn't about his sexual orientation! This is about my body—the body he banged like a f*ckin' r*pist—is mine!"
He snatched the phone back. Breathing rough, and stares at Artemis in pain. "I thought you were the one person I could trust, Art."
She stood frozen. He opened the door, walked out and left thoughts swallow her. Patra ignored Tashi calling his name while he left the room. and Artemis remained there in bathroom with the fearful sound of her own heartbeat.