After two minutes of silence, I slowly opened the cabin door and peeked outside. When I turned to the side, I saw Elara doing the same. We both chuckled softly. Elara nodded, confirming they were gone.
But I was confused.
Why me? Who's this Mira? What's her problem with me?
Elara stepped out and glanced around once more. "They left," she said.
I nodded and asked, "Who is this Mira? What's her problem?"
Elara let out a deep sigh. "She's the queen."
"Queen?" I repeated, confused.
She looked at me and continued, "Yeah. No one made her queen officially—she just started calling herself that, and people went along with it. She's pretty, I won't lie. But when it comes to inner beauty? She's probably the ugliest person I've met."
I stayed silent as she explained more.
"In this school, there are about ten girls who are considered popular—the so-called beauties. The fourth most popular is Anvi. She's pretty, but just like Mira—mean and rude. Anvi's Mira's best friend, I think. Third is Mehar. She's innocent, like a rabbit trapped in a lion's den."
She paused. "Those three are the main girls here. Most of the boys have a crush on them and treat them like queens. But Mira? She uses people."
I asked, "Who's the second?"
She gave me a proud smile. "Me."
"Ohh… then why doesn't Mira include you in her gang?"
"She hates me. I'm a threat to her. So she bullies me, spreads lies and rumors about me. In the end, I had no friends."
I pieced it together out loud, "So Mira is the queen. She hates you because you're second, a threat. Mehar and Anvi are with her, and the others just follow her lead. And now... she hates me too because I'm your friend?"
Elara corrected gently, "No, Aria. Mira hates you because… you're now the new school queen in the eyes of the boys."
"What?! Me? When did that happen? What's even going on here?"
Elara took out her phone and showed me a picture posted in the school group. It was a photo of me—taken while I was sitting in class. Below the picture was a bold caption:
"THE NEW QUEEN"
And underneath that, a small paragraph with my full details… even my phone number.
I was shocked and about to bombard Elara with questions, but she raised her hand and said, "Wait, wait! I'll explain everything."
I waited impatiently, my thoughts racing.
Elara took a deep breath. "See, ever since you arrived—with your kind behavior and everything—the boys just started loving you. Even some of the girls, I think."
I was confused. Did I really become popular this fast? Maybe it was because everyone was already tired of Mira's attitude… but still, why me?
Elara continued, "You're beautiful, kind, and now… the new queen. So obviously, Mira hates you."
She paused, her voice softening. "You know… I used to feel bad that I couldn't be a part of Mira's gang. But now I understand—maybe God had a better plan for me."
When she said that, I felt something sink inside me. A strange sadness. I'm going to leave this school soon… and Elara will be alone again.
I took a deep breath, about to tell her the truth—but before I could get a word out, Elara grabbed my hand and dragged me outside.
Maybe I'll tell her some other time...
But a tiny voice inside whispered:
Am I betraying her?
LUNCH BREAK
We finally found a table and placed our order. Honestly, the boys here weren't acting too bad today—not like those creepy men you see on the street with lustful stares. So far, manageable.
When the food arrived, it looked surprisingly good. I picked up our tray and brought it back to the table—only to see two new faces sitting with Elara. Confused, I put the tray down and looked at them.
"Oh, you're here! This is Aria—the one I told you about," Elara said, grabbing my hand with an awkward smile.
I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Who are they?"
"My friends," she whispered back.
"But you said you didn't have any," I replied, raising an eyebrow.
"Did I?" she shrugged innocently.
One of the girls, hearing our whispering, chimed in, "We're not exactly close. We're just... in the same situation."
She had a slim figure, curly hair, and a deep brown complexion. The other girl didn't speak—she just took my food from the tray and started eating. I blinked in surprise.
"Sorry, guys," Elara said quickly, trying to break the awkward tension. "My new friend here needs a lot of explanation for everything. Excuse us."
I turned to her sharply, not letting it go. "Yes, of course I need explanations! I'm new here. And without even being asked, I've become the center of gossip. So yeah—it's your duty to explain," I said in one breath.
The two girls looked at each other and chuckled. Elara looked like she was caught in the middle of a weird situation. She made me sit down and sighed.
"Okay, okay, I forgot to tell you—these two are in the same situation I was back then. So obviously, we kind of bonded over that."
"What situation?" I asked.
"Mira and her gang bullied them too. Not for the same reasons as me, but... for her own twisted entertainment," Elara explained.
Seriously? Mira's perfect image is crumbling fast in my eyes.
"Hey, I'm Tanya," the curly-haired girl said with a soft smile, holding out her hand.
I shook it. "I'm Aria."
"I'm Natasha," the other girl said. Her voice was firm and confident. She had a strong, muscular build, short black hair, piercing black eyes, and fair skin. There was something fierce about her—like a lone wolf.
After the last bell rang, the school day finally came to an end. I packed my bag slowly, feeling a bit overwhelmed. So much had happened in just one day. Elara walked me to the school gate, and we said our goodbyes. I got into the car Uncle Sam had arranged and spent most of the ride staring out the window, thinking about everything.
When I reached home, the house felt quiet—too quiet. I dropped my bag in the corner of my room and changed into something comfortable. Then I sat on the edge of my bed, letting out a long sigh. My head was spinning with everything I had learned, everyone I had met.
The rest of the lunch break passed with me talking to my three new friends and getting to know them better. Tanya was a sweet girl—friendly like Elara, but not as childish. Natasha, on the other hand, was a boxer—completely different from what most boys expected girls to be. She had this strong, unbothered energy. She didn't care what others thought, especially the boys. She wasn't much of a talker, more of a listener. But even in her silence, she made you feel protected. I liked them both.
Mira, as I learned, didn't bully people physically—but mentally. And that pain cut just as deep. Natasha wasn't really affected by it, though. She was too strong for that. But Tanya had suffered a lot, just like Elara. Mira's cruelty ran deep.
Still, something kept bothering me—Elara. Was I... betraying her? I didn't mean to, but somehow, I had ended up in a group. A group of sweet, genuine girls. I never planned to get this close to anyone. I had come here determined to stay quiet and mind my own business. But fate had other plans, and now I found myself growing attached.
I didn't want to hurt Elara. Tomorrow... I'll tell her everything.