Episode 3

"Evidence? What evidence are you talking about? That's impossible."

"You know what's the funniest thing, Anya?" He approached, his gaze cold and indifferent. "Your supposed feelings for me. As if I would ever consider being with you. You're such a fool. I mean, just look at you, the whales in the ocean seem slimmer than you," laughter and mockery echoed after his comment.

Damien simply looked away, while Gael continued his taunts. Then I turned to look at Alicia, and she was laughing as well, but more discreetly.

"Let's go already, this loser doesn't deserve any more of our time," Damien said, being the first to leave, followed by his brothers and, of course, Alicia, who was holding onto Ethan's arm.

Before leaving, she turned around one last time, just to look at me with a smile, as if she had won. Well, she actually did.

When I was about to get up, the same girls threw me to the ground again.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"We haven't settled the score with you yet, we know what you said, you damn blabbermouth."

They didn't even give me a chance to defend myself. The same two girls from before held me by each arm while the other punched me in the abdomen. Before leaving, they threatened me, of course, not to say anything, because, after all, absolutely no one would believe me, since "I myself ruined my reputation with my lies."

I still remember how I barely managed to get up to return home before nightfall, the pain I felt the next day from the blows, and the indifference of everyone at school, was the worst situation I had never imagined living.

The harassment continued with insults, shoves, sometimes they beat me in the backyard just because, they excluded me from group activities in class, I started eating alone because now my friends avoided me, so I also stopped going to the cafeteria and simply went to the library to hide from everyone. Alicia now sat at the table with the triplets and their friends, everyone seemed to continue with their lives, while I sank into mine.

Narrator's Pov:

One week before "Initiation Night":

Anya heads to the school cafeteria. She hasn't eaten there in weeks, preferring to avoid the stares and whispers. But today, she decided she had endured enough and wanted to reclaim a part of her old life.

She enters and goes to the line to buy her lunch. She feels the eyes of others on her, but she tries to ignore them. She takes her tray and heads to an empty table.

Alicia, who was watching from another table with her friends, including Ethan and his brothers, watched her with a malicious smile.

"Look who decided to join us today. I think it's time to give her a special welcome."

"Don't do anything stupid, Alicia." He looked at her with a serious expression, but she ignored him.

"Sure, sure. I just want to talk to her." She gave him a fake smile.

Alicia gets up and heads towards Anya, who is sitting alone, beginning to eat her lunch.

Anya's Pov:

"Hi, Anya. I haven't seen you around here lately. Can I sit down?" She approached with a smile and friendly voice.

"What the hell? Whatever, if I reject her, I'll be frowned upon, it's better to avoid more problems."

"Uh, sure, you can sit down if you want."

At first, it's nothing more than a trivial conversation, I could even say boring, because my answers were nothing more than affirmations, negations, and short responses. I really wanted her to leave and not get me into more trouble, but it seems that was too much to ask for what was coming.

"You know, Anya, it really hurts me that you keep talking badly about all of us. I don't understand why you're so cruel," she blurted out of nowhere and in a loud voice to be heard by everyone.

"What are you talking about?" I was confused. "I haven't said anything about anyone." I started to feel nervous, scared by the reaction of others.

"How can you lie like that? We all know what you've been saying! I just wanted to be your friend, but it seems that's not possible." She had a sad expression.

"She really is a very good actress, I don't understand why she's doing this."

"That's not true! You're the one who's been lying about me."

She, in a dramatic movement, throws her tray of food on the floor and "trips", falling and causing everyone in the cafeteria to turn and look.

"DAMN IT, WHAT IS SHE DOING?"

"Ouch, Anya! Why did you do that?" She started crying and complaining about the supposed pain.

I could hear the loud sound of a chair being moved, it was Ethan who got up and quickly came to us with an unfriendly face.

"What the hell is going on here?" He sounded very upset.

"I don't know, she suddenly pretended to fall and..." I tried to explain, but he ignored me, just to help her up.

"Are you okay?" He looked very worried, something that would never be directed at me.

"I think I twisted my ankle... All because of her," she said amidst sobs.

"What kind of person are you, Anya? First the rumors and now this. You're pathetic." He looked at me with contempt, that was the only feeling he seemed to be able to arouse in me, disgust, hate, contempt...

"It's not true! I didn't do anything!" It was my last attempt to defend myself as tears welled up, threatening to descend without permission in front of everyone.

"Everyone here has seen what you really are." He took a step forward while raising the tone of his voice to be heard by everyone. "A fake, cruel, and now violent person. Do you think you're better than everyone else? Or do you need to get noticed because your physique doesn't help you?"

And that was the trigger for my tears to run freely down my cheeks without permission.

I had never had problems with my physique, it's true that I'm not as slim as Alicia, but I'm not fat either, I just stay in the average size, the only "fat" thing I could consider on my body were my thighs, since yes, they are wide, but do I really look that big?

After that comment, the cafeteria went completely silent. Everyone watches the scene with a mixture of surprise and morbid curiosity.

"Stop, please stop," I pleaded.

"No. We've had enough of your lies. You better leave before things get worse for you."

With my dignity on the floor, I decided to take my tray with trembling hands and tears flowing freely down my face.

I feel so humiliated and shattered. The cafeteria remained silent as I walked towards the exit, feeling everyone's gaze on my back.

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^^^To be continued...^^^

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