Tuesday. 12:45 PM.
The cafeteria smelled like burnt toast, heartbreak, and betrayal—mostly because someone had just spilled orange juice all over Zara's journal. Again.
"Are you blind or just stupid, Neil?" Zara shrieked, holding up the juice-soaked mess like it was evidence for a murder trial.
Neil just shrugged. "Could be both. It's Tuesday."
Laughter exploded at the corner table—the Cool Table™️—where Ashwin was sitting with his arm around yet another girl, this time Alina. Kia rolled her eyes so hard they nearly got stuck. He was like a Netflix subscription—free trial, then full of disappointment.
Kia sat with her usual crew:
Lyla, whose eyeliner was sharp enough to cut through lies.
Rohan, who never ate school lunch but always had gossip hotter than the canteen samosas.
And Meher, who was currently dissecting her sandwich like it was a science specimen.
"So… did anyone read the new note?" Lyla whispered dramatically.
Kia froze mid-bite. "What note?"
Rohan leaned in. "The one taped inside your locker. With the silver heart sticker. We thought you left it."
"I didn't." Kia blinked. "Wait—what did it say?"
Lyla pulled out a crumpled slip from her pocket.
"Not everyone's who they pretend to be. Even the ones sitting closest."
—💌 Your Halfmark
Kia's sandwich dropped. "What. The. Hell."
The group went silent.
"That's so creepy," Meher said.
"Or maybe it's Ashwin trying to mess with you," Rohan added. "You know he hates being ghosted."
Kia bit her lip. Her mind flashed to the first note in the Chemistry book. Now this?
This wasn't just some stupid prank.
This was a game.
And someone was playing it way too close to her.