She stood still for a moment at the door of the library. Her eyes stayed locked on Sasha and Tommy.
Sasha's head tilted back slightly as she gave a soft laugh, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Tommy, who was still holding a pen between his fingers, was still smiling in the way Tamara knew too well; like he had found something beautiful without saying a word.
She could hear her heart beating louder.
No, she told herself. Not now. You can't ruin this moment, not yet.
She took a slow breath, and her lips curved into a sweet smile, the kind that could fool anyone. She rolled her shoulders back and walked toward them with gentle steps like nothing was wrong.
"Hey, Sasha," Tamara said in a soft, friendly voice.
Sasha looked up. "Hi, Tamara." She looked surprised to see her but didn't seem upset.
Tamara's eyes flicked quickly to Tommy, then back to Sasha. "Mr. Davis asked me to find you. He wants to see you in his office."
Sasha blinked. "Oh? Did he say what it was about?"
Tamara shook her head lightly, and her voice was still sweet. "No, not really. But I mentioned to him that we might need extra help in poetry, and I said you'd probably join me. He looked happy about it."
Sasha gave a small nod, and she raised her eyebrows. "I guess I can go see him now."
Tommy leaned back a little in his chair, watching the two girls. "Everything okay?"
Tamara turned to him with a pleasant look. "Yes, everything's fine, Tommy. Mr. Davis just wants to talk to Sasha. That's all."
Sasha stood up, gathering her notebook and pen. "Okay then. Thanks for letting me know, Tamara."
"No problem," Tamara said brightly.
Tommy gave Sasha a quick nod. "Catch you later, yeah?"
Sasha smiled lightly. "Yeah."
The two girls walked together out of the library, side by side. Tamara kept her face relaxed; her smile was still on her face, even though her mind was screaming with anger.
Just hold on, she thought. Everything is working. She's walking right into it.
As they reached the hallway outside, Tamara slowed down.
"You'll find him in his office," she said, pointing ahead.
Sasha paused. "Are you not coming?"
Tamara shook her head. "Not yet. I have to go back to the girls. I'll join the lesson tomorrow."
Sasha gave a small shrug. "Alright. I'll go see what he wants."
Tamara nodded with her practiced smile. "Thanks, Sasha. You're the best."
Sasha turned and walked down the corridor, her shoes made soft noises on the tile floor. Tamara stood still for a second, watching her go.
Then her smile slowly faded, and her eyes darkened. She turned around, heading back to where her friends were waiting with fire burning inside her.
One more step, she thought. Just one more, and Sasha Slade will be out of the picture.
She walked quickly across the courtyard, her long hair bouncing with each step. Her heart was racing not from nerves this time, but excitement.
Her friends were still sitting there, laughing about something until they saw Tamara coming.
Zayne sat up straight and raised an eyebrow. "Where have you been? You've been gone forever."
Tamara dropped onto the grass, brushing dust off her skirt. She leaned in like she had the biggest secret in the world.
"You guys," she whispered. "You won't believe what I just found out."
Misha's eyes widened. "What? What happened?"
"Did someone get expelled?" Shanice asked, half-joking.
"No," Tamara said, her voice was low and serious, "but Sasha might be next."
All the girls gasped a little and leaned closer.
"Wait, what?" Shanice asked. "Why?"
Tamara rolled her eyes dramatically before speaking. "I think Sasha and Mr. Davis are... a lot closer than we thought."
Zayne blinked. "Are you saying they're... dating?"
Misha's jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh. That would explain so much."
Shanice rolled her eyes but looked curious. "Like what?"
"Like why she always gets better grades than the rest of us," Misha said quickly. "Even when she skips class sometimes. Remember that week she missed poetry class and still got top marks on the test?"
Zayne laughed and nudged Tamara. "So what do think she does when she miss a class... meeting up another teacher?" she teased with a wink.
Shanice covered her mouth. "Stop! That's crazy!"
Tamara smirked. "You're all onto something. And guess what? Right now, she's in Mr. Davis's office, and they're all alone. They've been in there for a while. No one knows what's going on."
Zayne raised her brows. "Whew. That's sus."
But Shanice folded her arms, and she looked serious. "I don't know, Tamara. Sasha's just... smart. Like, really smart. She doesn't just do well in literature. She's top in maths, science, computer studies, history… almost everything. What, is she dating all the teachers now?"
Zayne giggled, but Tamara turned to Shanice calmly. "I'm not saying she's dating everyone, just one."
Shanice looked away, unsure.
Tamara leaned in again. "And I have proof. I just need a little more time. I'll get pictures. You'll all see it."
Zayne clapped her hands. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
Misha grinned. "If you can show us proof, we'll spread it like wildfire. Everyone will know."
"And let the law deal with them," Zayne added.
They all nodded, excited, whispering quickly among themselves, throwing glances in the direction of the teachers' offices.
Shanice stayed quiet. She didn't look convinced, but she didn't say anything else either.
Tamara leaned back on her elbows, the sunlight hitting her face as she watched her friends talk. Her smile returned slowly, and she was satisfied.
Sasha's perfect little world is about to crash, she thought.
And I'll be the one who brings it down.
Meanwhile, Sasha stopped at Mr. Davis's door and took a deep breath. Then, gently, she knocked twice.
There was a short pause.
"Come in," Mr. Davis called from inside, his voice was calm but a little tired.
Sasha pushed the door open and stepped in. Mr. Davis was sitting at his desk, flipping through a stack of student poems. A red pen rested in his hand, and his glasses sat low on his nose. He looked up and smiled when he saw her.
"Ah, Sasha. Right on time," he said, setting the papers aside. "Have a seat."
"Thank you," Sasha said softly, pulling out the chair across from him and sat upright, folding her hands neatly in her lap.
Mr. Davis leaned back in his chair with a small sigh. "I wanted to talk to you about something important. Tomorrow morning, I might not be around."
Sasha tilted her head. "Oh? Is everything okay?"
He nodded. "Yes, yes. Nothing to worry about. There's a meeting I need to attend. It's something the school board requested about the poetry exhibition next month."
"Oh," Sasha said with a small smile, "that sounds exciting."
"It is, in a way," he said with a half-laugh. "But it means I'll miss the morning lesson. And since we're starting Villanelles this week…" He paused, looking at her seriously. "I was wondering if you could lead the class. Just explain how a Villanelle works; the repeating lines, the rhyme structure, all of it."
Sasha blinked. "You want me to teach it?"
"Well," he said with a little smile, "not exactly teach, just guide them. You understand poetry better than most students I've taught. I think you'd do great."
Sasha bit her lip, thinking for a second. "Will I have time to prepare?"
"I'll give you my notes," he said, reaching into his drawer and handing her a small folder. "But I believe you won't even need them."
Sasha gave a small laugh, her cheeks turning pink. "Okay. I'll do it."
Mr. Davis smiled. "That's what I thought."
There was a pause, and then Mr. Davis picked up a notebook from the edge of his desk. "Also, Tamara passed by earlier. She asked if she could start extra lessons with me… to improve her grades. I thought it was a good idea."
Sasha nodded slowly. "Yeah… that sounds fair."
Mr. Davis looked thoughtful. "She said it would help a lot if you were also there during some of the sessions. I suppose she looks up to you."
Sasha smiled softly. "I'd be happy to help her… wherever I can."
Just then, the bell rang loudly in the distance, echoing through the halls.
"Ah," Mr. Davis said, glancing at the clock. "Dinner time already."
Sasha stood up, slipping the folder under her arm. "Thanks for trusting me, sir. I'll do my best."
"I know you will," he said kindly. "You're one of a kind, Sasha. Have a good evening."
"You too, Mr. Davis."
Sasha walked out of the office, closing the door behind her. Her footsteps were slow and quiet as she made her way back to the library to collect her staff. She didn't know that while she was walking peacefully, Tamara's plan had already begun to spread.
Sasha turned the corner just as Ayanna stepped out of the library, holding two school bags; one of them was Sasha's.
"There you are!" Ayanna said, a little out of breath but smiling. "I was wondering where you disappeared to. You left your bag."
Sasha smiled and took her bag from her. "Thanks, Ayanna. I really needed that."
Ayanna raised an eyebrow, adjusting her own bag over her shoulder. "So… what happened? Why'd you leave with Tamara of all people?"
Sasha chuckled softly as they began walking side by side down the hallway. "It wasn't really Tamara. Mr. Davis sent her to come get me. He wanted to see me about something."
"Oh?" Ayanna asked, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Yeah. He said he might not make it to class tomorrow morning because of a school meeting, so…" Sasha paused for effect, then smiled shyly, "he asked me to talk to the class about Villanelle poems."
Ayanna's lips parted, but no words came out for a moment. "Wait, seriously?! That's amazing!" She paused before she continued. "Sasha Slade standing in front of the class, explaining poetry? Girl, you're going to be so good at it."
Sasha blushed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "Thanks. I hope so."
As they walked toward the dining hall, their pace slowed a bit and they look relaxed, Sasha added, "Oh, and… I'll also be joining Tamara for her extra lessons with Mr. Davis before prep tomorrow."
Ayanna turned her head quickly, blinking. "Tamara? Really?" Then she gave a surprised laugh. "Maybe she's finally coming to her senses."
Sasha shrugged lightly. "She said she wants to improve her grades. I don't know why I agreed so fast. Maybe I was just caught off guard."
Ayanna nudged her playfully with her elbow. "Don't say that. It's a good thing. You're just trying to help someone. Even if Tamara is full of drama, if she's serious about getting better… that's a nice step."
Sasha nodded slowly. "Yeah… you're right."
They reached the cafeteria entrance. Warm light entered from the high windows, and the smell of food filled the air. Students were all around, laughing, chatting, and lining up with their trays. The long dining hall stretched ahead of them. There were rows of wooden tables with benches, and most of them were already filling up with students who sat at their usual spots. Some waved to their friends to save seats, others were deep in conversation or scrolling through their phones.
Sasha and Ayanna grabbed their plates of rice with grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and a piece of fruit, and they made their way into the hall. They found their usual spot near the windows, where they always sat together.
As they sat down, Sasha looked across the room, her eyes scanning the crowd.
"Tomorrow's going to be… different," she said, more to herself than to Ayanna.
Ayanna smiled, picking up her fork. "Yeah. But you're going to crush it."
Meanwhile, Tamara had sat with her friends at the far side of the dining hall. She barely touched her tray of food, and her eyes were fixed on Sasha.
This time, Sasha had just placed her bag on the bench and reached inside, pulling out a thin poetry book with worn edges. She flipped it open with ease, her fingers stopping on a bookmarked page. Ayanna leaned in, curious.
"Ooh, is that the Villanelle one?" Ayanna asked, picking at her food as she peered over Sasha's shoulder.
"Yeah," Sasha said with a soft smile. "It's one of my favorites. The structure is tricky, but once you get the hang of it, it's kind of addictive."
Ayanna tilted her head, interested. "Isn't it the one with repeating lines?"
"Exactly," Sasha nodded. "Two lines repeat at the end of each stanza, kind of like a chorus in a song."
Ayanna gave a small laugh. "You and poetry. You always make it sound fun."
Sasha grinned. "It is fun. And I think the class will like it too, if I don't mess it up."
At Tamara's table, the mood was different.
Zayne leaned forward, and she spoke with a low voice. "Look at her," she said, pointing slightly with her chin. "Always pretending to study… library, classrooms, even at dinner now. I bet she just wants everyone to think she's all smart and sweet so they don't see what she's really doing with the teachers."
One of the girls at the table giggled behind her hand. "She has been seen leaving Mr. Davis's office lately, holding something under her arm, exams maybe."
Zayne smirked. "Exactly. But now she just looks stupid. Everyone's going to find out sooner or later."
Tamara's face stayed calm, but there was something darker in her eyes. She picked up her glass slowly, then said, "The proof will come out soon. Just wait."
But then something unexpected happened.
Across the room, Tommy and Kelly appeared, walking side by side, both holding their trays. They didn't head to their usual table. Instead, they walked straight toward Sasha and Ayanna.
Tamara's eyes narrowed. "What is he doing?"
Tommy stopped at Sasha's table. "Hey," he said with a calm voice.
Sasha looked up, confused. "Hi... Tommy?"
He smiled and sat down across from her. Kelly took the seat beside him, nodding politely to Ayanna.
Tamara didn't speak. But her nails dug into the underside of the table.
She was smiling again. Only now, it was the smile of someone ready to break things.