So Let Me Tell You What Happened

Chapter 2: Unexpected Turn

As night draped its sultry cloak over us, the girls gathered at my place for the long-awaited sleepover: Karissa, Jaelee, and Xalia. Oh, we were ready to turn up the heat! Laughter echoed off the walls as we indulged in snacks, shared secrets, and busted out our best dance moves. But in the midst of the festivities, a twinge of longing hit me-damn, did I miss Daenesh, that wild card.

With Mom arriving late, I quickly informed her of our impromptu gathering. "Got some girls over, Mom," I breezed past, knowing our connection was more convenience than genuine friendship. With her nod of approval, I returned to the party upstairs.

As the night wore on, exhaustion crept in, but sleep remained elusive. Nightmares of Deanesh plotting my downfall plagued my mind, leaving me wide-eyed and sweating. Beside me, Xalia stirred.

"Dena, everything alright?" Xalia's voice cut through the darkness.

"Just a nightmare, Xalia. Go back to sleep," I muttered, unwilling to burden her with my fears.

Unable to shake the lingering dread, I turned to my trusty second Instagram account-a necessary tool for keeping tabs on Dae and Travis. Call me a stalker, but a girl's gotta stay informed.

I plunged into my secret Instagram stash, itching to peek at Deanesh's profile. And would you believe it? Her feed was a ghost town, but her story? Oh, honey, it was a hotbed of shade: "I like how bitches are fake." Was she playing games or just throwing shade? Either way, it had my curiosity piqued.

Brushing off the drama, I sank back into the sweet embrace of sleep, eager to banish the chaos before morning. When dawn broke like a fiery inferno, the girls emerged from their slumber, armed to the teeth with sass and style. Seizing the moment, I proposed a bold plan: let's strut into school like the goddesses we are.

"Time to unleash our inner vixens," I declared, met with a resounding chorus of agreement from Karissa, Xalia, and Jaelee.

With determination blazing in our hearts, we embarked on a beauty makeover fit for the runway. Showers were taken, makeup was slathered on with precision, and damn, did we look smoking hot. I couldn't resist snapping a pic, destined to set Instagram ablaze with our sheer fabulousness.

As we descended the stairs, ready to conquer the day, we were met with a delightful surprise Mom, still at home, had whipped up a feast fit for royalty. The scent of breakfast filled the air, mingling with the heady aroma of confidence and camaraderie. Today, we weren't just going to school; we were strutting in like the fierce queens we were born to be.

"Wow, Mom, you're still here? breakfast smells amazing," I exclaimed as I entered the kitchen.

Shailey, my mom, flashed me a warm smile. "Good morning, sweetheart. I decided to take a day off this week. Couldn't leave you to tackle the day alone, could I? Made breakfast for all of you."

"Aww, thanks, Mom," I replied, touched by her thoughtfulness.

Xalia chimed in, "Mrs. Fork, this breakfast looks incredible. Good morning to you as well."

Karissa and Jaelee echoed the sentiment, offering their greetings to Mrs. Fork.

"Good morning to you all," Shailey replied graciously. "Please, sit and eat."

As we gathered around the table, the aroma of the delicious meal filled the room. With every bite, I savored the flavors, realizing it had been ages since I'd enjoyed such a hearty breakfast. Once we finished, we wasted no time heading to school.

But as I made my way out, my mind flashed back to the handsome jock I'd spotted yesterday. There he was again, taking out the trash. Catching his eye, I couldn't resist teasing him with a playful hair flip and a lip bite. When he started to approach, I grinned and hopped into my car, driving off with a sly smile.

Arriving at school, we drew all eyes our way. Each confident step seemed to command attention, even from Deanesh and the irresistible Travis. Locking eyes with Travis, I felt a rush of exhilaration. With a flirtatious glance, I knew I had him hooked. And as jealousy flickered across Deanesh's face, I couldn't help but revel in my newfound power. After all, I knew I was the one who truly sizzled.

Deanesh confronted me as I approached my locker. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Serving looks, girl. Are you mad?" I shot back, meeting her gaze with defiance.

She scoffed. "You don't faze me. I was talking about you staring at my boyfriend."

"Well, you're obviously fazed," I retorted. "And as for Travis, he stared at me first. Can't blame me if you're feeling a little jealous."

"I can never be jealous of trash like you," Deanesh spat, her voice dripping with disdain. "Don't you dare stare at my boyfriend like that again, or you won't have eyes to see."

"Babe, I know you're not calling me trash," I said coolly. "But keep your eyes on your man before I make a scene."

Ugh, the audacity of this girl. I can't believe she's pulling this crap. At least I caught Travis's attention.

The bell rang for class, and I headed to Agricultural Science. Of course, Deanesh was in my class. Why wouldn't she be?

She spent the whole session glaring at me and sending threatening notes. But I didn't let it get to me. She's not worth my time.

After class, it was time for Physical Education, and guess who was there? Yep, Deanesh. My life couldn't get any worse.

I spotted Karissa, Jaelee, and Xalia and decided to join them. Since the whole Dea debacle, it feels like everyone's turned their backs on me. It's sad, but having the girls around helps me forget about the drama, even if just for a little while.

During Physical Education class, the teacher dropped a bombshell: no more classes for the day. Instead, a concert would light up the school yard, a surprise treat for us weary students just back from summer vacation. Relief washed over me; no more dodging Deanesh and enduring the awkwardness of being around my crush.

Karissa, Jaelee, Xalia, and I decided to stick together and hit up the concert. It turned into one hell of a party, like the staff had tapped into our collective need to blow off steam. But then, out of the blue, Travis strolled up to me.

"Hey, Dena," he greeted, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

"Hey," I replied, trying to play it cool.

"I'm sorry about all the drama with Deanesh," Travis said, sincerity in his eyes.

"It's whatever," I brushed it off, trying not to let on how much it actually bothered me.

"No, seriously, you look amazing," Travis insisted, his gaze lingering a little too long.

I felt a flush creeping up my neck at his compliment. "Thanks," I managed to mutter, my heart pounding.

We locked eyes, the world around us fading away, until Deanesh barged in like a raging bull.

"Why the hell are you talking to her?" she spat, venom dripping from her words.

"Just asking about class," Travis tried to defuse the situation.

"What class?" Deanesh pressed, her eyes boring into mine.

"PE," Travis replied, his tone strained.

Things couldn't get any worse, Deanesh pulled Travis into a possessive kiss. I wanted to throw up watching them, but thankfully, my girls swooped in to rescue me, dragging me away from the drama.

As the concert wound down, it was time to call it a dayt. What a rollercoaster of emotions it had been. Frustrated and exhausted, I bid farewell to the girls and headed home.

After a quick bite and some mind-numbing Netflix, I finally crawled into bed. Just as I was starting to drift off, a noise outside my window jolted me awake. Heart pounding, I cautiously approached, only to find the jock from earlier standing there, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Hey, can I come in?" he asked, his grin making my pulse race.

I hesitated for a split second before throwing caution to the wind and inviting him in. Little did I know, this unexpected visit was about to turn my night upside down in the best possible way.