Chapter 10:

Sepi:

It's been a whole week since the talent show. A whole week of hiding the fact I won from Tom. I didn't want him to know. Knowing my brother, if he found out then he would throw a party. I sighed and headed into school. I felt weird though. With every step I took, I felt like I was being watched. I felt that way since I left Tom's apartment yesterday to go home so I could come to school today. I felt stalked. I shivered and quickly went into the student council room. It was a good thing I got here early.

"Hey Sepi."

I jumped and Nathaniel chuckled.
"A bit jumpy?"

I nodded and he smiled.

"Look, Sepi, I wanted to ask you something-"

Armin:
I paced the courtyard. Alexy groaned.
"Dude, just ask her out!"

"I can't," I snapped back, "she'll say no. She'll not like me like that. Besides, she already kissed Nathaniel. She probably likes him! Not me!"

"So," Alexy said, "what if she does? She could also like you, you know. She could like you and you could missing out."

I groaned.

"But-"

"No buts, dude. You are asking her out or I will do it for you!"

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Excuse me."

I turned around. Standing there was a girl. She was my age. She had pale skin and blonde hair that was streaked with pink. Her bright green eyes were outlined thinly with black eyeliner and pink eye shadow. She was wearing a jean mini skirt, sneakers, and a pink shirt that had ruffled sleeves. She looked…preppy.

"I'm Veronica. I heard that Sepi goes here and-"
"You know Sepi?"

She smiled brightly.

"So you do know her! She was my best friend and I've been looking for her. Have you seen her?"
I looked at this girl. She seemed so fake and seemed off somehow. Though, she was extremely preppy and I couldn't picture someone like Sepi being friends with someone so cheery. I shook my head.

"Nope, haven't seen her."

The girl narrowed her eyes and she seemed frightening for a second. Then, she smiled.

"Oh, okay! I'll just look somewhere else then! Any suggestions?"

"Uhh the council room maybe?"

"Okie dokie!"

Sepi:

I left to the courtyard. I thought I saw V- no…there is no way she's here. She can't be here. I shook my head. I need to clear my thoughts. Nathaniel asked me out on a date, but I said no, or rather I said that I couldn't date anyone right now. Similar to what I've said before. He said, of course, that he'll wait.

"Hey Sepi!"
I looked and saw Armin and Alexy. I went over to them. Armin smiled. Alexy smirked.

"Armin wanted to ask you something!"
Armin blushed and hit his twin lightly on the arm. He coughed.
"I- uh well…- uhh….I wanted to- that is-"

Alexy laughed.
"He wants to ask you out!"

I blushed.
"Sorry, Armin," I said quietly, "But I can't date right now. I'm not saying I don't have feelings for you, but I can't-"
He held up his hand (the one that wasn't holding the game controller),
"I understand. Oh, and a chick was looking for you."

I raised an eyebrow.
"Who?"
"Some preppy girl in pink named Veronica."

I froze.

Armin:

I looked at Sepi confused. The second I said Veronica, Sepi shut down. She just stood there frozen.

"No…," she whispered.

She looked…scared.
"Sepi," I said concerned, "are you okay? Veronica said she was your best friend so-"

"No."

I looked at her shocked. Sepi looked at me with glared eyes.
"How could you!"

I recoiled then got angry.
"How could I what! What'd I do!"

I saw Alexy back away slightly. Sepi and I were face to face.

"How could you tell her that I was here!"

"She said she was your best friend!"

"SHE WAS! Was, Armin. WAS! She couldn't be my best friend not after-"

Sepi recoiled back with her head turned. I saw tears in her eyes. I touched her arm slightly."
"After…after what Sepi? What happened?"

"Nothing."

She pulled her arm away and quickly left. I looked at Alexy and groaned in frustration.
"Ah, she's so difficult sometimes!"

Alexy smirked.
"She's stubborn, but ah, dude, so are you."
I glared at him an Alexy laughed.

"Well, it's true! No wonder you two clash- you're both stubborn and secretive!"

"I am not secretive," I said rolling my eyes.

Alexy looked at me,

"She doesn't know everything about you, does she?"
"Well, no but-"
"So why should she tell you everything about her?"

I sighed and looked at my brother half-heartily.

"You know what Alexy? Sometimes you can be wise."

Alexy crinkled his nose and I chuckled. I sighed then,

"But Sepi…she looked…she looked scared when I mention Veronica."

Alexy sighed.

"I know, dude. I know."

Sepi:

She can't be here. She can't be. Everything was going so well. Why was she here? Didn't she have anything better to do than to torment me? I saw Nathaniel.

"Hey Sepi-"

I ignored him as I saw Veronica was near him. I looked at them both scared, with wide eyes. Veronica smiled.

"Hey Sepi."

I tensed. Calm down…she can't do anything…Nathaniel is here…Nathaniel will protect me…right? I still didn't move. Veronica and Nathaniel stood in front of me. Nathaniel smiled.

"Sepi, you know Veronica? She said she was your best friend."

I nodded stiffly. Veronica looked me over, I could feel her eyes undressing me- again. No…not again…please…

"Hey Sepi, I have something I want to show you," Veronica said preppily, "come on!"

Nathaniel:

Veronica was a bit off somehow. I couldn't quite place it. She was just so preppy and Sepi was a bit dark. It was hard to see the two of them as best friends. Especially with the way Sepi was acting. She was tense and stiff. She seemed almost scared.

Veronica grabbed Sepi's wrist to drag her away.

"It's okay," I called out with a fake smile, not shaking off the feeling that something was wrong, "you have fun!"

It wasn't until I saw Sepi's wide frightened eyes and Veronica's smile that I realized that I made a mistake. Veronica had almost a predatory lust in her eyes.

"Oh, we will have lots of fun."

I gulped.

Armin:

I saw that Veronica chick dragging off Sepi. Sepi was a bit unmoving, she was like a ragdoll. I tried to smile.

"Hey!"

Veronica turned around, turning Sepi with her. Sepi was impassive, not showing any emotion. Veronica was smiling, but I saw annoyance in her eyes.

"Hey," she said cheerfully. I looked at them carefully. I saw Alexy doing the same.

"What's up," I asked.

Veronica sighed.

"Well, I am going to go show Sepi something-"

"Uh," Alexy said a bit miffed, "he was asking Sepi."

Sepi looked up suddenly. She looked at me with wide eyes. Veronica scowled, then smiled.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know that Sepi talked."

There was a threat there somewhere, I was sure of it. The way Veronica was looking at Sepi- it wasn't friendly. My eyes widened.

"Umm…never mind…"

I said off-put. Veronica smiled and started to drag off Sepi.

"Well, I have to go show Sepi something! Bye!"

"Have fun," I called out uncertainly.

Veronica looked back with a predatory lust in her eyes, then continued on. I gulped.
"Alexy, something here is very wrong. Can't you feel it?"

"Yeah…all with that Veronica chick- and it's not just her fashion sense either. I mean, come on, blue sneakers with that shade of pink-"

I tuned my brother's rant out. That wasn't what I was talking about.

"No Alexy," I said rolling my eyes and setting down my game controller, "I mean, there's something really wrong here and…I'm gonna find out what. Come on!"

I dragged Alexy behind me.

Sepi:

I felt like I couldn't breathe. Veronica dragged me off, off of school grounds, where I could've been safe. Veronica pushed me down. We were in a park, an empty, isolated park. A park where no one would hear my screams. Veronica looked at me with an evil glint that I remembered. I braced myself as she took off my hoodie. I tried to fit back- but she slapped me, hard.

"Come on now. I came all this way! You just have such an addictive taste…I had to come back and get it again…"

I shivered against the cold. It wasn't supposed to be cold. It was almost summer….But right now…it felt like the coldest winter.

Armin:

I followed Veronica and Sepi. Alexy didn't come, well, he was, but then he saw this shirt and got distracted. So now I was alone.

"Damn," I muttered, "I lost them."

I followed them to this street near the park. I was surprised to see the park empty, but then I remembered that it was school during school hours. I heard a scream and my eyes widened.

"Sepi," I screamed, "SEPI!"
I ran to the park where the scream came from. I don't know if it was Sepi, but something in my gut, in my heart ached. I know it was her that screamed. What did Veronica do to her? I wondered around the park. I couldn't find her.

Sepi:

I laid in the grassy trench. My clothes were scattered. I felt numb, again. I gathered my clothes. My tears were already dried out. I couldn't cry. Though, I wanted to. I wanted to cry and just let it all out. I felt so…abused….