Look What You Made Me Do

Tea Time Can Be Dangerous

((A/N: Lila makes some new "friends" and has no idea of what she just walked into.))

Isabella was pretty sure she was slowly losing brain cells. She had been paired with one of the French exchange students and was seriously trying to figure out how to somehow lose balance and fall off her chair enough to be sent to the nurse’s office but not hurt herself so much that she couldn’t go out with her boyfriend that Friday. Her seatmate was named Lila Rossi and this girl NEVER shut up. Isabella knew she liked to spill the tea but this girl talked about absolutely nothing. Since this was the exchange student’s first homeroom period the teacher had decided the period was going to be spent getting to know their “new friends from afar”. Isabella had never thought she would wish for class to go on as normal.

She caught the eyes of her best friend Elizabeth and got the feeling she was going through the same thing with reddish brown hair in an ombre style with glasses. “So are you all friends?” she asked in an attempt to have a conversation instead of being talked at. “Your class looks pretty small. A lot of us have known one another for a while.”

“We’re all pretty close.” she began before her tone became a little hushed. “Well…there are a few exceptions.”

Isabella felt the first spark of interest since they had introduced themselves. “Oh?” she prompted with a smile wondering what the story was. “Do spill the tea.”

“Well there are two girls who viciously bully me.” Lila said in a pitiful tone.

Now this was something most Gotham Academy knew about. It was a school full of kids with wealthy parents so a lot of them thought they were above school rules and better than everyone else. Now she had to admit that not everyone was completely awful or the kind that preferred to watch or keep their heads down. Damian Wayne was someone who always stood up to bullies. Everyone called him the Ice Prince of Gotham Academy since he often acted like he was above everyone and everything. Though he now got into a lot less fights. Probably because of all these years others realized it wasn’t worth it to mess with him.

Isabella had been a little lost in her thoughts and realized she hadn’t been paying attention. But Lila was pointing at a girl with black hair in pigtails that was sitting with the Ice Prince himself. “The baking girl?” she asked in a skeptical tone. This girl looked like she had little birds and woodland creatures help her get ready in the morning. Though now that she thought about it hadn’t Lila said something about her before? She had been a little preoccupied texting to pay attention.
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Lila had been annoyed when her seatmate seemed to be ignoring her. But now she finally seemed to catch the girl’s attention she would pretend like she wasn’t going to have to repeat herself.

“I know she looks super nice but that’s all an act.” Lila said in a hushed tone. “Actually she’s been bullying me for years.”

“Years?” Her seatmate asked. “How does someone get away with that for years?” Her tone was doubtful

Lila wasn’t annoyed by the disbelief but instead decided to capitalize on it. “She’s very crafty!” She insists and always acts so innocent when the teacher is around. But thankfully I have friends who support me. Of course Marinette’s best friend is also a bully.”

“Wait, you've been bullied by the same two people for years? They never moved on?”

Lila took note that the doubtful tone had turned skeptical and thought quickly on how to get ahead of this. “Oh, well Chloe doesn’t bully me personally like Marinette. She’s mean to everyone.”

“The girl who said she didn’t want to get to know anyone….yeah I can see how she’s not a people person.”

Lila relaxed a little now that she seemed to have things back in control. “I don’t know why she hates me. I’ve done nothing but try to be her friend. We worked together to plan this trip. Well….sort of.”

“Sort of?” the girl prompted

“I’m sure Marinette had a lot on her mind. But to be honest I did a lot of the work. She said she’d turn everything in but left my name off!” She couldn’t help but feel a rush of satisfaction as her deskmate’s eyes widened as she looked over at Marinette again. “I wanted to enter another contest but she was insistent on this one. I think she was hoping something bad would happen in Gotham. I mean it did but I couldn’t be happier to be here!”

The girl was giving her a look like she was crazy. “You had other options but you CHOSE Gotham?!”

“Well you see…” Lila leaned in ready to confide. “I lived in Gotham for a year when I was little.”
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The bell rang and Elizabeth was relieved. Her foreign exchange desk mate Alya wasn’t that bad but didn’t really have a lot to talk about that was actually interesting. Though from the S.O.S looks her best friend Isabella was giving her she knew she had gotten lucky. And that was why it was so confusing when Isabella led the girl over to them just as Anabelle was trying to figure out if there was a polite way to tell someone you didn’t really want to talk to them.

“Lila, this is my best friend Elizabeth, I told you about her a little before. She’ll be having lunch with us.” Isabella smiled. “Li, this is Lila Rossi.”

Elizabeth did her best not to look at Isabella like she had lost her mind. There was nothing remotely noteworthy about these two girls. “Is that so Bella?” she asked.Her best friend gave her a knowing smile which let her know that Isabella was onto something. Perhaps she had fresh tea to spill and it concerned the exchange students! Nothing better than fresh blood in the water right?

“Lila is full of interesting stories….like how she lived in Gotham as a kid and was childhood sweethearts with none other than…..Damian Wayne!”

Elizabeth felt her mouth almost open in surprise. “Excuse me?”

“I know it’s a little hard to believe but it’s true.” Lila said in a modest tone that was so fake it was laughable.

“She’s even reconnected with him since coming back!” Alya exclaimed.

It was clear as day why Isabella wanted to spend time around Lila. The girl clearly wanted attention and thought to get it by sharing “secrets”. Little did she know, she was talking to two of the queen bees when it came to gossip. At Gotham there were plenty of people who told little, and often not so little, lies to boost their reputation. For some it was an art form. But the number one rule was don’t get caught. If you did you’d go from top of the shark to guppy within hours. Gotham Academy could be just as dangerous as the rest of the city, just not in such an obvious way.

Just then none other than the Ice Prince Damian Wayne passed by with the baker girl and the blonde that said she wasn’t interested in anyone. Honestly that Chloe girl sounded like she was made for Gotham. She had style and attitude. Marinette had been brave to sit with Damian of all people but she seemed too sweet to make it in Gotham Academy for very long. Elizabeth saw a chance to really confirm things and took it.

“So I’m guessing none of the boys in our class measured up with Damian huh?” she asked once the coast was clear.

Lila looked like she was thinking and shook her head. “There are some cute guys but I only have eyes for Damian.” she said in a sickeningly sweet tone.

Just then the bell rang. “You better go catch up with your class.” Isabella smiled. The two of them watched the pair hurry off. “Oh this is going to be fun!”

((A/N: Gotham Academy girls like to play with their food.))