Secrets of the Cellar (Inside Secret #1) || COMPLETED

Chapter Three: Seeing Clearly

After my friends left yesterday, we've decided to wear them the next day, A.K.A. today, as a sign of our friendship. But in secret, of course. I didn't want my mother to find out and take them away from us.

When I woke up, I felt unusually excited. I'm never excited for school. Never. But today was different. I mean, it's not every day that you find secret amulets in the basement that your mothers and grandmothers wore.

I quickly slipped on a pair of flattering skinny jeans, and a cute top that I prepared especially for today. Then I put on the necklace, under my shirt, so that my mother wouldn't know I took it until she looked inside the chest again, which she barely does now. I felt a feeling of warmth right where the necklace was. I touched it, but it was cold again. No, I felt nothing, I reassured myself.

I went out into the living room, managing to avoid my mother, who was cooking a pan full of eggs.

Tugging on my converse, I slipped out the door, chewing my ham sandwich as I texted.

FUTUREDELPHI: Hey, just got out. Make sure u don't show ur parents ur necklace, I could get in big troubl. Thx.

HIPPOKRISSY: No prob.

BLU3-3Y3DK3LLI3: Yea.

BRIANNA3707: K. Cuhl.

Satisfied with my friends' answers, I walk onto the bus, not even once looking behind me. But if I did, I would have seen the person wearing the hoodie. Watching me.

—-

"Heya!" Alicia says, with the rest of us huddled next to her. I smile at her and we walk inside.

"Did you guys wear the necklaces?" Krissy asks. I nod with the rest of my friends, and we all giggle, taking out the pendants. Brianna, Tyler, Krissy, and I had a square one, and Alicia, Alyssa, Emilie, and Kellie had a triangle one, each a different color.

"Hey look, you guys!" We all turn to see a smirking redhead looking at our necklaces with envy, "It's the wannabes!" The redhead's friends, Yalina Jarlin and Caroline Oliver, give out a fake laugh, loud enough to show it, covering their mouths with their hands. A crowd forms around us. Everyone around us "Oohs."

Everyone knows the story about us. The redhead, Lina Bennington, and I used to be best friends, but she ditched me for some popular crowd, and just to show them that she was popular material, she started to spread rumors about me. She wanted to make the whole school laugh at me, to avoid me. Then I started to see things clearer. She was never my friend, or at least, not anymore.

Her rumors usually consisted of something disgusting, me picking my nose in public, or that I had a disease called "Puke-Itis." The principal eventually found out, but Lina wasn't even sorry. Not. One. Bit.

I take a step forward, wanting to show her who's boss, but Alicia grabs my arm, pulling me towards my locker, but I don't budge.

"She's not worth it, Delphi." Alicia whispers to me, gritting her teeth. Lina looks at her and she sticks her tongue out. Some people may think that it's childish, but the boys nearly fall to the floor, mesmerized by her looks.

"What's the inside secret, Alicia? Don't think that everyone doesn't know about your little, anger issues." Lina sneers, and Alicia moves her foot so fast, I almost don't see it, that she nearly hits Lina in the face, but Alicia controls herself. She lowers her foot down softly, and you can see Lina swallow in fear, but she covers it up quickly.

"Oh? Is the little junior scared?" She says, to rile her up again. I roll my eyes. I guess Lina forgot she was a junior too. Alicia fists her hands, and opens her mouth to say something threatening, but to stop her from getting in trouble, I retaliate with equal vehemence.

 "Sit, little doggy! Roll over! Everyone knows you're the dog you really are." Everyone "Oohs" even louder.

"Uh, whatever." She says, obviously irritated that I actually made a comeback, "Let's bounce girls. See ya later, Booger-Picker." I clench my fists, knowing, once again, that those rumors she spread still bother me. She looks at my hands, and she smiles menacingly. She starts to walk away, but then I start to feel angry, I feel this energy moving inside me like water in a bottle. Then I let it go. And Lina falls, her shoes breaking in half, she starts to cry like a baby, and then I wonder why.

But then I realize what has happened. When Lina's shoes broke and she fell, she must've hit the locker door, which is now open, but before it wasn't. Taylor and Krystal all try to comfort her, to try to ease her pain, but Lina shrugs them off. They look hurt, but they try not to show it.

"You did this!" Lina screams, her face covered in her own blood and spit. Her right eye is all purple, and she has a slight bruise on her cheek, getting a bit pink.

"She did nothing!" Alyssa screams back. Lina moves toward us to fight back, but she grimaces and grunts loudly, whimpering for effect. Principal Harvey is heading this way, wanting to see what the commotion is about. When he sees Lina's bloody face, he stumbles back a little, as if trying to see if he is in some sort of dream.

"Who did this?" He asks, looking around to see who would admit it, "I said, who did this?" He exclaims. Everyone steps back,  afraid of getting blamed and sent to the principal's office. After all, they know what Lina could do to them. 

Lina sees this as an opportunity to get me in trouble, and tells her own version of her story.

"She did this!" Lina points to me, giving him the look of a wounded puppy, she even shed some fake tears. Or maybe they weren't fake tears, because falling like that would have really hurt. "She tripped me and slammed me on the locker! Principal Harvey, it hurt so bad! I don't know what could've happened if you hadn't come! That little piece of-"

"No I didn't," I interrupt, "I didn't actually do that! She's was just trying to get me in trouble! I didn't push her at all! Her shoes broke and she fell! Look at them!" I gesture to her designer heels. Principal Harvey looks at them and his eyebrows raise. Lina starts to shout again.

"You made them break-" I interrupt her again.

"No, I-" She cuts me off.

"Just admit it! It's all your-"

"ENOUGH!" Principal Harvey shouts, "Both of you, to my office! Now! And someone help Miss Lina!" The crowd starts to "ooh" at us, but Principal Harvey gives them a sharp look. He walks away before any of us can object. When he's far enough out of earshot, Lina says:

"I'll get you, I swear I will!" Krystal and Taylor help her up, if hesitatingly, and I walk in front of them, as strong as I can, as Lina stumbles on behind me.