❝ Oh, right. I wouldn't want to be lumped in with an overachieving, straight-A student whose sense of self-worth is tied to social approval and external validation. Now, that would be a tragedy. ❞
In which overachieving Harvard-bound Isabelle Grigio...
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"You know, for someone who was adamant that she wasn't going to cut classes ever, you sure look like somebody who's enjoying herself right now," Ben says, chuckling as he takes the seat beside her.
"Correction: I'm not going to cut classes with you ever again," Isabelle says, stifling a smile. "As we speak, the guilt of cutting classes is eating me alive." But she sighs contentedly just the same and takes a sip of from her jug. "How did you even know about this place?" she asks.
Ben had brought her to an abandoned playground along the outskirts of the village. Aside from the occasional dog walkers or lost passersby, no one else but them is in the playground. "It's haunted," he explains. "Apparently, there were three accidents that happened here, and rumors spread that they were caused by either a paranormal or demonic presence."
"You brought me to a haunted playground?" she exclaims, suddenly shifting closer to Ben. They're seated at the top of the slide, their legs hanging in the air. "Are you kidding me? What if we get possessed or something?"
"Oh, come on—whatever ghost or spirit is in here, you'll probably scare them off, Isabelle," he jokes, laughing when she pushes him away slightly.
"Or, you know, they'll be repulsed by your general unpleasantness."
"See? Told you there's no reason to be scared."
"Whatever," she tells him, moving away when she notices that their knees are touching. "I'm still forwarding you the bill if I ever need an exorcism."
"Well, I look forward to it."
Isabelle stares off into the distance, which is not exactly a sight to see, considering that the houses lined across the street are run-down and potentially haunted, as well. But she takes in the air and lets out a deep sigh in contentment. She hadn't realized that it has been so long since she did something like this. She isn't used to idling around unless she felt like she deserved it, but lately, she hasn't felt like she achieved anything much that entitled her to a well-deserved break.
Ben suddenly clears his throat and asks, "So, you want to talk about it?"
Isabelle looks at him.
He sputters, "I mean, you don't have to, if you don't want to. But if you do want to, you can talk about it."
She exhales deeply and meets his eyes. "Promise me you're not going to tease me or anything like that?"
"I'll try."
"Ben..."
"I won't," he says. "I'm all ears."
"Well, you've met my cousin, right?" she says. "On her first day, Alexa managed to befriend everyone within her proximity. And she's already becoming the teachers' favorite, starting with Mrs. Wilson, who by the way, I'd been buttering up to since I was a sophomore. But then, she just swoops in, and the next thing I know, her essay on Cultural Relativism is being added to Mrs. Wilson's portfolio.
