FATED TO LOVE {STORY OF US}

CHAPTER 8

As the morning sun streamed through the window, Ariel stirred in her bed. She stretched her arms and yawned, then turned to check the time on her phone. Seeing that it was time to get up, she turned off the alarm and sat up.

She walked over to the bathroom and turned on the shower, letting the warm water wash over her. As she stood there, she admired her reflection in the mirror, taking in her long, dark hair and bright eyes. She felt a sense of pride in her appearance, and she felt confident and strong.

With her skin still damp from the shower, Ariel reached for her moisturizer and rubbed it into her skin, taking care to smooth out any dry patches. She then dressed herself in her uniform, straightening her shirt and adjusting her tie.

She stood in front of the mirror, looking herself over.

"I am ready for today," she said, nodding at her reflection. "I can do this. I can make a difference."

Feeling a surge of determination, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door, ready to face the day ahead.

As Ariel headed out the door, she called out, "Bye, Mom!"

Maya, came rushing into the hallway, looking slightly disheveled.

"Wait, you're not going to have breakfast?" she asked, a little out of breath.

"I'll grab something at school," Ariel said, already half out the door. "I don't want to be late."

Maya shook her head and smiled. "Alright then, off you go. Have a good day!"

And with that, Ariel was off, racing down the street to catch her bus.

As she walked down the street, Ariel reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Her thumb hovered over the messaging app, but then she hesitated.

Instead, she put her phone back in her bag and continued on her way.

Thoughts whirled through her head. Should she message Chloe?  She wasn't sure. With a sigh, she put the matter out of her mind and focused on getting to school on time.

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As Ariel walked into the classroom, her eyes scanned the room for a familiar face.

She spotted Alex sitting near the front, his head down as he scrawled something in his notebook.

Ariel started towards him, eager to chat and catch up. But just as she was about to say hello,

she realized that her usual desk and chair were missing. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Where could they be?

She started to look around the room, searching for any sign of her missing furniture.

But no matter where she looked, there was no sign of it. Her frustration began to grow.

Ariel looked up at Alex, and she could see that his green eyes were fixed on her.

"Excuse me," she said, "but did you see where my desk went?"

Alex  just shrugged. "What a silly question," he said. "I'm sitting on it."

"I was just asking," Ariel said, feeling annoyed.

"And I gave you an answer," Alex  said, his voice flat.

As Ariel finally found her desk, she noticed that one of the legs was broken. Her heart sank as she realized that Alex  had done it on purpose.

Tears welled up in Ariel's eyes, and she covered her face with her hands. "Oh my God," she cried. "Who would do such a thing?"