WonderEyes- Wonder the world through my eyes

School after the rain

Song for chapter: She knows -J Cole

Alicia P.O.V

The walk to school was shrouded in an oppressive silence. Lorenzo, his face etched with a mixture of guilt and defiance, kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk.  Every attempt I made to broach the subject of the party, of Isis, was met with a stubborn silence.

"Lorenzo Brandon Dlamini-Lopez," I finally snapped, my voice taut with frustration, "Why can you just be like I'm not seeing her, we just talking, anything that would help me make sense of all of this?"

He sighed, a flicker of pain flashing in his eyes.  "There's nothing to say."

But there was everything to say.  The way Isis had looked at him, the knowing smirk she'd flashed me – it all pointed to a secret, a truth he desperately wanted to keep buried.  And the worst part?  It was a secret that somehow involved me.

The school bell pierced the tense silence.  As we entered the building, I spotted Rivers lounging against his locker, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.  He winked, seemingly oblivious to the storm brewing inside me.

"Hey, Ali," he drawled, his voice a welcome distraction. "Great party last night, huh?"

"Very funny Rivers, I'm so tired right now, honestly!," I mumbled, unsure of what to say.  Part of me wanted to confide in him, to tell him about the secrets, the betrayals.  But the other part, the part still reeling from Johnathan's disappearance, held back.  Was it safe to trust anyone anymore?

Just then, the lunch bell rang, sending a wave of relief washing over me.  Lunch offered a temporary escape, a chance to gather my thoughts, and maybe, just maybe, figure out how to pry the truth about Isis and Lorenzo's entanglement from Lorenzo himself.

Lorenzo P.O.V

Lunch was a blur of nervous glances and stolen whispers.  Across the cafeteria, Isis sat with her usual posse, her eyes occasionally flickering towards me with a knowing glint and dare I say seduction. The guilt gnawed at me, a constant reminder of the secret relationship I'd made with her – a relationship that started by trying to find out Roberto's disappearance with her resources, but at what cost?

Suddenly, a voice cut through the din.  "Lorenzo Brandon Dlamini-Lopez, care to explain this?"

Randal stood before me, brandishing his phone like a weapon.  On the screen, a grainy picture flashed - me and Isis, entwined in a stolen kiss at the party.  My throat constricted.  This was it.  The truth was finally out.  Alicia, her face ashen, stared from across the table, her eyes filled with a hurt that cut deeper than any knife! I might have lost my sister, that's the cost.

Nathan's P.O.V

I watched from the sidelines, my heart twisting in my chest.  Alicia's pain was a physical blow, a searing reminder of everything I'd left behind.  Rushing in now wouldn't solve anything.  I needed a plan, a way to get close to her without revealing my true identity.  Suddenly, an idea sparked in my mind.

With a determined glint in my eyes, I strolled over to Rivers, his smug grin instantly vanishing at the sight of me.  "Hey," I said, my voice radiating an easy confidence.  "I'm Nate, the new guy.  Mind if I join you?"

Rivers hesitated for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.  As I sat down, a mischievous plan began to form.  Maybe, just maybe, helping Alicia through this mess was the key to regaining her trust, and eventually, her heart.