My New Foster Family

Chapter twenty three

Annika hurried down the hallway, her heart pounding as she searched for Charlotte. After the incident in the changing room, she knew her friend would be devastated. She looked at all of her second period and well the bell rang for their third period she hid in a quiet hallway so she would not get caught skipping. After looking for another 10 minutes and turning a corner, she finally spotted Charlotte sitting on a bench, her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

"Charlotte," Annika called softly, approaching her friend with caution.

Charlotte looked up, her eyes red and puffy. "Annika, I'm so sorry... I couldn't even stand up to them."

"Hey, don't apologize," Annika said, sitting down beside her. "It's not your fault. They're just... horrible people."

Charlotte sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I just don't understand why they have to be so mean."

Annika hesitated, then reached out to gently squeeze Charlotte's hand. "They're just jealous and insecure. But we don't have to let them ruin our day. How about we get some food from the canteen and find somewhere quiet to eat?"

Charlotte nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Yeah... I'd like that."

As Annika and Charlotte entered the bustling canteen, the noise of chattering students and the clatter of trays filling the air. Both girls felt a bit on edge after the morning's events, but they were determined to grab some food and find a quiet place to eat away from everyone else.

As they moved through the line, Annika's eyes caught sight of James and Zayn sitting at a table with a few of their friends. James noticed them almost immediately, waving them over with a cheerful grin.

"Annika! Charlotte! Come sit with us!" James called out, his voice carrying across the canteen.

Annika's stomach twisted at the sight of him, still feeling the sting of betrayal. How could he be so carefree when he hadn't even bothered to tell her about Lilith? And how could he be with someone like Lilith in the first place?

She shot him a cold glare, her heart pounding with a mix of hurt and anger. "No, thanks," she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the din of the canteen.

James's smile faltered, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What's wrong? Why won't you—"

Annika didn't let him finish. She turned her back on him, nudging Charlotte to follow her as they grabbed their trays and moved toward the exit. But before they could make their escape, Zayn, noticing the tension, leaned forward with concern etched on his face.

"Annika, what's going on? Why are you upset?" Zayn asked, his tone gentle but probing.

James, still puzzled, chimed in. "Maybe it's about what happened in PE earlier, but I have no idea why she's mad at me."

Annika froze for a moment, feeling her emotions surge up. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how hurt she was that he hadn't told her about his girlfriend, how betrayed she felt that he could be with someone like Lilith after everything that had happened. But instead, she clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm.

"It's nothing," she muttered, her voice tight with restraint. "Just drop it, okay?"

James exchanged a confused look with Zayn, clearly still trying to piece together what he'd done wrong. Annika didn't give them the chance to ask any more questions. She quickly turned and walked away, her heart pounding in her chest as she made her way toward the exit with Charlotte by her side.

As they stepped out of the noisy canteen and into the quieter hallway, Annika felt the weight of her frustration pressing down on her. She hadn't wanted to make a scene, but it was hard to hold everything inside when she felt so hurt and angry.