BEHIND HER SMILE

CHAPTER FOUR

This is the first time I've actually been inside a school canteen for real. And it's exactly how I imagined: chaotic, buzzing with energy, and filled with students claiming their cliques like kingdoms at war. The air thick with the smell of food, perfumes and sweat stench.. a weird mixture.

"You're really weird for being this excited about a canteen. This place is like a cave for bullies," Maddie mutters, her voice barely above a whisper as we stand in line for food. The grim expression on her face says it all—this is not her idea of a good time.

No one else in the group seemed thrilled about being here either, but I wanted to see it. The way TV shows and movies portrayed it always fascinated me, and I had to know if it was anything like what I'd imagined.

"I've never been to one before... it's exciting to me," I say, feeling almost silly for being this happy about something so ordinary. I try to shift the conversation. "So, you were telling me about this event the school is hosting?"

Maddie makes a sour face at the mention. "Ugh. It's one of those 'charity' events the mayor organizes, using our public school as the venue. If you volunteer, you're basically signing up to be free labor, assigned to whatever menial task they throw your way. And guess who's in charge of organizing it? Abigail."

Her disdain hangs in the air as I ask, "Isn't her father the mayor?"

"Yeah," Maddie replies with an exaggerated eye roll. "He's the reason she's here. Sent her to public school instead of some private one to boost his image. And now she's more than happy to help daddy polish that reputation."

"But the mayor's actually doing a good job," I point out, glancing between them.

"Oh, no question about it," Maddie says, "Which makes hating her a lot more complicated. Can't even shame her for that. She has this subtle way of bullying people—always making sure it's just under the radar, so you can't accuse her of anything without looking crazy."

Jerry snorts from behind us. "Sounds like someone else we know."

I jab him with my elbow, hard enough to make him wince dramatically, but not hard enough to draw attention. He gives me a wounded look as if I've deeply betrayed him. Maddie just smirks.

We grab our trays, and I scan the room, looking for a spot. "So, where should we sit?"

"Definitely not anywhere near the front," Hailey says quickly, her voice low and anxious. I follow her gaze and spot Abigail, sitting like royalty at the front, her gaze sweeping the room with calculated precision. Her entourage laughs at something, but it feels less like laughter and more like a warning bell. They're waiting for someone to mess up, to make themselves an easy target.

"Your bullied days are over, Hailey," I assure her, giving her a quick pat on the back. "From now on, just focus on enjoying life, okay?"

She smiles weakly, but her eyes don't quite lose that edge of nervousness. I know what it's like to feel that constant threat looming over you, but I also know we're not going to let Abigail win.

Jerry leads the way to a table in the middle corner. "Let's sit here. It's empty and fits the four of us."

We settle in, and for a while, lunch goes smoothly. Conversation drifts, light and unremarkable. But then the energy in the room shifts.

I don't need to turn around to know who just walked in—the Mafia boys.

They slide into the seats at the table next to ours, their presence impossible to ignore. Conversations around us slow to a hush as people take them in. It's like the temperature of the room drops a few degrees. I steal a quick glance. Reece's eyes briefly lock onto Hailey, and I swear she notices, her body tensing for just a second before she refocuses on her food.