Heaven's Rebel Heart

Chapter Three: For lack of a better word

After surviving the parking lot confrontation with the so-called school bad boy—Niklaus Belmont or Klaus as everyone apparently calls him—I'm still trying to figure out what kind of universe I've just stepped into. People are staring at me like I've just thrown a punch in the middle of a fancy dinner party. It's weird. Annoying. And mostly, it's confusing.

Whispers follow me as I walk towards the school with my two new... friends, for lack of a better word—Emerald and Esmeralda, the twins who seemed to materialize out of nowhere after the Klaus showdown.

"Is that the new girl?"
"Did she really talk back to Klaus?"
"No way. Who does that?"

Apparently, I do. Not that I knew who Klaus was at the time. If I had, would I have kept my mouth shut? Nah, probably not. But it explains the way everyone's looking at me now—like I'm either brave or completely out of my mind.

"You're kind of a big deal now," Emerald says with a grin as we walk side by side toward the entrance of Silver Ridge High.

I shoot her a sideways glance. "What do you mean?"

Esmeralda, walking on my other side, smirks. "Word travels fast around here. You stood up to Klaus, and people noticed. That doesn't happen much. Most people just... move when he tells them to."

I shrug, trying to play it off. "I didn't know who he was. He's not exactly royalty."

Emerald giggles, clearly enjoying this. "You might be the first girl who ever dared to give him attitude. You should've seen his face after you left. He looked like he couldn't decide whether to laugh or be mad."

We reach the front doors of the school, and I can still feel eyes on me. It's like I've become the subject of some weird experiment, with everyone trying to figure out if I'm dangerous or just clueless. And despite the sarcasm I throw around like a shield, I can feel a knot of anxiety tightening in my chest. The stares, the whispers—it's not the kind of attention I want right now. All I want to be is more of a "fly under the radar" kind of person, and right now, I'm feeling anything but invisible.

"I'm not looking for trouble," I mutter to the twins as we step inside. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, and the stale smell of over-polished floors makes me wrinkle my nose.

Esmeralda gives me a long, considering look. "Trouble has a way of finding people like you."

I raise an eyebrow. "People like me?"

She shrugs, a small smile playing on her lips. "People who don't care about the rules."

I snort. "Great. Just what I needed. I'm already a walking headline, and I've only been here for five minutes."

Emerald leans in, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Just breathe. You'll get used to it. Besides, it's not like you'll be the hot topic forever. Once someone else does something crazy, everyone will move on."

I wish I could believe her, but right now, it feels like the weight of everyone's eyes is pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I force a smile anyway. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

The girls lead me toward the main office to pick up my timetable, chatting away like it's the most normal day in the world. I follow them, trying to keep up with the conversation, but my mind is distracted by the whispers that seem to follow us wherever we go.

We pass through a wide hallway lined with lockers, and that's when I spot her—Emily, my half-sister, standing near the end of the hall with a group of friends. She looks different here, more put together, like she's trying hard to fit in. Our eyes meet for a split second, and for a brief moment, she gives me this awkward little wave.

I pretend not to see it.

I don't know why I do it. Maybe it's the tension between us, or maybe it's just too much to deal with on top of everything else today. But instead of acknowledging her, I look away, focusing on the locker next to me as if it holds the secret to surviving high school. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Emily lower her hand, her smile fading slightly before she turns back to her friends.

"Well, that was awkward," Emerald whispers, clearly noticing the exchange. "Is she your...?"

"Sister," I say quickly, cutting her off. "Actually half-sister, technically."

Esmeralda frowns. "You're not close?"

I shrug, keeping my eyes forward. "Not really."

They don't press the issue, for which I'm grateful. I don't need to unpack my complicated family dynamics in the middle of a high school hallway. Not today.

---

Inside the main office, the receptionist hands me my timetable, along with a map of the school. It's laid out like some kind of labyrinth, with hallways and wings that all look the same. I stare at the map for a second, wondering how I'm going to find my way around without getting hopelessly lost.

Emerald and Esmeralda lean over my shoulder, peering at the timetable with eager curiosity.

"Let's see what we've got together," Emerald says, snatching the paper from my hands. She scans it quickly, then grins. "Oh, you've got Maths with me, and... ooh, Biology with Esmeralda!"

Esmeralda nods, looking satisfied. "At least you won't be completely alone."

I smile, a small wave of relief washing over me. "Thanks, guys. I'm still getting used to all of this."

Emerald hands the timetable back to me with a smile. "You'll be fine. Just stick with us, and we'll help you navigate the crazy."

We head out of the office, and as we walk through the building, they start pointing out classrooms, bathrooms, and other landmarks I'll need to survive the day. They make it seem easy, like they've been doing this forever. And maybe they have. But for me, every step feels like I'm walking on shaky ground.

The attention from earlier still lingers in the back of my mind, gnawing at me like an itch I can't scratch. I try to shake it off, reminding myself that it's just high school and that people will move on eventually. But there's a part of me that worries—what if they don't? What if I've just made my first mistake in a long list of many by challenging Klaus?

And what if Klaus isn't the kind of guy to let things go?

As we continue walking, I glance over my shoulder and catch sight of Klaus through one of the windows. He's still standing by his car, and it still feels like he is watching me with that same unreadable expression.

And just like that, the knot of anxiety tightens again.