SCRIBBLE TEA

Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

The tension in Section 4-A was like a wildfire, consuming the entire campus in no time.

Maya didn't come back after she stormed out, leaving everyone on edge.

Amara, on the other hand, was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any second. And no matter how much Jacob tried to reassure her, his attempts felt useless. The relationship they shared was now everyone's favorite topic—not just at XHA, but even at other schools, thanks to the blog.

And it didn't help that Xavier Nexus High School, the sister school for average students in the next town, had full access to the XHA Forum app. Rumors were spreading like wildfire, both within and outside the campus.

The app might not have a comment section, but the noise traveled far beyond its limits. People were sharing their hot takes, speculations, and memes across every platform, turning Amara and Jacob's relationship into the biggest trend.

And they were viral.

#1 on Twitter
#1 on Facebook
#1 on Threads

I wouldn't have known since I keep my Instagram private, but my classmate—someone I barely even talked to—sprinted over to show me. She couldn't hide her excitement, scrolling through social media where everything about them was trending.

She even pointed out a sarcastic tweet from Jacob's ex that instantly caught my attention.

Priscilla: I don't think 1k is enough to pay for what they did.

"Shit! Ang cheap naman! 1,000 pesos lang binayad ni Amara?!" Ria gasped as she ran back to her friends like it was the biggest scoop of the century.

Nakakairita. It's like some people live for the drama, and this is the highlight of their week.

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and left the classroom, the whispers following me like shadows. I just needed to get away from the chaos. I needed somewhere quiet to think.

Okay. The library. Perfect place for peace, especially since we've got a free period. I can finally read my manhwa in peace without being drowned in the madness.

"Where are you going?"

"Ay, puking palaka!" I yelled, clutching my chest like my heart was about to explode. Pryce had appeared out of nowhere, startling me. Of course, he had no sense of boundaries.

I shot him a death glare, fuming. "Can you, for once in your life, act like a normal human being, Pryce Marquess Grosvenor?"

He just smirked, clearly enjoying my irritation. "I love how you say my full name with so much anger."

What the hell?

Buwisit! Why does he get on my nerves like this? It's like he lives to annoy me.

I turned on my heel and headed toward the library, doing my best to ignore him and the fiery rage burning inside me.

God, I wanted to scream at him, but since classes were still in session, I had to bite my tongue and follow the rules. Gigil na gigil ako, but no way I'm getting into a fight with him. We're not even close enough for that.

"You can't just act like a normal person, can you?" I muttered.

"I can, but I don't want to," he replied casually, still walking beside me like nothing was wrong. He didn't even bother looking my way.

Gusto ko na siyang sapakin. But I quickened my pace, determined to leave him behind and reach the library first.

When I got there, I scanned my ID and headed straight for the back, searching for refuge among the tall bookshelves. Randomly, I grabbed a book from the shelf, not even caring about the title. I just needed something—anything—to distract me. Sitting down at the farthest table, I pulled out my phone and opened my manhwa app, hoping to escape into another world.

"Why are you reading that childish stuff? Don't you have actual books?" Pryce's voice cut through my focus like a sharp blade, dripping with that familiar condescension.

Kalma lang, Sev. Kalma. Nothing good comes from engaging with Pryce.

Gwapo pero nakakabuwisit. He's arrogant, conceited, and knows exactly how to get under my skin. Parang gusto ko na lang siyang sabunutan!

"Just leave me alone," I snapped, keeping my eyes glued to my screen. "I came here to relax."

He stood up without a word, and I sighed, finally getting some peace. But moments later, he was back, dropping a thick book onto the table as if the rest of the world didn't exist. He sat across from me, looking annoyingly cool in the middle of all this chaos.

"For someone who claims not to care, you sure decided to post it," he said, his tone calm, like he was slowly peeling back a layer of truth.

Excuse me?

Sa dinami-dami ng tao, ako talaga? Me? Ako? Ang kapal ng mukha!

"I know you have a blog, and you can easily create a new one. You're observant. You notice everything." He leaned in, his gaze intense, studying me like I was a puzzle. "You can't fool me, Severa Achilles Frierez."

I shot back with my own stare. How dare he accuse me of that? I don't give enough of a damn to spread rumors, let alone blog about them.

"And if I had to guess," I said, my voice steady, "it would be you, Pryce. You're the one who's more observant. Matalino pa, and you never miss a detail. That makes you the perfect anonymous blogger."

He smirked again, leaning back in his chair, eyes challenging. "Why me? I don't waste my time on petty gossip."

"But you're wasting your time talking to me about it," I countered. "And let's not pretend like you don't notice everything. You observe more than you let on. You're practically the ideal anonymous blogger."

The truth is, Pryce has always felt like someone playing a game—like he's always two steps ahead. He watches people, maneuvers around conversations like he's playing chess, and we're all just pieces on his board. Right now, I feel like I'm just one more pawn he's moving.

"This isn't Gossip Girl, Sev. You're imagining things," he said, his voice calm but with an edge that suggested he knew more than he was letting on.

I raised an eyebrow. "You watched that show? Interesting."

"Don't you? It mirrors our world perfectly. The secrets, the manipulation, the power plays. Feels familiar, right?"

I felt a wave of disgust. "It's cringe. And no one at XHA could ever top Blair and Serena's drama. Not even close."

He smiled, but I couldn't tell if he was serious or not. "Maybe not, but people in this school have their own kind of darkness. You'd be surprised how much uglier reality can be compared to fiction."

There was something in his voice—something dark—that made me uneasy. He was always playing games, always holding something back. It made me wonder: was this all part of some bigger plan? Or was he hiding something even more dangerous?

"Whatever game you're playing, Pryce, I'm not interested," I muttered, trying to shake the feeling.

He leaned forward, his eyes sharp, cutting through my defenses. "Who said you have a choice?"

My pulse quickened, but I didn't back down. We locked eyes, the tension between us thickening. It felt like we were both teetering on the edge of something—something neither of us fully understood yet, but we both knew was coming.