Forgotten (Falls Elite #1)

16

Lex

As I walk away from the chaos, Aisling catches up with me a little further down the hallway. "Wait, please, Lex, take a deep breath," she says, her voice calm but firm.

I stop in my tracks and turn to face her, taking a deep breath just as she instructed. The tension in my shoulders releases slightly, and I exhale slowly.

"Just like that," she mumbles, clearly relieved that I listened.

Sighing, I grab her arm and pull her toward one of my hidden spots in the school. "Where are you taking me?" she asks, her voice laced with curiosity.

"We can't talk in the middle of the corridor," I reply, my eyes darting around the crowd that still lingers behind us. The last thing I need is more eyes on me.

We make our way around a corner, and I open a door marked with a large, faded sign: No Trespassing Allowed! The bold red letters might have intimidated anyone else, but I ignore it entirely, leading Aisling through the door like I own the place.

"I don't think we're supposed to be here," she mutters, glancing nervously at the sign.

I shrug. "This part of the school hasn't been used since they renovated it. No one comes here."

She nods, though she still looks uncertain. We walk down a dim, dusty hallway, the echoes of our footsteps bouncing off the worn walls. I push open another door at the end, revealing a small, cramped room with a few old chairs and tables scattered around.

"It looks like the set of a horror movie," she says, eyeing the space warily.

"Yeah, it does," I agree, stepping inside. "But it's a great place to be alone. No one bothers you down here."

It's true. This is one of my hideaways, a place I retreat to when the noise of the world becomes too much. A few other hidden spots around the school are even better, but this one has its uses—especially when I need to disappear for a while.

I sit down in one of the chairs and glance up at Aisling, who's still standing near the doorway, arms crossed. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

She gives me a look of disbelief. "Seriously, Lex? Why did you slap Pearl in front of the whole school?"

I shrug, trying to act nonchalant, but the shame creeps in. My eyes drop to my lap, and I mumble, "I don't know. I just... got so mad, I couldn't think straight."

"I snapped," I add quietly, almost to myself.

Aisling lets out a frustrated sigh. "I get that you two don't get along, but slapping her? In front of everyone?" She shakes her head. "You've just given her the perfect ammunition to make things worse. Pearl's going to have a field day spreading more rumors while she plays the innocent victim."

I close my eyes and rub my temples, feeling the headache creeping in. "Ugh, this is giving me such a headache," I groan.

Aisling's eyes narrow. "Well, get used to it. Things are about to get messy."

I look up at her, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "But let's be real for a second—can we talk about the elephant in the room? I just slapped Pearl Carson across the face. And hard enough to leave a mark."

For a moment, we stare at each other, the tension hanging in the air. Then, as if on cue, we both burst into laughter, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting us.

I wipe a tear from my eye as I laugh harder, feeling the weight of the moment begin to lift. Aisling, usually so serious, cracks a rare smile and mock bows. "That was... epic."

I can't help but grin, the goofy smile plastered on my face. I sigh, leaning back in my chair, still catching my breath. "It really was great, wasn't it?" I mutter, almost to myself.

Aisling chuckles, shaking her head. "I mean, you might've just thrown gasoline on the fire, but yeah—it was kind of satisfying to watch her get what she deserves."

For a few minutes, we just sit there, letting the laughter die down as the adrenaline from the confrontation slowly fades. But in the back of my mind, I know Aisling's right. As satisfying as it was to slap Pearl, I've probably just made things ten times worse for myself.

"Do you think she'll go to the principal?" I ask, trying to gauge just how bad the fallout might be.

Aisling shrugs. "Who knows with Pearl? She might milk it for all it's worth, but then again, she loves playing the victim too much to involve actual authority. She'd rather let everyone feel sorry for her and make you look like the villain in front of the whole school."

I groan again, leaning forward to rest my head in my hands. "This is such a mess."

Aisling pats me on the back, her touch gentle but firm. "You'll get through it, Lex. You always do. Just... maybe try not to slap anyone else?"

I chuckle weakly. "Yeah, no promises."

She stands up, stretching her arms over her head. "Well, let's get out of this creepy room. You know Pearl's going to start spinning her version of events as soon as possible. We should probably get ahead of it."

I raise an eyebrow. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

Aisling grins, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You know how I love a good plan."

I shake my head, smiling despite myself. "Fine. Let's hear it."

As we walk out of the hidden room and back into the chaos of the school, I know this isn't the end of my problems with Pearl. If anything, it's just the beginning. But with Aisling by my side, I feel like I might just have a chance at surviving it.