Blossoming Hate

Chapter 5: Facing The Music

I woke up to the shrill sound of my alarm, the bright morning light seeping through my curtains like a relentless reminder that I had to face another day of high school. I rolled over, burying my face in my pillow, wishing I could disappear into it. The cupcake fiasco from yesterday still loomed in my mind, and the thought of facing my classmates made my stomach twist in knots.

After a few more moments of self-pity, I forced myself to get up. I shuffled to the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, and stared at my reflection. My hair was a tangled mess, Athough I didn't have the energy to do much about it I picked up my favorite detangling brush and went at it ,slicking my hair back and trowing it in a quick bun after what felt like ages of tackling my hair i put on some concealer to hide the dark circles under my eyes,put on my favorite lip combo and I was ready to face the world-sort of.

I pulled on my favorite oversized hoodie, a worn-out band tee, and some jeans that had seen better days. Comfort over style, I reminded myself. I grabbed a granola bar from the kitchen, exchanging a smile with my mom, who was already hustling to get to her shift at the hospital.

"Good luck today, sweetheart. Just remember, it's all part of the experience," she said, her voice warm and reassuring.

"Thanks, Mom," I replied, forcing a smile as I stepped out the door.

Outside, Harper was waiting for me in her bright red car, the lyrics of frank ocean's pyramids blasting from the speakers. I hopped in, and she greeted me with her usual enthusiasm.

"Good morning, sunshine! Ready to face the day?" she chirped, her blonde ponytail swinging as she turned to me with a grin.

"Not even a little," I sighed, leaning back in my seat. "I'm still feeling the fallout from the cupcake incident."

Harper rolled her eyes playfully. "Ugh, let it go! Who cares what they think? They'll forget about it by lunch. Besides, you survived the worst of it, right?"

As we pulled into the school parking lot, I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. The moment I stepped out of the car, I could feel eyes on me, whispers floating through the air like a cloud of judgment.

"Look, it's Cupcake Girl!" one student snickered as I walked by. My cheeks burned, and I fought the urge to shrink into myself.

"Hey! What are you looking at?" Harper yelled, spinning around to glare at the group of students. "You got a problem?!" They scattered like roaches, their laughter trailing off as they hurried away.

I couldn't help but smile at Harper's fierce loyalty. "Thanks, I needed that," I said, feeling a little lighter as we walked toward the entrance.

Once inside, we made our way to English class, where we sat at the back, ready to endure another round of lessons. The classroom buzzed with chatter, and Harper leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

"Sleepover at my place tonight? We could binge-watch the vampire diaries or something," she suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I sighed, running my hands over my face. "Ugh, I can't. Tonight, Satan and I are gonna work on our science project," I replied, the mention of Xavier's nickname making me grimace.

Harper laughed, shaking her head. "You mean your cute bad boy? Come on, Iris, lighten up! It's just a project. Besides, what could go wrong?"

I rolled my eyes at her teasing. "Everything. You know how he is."

"Fine, then," she said, pouting a little. "I guess I'll just hang out with Dwayne tonight."

The mention of Dwayne made my stomach twist in annoyance. "Seriously? Ugh, Harper! Why do you keep putting up with him?"