The weight of Betrayal

Chapter 6

POV:CLAIRE

After that long day,i will still go to school even tho' im really tired

"Claire! You're late!"

Aestral, a whirlwind of energy and sarcasm, materialized beside her, her voice a cheerful cacophony. Beatrix, her usual stoic facade replaced with a flicker of annoyance, trailed behind.

"Sorry," Claire mumbled, fumbling with her locker combination. "Got caught in the... uh... traffic."

"Traffic?" Aestral raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "In the hallway? You must have been dodging some serious drama."

Beatrix, her jaw clenched, shot Aestral a warning glare. "Actually, I was talking to my ex."

My eyebrows shot up. "Your ex? The one who..."

"The one who broke my heart? Yes, him." Beatrix's voice was clipped, her tone laced with a hint of defensiveness.

"Oh, right, the one who... you know, the one who..." Aestral trailed off, her voice dripping with mock sympathy.

Beatrix's glare intensified. "Don't even start," she warned.

"But I'm just curious," Aestral persisted, her voice laced with playful curiosity. "Why are you talking to him? I thought you were over him."

"We're not talking about him," Beatrix snapped. "We're talking about me."

"But he's the one who..." i started, but Aestral cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"Let's not get sidetracked, Claire. We're here to discuss the complexities of human relationships, not to dissect the latest drama in Beatrix's love life."

"It's not drama, Aestral," Beatrix said, her voice tight. "It's... it's complicated."

"Oh, I'm sure it is," Aestral said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But you're not exactly known for your complicated relationships, Beatrix. You're more of a... 'straightforward and to the point' kind of girl."

Beatrix's jaw tightened. "It's not that simple," she said, her voice strained. "He's... he's changed."

"Changed?" Aestral laughed, a light, tinkling sound that echoed through the hallway. "Changed how? Did he suddenly develop a conscience? Or maybe he started writing poetry instead of chasing skirts?"

Beatrix's face flushed. "He's not chasing skirts anymore," she said, her voice softer now. "He's... he's trying to be better."

"Trying?" Aestral scoffed. "That's a new one. I've heard it all before: 'He's changed,' 'He's a new man,' 'He's learned his lesson.' But actions speak louder than words, Beatrix. And his actions have always spoken volumes."

"He was a playboy," I finally interjected, her voice soft but clear. "He was always chasing the next thrill, the next conquest."

Beatrix's eyes narrowed. "He wasn't a bad person," she said, her voice laced with a hint of defiance. "He just... he just made some mistakes."

"Mistakes?" Aestral snorted. "He cheated on you, Beatrix. Repeatedly. He broke your heart, shattered your trust. Those are not mistakes, those are choices."

"He was young," Beatrix said, her voice barely a whisper. "He didn't know what he wanted."

"And you did?" Aestral countered, her voice sharp. "You were the one who knew what you wanted, the one who loved him unconditionally. And what did he do? He threw it all away."

"He's trying to make amends," Beatrix said, her voice barely audible. "He's trying to show me that he's changed."

"And you're buying it?" Aestral asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "You're letting him back into your life after all the pain he caused?"

Beatrix hesitated, her eyes flickering with a mixture of hope and uncertainty. "Maybe," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "Maybe he's worth another chance."

"Maybe," Aestral said, her voice laced with a hint of cynicism. "But I wouldn't bet on it."

As the bell rang, signaling the start of class, i watched as Beatrix walked away, her shoulders slumped with a burden of doubt. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her friend. But she also knew that Aestral, with her sharp wit and unwavering honesty, would be there to offer support and a healthy dose of perspective along the way.

POV:ELIARA

I tapped my foot on the ground impatiently, my eyes have been glued to my phone for hours now. Bakit hindi nag rereply si kiyanelle?

'Hi, kiyanelle! Kamusta kana? Natapos mo bayung project sa science? Stock ako sa math, baka pwede mo akong matulungan?'

Yan ang chat ko sakaniya kanina pa, but she still didn't reply she usually do this to me

Another minute passed,then another and still no response.

"So your chatting kiyanelle? Hindi kaba nag tataka kung bakit hindi niya pinapansin chats mo? Alam mo bang sinasadya niyang wag ka replyan at wag ka pansinin?"

When i turn around to see who is talking it was emilia. At nakatingin siya sa screen ng cellphone ko probably reading my conversation with kiyanelle

"Why are you looking at my phone?" Emilia smirk at me and then her smirk faded away quickly and it turn into a concern look and her eyes and as if she was sad and then smile at me sadly

"Kawawa ka naman" she told me and just left

POV: EMILIA

Poor Eliara, hindi niya manlang ba naisip na sinasadya yon ni kiyanelle is she that dumb?

"Emilia?" When i turn around i saw kiyanelle

"Kiyanelle andito kana pala, kanina ka pa chinachat ng best friend mo" i sarcastically said to her

"You know that im really avoiding her right? I've seen her chats but i didn't reply to any of them" and she even let me see their chats

I was kinda shock even tho' i know that kiyanelle has been backstabbing Eliara for a while now

"Why are you doing this anyway?" Tanong ko sakaniya

"Hindi kaba naiinis sakaniya? Palagi niya nalang kasama yung mga kaibigan niya, and she is also toxic, palagi niya nalang sinasabi sakin kung ano dapat kong gawin! Im not her pupet" i look at her and agree, Eliara is really always with her trashy friends but i dont remember her being toxic, and their friendship seems fine just a week ago

And kiyanelle also starts to spread rumors about Eliara being a cheater, well they have proof na totoo nga na nag cheat si Eliara at nahuli pa nga daw siya

Hindi ko alam kung nakarating na to sakaniya but probably her heart would break if she will know who spread it

Her heart won't break because she was called  a cheater but her heart would probably break if she knows who spread it

Looking back at our conversation a minute ago she is not talking much but her expression is telling many things like she is hurt because Kiyanelle didn't reply to her for weeks now