Knife

5 - Mission Start

"Hey Elizabeth!" I called, my voice beaming and full of happiness.

No suspicion allowed.

"Lexi," she said, her voice failing to recognize everything that I stood for. "What are you doing here?"

Shut up. Shut your annoying and disrespectful voice up. I don't need your sass here.

"What, I can't talk to you?"

She seemed to be thinking about it, to say something terrible about it, but with the teacher so near, she didn't seem to dare. "I mean, you always hang out with people that aren't exactly nice to me. So why would you talk to me?"

I smile internally. Of course I'm not nice to you, and I would never talk to you if I didn't absolutely need to. I hang out with them because they love me—they love their queen.

You, however, don't.

Why would Queen Lexi ever want to be with someone who doesn't love her?

But I don't say any of that. She needs to trust me, not hate me.

"I mean, I kinda feel bad for you. You're so nice and all"—killing myself as I gushed out—"why do people keep bothering you?"

She sighs, completely falling for it. "Right? I think the same thing all the time. 'Why am I the one that gets targeted? Why do I get bullied?' It's not fair."

I had to compromise. I couldn't let this girl think I was tricking her. "Hey, what about I get them to stop bothering you?"

Her eyes brighten. "You'd do that for me? Wow, you're really nice. I thought you were just high up there and so self-absorbed"—thanks for the wonderful insight—"But I guess I was wrong. You're nice after all!"

"Heh," I laugh under my breath. "Thanks."

Could I possibly get this girl to love me? Maybe I shouldn't kill her after all.

No. She deserves this punishment.

She deserves this.

She does.

I go up to Barry and Peter, who were bothering her. I breathed in, preparing myself to say something that I would probably regret. "Hey, you guys."

"Yes, Queen Lexi?" they say, my voice charming their immediate attention.

"You guys should really stop bothering Elizabeth. You're annoying her, and I don't want that."

"Of course, Queen!" rang their voices, clear throughout the air.

I turned around, facing Elizabeth and her fluffy blonde hair and winked. "Hear that, Lizzy? It's a done deal!"

"...Lizzy?" she repeated after me. "I've never been called that before."

"Better get used to it!" I called. "It's a lot more convenient than saying your whole name. It's so looong."

Her uneasy smile made my smile along with her, mischief and all. "Okay then," she says. "I guess it's fine."

"It better be fine!" I say, forcing a laugh. With the playful attitude I just showed her, I couldn't just stop playing the part now.

Her smile turns real, unsuspecting. "All right, all right, it's fine!" she laughs.

And so I just laugh harder, air coming in forced spurts before I run out of energy to force anything.

***