The Elites

08 | humiliation

Chapter VIII: Humiliation

Candy, I'm sorry that I haven't been messaging you. It's been a while, hasn't it?

Don't apologise, I don't blame you. The Elites have that way with people, they're enchanting, memorising and... I was once in your position, I ignored you. I now understand how you felt, I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back, I wish... Anyways, don't worry about Maddie and Celeste, if one person doesn't like someone, the other won't as well. It's just how they work. And, Kaito has always been unsettling; that boy hasn't changed. He is smart, so be careful of him.

He has eyes and ears everywhere. As for his sister's future, it's unsure. Celeste has held a huge grudge against her for so long that this dream that Akari holds seems to be drifting further and further away. The poor girl is a mess behind that glamorous smile but not as bad as Madeline. It actually made me laugh when I heard people call her the 'high school sweetheart', if only they knew

Sent by Scarlett at 5:00 A.M.

***

THE TRUTH HURTS. That's the reality of life. It sucked. I guess that why people lied and deceived one another. That's probably why I smiled at the Elites every day as if I wasn't about to ruin their lives. Akari quickly warmed up to me, Kaito's presence got less unsettling and Celeste hated me even more as the days went on.

Nevertheless, they treated me no less than they treated each other; even Madeline began to acknowledge my existence as we'd bond over such basic things like her shoes or my bag. I knew she was trying to get to me, figure out who I was and where was the best place to strike. Was I insecure about myself? Was I involved in drama before I had met them? Who was my last love? Why did they break away with me?

It was all a game, just a simple interaction turned into a game for them. A clear example would be during this one lunchtime where we were all in courtyard, and the weather warm and humid to the point it got disgustingly stuffy in the cafeteria. Celeste claimed that this type of humidity would affect her pores and she'd break out on her face. Sadly, she remained looking flawless as ever.

"I need a drink," she huffed, shifting on the bench and pouting at Bentley. He looked away from his phone, briefly giving her the attention, she wanted before rolling his eyes. That clear meant he wasn't going to get it. Her mood soured immediately after. "Eli, get me a drink."

Elijah, who was quietly sitting on the grass with his full concentration on his laptop, didn't miss a heartbeat as he got up to do as he was instructed. He walked away silently, hands in his pockets, brooding as always. He was a difficult one to read, it irked me. Celeste smiled, glancing at Bentley who was still focused on his phone.

Her smile dropped.

Madeline didn't seem to notice her best friend's bitter mood as she sunbathed, shades covering her icy blue eyes, blonde hair sprawled across the grass, earphones blocking out the outside sound as she hummed a tune. I sat beside Akari as she coated my nails with metallic red and, although she was focused on what she was doing, she sent me small, amused smirk that said more than words could ever.

Somewhere, during his time away, Elijah must've met Kaito and Zane because the boys walked beside him on his way back; Zane quickly sent me a grin when he saw me. I ducked my head down as I fought back a goofy smile. How pathetic. But Akari didn't waste any time to tease me.

"Aw, you guys are too cute," she cooed, my eyes sending her a glare, but it did nothing, encouraging her to laugh.

"How's my Candy?" Zane greeted, breaking my attention away from the giggling Japanese girl as his arm slugged over my shoulder, taking a seat beside me.