The Witch's Trial

Zoe's POV

What had I done now? What did they want from me? My mind raced with questions.

Before I could utter a word, Jennie spoke again. "Get the cake,"

Another student pushed a trolley that had a two-step cake. The cake was frosted with blood-red icing.

"Silence!" Jennie commanded. The muttering in the crowd stopped before then she turned to me again. "Zoe..." she called.

I did not respond, only stared at her in horror. My mouth quivered in apprehension. Not this again.

"Are you deaf?" she yelled.

Startled, I murmured. "Yes...?"

She creepily tilted her head. "You are not like your mother, are you? You are not a whore."

"No.... no...."

She smiled at me with no warmth. "That is awesome to hear and that is why I am throwing you this birthday party," Her gleeful voice carried a sarcastic undertone.

"Thanks..." I said managing a nervous smile.

"No worries, you deserve it," She turned to the crowd of students. "Doesn't she?"

"Yeah," The student said in unison and began to cackle.

I watched as she picked up the lighter on the trolley and lit a single candle on the cake. "Get up," She said peremptorily.

I got up, folding my hands nervously behind my back.

"Come," She said, putting out her hand for me to hold.

I gave her a confused look and declined. "It is fine,"

Her eyes darkened. "Take my hand,"

Reluctantly, I did as she had commanded. She gripped my hand, hard and made me grimace. "Let's sing her a happy birthday." She told everyone.

Clapping ensued as everyone broke into the birthday song. I smiled at the cake nervously, wiping my clammy palms on my skirt. When there were done, "Now blow the candle and make a wish," Jennie shoved me closer to the cake. I looked around nervously before looking down at the cake in front of me. What was their game this time? I wondered.

"Come on," A student at the doorway urged. I turned around to see Nessa and her minions entering.

"Blow out the candle," I noticed the last person to enter was the same girl who had informed me about Mrs Leslie. It had been a trap from the beginning. I bent slightly to blow out the candle and shut my eyes tight, expecting an explosion of some kind. But none came.

"What did you wish for?" Nessa was behind me now.

"Um..."

"Dick!" A male student snorted and the entire class erupted in laughter.

I laughed along with them, unsure of my next course of action.

"Okay, okay, everyone, it is time to cut the cake," Jennie announced. She picked up the knife on the trolley and cut out a piece. She picked it up and put it to my mouth. "You get the first bite, birthday girl." She winked and I cringed. I kept my mouth closed.

"Open up!" Nessa was growing more impatient.

"No, don't yell at her," She defended. "She must think we poisoned it." She turned back to me with a smile and took a bit of the cake. "See?"

I nodded in affirmation and opened my mouth. I wanted this to be over quickly at least before Louis appeared. He would only make the situation a thousand times worst. But just before the cake would touch my mouth, Jennie withdrew it. When our eyes met again, the darkness that had been hidden before was exposed.

"Wha... what...?" I stammered, looking around confused. Suddenly, I felt a rough hand shove my face into the cake. I held my breath to ensure that icing would not enter my nostrils. The room filled with wicked laughter. I raised my head and tried to wipe the icing from my face.

"So not only are you a whore like your mother, you are a liar too," Jennie's voice vibrated with an emotion I could only recognize as hatred.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired, anxiously as I used one eye to look at her.

"Don't fucking play dumb," Tossing the piece of cake in her hand at me. "You are done!"

"You thought no one would find out, right?" Nessa chirped in as her friends laughed. I had already managed to get most of the cake off my face and was looking at the girls in utter confusion. "What is fuck's sake are you talking about?" I snapped.

"Quite the... ac... actor," another girl said trying to sound confident but overtly failing. "Too bad I saw you."

"Doing what?" I inquired, growing increasingly curious.

"Trying to seduce an elite!" Nessa accused.

It took a bit but my eyes suddenly widened in realization. Louis?! But no one had been in the room and everyone had been in class.

The mousy girl spoke up again as though being able to read my thoughts. "I saw you and I have evidence."

"Look here," Jennie commanded. "Now, you why you are here?"

I looked into her dark eyes and tried my best to fathom what these people had in store for me but nothing was clear which only made my situation more harrowing.

"You see, Zoe," Nessa had a hand on my shoulder. "You have broken a law, you chose not to know your place in this school."

"And you will be punished," Jennie added. "But first you will be put on trial."

"Trial?" I echoed.

Jennie glared at me with all the crazy that she could muster. Which was a lot. "You really think that it's the same old shit?" She took her time to calm down and grinned like the joker. "This is different."

I swallowed.

"Sit," Nessa who still had her hand on my shoulder, pushed me to sit on the floor. I felt like a goat led to slaughter. I stared down at the beige tiles. I could not look them in the eye. They had seen me with Louis in that position, they saw me more in the image of my mother than I ever thought could be possible. Just another whore, following in her mother's footsteps, trying to get into another rich guy's pants.

Suddenly, Jennie pulled my pendant off my neck which caused a slight sting to my neck. "Hey!" I yelled. "You can't take that." I began standing but strong hands kept me down.

"This?" Jennie raised the pendant for everyone to see. "Why can't I take it, when it is mine?"

"It is mine, I was given by..."

"Sandra?" She smirked, taking the word out of my mouth.

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Yes..."

Jennie broke into a fit of bland laughter and everyone joined in too. "Did you ever check what was written on its back?" She turned it and I froze. "THE SLUT" was engraved on it. "You really thought, didn't you?" She laughed.

Sandra was a spy, she had gained my trust just to betray me. I shuddered thinking of all the things I had confided in her about. But why was she not here right now? Had she pulled out of the plan because she felt guilty?

"Zoe the slut! Zoe the slut!" Someone started to chant and everyone else picked it up. They were loud but it was no use hoping a teacher would come in to diffuse the situation. The elites ran the school.

They stopped after a minute. "Let us begin," Nessa announced as we hear a knock on the door.

"They are here! I'll take it." Jennie shrieked and made her way to the door but before she opened the door, she turned to look at me. "I am not such a heartless person so I brought you some support for your trial." She told me and then opened the door to reveal Sandra and innocently clutching her hand was Andrew.