the truth(8)

The school day felt endless. Lectures dragged on, teachers droned about topics Michael barely cared for, and the ticking clock on the wall taunted him. But even through the monotony, excitement buzzed in the air.

Michael slumped back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, his mind already drifting to the conversation from earlier.

Michael:

"Alright, Ethan, you've kept us in suspense long enough. You're finally going to introduce us to the girl?"

Ethan grinned from across the table, leaning forward. His confidence was effortless, but there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

Ethan:

"Yeah. Today, after school."

The entire group perked up at once.

Emily:

"Finally. I was starting to think she was imaginary."

Marie:

"For real. You've been talking about this girl for months, and we still haven't seen her."

Alex:

"So… where are we meeting her?"

Ethan leaned back in his chair, smirking.

Ethan:

"Actually… she's already in our school."

Michael & the group (simultaneously):

"WHAT?!"

Michael straightened in his chair, his lazy demeanor instantly gone.

Michael:

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. If she's in our school, then why the hell have we never seen you with her? That doesn't make any sense."

Ethan let out a small chuckle, shaking his head.

Ethan:

"That's because we met in secret. I had to avoid you and the others."

Michael raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

Michael:

"Avoid me? Now, why would you do that?"

Ethan smirked.

Ethan:

"Because if you saw me with her, oh, the jokes would be endless."

Michael burst out laughing, shaking his head.

Michael:

"You're not wrong. I would have roasted you every single day."

Emily rolled her eyes.

Emily:

"So you've been hiding her from us all this time? That's kind of suspicious, Ethan."

Marie:

"Yeah, what's the deal? Is she some kind of school ghost we've never noticed?"

Ethan smirked, not giving anything away.

Ethan:

"Relax. You'll meet her soon enough. After school, I'll finally introduce you all."

Michael stretched his arms, grinning.

Michael:

"Alright then, I'm looking forward to it. This girl better be something special if she managed to make you of all people fall for her."

Ethan's smirk didn't fade, but there was something unreadable in his expression.

Ethan:

"Trust me, Michael. She's… different."

Far beyond the confines of time and memory, Dakota and his friends stood in the endless void, watching the past unfold before them. The cafeteria scene played out in shimmering fragments, the voices of Michael and his friends echoing around them.

Ava's arms were crossed, her gaze locked onto Dakota.

Ava:

"I'm still shocked. I can't believe Dakota's past life was Michael."

Beside her, Mia shook her head, still processing everything.

Mia:

"Yeah… I mean, I always knew Dakota had secrets, but this? This is insane."

Liam ran a hand through his hair, his usual confidence momentarily shaken.

Liam:

"You're right, Mia. It's still hard to wrap my head around."

Luna folded her arms, staring at Dakota with a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

Luna:

"This is way too shocking. How did we not know any of this before?"

Amelia nodded in agreement.

Amelia:

"I mean, we always knew Dakota was different, but I never imagined this."

Ava turned back to Dakota, tilting her head.

Ava:

"But you know what? I'm actually excited to meet this girl. I want to see who she is."

Henry nodded, glancing at Dakota curiously.

Henry:

"Yeah, same. I wonder what she did to make you hate her so much."

Lucas crossed his arms.

Lucas:

"Seriously, what's her deal? You're acting like she's some kind of monster."

Dakota's expression darkened. His usual smirk vanished, replaced by something cold.

Dakota:

"Oh, you'll see. Trust me, that girl is a bitch."

A heavy silence followed. His voice carried a weight of deep, lingering hatred.

Ava narrowed her eyes.

Ava:

"She really did something unforgivable, didn't she?"

Dakota let out a humorless chuckle.

Dakota:

"What she did to me and my friends… I will never forget. Never."

The intensity in his voice sent chills through the group.

Lucas, however, frowned at Dakota's earlier words.

Lucas:

"Wait… why did you say I should pay close attention? What does she have to do with me?"

Dakota turned to Lucas, his eyes unreadable.

Dakota:

"Oh, I don't know. Just tell me what you feel when you see her."

Lucas hesitated but eventually shrugged.

Lucas:

"Fine… I'll keep that in mind."

The void around them rippled, shifting as the memory continued to unfold.

The final bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. The halls were filled with students heading home, but Michael and his friends lingered near their usual spot, excitement buzzing between them.

Michael checked his watch before turning to Ethan.

Michael:

"Alright, Ethan. No more stalling. Where is she?"

Ethan smirked.

Ethan:

"Patience, Michael. We're meeting her in a few minutes."

Emily leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

Emily:

"This is the most interested I've seen Michael in anything school-related."

Michael rolled his eyes.

Michael:

"Can you blame me? This is Ethan we're talking about. If he's keeping a girl secret, that means she's gotta be something else."

Marie nodded.

Marie:

"Yeah, I can't wait to finally meet her. If she's been able to put up with you, she must be insane."

Alex smirked.

Alex:

"Or she's just really patient."

Ethan laughed.

Ethan:

"You'll see for yourselves soon enough."

The group walked through the school, making their way toward the meeting spot. The anticipation was thick in the air.

And in the void of recollection, Dakota's voice whispered one final time, filled with venomous certainty.

Dakota:

"Ah… finally. Now you'll see her for yourselves."

The memory flickered.

Dakota thinking: ... it's now time for my friends too see the bitch I hate the most... I do wonder how Lucas will feel when he sees her, if Lucas is truly Ethan reincarnated without his memories, then the feeling he will get will determine if he is truly Ethan reincarnated... And that would basically confirm that the others like Lucas, ava, Liam, and Mia would be my other friends reincarnated. And if they actually are my friends reincarnated... Will they get their memories back after I show them all my memories? I don't know... But I will soon find out.