the truth(39)

The warm afternoon sun bathed the group as they sat together in their usual spot—a large park near the center of town. Laughter and lighthearted conversations filled the air, everyone feeling a rare sense of peace.

Michael stood up, clearing his throat dramatically.

Michael:

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. A very special one, actually."

Emily, sitting beside him, turned red, already knowing what was coming. The rest of the group turned their attention to him, curiosity in their eyes.

Ethan:

"Oh? What is it? Did you finally accept that I'm the better-looking one?"

Michael smirked.

Michael:

"Ha, funny. But no. I'd like to officially announce that Emily and I are now a couple!"

Emily groaned in embarrassment, but Michael just laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

Emily:

"You didn't have to make it a whole thing!"

Lisa (grinning):

"Oh, but this is big news! Our little Emily is finally taken!"

Ava (teasing):

"I can't believe someone actually agreed to date Michael. Emily, you're braver than all of us."

Michael rolled his eyes.

Michael:

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. But wait—there's more!"

He motioned toward Alex and Marie, who stood up next.

Alex:

"Marie and I are also officially together."

Marie playfully nudged Alex's side.

Marie:

"Took him long enough, honestly."

Ethan:

"Nice! Congrats, man."

Then Ethan stood, pulling Lisa up with him.

Ethan:

"And that makes three! Lisa and I are a thing now, too."

Lisa giggled, wrapping her arms around Ethan's arm.

Lisa:

"Yep! We're all finally paired up now. Isn't it perfect?"

The group cheered, exchanging congratulations and teasing remarks. The mood was lighthearted, and for the first time in a while, things felt... normal.

Dakota (watching quietly, thinking):

"Yeah, they have no idea what's coming next."

The group spent the rest of the day just hanging out—eating, joking around, reminiscing about old times. It was peaceful, but Michael couldn't shake a weird feeling gnawing at the back of his mind.

It was Lisa.

The way she looked at him. It wasn't normal. And the way she looked at Ethan—it was like she was... manipulating him.

Michael kept his observations to himself, but every time she spoke, it felt like there was something behind her words. A deeper meaning. A hidden intention.

Michael (thinking):

"Something isn't right with her. The way she's acting, the way she speaks—it's calculated. It's like she's trying to get inside Ethan's head. But why?"

He wasn't sure, but one thing was certain—he didn't trust her.

And then, as the sun was beginning to set, Lisa suddenly spoke.

Lisa:

"Michael, can I talk to you for a moment? In private?"

The group fell silent for a moment. Michael raised an eyebrow but nodded.

Michael:

"Sure. Lead the way."

Dakota, Ava, and the others watched as the two walked off.

Liam:

"That was weird."

Ava:

"Yeah. And what's even weirder is that Lisa has been acting strange all day."

Lucas:

"I don't like this."

Dakota (grinning slightly):

"Well, this is where the drama starts, guys. Finally, we're getting into the serious stuff. Be prepared. Especially you guys—Ava, Lucas, Mia, and Liam. And you… especially you, Lucas."

Lucas stiffened.

Lucas:

"Wait, what does that mean?"

Dakota smile darkens.

Lisa led Michael to a quiet area of the park, away from the others. She turned to face him, her expression unreadable.

Lisa:

"So, Michael, how do you feel about me and Ethan becoming a couple?"

Michael blinked.

Michael:

"I mean… I'm happy for both of you, you know? Nothing strange. I'm just happy."

Lisa took a step closer, her gaze locking onto his.

Lisa:

"Are you truly happy, Michael? Are you truly? Or are you mad?"

Michael's heart skipped a beat.

Michael:

"What? Mad? What are you talking about?"

But deep inside, his real thoughts surfaced.

Michael (thinking):

"Yes. I am mad. I didn't want Ethan to get together with this sketchy girl, but he did. But I can't do anything about it."

Lisa studied his face carefully before letting out a soft hum.

Lisa:

"Hmm, okay, Michael. Well, I hope you don't interrupt the things between us then."

Michael narrowed his eyes.

Michael:

"Huh? What things?"

Lisa smirked.

Lisa:

"Oh, it's nothing."

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving Michael standing there, a storm of thoughts raging in his mind.

Michael:

"Wow, that's suspicious. No, no, no—I have to find out what she's doing. I have to find out."

Dakota l rejoined the group, his mind still spinning from his conversation with Lisa.

Ava immediately noticed his expression.

Ava:

"Okay, what the hell did she say to you?"

Dakota shook his head.

Dakota:

"She's up to something. She asked me if I was mad about her and Ethan dating. And when I said no, she kept pressing me, like she wanted me to be angry. Then she said, 'I hope you don't interrupt the things between us.' And when I asked what she meant, she just walked away."

The group fell into silence.

Mia:

"That's… seriously sketchy."

Lucas:

"Just what is she planning?"

Henry (grinning slightly):

"Well, well, well. Looks like things are finally heating up."

The group turned to him.

Liam:

"You say that like you already know what's going to happen."

Henry:

"I don't know the full story. But I know this—Lisa isn't just some girl who happened to start dating Ethan. There's something much deeper at play here. And I have a feeling we're about to find out."

A chill ran through the group.

Ava:

"So… what do we do?"

Dakota's eyes darkened.

Dakota:

"We wait. And we watch. Because the real game hasn't even started yet."

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Something was coming. Something big.

And none of them were ready for it.

Dakota thinking: we have finally gotten to the serious stuff, this is where the serious things happen... And when me and Ethan start to... Man It sucks to just think about it. But anyway it's starting, so starting now all of my memories aren't going to be plesent.