A kiss,A lie and A storm

The morning sun streamed through the blinds, casting a golden hue across the dormitory. Irene stretched lazily, the memory of last night's kiss with Michael still fresh in her mind. She had never felt something so exhilarating before. His touch, his gaze—it all felt surreal.

A smile played on her lips as she turned to Rina, only to find her best friend sitting stiffly by the window, her back to her. The air was thick with tension, and Irene could tell that something was off.

"Rina, what's wrong?" she asked cautiously.

Rina scoffed and turned to face her, arms crossed. "You really have no shame, do you?"

Irene blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Rina let out a humorless laugh. "I saw him, Irene. I saw Michael kissing Bella this morning. And guess what? He acted like last night never happened."

Irene's stomach dropped. "What...?"

Rina stood up, shaking her head. "And you—you're actually sitting there smiling like an idiot. Do you even realize what you've gotten yourself into?"

Irene's heart pounded. Michael had kissed Bella? After everything he had said to her? The weight of Rina's words settled over her like a heavy blanket, and she suddenly felt sick.

Just then, the door burst open, and one of their classmates, Vanessa, rushed in, her face alight with excitement.

"Oh my God, Irene!" she squealed. "Have you seen the school group chat? Everyone's talking about you!"

Irene's blood ran cold. "Talking about me?"

Vanessa nodded vigorously. "They caught you drinking last night. And kissing Michael. The whole school is gossiping about it!"

Irene snatched her phone off the nightstand and opened the school chat. Her eyes widened in horror as she scrolled through the endless messages:

> "Did you guys see Irene drinking? I thought she was the innocent type!"

"She was making out with Michael! What a joke—wasn't he with Bella?"

"Guess some people are not as good as they pretend to be!"

Her heart pounded against her ribs. This was bad. Really bad.

Before she could respond, there was a knock on the door. Rina opened it, and there stood Bella, her arms crossed, a smug expression on her face. Behind her, her usual entourage of friends whispered and snickered.

"Irene," Bella drawled, stepping inside. "What an eventful night you had, huh?"

Irene stiffened. "What do you want, Bella?"

Bella smirked. "Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to hear from you directly. Did you really think you could steal my boyfriend?"

A murmur of gasps spread through the dormitory hallway as more students gathered to watch the confrontation.

Irene clenched her fists. "I never tried to steal anyone."

Bella took a step closer, her voice sharp. "Oh, really? Because from what I saw, you had no problem sticking your tongue down Michael's throat."

Laughter erupted from Bella's friends, and Irene's face burned with humiliation. She wanted to disappear.

Before she could respond, Michael appeared in the hallway, his expression unreadable. Bella turned to him with a pout.

"Michael, tell everyone the truth. She's delusional, right?"

Irene held her breath, hoping—praying—that he would say something, anything, to ease the humiliation she felt.

But Michael only chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Come on, Bella, you know I wouldn't do something like that."

The crowd erupted into whispers. Irene felt her stomach sink.

"You're saying you didn't kiss me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Michael turned to her, his usual smirk in place. "Irene, I think you had too much to drink. Maybe you imagined things?"

Laughter rippled through the group, and Irene felt like the ground had been pulled from beneath her feet.

Rina scoffed beside her. "Unbelievable," she muttered.

Irene swallowed the lump in her throat, willing herself not to cry. She had never felt so betrayed.

Bella grinned triumphantly, flipping her hair. "I thought so. Just stay in your lane, Irene. Some of us actually belong in Michael's world."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her friends trailing behind her.

Irene stood there, frozen. The whispers continued around her, but all she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat.

As the crowd dispersed, Michael lingered for a moment. When no one was watching, he turned to her, his eyes dark with something unreadable.

"You shouldn't have let them get to you," he murmured, so only she could hear.

Irene clenched her fists. "Are you serious right now? You just humiliated me!"

Michael smirked. "What did you expect me to do? Admit it in front of Bella?"

His words sent a shiver down her spine. She hated him—she really did. But why did he still make her heart race?

"I hate you," she whispered.

Michael leaned in, just enough to make her breath hitch. "No, you don't," he murmured, then walked away, leaving her feeling more confused than ever.

Rina scoffed beside her. "You're pathetic, Irene."

Irene turned to her, hurt flashing in her eyes. "Rina, please—"

"Save it," Rina snapped. "I warned you about him. But you never listen, do you?"

Irene watched as Rina walked away, leaving her completely alone.

She felt cold, her hands trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself. She had made a mistake—a big one. And now, she had two enemies: Bella, who was undoubtedly planning something, and her own emotions, which refused to let go of Michael.

And that scared her the most.

Irene barely got any sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt Michael's lips on hers again, soft and teasing. It wasn't just the kiss that haunted her—it was the way he had looked at her, the way he had made her feel special, even if just for a moment.

But Rina's reaction left a bitter taste in her mouth. Irene had never seen her best friend so angry before. The coldness in Rina's voice, the way she had stormed off, made her stomach twist with guilt.

Surprisingly my phone rang and it was my mom I picked it up and all I could say is mom I am busy I will call you back later please .

I stayed in my room throughout that day till the next day which we had a destination to head to.