#8

The dining hall was alive with the clatter of trays, bursts of laughter, and the low hum of conversations. August sat at a corner table, her posture slightly hunched, surrounded by a group of girls who leaned in close but never truly closed the distance. Their laughter came too easily, their smiles just a shade too sharp. They were companions in name only, shadows who filled the empty spaces around her but never her heart.

Far across the room, Chloe and Izzy sat together, their heads bent close as they whispered and giggled. They hadn't even looked in August's direction, a distance that felt wider than the width of the dining hall.

Trying to push aside the ache gnawing at her chest, August asked, her voice hesitant, "Do you know anything about Theo?"

The girls around her perked up, sensing an opportunity for teasing. "Aww, Theo," one of them cooed, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Do you like him?"

August flushed, fiddling with the edge of her tray. "I just... I want to get to know him. As a friend first," she mumbled, her gaze fixed on her lap.

The table erupted into giggles. Before August could say anything more, a voice carried over from a nearby table.

"It seems the rumor that she's been stealing Autumn's stuff isn't a lie," a girl sneered, her words cutting through the laughter like a shard of glass.

August froze, her hands tightening into fists beneath the table. The other girls exchanged glances, their amusement turning sharper, like a pack of wolves catching the scent of blood.

"Actually," one of the girls at her table said, leaning in conspiratorially, "I heard Theo is Autumn's adopted brother."

"What? But they don't even have the same last name," another chimed in.

"Maybe," August said, her voice low but carrying just enough venom, "he's an illegitimate son."

The table exploded with laughter, the sound loud enough to turn a few heads. August allowed herself a small smile, thinking, just for a moment, that she was finally part of the group.

But then, like a storm brewing on the horizon, a shadow fell over her.

"August."

The voice was cold and sharp, cutting through the din of the dining hall. August turned slowly, her smile faltering as she looked up to see Autumn standing next to her.

Autumn's presence was a force in itself, her eyes blazing with fury, her jaw clenched tight. August scrambled to her feet, her voice wavering.

"Hello, Aut—"

The slap came fast and hard, the sound ringing out like a gunshot in the suddenly quiet dining hall.

"Don't you dare," Autumn hissed, her voice trembling with restrained rage. "Don't you dare say my friends' names."

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, chaos erupted. The girls at August's table shot to their feet, their indignation spilling over in a flurry of shouts.

"You can't just hit her!"

"What's your problem, Autumn?"

But Autumn didn't flinch, her gaze fixed on August like a dagger. "You can destroy me all you want," she said, her voice steady now, though her hands trembled at her sides. "Spread your lies, whisper your poison, do whatever you need to feel important. But don't you ever," she took a step closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "ever come near my friends. Because if you do, August, I swear, I will never forgive you."

Her words hung in the air, heavy and unshakable, as if carved in stone.

August stood frozen, her cheek stinging, her chest tightening under the weight of Autumn's gaze. For a moment, she thought she saw something else in Autumn's eyes—something raw and aching, like a wound reopened. But then it was gone, replaced by the icy veneer that Autumn wore like armor.

Autumn turned on her heel and walked away, her steps deliberate, her head held high, August head spinning. The laughter of the girls around her felt far away now, their voices hollow. For the first time, she realized how truly alone she was.

And yet, in the midst of it all, one thought echoed in her mind. Autumn's words weren't just a warning—they were a promise.

And promises like that were never meant to be broken.

The dining hall buzzed back to life, but for August, it felt as though time had slowed to a crawl. She stood frozen, her cheek stinging from Autumn's slap, the weight of judgment pressing down on her like a leaden blanket.

Whispers swirled around her, sharp and cutting, each word an arrow lodging itself deeper into her chest. She glanced around, searching for a friendly face, but all she saw were eyes—cold, curious, condemning.

Her gaze landed on Chloe and Izzy. For a fleeting second, she thought they might meet her halfway, offer a smile or even a lifeline of understanding. But they quickly turned away, their whispered conversation resuming as if she were invisible. That moment hit harder than the slap.

It was then she understood: the way she had been living her life, weaving lies, and clawing for status, might not only cost her her dignity but her very place in this world. The dining hall, once her arena for performance, now felt like a stage crumbling beneath her feet.

The world around her remained constant—unchanged, unbothered—but inside, she was a shattered thing. The pieces of herself no longer fit, jagged and foreign, cutting her every time she tried to put them back together.

She looked down at her trembling hands, her reflection caught in the faint shimmer of her water glass. Who was she now? The answer frightened her.

Even worse, she hated herself—desperately, endlessly, with a depth she hadn't thought possible.

She sank back into her seat, her movements mechanical, her breath shallow. The laughter of the girls around her grated against her ears, hollow and meaningless. She had thought their company might dull the ache of loneliness, but now it only amplified it.

Autumn's words echoed in her mind, louder than the noise surrounding her. Destroy me all you want...

August swallowed hard, her throat dry. No, she wasn't destroying Autumn—she was destroying herself.

And yet, despite the self-loathing clawing at her insides, she couldn't stop. Not yet.

Not when there was still so much to lose.