A Kiss, a Smirk and a Whole Lot of Trouble.

After six long hours of deep sleep, the morning sun began to pour gently through the curtains. Aliyah and Max were the first to wake. Still a bit groggy, they shuffled out of the guest room to check if anyone else was awake.

As they stepped into the living room, what they saw froze them on the spot.

Right there on the floor, curled up in each other's arms, were Prizey and Simon, fast asleep.

Both peaceful. Both unaware.

Aliyah's eyes widened. Max blinked twice and whispered,

"Aww…"

Then he rubbed his eyes harder.

"Aliyah, wait... am I sleepwalking?"

Aliyah turned toward him with a confused look. "Huh? Why?"

Max tilted his head at the two cuddled figures.

"Because I think I'm dreaming. There's no way those two—who can't go one second without bickering—are cuddled up like that. I must be hallucinating…"

Aliyah smirked and crossed her arms.

"You should be happy, Max. Maybe after all the heartbreak, Prizey's finally opening herself up to something new… Someone new."

Max glanced again at the pair.

"Yeah… or it's just a freaky coincidence. You never know with those two."

Before Aliyah could respond, there was a sudden shift on the mattress.

Prizey stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open.

Then froze—her gaze locked on Simon's arm draped around her.

And she screamed.

With her eyes squeezed shut, hands slapped over her ears, she yelled,

"Nooo! This can't be real! This isn't happening!!"

Simon jerked awake, disoriented, rubbing his eyes.

"Ugh... Why are you screaming, wild lioness?"

Prizey looked at him, then punched his arm hard.

"HOW—HOW DARE YOU SLEEP WITH ME LIKE THAT?! HOW DARE YOU?!"

Simon, still half-asleep, yelped and scrambled up. He turned to Max and Aliyah like a victim pleading to the jury.

"Guys! Are you just going to stand there? Help me! Bathsheba from Conjuring has possessed her!"

Aliyah and Max burst into uncontrollable laughter as they pulled Prizey back.

"I swear, I'll drain your blood, Simon! You little—" she fumed.

Simon rubbed his arm dramatically.

"Owww! That actually hurt! Seriously, when feminine rage meets tomboy strength... that's a deadly combo."

Prizey narrowed her eyes.

"Just wait till the play starts. You'll regret sleeping anywhere near me, Simon.

The sudden noise in the house had everyone waking up one by one. Footsteps echoed from the hall as more students stumbled into the living room, rubbing sleep from their eyes.

Sonia groaned, half-asleep, "What now? Can't we sleep in peace?"

Lina blinked as her gaze fell on Simon, who was rubbing his arm. "Simon, what happened? Why are you holding your arm like that?"

Before either of them could say more, Aliyah stepped in quickly, her voice calm and composed.

"Oh, nothing serious. He accidentally dropped Prizey's phone, so she… well, gave him a little punch for it," she lied smoothly.

Sonia immediately walked over to Simon. "Is it hurting badly?"

Prizey, still fuming, muttered sarcastically, "Of course it must be hurting. Poor delicate prince."

Aliyah turned and shot Prizey a death glare, silently warning her not to mention the fact that she and Simon had fallen asleep hugging each other. Prizey got the message and stormed off without another word, but not before Simon caught her glance and responded with a smug little smirk.

Later – Rehearsal Room

Everyone had gathered again, now focused on practicing their lines. Simon sat lazily in a chair, arms folded behind his head like he had no responsibilities in the world. Prizey, however, stood near the door, eyes narrowed and burning holes into him.

He smirked again, clearly enjoying her frustration.

"Oh, hey! Bathsheba!" he called out casually.

Louis turned, confused. "Yeah? What is it?"

Simon shook his head. "Not you. I was talking to Prizey."

Louis frowned. "But I got the role of Bathsheba."

Simon grinned. "Exactly. But you were cast as Bathsheba. Prizey here? She was born to be one."

A burst of laughter broke out across the room.

"How dare you!" Prizey snapped, but her voice was drowned out by everyone chuckling.

Simon, unfazed, blew her a sneaky flying kiss. Prizey's jaw dropped in disbelief, her reaction not escaping Aliyah's sharp eyes.

You bastard, Prizey thought, Just wait till I catch you alone—you'll learn what real flirting feels like.

She made her way toward Aliyah, stomping past Simon with all the fury of a storm. But just as she walked by, he reached out and grabbed her wrist—before she could even react, he tugged her gently into his lap.

Her breath hitched. Words failed her.

"W-What do you think you're doing?" she whispered, struggling.

But Simon's arms had already wrapped tightly around her hourglass waist, pulling her even closer. His lips brushed against the back of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

"So much anger, hmm?" he whispered, "Why don't you ever come to me? Afraid you'll be seduced?"

He chuckled lowly. "Sweetheart, you seduce me every single second. The only difference is... I know how to control it."

Aliyah, noticing them getting dangerously close, instantly stepped in.

"G-Guys!" she said, loud enough to distract the group. "I was thinking we should also add some romantic scenes to the play."

Max raised a brow at her, silently asking what she was doing. But when she nodded subtly toward Prizey and Simon, realization hit him—and he jumped in to help.

"Yeah," Max said. "Totally agree. Romantic scenes could add some emotional depth."

Meanwhile…

Simon leaned in again, his voice a seductive purr in Prizey's ear.

"Don't overthink me, my love. Especially not when you're this close."

He tightened his grip and pressed another soft kiss to the back of her neck. Before she could explode, he released her—just like that. But it was enough.

She stood, flustered, glaring daggers at him.

Simon leaned back in his chair, eyes full of teasing mischief.

Prizey didn't say a word. She just turned on her heel and walked out of the room, every step filled with fire.

Scene: Tears on the Balcony, Whispers of the Past

Prizey stepped out of the room, the cool night air brushing against her skin as she walked onto the balcony. The sky above was scattered with stars, silent witnesses to the storm brewing inside her.

She pressed a trembling hand over her belly, then slowly up to the back of her neck—right over the place where the wolf tattoo lived, pulsing faintly beneath her skin.

"Aghhh," she whispered, her voice choked.

"Why... why can't I stop myself from going to him? Why can't I keep him away from me...?"

A quiet footstep behind her broke the silence.

"It's because your heart doesn't want him to go," Aliyah said gently.

Prizey spun around in shock. "What? What rubbish! That's not true!"

Aliyah stepped closer, her voice firm now. "Oh really? Then how long are you going to keep living in the shadow of the past, Prizey? How long will you let what happened stop you from feeling again?"

Prizey looked away, her silence betraying more than words ever could.

Aliyah didn't let up. "From what I remember, what happened back then—it wasn't his fault. You were the one who trusted the wrong person. You made a mistake. Fine. But what are you doing now, huh? You're still making one. Because this time, you're pushing away the person you should be trusting."

Prizey clenched the edge of the balcony railing, her eyes stinging, throat tightening.

Aliyah continued, softly but seriously, "Whether you admit it or not, Prizey... you're falling in love with Simon. And no matter how hard you try, you can't lie to yourself forever."

And with that, Aliyah turned and walked away, leaving Prizey alone with her storm.

The moment she was gone, something inside Prizey broke open. Her body trembled as the tears she'd been holding back for so long finally spilled, heavy and relentless, crashing down like waves in an unforgiving ocean.

She sobbed—loudly, painfully—her breath hitching between hiccups.

It was the first time since her return that she had cried like this. Truly cried.

She didn't know why, but she felt responsible. Responsible for everything—for the pain, for the silence, for the fight with Aliyah.

Because once again, just like the past, she had driven her best friend away.

But before she could sink any deeper into the ache, a familiar voice broke through the night behind her.

"If you want… I'll stay away from you," Simon said gently.

"But please… don't cry like this. I can't take it."

Prizey turned around, startled—and without a word, threw her arms around him. Her body collapsed into his as she clung to him, sobbing harder.

"It… it wasn't him, Simon. It was Robin," she cried out between hiccups. "I trusted him… and back then too, I fought with my best friend because of him. And now it's happening again. I… I don't want to live anymore, Simon… I can't…"

Simon's eyes filled with emotion—pain, rage, curiosity—but most of all, care. He didn't press her for details. He just wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her like the world would shatter if he let go.

Gently, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and whispered,

"Prizey… none of it was your fault, okay? Not even a little bit. Don't blame yourself."

He cupped her face softly, wiping away the tears with his thumbs.

"And Aliyah… she's your friend. She's not really angry. Just hurt. Go talk to her. I promise… she's waiting for you."

---

Scene: The Calm Before the Curtain

Prizey looked up at Simon, her eyes still glassy from the tears she had cried just moments ago. Slowly, she made a soft pout, her bottom lip jutting out like a confused little child.

"Are you sure… she's not mad at me?" she asked softly, as if still needing reassurance.

Simon chuckled warmly and brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. His fingers lingered near her cheek, as if he didn't want to let go.

"Yes, my dear," he said with a tender smile. "She's not mad at you. Not even a little."

Then he leaned back a bit and winked. "And by the way... everyone's at rehearsal—except you and me. So… shall we?"

Prizey blinked. "O-Okay."

They walked back inside the practice hall. As soon as Aliyah saw her, she didn't hesitate. She rushed toward Prizey and pulled her into a tight, emotional hug.

"I'm sorry," Aliyah whispered into her ear. "I shouldn't have been so harsh. I just—ugh—I care too much."

Prizey hugged her back tightly, relief filling her chest. "Rehearsal?" she asked softly.

Aliyah nodded. "Yeah. Let's do this."

---

Scene: Chaos in the Conjuring Rehearsal

Soon, everyone was back to their roles, scripts in hand, spirits high.

Rozy, always the drama queen, stood center stage with both hands raised dramatically to the ceiling.

"Nooo, Bathsheba!" she wailed. "Don't kill me! I can't live without my Romeo!"

Prizey dropped her script and let out an exaggerated groan.

"Rozy! AGHHH—This is The Conjuring, not Romeo and Juliet!"

Rozy gasped, then blinked. "Oops… sorry."

The entire group burst out laughing, the rehearsal room echoing with cheerful chaos.

Scene: Final Prep & Stage Readiness

Three days later, the final pieces had fallen into place.

Prizey stood in front of the team, clipboard in hand and pride in her eyes.

"So finally, we've completed everything," she said, glancing around the hall as they finished dressing the stage with props. "Now only the setup remains."

In the next two days, the team worked day and night. They painted, they drilled, they argued over lighting—but by the end of it all, they stood proudly in front of their haunted, eerie set.

Prizey exhaled, her eyes glowing with excitement.

"So finally… we're done, guys. Amazing job!"

Her voice rang with pride.

Everyone raised their arms, cheering in unison. "HURRAY!!"

Scene Shift: The College Program Day

The college campus buzzed with excitement. Students in costumes ran across corridors, makeup artists hustled back and forth, and the air smelled of fresh paint, coffee, and nerves.

Backstage, Simon moved through the group, handing out little lucky charms—tiny carved wolves wrapped in black and silver ribbon.

"For strength and mystery," he smiled.

Everyone held onto theirs tightly, grinning like kids at a birthday party.

They huddled into a group, their arms over each other's shoulders.

"One, two, three…"

"WOLF CONJURERS, LET'S GO!" they cheered.

Outside, on stage, the principal stood at the mic.

"And now, let's welcome our next performers," she announced with a smile. "Team Sandra… who will be performing Titanic!"

The crowd clapped, the lights shifted, and backstage… Team Prizey stood ready.

The real show was just about to begin.