Morning sunlight slanted through the tall windows of the lecture hall, casting gold stripes across rows of desks. The chatter of students buzzed like bees, notebooks slapping onto desks, pens tapping nervously. The four had always been magnetic — people noticed when they entered together, the balance of chaos and calm that made them impossible to ignore. But today, the balance broke.
Lila sauntered in late, coffee in hand, wearing sunglasses indoors just to annoy the professor. She dropped into the seat beside Ethan, flashing her usual smirk.
LILA: (teasing) Morning, sunshine. Don't worry, I'm here to make this class less miserable.
Ethan didn't look up from his notebook. Didn't smirk. Didn't even roll his eyes. Just… silence.
LILA: (mock gasp) Did aliens replace you with a boring clone? Blink twice if you need rescue.
Still nothing. He scribbled something down, jaw tight. Lila's smile faltered for a second before she forced it back.
Across the hall, Noah sat two rows ahead. Normally, he'd glance back, offer his quiet nod of acknowledgment. Today, he didn't turn once. His shoulders hunched, pen moving with surgical precision, as though even looking at her would break his concentration.
After class, Lila caught up with Maya near the lockers, looping an arm around her neck.
LILA: So, lunch? You, me, fries, and maybe convincing Ethan to act like a human again?
MAYA: (pulling away) I can't. Group project.
LILA: (snorting) Group project? Since when do you ditch me for strangers?
Maya's gaze flickered — guilt, maybe? — before she mumbled something and hurried down the hall, books clutched to her chest. Lila stood frozen, her sunglasses sliding down her nose.
By afternoon, the rumors thickened. Whispers curled around her like smoke.
"She thinks she's the queen of the group.""No wonder they're ignoring her.""Bet she only hangs with them to look important."
Every step down the hallway echoed louder, heavier. She tossed her hair, plastered on the smirk, shot back playful winks at anyone who dared to stare too long. But when she slid into their usual table at the cafeteria, no one sat beside her. Ethan, Noah, and Maya had moved to another table across the room. Together. Without her.
LILA: (muttering, forcing a laugh to herself) Ohhh, okay. Cool. Totally cool. Betrayal tastes like mashed potatoes anyway.
She stabbed at her food, but her appetite was gone. Her chest burned in a way fries couldn't fix. She tapped her nails against the tray, each click sharper, louder, trying to drown out the ache.
That night, she sprawled across her bed, phone on her chest, staring at the ceiling. No texts from them. No missed calls. Just silence. The kind that echoed louder than words.
LILA: (softly, to herself) Fine. Don't need them. Never did.
But her voice cracked on the last word. And for the first time, she didn't believe her own lie.
…The queen of chaos, the girl who made everyone else bend to her rhythm, lay in silence, realizing that the spotlight wasn't warm anymore. It was blinding. Lonely. Cold.
Her phone buzzed again — group chat notification. She scrambled for it, heart racing, only to see the message wasn't from her three. It was some random class reminder. The group chat itself was quiet. Dead quiet. She scrolled up, seeing the last meme she'd sent days ago. No replies. Not even a reaction.
LILA: (whispering to herself) Okay. So that's how it's gonna be.
She sat up, legs crossed, arms wrapped around her knees. For the first time, the grin didn't return. She chewed her lip, staring out the window at the campus lights twinkling across the lawn. Silence pressed harder against her ears, and the weight of it turned into something sharp — anger, mixed with hurt.
If they thought they could just ghost her, fine. But she wasn't the type to sit in the dark and wait. If they had something to say, they were damn well going to say it to her face.
Her mind spun with options. Catch them at lunch? No, too many people. Corner them after class? Too public. Then it hit her: the library. They always went there around the same time. And the library had plenty of side rooms, empty classrooms tucked away nearby. Perfect stage. Perfect trap.
LILA: (smirking to herself now, voice low) You can ignore me all you want, but you don't get to walk away without hearing me first.
She grabbed a notebook and scribbled down half a plan, doodles crowding the margins. Her chest still hurt, but there was a spark again — not the playful spark she usually carried, but something sharper. If her friends were going to let rumors rewrite the story, she'd write the ending herself. And she'd do it in bold ink.
By the time she clicked off her lamp, a decision had crystallized. Tomorrow, in the library, she'd confront Ethan, Noah, and Maya. No more whispers. No more silence. Just the truth — raw, messy, and unavoidable.