I am panting when I finally close my door and I lean against the door trying to get my bearings. I practically raced from my last class to here. I didn't want to see any of them. It has been a long day for me. I couldn't even get a break, I shared almost all my classes with at least one of them. After lunch, I shared English with Mason, and I could feel his intense gaze on me the entire class.

Although I'll give them the credit; they haven't said anything to me all day. It's just been cold, hateful stares. It almost feels like the calm before the storm, and I hate that.

A knock makes me jump. I practically feel sweat squeezing out of my pores. What if it's one of them?

"Willow, its me." Simba's voice comes

I expel a breath and bawl my trembling hand in a fist and stuff it in my pocket. I open for him, and I force a smile.

"Dude, don't break the door down."

"Funny." He rolls his eyes and I step to the side. He comes in. he plops down on the bed. Me and Simba have gotten comfortable way too soon. I don't mind it though. It doesn't feel forced.

I get us a bag of chips. i empty it on a big bowl and I sit next to him.

"So how was the rest of your day?"

"A shit show. They haven't said anything to me. Yours?"

"Nothing either, which is weird. I usually would have gotten at least one wedgie by the end of the day."

I frown. He really has been bullied.

"So, what did you do to them?"

He looks at me for a brief moment. "I'll give you anything if you told me."

"How long?"

"Since sophomore when I got here."

Silence stretches between us.

"So, are you going to the initiation?"

My eyes widen. "What initiation?"

"On Friday, there is an initiation every year for freshmen. But it is by invitation so cross fingers we won't be invited."

"Were you invited?"

"No. lucky for me. I think the devils decided to give me a reprieve."

We put on a movie and wait for dinner.

We walk to the dining hall although I wish we didn't need food. My stomach feels like it has lead the closer we get to the hall. Although Simba is blabbering on, I can tell he is also a bit nervous. We are two pariahs in the school.

My eyes land on Leo when we enter the dining hall, and my heart quickens. He has nothing but malice in his eyes. I quickly avert my gaze and it lands on Sebastian; the once sweet boy is nowhere to be seen.

It is clear if it wasn't before, I am not on friendly ground. I can feel the other eyes on me, but I don't bother. I turn with Simba, and we head to dish. We head to our table. The other students move when we join the table.

"Okay, that was weird, right?" I ask

Simba looks at the retreating forms of the other people who moved from the table. He nods, his face reflects hurt. Did I just make him lose his friends?

I get glances from other students.

"You don't have to sit here, Simba. This is clearly my fight."

He snaps his head back to me. "What? No. I like hanging out with you."

We start eating and he tells me about his game conquests. Dark clouds befall us as dread fills my stomach. But I don't lift my head and I carry on smiling and pretending to be listening to Simba. Ignoring them doesn't help anything when all four of them sit on our table. They all sit squishing Simba in the middle, facing me. I see Simba tremble and I see his forehead glistening. His Adams apples bobs as he swallows.

I make no move to look at either side. Instead, I look down at my food and I fork the potato. I don't actually get to the potato as my place is taken from me. I see. We are playing juvenile games. I draw circles with my fork and continue to ignore them.

"You aren't going to say hi to your best friends, Zara?" My name rolls off on Mason's lips and I stifle an outside reaction. If one thing is true is that they certainly have gotten hot. They all filled up on muscles and they are tall and they inherited the devil's looks. Just my luck.

I raise my head slowly and my eyes meet with Sebastian's. He was always my safe space. Though by the look on his face, that is no longer true. I let my eyes move from him to Mason and then to Leo and then Joseph and then back to Mason.

I see some things don't change, Mason is still in charge. The years definitely have been good to them. I bite my lower lip and their gazes fix on the action. I want to smirk to myself.

Yup, still got it.

Their gazes snap back to my eyes. Their glares intensify. I want to look away, but I know I can't run now.

"Hello, friends." I finally say in an even tone

"So, what brings you here in our part of the woods?" Joseph asks pulling his knife out. He flips it open, and I swallow.

"Ugh, you know change of scenery and what not. You know how it is, Joseph."

I see Joseph's jaw tick at the name. He hated the name Joseph and when we were kids, he only allowed me to call him that. To everyone else, he was Jose.

"It's Jose." He says through gritted teeth

I smirk but I don't reply. I've got to him. I have always enjoyed pushing their buttons.

"You really have no idea the type of shit you've stepped on this time, huh, Zuzu?"

My face falls as I flinch at the name.

"My name is Willow." I say sternly

"I see you are still fake." Mason comments looking at me in disdain

Okay, this is getting heavy. And I have to keep this short.

"Look, I didn't know you guys go here, I wouldn't have come. But I'm here now and we don't have to do this. I will stay in my small corner, and we don't have to interact." I say. Hoping they will give me this mercy but honestly, I'm not holding my breath.

Mason laughs a sadistic cruel laugh that brings fear to me. Something I'm not used to with them. "You think you get to come to our school and then tell us what to do? You think you can just walk free and live your best life? You will soon learn you made a grave mistake by coming here. You will regret even thinking of coming here." He gets up and the guys follow.

"If I ever see you next to her again, I will gut you." Leo says for the first time to Simba in a deadly tone. Jose flips his knife, open and close, eyes intent on Simba. Simba looks like he's about to pass out. I don't blame him, I'm not him but I almost passed out too.

"You can't do that. He's my friend." I protest after I get my bearings, I raise my voice trying to be brave

"You have no friends here, Willow." Leo turns his venom to me, and I shrink in my seat.

Whatever it is, it is clear I don't know these guys anymore. They are not the boys I used to know. They've become something, something darker and whatever past we may share, its clearly over.

My heart breaks at that thought. I blink back tears. Their forms retreat as they go back to their corner of the dining hall and Simba disappears somewhere. He didn't even protest. He just left me too.

I get up and leave. All eyes are on me, and I can't handle it. I feel their hot gazes on me as I get out. As soon as I get out of the hall I sprint. I head to the direction of the small woods in the school. I find a trail and I follow it.

On the other side, I connect with a road, I run and in an hour I am panting and I am next to a small coffee shop. I sit down, sweat and all. I order a grilled sandwich and a latte. I sit outside and I relax for the first time today. I let the afternoon cool air kiss my skin as I sit.

A group of guys wearing jackets from the other high school in town approach the shop. They are talking and laughing. I try to steal a peak at their face and find one of them staring at me. I avert my gaze. But I can't help looking up again.

Why did I have to run here like an idiot? Now I probably look like a sweaty potato to this Adonis. He winks at me, and I smile. He goes in the shop with his bros. I feel nervous about this, and I don't want him to come out here and find me. I get up and leave. I had already paid for my meal. I take my sandwich with me and I disappear. I walk back to campus through the woods. I take twice longer this time and I am exhausted by the time my ass hits my bed.

My phone dings as I try to recover.

I remember what Leo said to him. So, they want me to be all alone in this school. I thought it was coincidence that everybody left during lunch and at dinner nobody would come sit with us. I guess now I know they are isolating me so they can torment me. I sigh. He's sorry, but what can I say back to him.

'Ok?'

'Don't be a pussy, I thought we were friends?'

'So, you are not going to even try to hold on to our 24-hour friendship?'

I throw my phone on the bed and I get up to undress. I drop my clothes in the basket and I jump in the shower. I take a long shower, rinsing twice as I scrub my body of all traces of sweat.

They are definitely not boys anymore. And they are definitely not the boys I used to know. These mean people are not my friends. My heart hurts thinking about the past. The weight of the day comes back in an avenging force, and I shake as tears I've been holding in come spilling out.

The things they said to me. How could they be so mean to me. I know our parting wasn't pleasant, but I didn't do anything for them to warrant being so mean to me. My best friends are really gone. I guess I must accept that.

But what am I going to do about them? Am I going to just play dead and let them walk all over me or will I attempt to fight back? Can I even fight back? They have succeeded in isolating me which means the next phase in their plan will not be far.

We may not be friends anymore, but I know once they get on a mission, they will want to see this through. I just never thought I'd be the mission one day.

I can't fight them and the whole school alone. So far all I have is trying to avoid them as much as possible in hopes they forget my offending presence exists. But even as I think it, I know it won't happen. I need a plan. I need allies. I need to start working on getting allies.

I do my homework after I finish showering and I journal my day before bed, and I settle in. hoping tomorrow will be better than today.