I watch their retreating forms and they use the stairs. I stand and stare where they disappeared. My whole body still burning from their contact. I finally turn and unlock my door after some time. I undress and I jump in the shower.

My hair still has all the product I put on for Darrell. I wanted to look extra pretty with my curls shining. I wash all the product off, and I nourish my hair with its coconut hair conditioner.

I let the water beat on my body as thoughts of the night play like a movie in my head.

I thought they hated me, well, as much as they could after everything we shared anyway. They've made my life hell. But I remember how Leo jumped that guy who tripped me last week, then tonight again. They have isolated me from everyone and stood by when I was being bullied. But I also remember the pictures and videos all the students took and how I haven't seen anything online. Why is that? I would have thought they would have relished tearing me apart online. Then the kiss with Mason and him saying I'm his then the totally awkward walk to my room and them basically kissing me goodnight.

What game are they playing?

Are they changing strategies?

I switch the water off when I feel half cooked and I step off and start drying myself.

What am I going to do with them? And next time I see them how am I supposed to act? Do they still hate me? Do I hate them? Are we still enemies? I dry my hair and knot it in four big braids. I really need to change my hairstyles. Maybe I should go to town to see if I can find a salon where anyone can braid my hair.

I get in my pajamas when I finish, and I crawl in my blankets. Sleep comes almost immediately, and I am out like a light.

I see all of us in my dream, like I am watching us play like we used to. I am running away from them, and they are trying to catch up to me. All of us are laughing like maniacs. Delirious with happiness and they catch up to me and they tickle me until my tummy hurts.

When I open my eyes again, they are grown and the looks are different. They are looking at me with hunger and Bas kisses me, in the mouth. I feel a second mouth on my tummy, and another on my thighs and a fourth on my second thighs. I feel hands all over my body and I surrender to the feeling. My legs spread and I feel two mouths pleasuring me and I moan loudly. They work in unison and take me higher and higher and I cum with a loud moan.

"Ours." Are words I heard before I jolt awake, panting.

What the fuck. I mutter to myself

So, I am having sex dreams with four people now. Great. Just fucking great.

I get off bed, the sun has started streaming in. I drag myself to the bathroom. I do my morning business and I brush my teeth afterwards. I splash water on my face, and I pat my face dry. I collect my dirty laundry and I change to sweats, and I head to the laundry room to do my washing.

Lucky for me, not many people are morning people. I wash and dry my clothes and I take my clean laundry back. I shower and I get ready to leave. I have a full day of errands today.

I do my hair and luckily, I find a hairdresser who can do knotless braids.

It's around noon when I am finished with my hair, and I decide I need a treat. I head to the nice Italian restaurant, and I get a table for one.

I am paging the menu when a tall figure shadows me. I look up and I find Darrell's blue eyes. My mouth falls open when I see what Leo and Jose did to him and Leo himself barely had a scratch, if you don't count the semi-fat lip when someone punched him while he was busy looking at me. In fact, all of them barely had any signs they fought.

"H-hi." I stammer

He gives me a grin. It looks like it should be painful.

"Hi, Willow. Can I sit.." He pauses. "I mean I am tall, and it always feels like I take the whole room." He chuckles nervously.

I gesture to the seat opposite me, and he folds his self in it.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I...me and those guys have a history...but not like romantic history."

He quips his eyebrow. "They seemed very... passionate..." I don't miss the accusation in his voice

"Look, I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened. I don't know what else I can say."

"Go out with me." He looks at me in the eye. He's bold, I'll give him that.

"I don't know."

"If it's about those dickheads then I don't give a fuck, Willow. I like you and I'd like to hang out."

I don't answer.

"Okay, fine. There's the carnival in next Friday, can we have hot dogs and maybe ice cream and we can walk together?"

I smile. I can't help it.

"Okay, sure."

He returns his blinding grin.

And for the first time I realize something terrible; he does nothing for me. But I smile to him anyway and we have lunch together. We talk about music. Turns out we are both in the navy and we talk over a chill conversation.

Chill but no butterflies or electricity, even when he touched my hand. Afterwards, he accompanies me to a few shops, and I pick up some supplies before he sees me to my cab.

I get out of my room in haste. I am a few minutes late today, I took a few more minutes picking my outfit. I am wearing a black pleather skirt that goes mid-thigh and a black and white checkered short sleeved top with army boots. I tied my braids in a high ponytail and I left four loose.

After the talk with my mom, I told her about Darrell, and she said I must go for it. I didn't tell her about the guys, however. I'm not ready to upset her.

I see Simba's foot tap outside the door. He is looking away from the door. I tap him behind his back, and I do a ta-dah. His mouth falls open. I think it's the first time he's seeing me in a skirt.

"Damn, girl!" he exclaims in appreciation

I grin.

"Okay, the last thing you need is sunglasses."

"Why?"

"Because we are rebranding. Let's go now."

We rushed upstairs and we both wore them. I have a thing for tiny glasses so mine are tiny and upon seeing how cool I looked I decided on some gloss. I air kiss myself before I go and me and Simba go to have breakfast.

We got a few second looks but I guess we won't know until we get to the dining hall. We enter and head to the line. I ignore everyone like I always do, and I try my hardest not to look at their table.

"They are looking. It is working." Simba whispers in my ear so only I can hear. I grin at him, but his face falls, almost flinching, and I know one of the assholes is surely near.

"Morning, little star." Mason fans my ear with his breath and I close my eyes momentarily before I swallow as goosebumps erupt on my skin. I hate my body's reaction to him. I move forward and I chance a look at him. He has a murderous look on his face directed at...Simba?

I step in front of Simba to shield him from him.

"Simba, you do know what personal space is, right?" he doesn't move his eyes from Simba

"Y-yes."

"Good." He looks down at me and his expression softens. "You look beautiful." Then he turns on his heel and goes back to his table.

Again, weird. We get our food and head to our table. We may have a few people checking us out, but we are still pariahs, and no one wants anything to do with us.

We eat over conversation about this and that. Simba may be a guy, but he always hears the latest gossip. My eyes wander and I find four pairs on me. I feel a surge of something I don't want to dissect when I see the four mean girls sitting with them on their table.

I look away but not before I see Melissa's wink. I try to focus on Simba and his droning on and on. But I am no longer there. I am only too happy when we finish, and we have to go. I head to my morning class. And I roll my eyes internally when I remember that I share it with Jose and Leo.

We pass by a few students gathered in the notice board and me and Simba go to check it out.

"It's probably the St. Francis has talent show announcement." He says

"Talent show?"

"Yeah, it's usually in February. It's a whole thing with parents and all." He says absent mindedly

My interest is piqued. Not that I could hope to stand in front of the whole school. I used to perform all the time when I was a child. Back then I had an attentive audience, my best friends.

When I tried to do it afterwards it just never was the same even though I sang for myself all the time, I miss an audience. We push our way to the front. Which isn't hard, people move when I touch them like I have leprosy.

I know I should be used to it now but still, ouch.

We get to the notice and indeed it's the announcement. Anyone interested may register by the end of the first term and auditions are last week before winter break.

We separate for our different classes after, and I head to mine.

I find them are seated on either side of my normal chair. I contemplate sitting elsewhere but my OCD goes in panic as soon as I have those thoughts.

Melisa tries to take the seat and the look Leo gives her is priceless. I smirk to myself and take the seat. I pull out my pens and I wait for the class.

"You look gorgeous, Zaza," Jose leans in and I glare at him. He smirks at my glare and the teacher comes in and breaks that moment.

My next class I have with Bas, and he was being extra nice too. I am starting to get anxious because of their behavior. It concerns me that I want to fall for it.

Maybe it's the loneliness. Maybe I miss my best friends. But I know they haven't forgotten, and I know they are playing a certain angle. But their positive attention is getting to me. It's like they all know just what to do, what to say.

After the class we all get up to leave.

"Hey, Zar. You saw the notice about the talent show? You still sing, right?" he asks, and I can't help but stop abruptly.

"Sebastian, what are you guys doing?" I snap at him, knowing he is the one most likely to tell me the truth. When we were kids, we didn't hide anything from each other. Even though I know now we have a lot of secrets, I am hoping he gives me something.

"We are trying to make it up to you."

Students leave the class, and we are left alone.

"Make it up to me? After what you did to me?"

"We are trying, Zar."

"Haven't thought about saying sorry maybe instead, I don't know? And maybe leaving me to have some peace?"

He takes me in, and I see the regret in his eyes.

"What was that on Friday, Bas?"

His face turns hard. "You belong to us, Zar. You know that."

I pull my eyebrows together.

"Belong?"

He runs his hand through his head.

"We've always belonged together, Zar. We can't be free of you as much as you can't be free of us. We are inevitable."

"Where was all that when you were torturing me, huh? Tell me the truth, why are you guys doing all this?"

He looks at me straight in the eye. "We want to be with you."

My lips part and all feeling drains from my face. My heart slams in my chest. Did I just hear him right?

"What?"

He comes close and I flinch at his touch. He looks hurt but doesn't advance any more.

I walk around him, and I leave for the library. I don't know if I can stand to see any one of them right now.

After torturing me, they think they can just turn around and be sweet and we'll be back to being cool. They haven't apologized to me once. No way. No fucking way. I can't allow that.