𝙋𝙊𝙈 𝙋𝙊𝙈𝙎 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙋𝙊𝙄𝙎𝙊𝙉

3: Calculated Glances

"We see what we want to see, but sometimes what we don't see tells a real story." - Anonymous

          
             BLAIRE CAMPBELL

The air in the cafeteria buzzed with usual lunchtime chaos, a cacophony of clanging trays and competing conversations. I navigated the crowded aisles with Jaliyah at my side, feeling hundreds of eyes on my back. It was amazing how quickly news traveled at this place. "New girl" might as well have been printed across my forehead.

"Don't worry," Jaliyah said, her voice barely audible above the din." They'll find someone else to gossip about soon enough."

I snorted. "Let me guess, the annual pie auction?"

She grinned. "You catch on quick."

We found an empty table near the window, far from the epicenter of Madison and her posse. As I unpacked my lunch, my gaze drifted across the room, drawn to a lone figure seated at a table in the corner.

Even from the distance, she seemed shrouded in an aura of quiet intensity. Her back was straight, her chin titled upward, but her eyes... her eyes were fixed on me. It wasn't a friendly look. It wasn't even curious. It was... calculating. Like she was sizing me up,. weighing me on some invisible scale.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, a shiver running down my spine. "Who's that?" I muttered, trying to sound nonchalant.

Jaliyah followed my gaze. "Oh, her. That's Katie Wood Hall. Used to be Madison's right hand woman, until... well, nobody knows exactly what happened. One day she was on top of the world, the next she was persona non grata."

"What do you mean?"

Jaliyah hesitated, her eyes darting around the room as if making sure no one was listening. "People say she did something awful, but I don't believe half of it. Madison and her crew love to spread rumors."

I tore my gaze from the girl, forcing myself to focus on Jaliyah. "But what actually happened."

She shrugged, her expression troubled. "Nobody really knows. She just... withdrew. Stopped talking to everyone, stopped hanging out with the cheer squad. Last I heard, she spends most of her time at the library."

Just then, the girl stood up, her chair scraping against the floor with a jarring screech. As she turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of something glinting beneath the collar of her faded t-shirt - a delicate silver chain with a single charm: the letter "K." It was identical to the necklaces Madison and her friends wore, each bearing their own initial.

My mind raced. Why would she still have that necklace? Was it a memento of a time before her fall from grace? Or was there more to the story that than met the eye?

As she disappeared through the cafeteria doors, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just stumbled upon a puzzle with far more pieces than I'd initially realized. And for some reason, I had a feeling Katie Wood Hall held the key to solving it.