WARNING:  Homophobia. It hurt me to write it, but I need plot. I am so srry.

Marella's POV

I never wanted to do this. 

I never wanted to do this.

Its the only thought that kept me going throughout the day

I never wanted to do this.

Even though it was false.

I never wanted to do this.

I slapped my myself and looked in the mirror. Get a grip Marella!

I sighed and went downstairs for breakfast. I didn't have much. But i was enough.

I quickly styled my hair—even though it was mostly still intact from the night before— and left for Foxfire, my school. I leaped onto the bright green grass and headed for my class. I was quite late, but Mrs. Smith was never bothered.

 Just so you know, I am quite a gossip, and I do get gossip from anonymous sources...

I walk towards my locker. A note is taped to it, just like I instructed. 

Astrid and Zaline meeting at the mall at three! Might get some lesbian drama!

I rolled my eyes. I can't decide witch is more disgusting; the fact that my informer would want me to hear this, or the fact that two girls are meeting up for date. I don't understand LGBTQ+, and I DEFINITELY didn't support it. It disgusted me.

But I kept the note anyway. 

What? No use in throwing it away...

 I met up with Sophie and her friends at the lunch table. Keefe and Tam aren't there—probably because of some prank they pulled on each other and wound up in detention for—leaving an empty space between Linh and I.

"Hey do you know where Tammy is?" Linh asked me. "I can't find him."

"Probably got his butt in detention again," I replied without really paying attention to the desperation in Linh's voice.

"You haven't heard anything?"

I pause. She's right. I would've heard something if Tam got into detention. At least a few rumors about what he'd done. But there was nothing.

"After lunch. You and I. We are going to find Tam," I said, feeling determined to get Linh's brother back. I just didn't want her to worry.

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So...

I may or may not have...

Ditched class...

To go with Linh...

To find Tam.

No I totally didn't.

I didn't ditch Social Studies with Mr. Levon.

Nope.

Never.

Not once.

"Hey Marella you made it!" Linh said in her cute cheery voice.

Wait, cute?

I must be really tired.

"Yeah I did. So, where are we looking?" I asked, rubbing my eyes trying to stay awake. I was used to sleeping in Social Studies, not going to explore with Linh to find her brother.

"I was thinking the deserted classrooms," she replied. I sighed. Our school had less teachers than it should've, leaving empty, forgotten classrooms that gathered dust. Well, the teachers forgot about them. The students most certainly did not, if you get my meaning.

So we walked into one of the classrooms. Room 609. (I'm srry, I had to, it was too tempting.)

And you know know what we found?

Tam.

And Keefe.

On the floor.

Kissing like there was no tomorrow.

"We'll come back later," I said, backing out of the doorway. Keefe and Tam looked up and blushed.

"Oh, um...hi guys...what's up...?" Tam asked nervously.

"The sky," I deadpanned.

"The ceiling," Linh said flatly.

"Your ego," I said.

"Your obsession with your hair," Linh said.

"Okay, we get it!" Keefe said. "Just, uh, don't tell the others."

We nodded. No telling the friend group.

"So what were you two doing in here?" Linh asked innocently. Oh, how I remember the good old days, back when I was innocent and young.

"Nothing!" Tam and Keefe exclaimed.

"Okay...if you say so..."

Who else thinks that Linh is the most innocent of all the kotlc characters?

"We're leaving now," I said, grabbing Linh's hand and pulling her out of the doorway. "See y'all later!" And with that, I led Linh down the corridor and away from the boys.