Meghan and Hope's attempt to snitch on me has miserably failed. Instead, the two of them, plus Ashlea, will be the only ones facing detention, much to my relief. Their antics have got on my nerves for a long time, but things are changing. They're desperate. They're one step closer to losing everything they've built with deceit and lies.

Meanwhile, as I'm about to go back home from my last class, I hear a pair of hands tapping my shoulders. I turn and almost jump in shock. Peri! What the heck is she planning this time?

"Oh, Rieleigh, you may want to read this." She hands me a paper; for some reason, she can't contain her laughter. Is she pranking me? The fact that we haven't argued for a while doesn't mean our friendship has been mended just yet. It still takes time to rebuild trust.

I read the note and realize it's not a prank at all. 'The Burden of Breaking Hearts is a wreck that's sinking deep in the ocean. The more members leave or are removed, the more it becomes vulnerable. Someone's out there to destroy it—but who?' They're finally realizing they're over, but is this sentiment genuine?

"I suppose only Meghan, Hope and Ashlea are left in the club," I say, but Peri shakes her head. Who have I missed?

She points out, "Tre is still in. And let's not forget Lyndall Stephen. He won't budge unless Ashlea does." I want to puke. That guy isn't just a pervert, he also has as little personality as a frozen pizza. Maybe even less than that. For the first time since we had that argument, Peri also recognizes that.

"Their chances of surviving are dramatically low. I wonder what will happen next. I see a power struggle among them coming." I really hope this prediction turns true, but I can't just cling on it. I have to make sure it happens through my course of action. In other words, I have to restart trusting Peri and Brix, as well as give Salinda a chance.

"You know what, Peri? The toughest members of the club have been left. And let's not forget that Jeff is an agent of chaos and he definitely doesn't want to end The Burden of Breaking Hearts. He might want to try and take over it from the outside." She nods. I can't believe I've already nailed this. Those people thought they could hide their true nature easily, but they haven't realized that someone out there could decipher them. Me.

***

I'm running out of time. Only two weeks and the school year is over. When the graduation ceremony rolls out, I won't have any more chance to attack the Club. I'll go to college knowing that there's a possiblity that The Burden of Breaking Hearts might regroup and reform stronger than ever.

This is why implementing the final part of the plan is crucial. I can't do this on my own, of course: I have to enlist help from scorned ex members who have been removed and carry bad memories linked to it. I'll start with Peri and Brix, the two who easily fell for my most plain persuasion tactic: an invitation to our favorite diner.

They accept to come at my house to brief the situation and study a way to trap the Club's remaining fuckers in their own actions. When they do come, Ella asks, "Have you made up, then?" For being thirteen, she can be really immature. She still thinks friendship is something taken for granted. She'll have to learn the hard way it's the opposite, like I did.

My friends and I ignore her and head to my room.  I lock the door so that no-one can disturb us. Then, we sit on my bed in circle, huddling close to one another. "I can't believe we've been apart for so long," says Brix between one sigh and another. It's unlikely things will go back as they were before The Burden of Breaking Hearts came, but they can evolve differently, and not necessarily see the three of us distant.

"What's done is done," adds Peri. "All we can do is to move forward. Let's not forget, Brix, that you and I would still be trapped in that stupid club hadn't it been for Rieleigh. She deserves all the credit."

The old me would've blushed out of embarrassment. Instead, I keep my composure and curl my lips. I only want credit when the Club is officially out of business, not earlier.

I suggest doing a live. "We have to choose the right platform. One we can be sure about. The rest of the school has to see what they've swept under the rug so far." There are so many options... Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitch... You name it, you pick it.

But it can't be just a random platform. It has to be the one that resonates the most and has everyone turn the next exposé into a major trending topic. If I could, I'd be able to connect more than one social media and hold the livestream simultaneously on two or three of them. Since that's not possible, however, I have to make a difficult choice.

"So, Rieleigh, what do you think?" asks Brix with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Peri intervenes, "The choice has to be easier than we make it be. Most of the school is on TikTok. We can have our live there. Moreover, with some adjustments, clips can be shared on other social media." Bingo! Her idea is perfect—it'll definitely be a blast.

I decide. "Okay. Let's do a checklist before starting the live. Brix, I think we should do it from your account since you have the most followers among us. Peri, you can help me gather the evidence to show. Are you ready?" We give each other a high five and start preparing to throw the ultimate bombshell.

***

Peri and Brix can't contain their laughter as they watch Hope's horrified reaction at Lyndall's diary pages on Instagram. She starts calls him names, citing how he has never respected women and has only ever seen them as his toys. She also points the finger at Jeff, accusing him of unwanted advances. Oh, shit. Those two idiots are even worse than I thought they are.

I can hear Ashlea sneer behind her. "Get a fucking grip, Hope. Like, seriously, have some shame! Just because you feel uncomfortable around Lyndall, it doesn't mean I have to, as well." She should instead. The fact that she blindly defends him means that she's like him, if not worse.

On the other hand, Meghan doesn't want to be associated to the drama at all. She acts all high and mighty when she should hang her head low in shame for not standing up to disgusting behaviors rather than enabling them like she's done so far. She has turned off comments on Instagram and blocks whoever dares to criticize her on X. She's toast.

At lunch, I sit with my partners in crime, as well as Salinda. She says she's been kicked out of the squad over her refusal to keep endorsing Ashlea. Yet, the team is in complete shambles because they're split on whether the purge should continue or they should stop removing anyone who disagrees with the higher ups from the squad.

I'm so happy to have opened the school's Pandora's Box. I mutter to myself. "Bye bye, Burden of Breaking Hearts!"