The hushed voices filling the library fade into the distance as the next song on my Mix Tape playlist starts to hum through my earphones. The drop in the beat right after Taylor's intro fills me with an innate sense of power allowing my sadness to take a rest and my anger to have its long overdue moment in the spotlight. As the lyrics of Bad Blood rage through my earphones, I push my pencil harder against the piece of paper containing my new drawing. Usually, my drawings bring out a sense of calmness within me. Usually, they help me cope with the troubles around me. Today is not one of those days. Today this creation can do nothing to help me. It can do nothing to erase the sting of betrayal. It can do nothing to wipe the memory of reading those texts they sent. And it can do nothing to erase the pain of losing two best friends in one night all because of something I didn't even do. 

My phone buzzes and beeps waking me from the depths of my deep sleep plagued with the flash images of an icicle being hurled toward me driving itself into my chest and piercing my heart. Using the back of my hand I wipe away the frozen beads of sweat dotting my forehead and neck. With my eyes still half closed I blindly reach out into the darkness using the buzzing from my phone to locate it. 

Pulling the phone closer to me I push down on the power button lighting up my room and revealing the string of texts lining my lock screen. 

"What the..." my voice trails off as I see that each text is either from Lola or Rose and they don't look happy. 

I quickly enter the chat and scroll up to the start of the texts. 

LatRatLola: What the hell Vega!

LabRatLola: This better be some sort of a joke! 

LabRatLola: I seriously can't believe you would do this to us after all these years of friendship!!!!

RomComRose: Yeah what the fuck Vega why the hell would you do this?

RomComRose: You know I thought you would be the last person on Earth who would do something this shitty!

Pulsing with confusion I bring up my keyboard and start typing. 

Me: I'm so confused right now. What are you guys talking about?

LabRatLola: Don't act all innocent you know what you did!

RomComRose: Yeah don't bullshit us right now. 

Me: I'm being serious guys I don't know what you're talking about!

The chat remains silent for a moment before multiple screenshots pop up on the screen each more disturbing than the last. Horrified I read each text that was supposedly sent by me to two boys that were in class with me last year. The two boys that Lola and Rose have crushes on and according to the last texts I got from them a while ago are their dates to the upcoming prom. Along with the strings of horrible texts I apparently sent these boys were a bunch of pictures that must have been photoshopped. 

Bile fills my throat and I'm overwhelmed with the need to vomit as I read the texts. 

I would stay far away from Lola if I were you her last boyfriend wasn't lying when he said she was a manipulative bi... well you get what I'm saying. 

Hey, I know we don't know each other so well but I felt I should warn you about Rose. I'm not trying to scare you but I thought you should know that her last boyfriend constantly told me that he felt scared when he was around her. I even saw a bruise or two that he was trying to hide. I'm just saying, he moved to a different city for a reason. 

Closing the texts I opened up the images and they were equally as shocking. All of them were of either Lola or Rose kissing some boys with the time stamps showing they were doing this recently. 

Me: I swear to God guys I didn't send any of those!

LabRatLola: Yes you did! It clearly shows that you sent them.

RomComRose: Yeah Vega don't even try to deny it. You're just making it worse for yourself. 

LabRatLola: Just admit what you did and say you're sorry.

RomComRose: You also have to tell Jaxon and Marcel that you faked those photos and lied in those texts. Marcel won't talk to me and now people are whispering about me at school. Everyone thinks Liam moved to San Diego because he wanted to get away from me. You know how controlling he was and that I was the victim in that relationship!

LabRatLola: Yeah! Jaxon refuses to answer any of my texts and I heard Tiffney Blakes say he asked her to prom yesterday. You're ruining our lives Vega you need to admit what you did. 

Me: But I didn't send those texts or those pictures. I don't even have Jaxon or Marcel's numbers. 

LabRatLola: Seriously Vega I thought you were our friend!

Me: Come on Lola don't say that.

Tears well up in my eyes and with each one that starts to trickle down my cheeks I can feel my power start to surge. 

RomComRose: She isn't the friend we thought she was. 

RomComRose: And you know what Vega until you do as we ask I don't ever want to hear from you again. Actually, I don't ever want to hear from you period.

LabRatLola: Yeah, I never want to talk to you ever again because I don't know who you are anymore. 

Me: Come on guys how long have you known me? I would never do something like this to you guys!

No response.

Me: Please! 

No response. The tears are now flowing down like little rivers staining my bed sheets. 

Me: Guys?

A ping of a notification echoes through the silence of my room. 

You have been removed from this group and can no longer send or receive messages from this group. 

Unable to hold it in any longer I release the pent-up scream I had been holding in through the whole conversation and along with it the burst that had been waiting to come out. 

A light tap on my shoulder snaps me out of my flashback and while yanking out my earphones I look up at the young girl who is standing nervously beside me. 

"Um... I'm sorry to interrupt but I thought you might want to know that the bell rang." 

Looking around the now mostly empty library I can still hear traces of the bell in the distance and the stampede of students wandering the hallways moving in groups to their classes. 

I look back up at the girl and force myself to smile. "Thank you," I mumble. 

As she scurries off I hastily collect my sketchbook and pencils, shove them into my bag, and hurry past the glaring Miss. Ossxan into the thinning crowd in the hallway. 

With my classroom being the furthest away from the library I eventually ended up being the only student wandering through the hallway. Trying to keep my movements as quiet as possible so as not to disturb the teachers I pick up my pace hoping that Mrs. Fallen won't punish me too severely for being late. 

Finally, I reach the hallway where my class is located, but just before I can break off into a sprint toward the door I feel someone grab my bag and pull me backwards. The sudden force of the pull knocks my feet out from under me and I fall to the floor with a thud. The brutal impact of the fall knocks the wind from my chest and I gasp, reaching up to cradle my side. 

"What the—" I'm sharply interrupted by a firm slap across my face which is swiftly followed by multiple kicks to my legs and sides with the final one connecting with my face sending me to the point of near unconsciousness.  

Unable to fight back I am powerless to stop the person from grabbing me under my arms and dragging me out of the nearest door and toward the abandoned field. As soon as they reach a spot that they think is far away enough from the main building they release me and I gasp in pain as I hit the ground... again. 

"You little bitch! I told you to stay away from Seth! But you didn't listen to me and now you have to pay the price."

Blood from the cut on my forehead seeps down into my eyes but I can still see Carla maliciously standing over me with a dangerous look in her eyes and flames covering her hands. 

"What are you talking about? I haven't spoken to Seth in weeks."

I gasp in pain as she sends another kick into my side. 

"Don't lie to me bitch!"

"I'm not!" I scream. 

For the first time in days, I feel my power return. The coldness courses through my veins buzzing like electricity. Ever since that burst I haven't used my powers since. It seems that the pain of losing my so-called best friends numbed not only my soul but my powers as well. 

She leans down and brushes her hand against my arm the hot flames sizzle along my flesh causing me to let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Fine, I guess I'll just have to force you to tell me." 

I can hear the wicked smile in her voice and I brace myself for the next round of burns.

"Back off, Carla!" Jade yells. 

Carla scoffs. "I'm shocked it took you this long to get here. I thought you icebenders ran together like packs." 

"I'm gonna say it one last time, back off."

Releasing the longest sigh I've ever heard Carla extinguishes the flames and backs off. 

Using the nearby bench as support I pull myself up. Shuffling closer to Jade I listen as more and more people start rushing toward us. For a second I thought it was the whole school that was emerging but much to my surprise it's Nicci, Kim, Toby, and Seth that have decided to join in on the fight. 

I know my attention should be on Carla who could attack me at any moment or on Jade, Nicci, and Kim my only allies in this fight and probably in life, but instead, the only person I can look at, the only one I want to look at, is Seth. 

He silently and cautiously stands behind Toby with his eyes trained on me. I can't help but look at the dark rings under his eyes and the stubble growing along his jaw. He looks about as bad as I did a few days ago. 

"Carla, what the hell were you thinking!" Toby yells as he nervously runs his hands through his hair. 

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life," Jade hisses. 

"Your council is going to kick you out for sure," Nicci says.

"Well, how do you think your council is going to react when they find out that one of your members is having a romantic relationship with one of us?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask through painful and laboured breaths.

"Just leave it, Carla," Seth snaps but despite the anger in his voice, I can see the fear in his eyes.

Carla turns to him with reignited flames. "Oh come on we all saw your little stunt at the last training session. The screaming, holding onto your head—"

"Carla—"

"Calling out that little bitches name!" As she screams the flames grow larger and hotter so much so that we all have to take a few steps back, well all of us expect Seth who is full-on challenging her igniting flames of his own.

Gasping I look over at Seth. He went through the same thing I did on the same night too.

"You better back off, Carla, right now."

"And then you didn't come to school for almost a week and ironically neither did she. So tell me Seth what the hell were you two doing that whole time."

With rage burning in his eyes almost as hot as the flames surrounding his fists he storms over to Carla. Started by this sudden movement she extinguishes her flames and takes a few steps back eventually tripping over her feet she falls to the ground. But, even then Seth doesn't stop walking until he is hovering over her.

"Seth," Carla says, her voice wobbling in fear.

"You listen to me. Stay the hell away from me and Vega and stay out of my business. You are not my girlfriend and you never will be."

"Don't—"

"Stop talking!" he yells and his flames grow so large that they are almost touching her face.

Carla screams and ducks her head away, and it takes both Nicci and Kim holding onto me to stop me from rushing closer to them.

"Seth stop it you're going to hurt her," I plead with him. I might not like Carla but that doesn't mean I want her to get hurt.

Startled by my sudden protest his flames disappear and he turns around to face me.

For the longest time, we stare into each other's eyes quickly forgetting about the people around us. The sudden ringing of the bell knocks us out of our trance and without uttering a single word we all walk away.

"Should we report her?" Kim asks.

"Of course, we're going to report her," Jade scoffs.

"No, we're not," I say.

They all stop and turn to look at me.

"Why not?" Jade asks.

"I don't want any more trouble with them. And the last thing I need is Carla starting a rumour that I'm with Seth. I can't allow my future to be ruined by a lie."

"So you're not involved with him?"

I shake my head. "Of course not."

"Then why did you yell out his name, and why did he call out yours?"

"Yeah, Vega, that's a little strange, don't you think?"

"I don't know and I don't care. I just want to forget about him and this whole thing and get on with my life. Now come on we have a class to get to."

Holding my cold hand against the harsh burn on my arm I push past the three girls and make my way back into the building.