Lennox shovelled more salad onto her plate, a slice of chicken resting beside it. Her only company were the empty chairs around her, as her family had already eaten. She didn't mind; at least she had gotten to spend time with her friends. Actually, she felt lighter than she had in a long time.

As Lennox cut off a piece of chicken and plopped it into her mouth, she was surprised to hear the squeak of a chair. Glancing up, she saw her sister sitting across from her. No boyfriend, no makeup, and no look of annoyance. Her blonde hair was tossed atop her head in a messy bun, and a few streaks of mascara rested under her eyes.

"Hi," Nora spoke, her voice slightly raw.

"Hello, Nora," Lennox replied, shovelling salad into her mouth. 

Nora sighed. Lennox continued eating. 

"So, um, you made some friends."

Lennox rolled her eyes, half of her plate finished. She grabbed her glass of soda and gulped it down.

"How's school going?"

Lennox ate the last of her chicken. "It's going fine, Nora. It's going just fine, okay? Is there something I can help you with?"

Nora let out a breath, resting her folded hands on the table. "My boyfriend and I are going through a rough patch."

Lennox finished her salad, grabbing the plate and heading to the sink. As she plopped the plate in it, she realized no one had done the dishes. She wasn't about to do them, so she went back to the table for her soda, gulping down the rest of the cool liquid. Finally, she turned to her sister, whose head was bent towards the table. 

"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. He's quite annoying."

Nora's head snapped up, fire in her eyes. "Why do you have to be so rude, Lennox?"

She shrugged, walking to the sink and placing her glass in it. She then headed for the stairs, stopped with her foot on the first one. "Because you've been rude for the longest time, and now you expect me to feel bad for you. You've chosen him over me for so long, yet the minute you have problems, you act like I'm your sister. That's rich."

"Lennox, I'm sorry."

She whipped around to face her sister, anger and surprise mingling in her chest. "Excuse me?"

Nora had stood from the table, a single tear rolling down her face. "You heard me." 

Lennox laughed softly. She couldn't believe Nora actually was, and the tear on her face didn't bother her. "I don't believe you."

Her sister took a step forward, not bothering to swipe at her eyes. Lennox could count her freckles, one of the things they shared. Their eyes met, and for a moment, they were kids again. She saw the twitch of her sister's lip, the moisture in her eyes and the twitch in her fingers. She remembered what made her sister sad when they were younger, when they were closer. She felt like she knew her again, but just for a moment.   

"Lennox." Nora's voice cracked. "I should've trusted him, but I didn't. You've always told me I'm too uptight. I never listened." She laughed in a sarcastic way. "Gosh, I hate myself right now."

Lennox stared at her sister, and she felt a pang in her heart. Despite how much she had lost touch with Nora, she felt bad for her. "Don't hate yourself. You need to make things right with him. I hate sad Nora."

"He told me that all I care about are my own desires, and I agree." Another tear slipped down her cheek. "He reminded me how badly I've been treating you."

Lennox raised an eyebrow. She hadn't thought Nora's boyfriend thought about her. Maybe she had been looking through a calloused point of view. She let out a breath. She had been seeing everything through a calloused point of view. "Well, if you're really sorry, then show me, don't tell me."

Nora blinked, then slowly nodded. "How do I get him back, Lennox?"

She shrugged. "Well, the same thing, Show him you're sorry. Show him that you've had a revelation or whatever."

"Thanks. I'll try that tomorrow at school." She took a step forward, arms outstretched, but Lennox took a step backwards.

"You're not there yet."

She nodded, finally swiping at her eyes. "Right. Sorry."

As Lennox went to walk up the stairs, Nora's voice once again stopped her.

"You know who I thought my boyfriend cheated on me with? Who basically tried to spoon feed me lies?"

Lennox sighed, turning her head in her sister's direction. "Who?"

"Isla."

Lennox laughed, and Nora frowned.

"I don't know why you stopped being friends with her, Lennox. She's perfectly fine."

Nora sighed. "Okay, well I didn't exactly care for you then."

Lennox shrugged, then finally walked up the stairs. She couldn't believe her sister had actually apologized. She almost laughed to herself, yet a part of her had always yearned for the apology. She couldn't believe what it took for Nora to see the error in her ways, but it did make sense. She flopped onto her bed, grabbed her laptop, and opened her newest short story. She began writing, trying to make sense of everything through words. 

✌️

Lennox had a new reason to dislike Isla, even if she wasn't the closest with her sister. Isla walked the halls with Kelly and Candice by her side. Lennox wanted to stick out her foot to trip them, but she resisted the urge. The principal also walked to halls, stopping to speak with her daughter. Anger flowed through Lennox's veins, and a part of her wished she was still part of her group; she could then destroy them from the inside out. 

Her face lit up. Lennox still knew them, even if they had parted ways a year or so prior. Isla needed to be taken down a notch, and Lennox didn't mind being the person to do so. 

Trey walked up to Lennox with a scowl on his face, yet it wasn't directed at her. He turned his head in direction of the principal and his daughter, then stopped in front of Lennox. He simply passed her his phone, his arms crossed over his chest.

Lennox read the direct message from social media: Dating her won't be so easy. Don't think either of you will be safe. She isn't worth your time.

Lennox scowled herself, and she knew one of three people had sent the message. Clicking on the username associated with the message, she realized it with a decoy account. Isla and her friends wouldn't want and solid evidence against them. She handed the phone back to Trey, her blood boiling. Did the girl ever stop?

"I woke up to this."

Lennox leaned back against her locker, arms crossed over her chest. "That girl needs a punch in the face."

Trey nodded, glancing at the group over his shoulder. The principal had left the hallway.

"Is Faith here?"

Trey shook his head. "She's sick."

Lennox pulled out her own phone. She had a message from Faith: I'm sick, so I'm staying home. Sorry, Lex.

She texted back, telling Faith to feel better, then placed her phone back in her pocket. "Well, that sucks."

Trey sighed. "I don't want anything to happen to Faith."

"I don't, either," she responded. "You better keep an eye on her when she's with you, because I Know I will be."

He nodded. "I will be. I just want your help. I don't want Isla and her group to bully faith. She doesn't deserve it."

"She doesn't. Isla also deserves so much that she hasn't received, and none of those things are good." She grinned slightly, hoping Trey catched her drift. By the smirk forming on his face, she knew he had. "Well, if no one else will give her what's coming to her.."

"then we should," Trey finished, grinning. "Thanks for helping me with this. You're not so bad."

Lennox laughed. "I like to think so. But, one wrong move, and my revenge methods will be turned on you. Is that understood?"

He nodded, a sparkle of fear in his eyes. "So, what are we gonna do, and when?"

Lennox shrugged. "I'll start thinking if you do the same." She thought of Nora. "Do you mind if anyone else helps us?"

Trey shook his head. "Not at all. The more the better."

Lennox smiled, checking a clock on the wall. "We better get to class. See you later. Oh," she muttered, causing Trey to look at her curiously, "you and Faith wouldn't make a bad couple."

With that, she headed towards her first class of the day, smirking slightly. For once, she actually felt excited.

_______

Thoughts? Of the planned revenge? Of Nora? Please comment your thoughts, and feel free to point out any mistakes. Merry late Christmas. How did you guys enjoy the holidays?

-Sarah