12 Sweet Facade, Sweet Kristen

I went to school in the morning. It would be better to go with my mom, but she went to work earlier because her receptionist job started at seven.

So I used my old bike.

I cycled for a while, then realized that someone was tailing me from behind. I looked over my shoulder and found a fancy Audi was following me from behind before taking over me. I frowned while continue pedaling, then the window slid down, and a girl popped out with a smirk on her face.

"Emmy, why are you using a bike? Don't you have a car?"

…

"My mom used it. She went to work earlier," I replied without emitting anything. I didn't have time to deal with this girl right now.

"Aww, that's too bad, but I think the bike fits you better. I mean, what's your mother's car again? 2003 Honda? Oh yeah, better to donate that to the junkyard, sis~" she laughed, and I heard another girl in the driver seat also chuckled.

My gaze squinted to see the woman in the driver's seat, I thought it might be her mother, but it was actually Ashley.

I scoffed, full of contempt, "What about yours, Chrissy? Are you proud to be a hitchhiker?"

"What? I'm not hitchhiking! Ashley stopped in front of my house and picked me up! I have a good friend with me, unlike you!" Chrissy started getting defensive, and it was right into my trap.

"Oh, I see. I didn't expect Ashley to befriend someone at the same level as a worm-like me. Even went as far as picking her up like her personal driver," I laughed full of contempt at Ashley in the driver seat. "Wow, sis, you're so lucky to have a personal driver."

I saw Ashley was clenching the steering wheel while Chrissy was speechless, unable to fight my words back.

"Hmph, you lonely little shit," Chrissy cursed at me before the car window slid up again, and Ashley pressed the gas to leave me alone.

I shrugged as I continued cycling. I didn't have time to deal with Chrissy right now. Yes, I know I should be more careful, but against that one bitch, I'd rather not.

**

I parked my bike and went inside my school. The corridor was as crowded as always, with people flocking Mason. He still had his lukewarm smile to everyone, as if it was already a template on his face.

To think about it again, Mason never had any other expression when facing these fangirls that kept increasing every day. He still had the same smile and rejected everything or answered a question politely.

God, thinking about being a school idol like him must have been suffocating.

I walked to my locker and noticed that Cerise was taking some books from her locker. I approached her and patted her shoulder.

"Wha!" Cerise jolted. She turned her head at me and patted her chest. "E—Emmy, you're going to give me a heart attack!"

I smiled at her reaction, "What's your first class?"

"Um… Biology," Cerise replied.

"I see. Good luck then," I unlocked my locker and then took out my math books. But before I left, Cerise suddenly grabbed my arm. I looked over my shoulder and asked, "Yes?"

"U—Um… about last night call… I suggest you not talk with Kristen," Cerise looked scared. Which made me curious because I thought she would defend that girl like an oblivious bunny being led in a cage with a dangling carrot.

"And why's that? I thought you said that she's a wonderful girl."

"She is, but um… I just don't want you to get hurt," Cerise warned. "I—I tried to talk to her yesterday. I thought we could be friends once more, but she shoved me away because we're not equal. I'm just too low for her."

"I—I mean, I deserve it, but not you… I just don't want you to get humiliated…."

"Cerise, do you think that you deserve to be treated like that?"

"Yes," Cerise replied without hesitation. "Kristen told me that I was too weak and worthless to defend myself against the bullies, so she had to save me."

…

Cerise, sometimes I wished you could be more suspicious about your surrounding. She literally crushed your confidence to the ground.

I think, at this point, there was no point in pushing Cerise about Kristen's dark secret. Cerise would just lie to me, or even worse, trying to distance herself from me.

I sighed and shrugged to release Cerise's weak grasp on my arm, "Cerise, you should learn how much you meant for some people. At least I know someone who values you as her best friend."

"Wha…"

I walked away from Cerise and went to my math class. I read the list of students in this class for today and saw my name and Kristen Suite there.

Okay, this would be a perfect time to test whether my hypothesis was correct.

If Kristen Suite wanted to befriend Cerise because she was at her lowest, acting as a savior even though she actually manipulated Cerise as her pawn.

So I had to act like Cerise on the surface.

I had to act like a scared little girl in a wild jungle.

Right now, I was just a new girl who had no friends in this wilderness.

I saw Kristen was walking in my direction, a girl with long blonde hair. She wore jeans and a white shirt, she dressed plainly, but she was beaming with an angelic aura that made people assume she was actually a good person. In fact, if she didn't bully me in the first timeline, I found it hardly believable that she was truly evil inside.

Heh, Sweet Kristen, I knew your facade. I will find a way to crack your mask.