CHAPTER EIGHT Scene One: Monday - Back to School
Patel strutted into the Middleford High hallway like a royal prince returning from exile. Head high, shoulders back, a ridiculous grin stretched across his face. The school buzzed with typical Monday morning energy, lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking, the smell of cafeteria mystery breakfast wafting in the air but none of it phased Patel.
"Ahh... school," he whispered, arms spread slightly like he was embracing the madness. "I missed you."
But that wasn't why he was smiling like a kid who got extra gulab jamun on his birthday.
Yesterday was a banger.
His dad's birthday was a certified blockbuster. The decorations, the food, the awkward uncle dance-off iconic. But none of that held a candle to Jenny.
She had shown up just like she promised.
For only an hour, yes, but what an hour it was.
That emerald green gown...
"Bro, she looked like a Bollywood princess and Hollywood goddess combined," he muttered to himself, replaying the slow-motion mental footage for the fiftieth time. "Straight up highlight of the day."
Heads turned as he walked past. Not because he was hot stuff, but because he was beaming like he'd won the lottery.
Then he heard it.
"HEY NERDVILLE!"
His smile cracked.
He turned.
Trey.
Oh no.
It all came flooding back. Mira. The lip stick paint. Mira's revenge. Trey's vandalized car.
"I'm dead," Patel whispered.
He dropped his books and RAN.
Trey and his entourage of elite, gym-built, protein-bar-chomping senior boys charged after him like wolves. Patel zipped past juniors, bumping into lockers and screaming apologies.
"SORRY!
Coming through!
MY BAD!
DON'T DIE!"
Then BAM! He smacked into someone and hit the floor.
"Yo, nerd!" Jason said, snickering as he looked down at him. Brick and their third guy (probably named something like Chad or Blade) loomed over him.
"You been gone for three days and the first thing you do is reenact Fast and Furious: School Drift?" Jason asked.
"Classic Patel," Brick laughed.
Then Trey and his gang skidded into view.
"Looks like we're not the only ones who enjoy ruining his life," Brick muttered with a smirk.
Jason backed off. "He's all yours, Senior. Try not to break him too bad. We need our daily entertainment."
Trey grabbed Patel by the collar and hoisted him up.
"You think you could just disappear after wrecking my car and act like nothing happened?"
"It wasn't me! I swear!" Patel yelped. "I don't even know who did it! Honest!"
Trey narrowed his eyes. "After we beat the truth out of you, maybe you'll remember. Take him to the Grade 12 floor."
"Wha-what?! The Forbidden Paradise?!" Patel panicked.
They dragged him toward the staircase like a poor soul being sacrificed to the senior gods.
Meanwhile...
Mira stood by her locker, face blank, eyes stormy.
Her weekend ended in disappointment . Jenny. That emerald dress. That laugh. That perfect timing. Mira was enjoying her time with Patel when she arrived and stole all the attention.
She punched her locker.
CLANG!
A few heads turned.
"Stupid perfect Jenny," she muttered. "Can she just not ruin one thing? One!"
Then she heard yelling.
A crowd was gathering. Upstairs. Boys. Trouble.
She squinted. Trey and his gang were dragging someone. Her eyes widened.
"Patel?"
She didn't hesitate. She sprinted toward the chaos.
"HEY!" she shouted.
Trey turned just in time to see a furious ponytailed girl shoving him hard that he nearly lost his balance.
Patel tumbled out of their grasp and landed at her feet.
Mira stood over him like a lioness guarding her cub.
"Back. Off. Jerkface," she growled.
Trey blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Touch him again and I'll wreck more than your car."
Trey scoffed. "This doesn't concern you, junior. You wanna get involved, you'll get the same treatment."
Mira stepped forward, nose almost touching his. "I am involved. I'm the one who vandalized your stupid car, you self-obsessed greasehead."
Gasps.
Patel looked up at her like she was a goddess.
Trey's friends froze.
Trey stared at her. This petite, fierce-eyed girl was calling him out in front of everyone.
"You... did it?" he said slowly.
Mira nodded. "Me. Not Patel. You got a problem, take it up with me."
Silence.
Then Brick whispered, "Dude... she's kinda scary."
Trey looked Mira up and down. She was pretty. But she had liver. Not a girl you mess with.
"Tch," he scoffed. "Whatever. Not worth the drama."
He walked away. The others followed, whispering.
Mira knelt beside Patel.
"You okay?"
He nodded, wide-eyed. "You're like... a warrior queen."
She smirked. "Come on, prince nerd. Let's get you to class".
She helped him up, grabbed his hand, and together they walked past the crowd like a scene out of a teen Netflix movie.
The hallway watched in stunned silence.
Later
At Grade 11A
The bell rang, and the classroom fell silent as Mr. Lee shuffled some papers, adjusting his glasses as he prepared to start his lecture. He was a walking, talking geography encyclopedia who never missed an opportunity to drop "fun" facts about his world travels. And, of course, he had to remind the class about it every five minutes.
"So, class," Mr. Lee started, his hands waving in the air dramatically, "Did you know I once hiked up Mount Everest?" He paused for effect, as if waiting for applause.
Patel, sitting next to Jenny, exchanged an awkward glance, a half-smile creeping onto his face. Jenny caught his eye, and they both quickly looked away, their faces burning slightly. The tension was palpable. A few seconds passed before they both cleared their throats at the exact same time, which only made them glance at each other again, both now grinning sheepishly.
"I-I had no idea," Patel muttered under his breath, still trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, it's... it's really something," Jenny replied, her voice soft and teasing. She was trying so hard not to burst into laughter at how awkwardly sweet their interactions had become.
Meanwhile, Mira was sitting a few rows back, glowering at Mr. Lee as he rambled on about his "worldly adventures." The man had traveled to every corner of the globe, and while that was impressive, he seemed to take every opportunity to remind everyone in the room about it. Mira had had enough.
"Ugh, there he goes again," Mira whispered under her breath, causing the students near her to snicker. "Mount Everest? Really? Next, he'll tell us about his camel ride in the Sahara or the time he swam with dolphins in the Maldives."
The students around her chuckled quietly, trying to stifle their laughter as Mr. Lee continued.
"You know, the key to surviving Mount Everest is not just about physical endurance," Mr. Lee said, eyes twinkling. "It's about mental strength! You need to know yourself! You need to
…"
Mira raised her hand dramatically.
"Are you going to raise your hand to ask about the summit?" Mat teased her, leaning over from the next row.
"Shut up, Mat," Mira shot back. "I'm just trying to stay awake."
"Well, if you're ever interested, I can give you a tour of the world's most boring places," Mat added with a grin.
Mira rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile.
At the same time, Patel and Jenny were exchanging yet another quick glance. Jenny's hand brushed against his slightly, and both of them stiffened before quickly retreating. It was a simple gesture, but the butterflies in Patel's stomach were anything but simple.
"This is going to be a long class," Patel whispered, looking anywhere but at Jenny.
"No kidding," Jenny replied, trying her hardest to act nonchalant.
At the back of the room, Nattie, who had been trying her hardest not to get distracted by Dave's incessant attempts to flirt with her, was failing miserably. Dave had taken it upon himself to sit next to her today, and he hadn't been subtle in his intentions.
"Hey Nattie," Dave whispered loudly, "I was thinking, you know, we should totally hang out after school. Just the two of us. I'll even show you my collection of vintage vinyl records."
Nattie, barely glancing up from her notebook, shot him a dry look. "Dave, for the hundredth time, I don't care about your vinyl collection. You keep asking me out like we're in some bad rom-com."
"I'm just saying," Dave continued, undeterred, "I've got a great selection. '80s hits, classic rock…."
"Yeah, yeah. We get it. You think you're cool because you have old records," Nattie quipped, sarcastically. "How about you get a new hobby, like, I don't know, asking a girl out without talking about old school music?"
Dave grinned, clearly not put off. "I'll take that as a yes."
Mira caught sight of Patel and Jenny exchanging another brief smile, and her expression darkened. "Seriously?" she muttered under her breath, barely containing her frustration. "You guys are like, what, secret lovebirds now?" She rolled her eyes, throwing a mock glare at the back of the classroom. "Patel, you're such a sucker."
Mat and Sheldon, noticing her sudden irritation, started whispering between themselves and snickering.
"Uh-oh," Mat whispered dramatically, "Looks like Mira's gonna go full-on 'don't mess with my man' mode."
"Better watch out, Patel," Sheldon added with a grin. "She's got those protective instincts. It's like a lioness, and you're the cub."
Mira could feel the teasing eyes on her and shot them a playful middle finger, which only made the two boys laugh harder. But inside, she couldn't deny the bitterness she felt watching Jenny and Patel exchange glances like that.
The bell rang, and Mr. Lee finally wrapped up his long-winded lesson, much to everyone's relief.
"Alright, class, any questions before we wrap up?" Mr. Lee asked, his voice full of self-importance as he surveyed the room.
Herb, sitting near the front, raised his hand eagerly.
"Yup, Herb?" Mr. Lee asked, not even trying to hide the pride in his voice as he prepared to impart more of his vast knowledge.
But before Herb could even open his mouth, Mira leaned over to him and whispered with a smile, "Drop that hand or I'll cut it off."
Herb froze. "What…..?"
Mira's eyes narrowed playfully, and she added, "I'm serious."
Herb immediately dropped his hand, looking over at Mira with wide eyes. "Uh... okay, no questions here!"
Mr. Lee blinked in confusion but quickly continued on, oblivious to the silent exchange. "Well, alright then."
As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Mr. Lee bid them goodbye in his usual dramatic way, promising more "adventures in geography" the following week.
"Goodbye, my world travelers!" he called as he headed out the door.
"Thank God," Mira muttered, collecting her things with exaggerated relief.
Nattie turned to her, smirking. "Is it just me, or is he always reminding us about how many places he's been?"
"Honestly," Mira sighed, "I think his head's been to the moon too. He probably thinks he's the first person to climb Mount Everest or something."
"Don't knock it, though," Nattie teased, nudging Mira. "He's kind of like the living Google Maps."
Mira snorted. "I don't know how people sit through his class without going insane."
As the students filed out, Patel and Jenny exchanged one last look before parting ways, each with that familiar flutter in their chests. Jenny smiled, her heart doing an odd little skip. Patel caught her eye again, and for a second, their gazes locked.
"See you later?" Patel asked, his voice barely above a whisper, but there was an unmistakable warmth to it.
"Definitely," Jenny replied with a smile.
Jenny grinned, walking away with a playful wink.
"See you, Patel."
"See you, Jenny," Patel whispered to himself, watching her go with a stupid smile on his face.
Mira watched the exchange from the corner of her eye and rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I would make sure that you guys fall out."
Later that afternoon
During The Closing Hours
The hallway had thinned out. Lockers slammed shut one after the other. Shoes squeaked against the polished floor. The day was winding down except for the drama.
Jenny shut her locker with a sigh, her head still buzzing from class and… other things.
As she turned around, she was met with the unmistakable sound of heels and giggles. Claire, Lulu, Agnes, and Britney strutted down the hallway like they owned the place which, socially speaking, they kinda did. Claire led the pack, glossy-lipped and glowing with the confidence of a girl who knew she was queen.
"Jenny!" Claire's voice rang out in a sing-song tone. "There you are, girl!"
Jenny forced a polite nod but didn't smile. Inside, she was already rolling her eyes.
Claire bounced up, looping an arm around Jenny's like they were besties. "You're so quiet today, babes. What's up with you?"
Jenny pulled her arm back gently. "Honestly? I didn't like what you did to Sasha. That prank was cruel, Claire."
Claire blinked. "Cruel?" She let out a dramatic gasp. "You hated it?"
"I did," Jenny said firmly. "You went too far. She was humiliated."
Lulu let out a loud scoff. "Oh please. It was hilarious."
Britney chimed in with a fake pout. "Yeah, Sasha totally had it coming."
"I don't care what you think of her," Jenny snapped. "What you did wasn't okay. Claire, you should apologize."
Claire and her girls burst into laughter. Like actual laughter. The kind you'd hear in a teen comedy movie when the popular girl was too fabulous to care.
"Apologize?" Claire giggled, flipping her hair. "Jenny, sweetie… queens don't apologize."
Jenny clenched her jaw. "Then maybe being queen isn't worth it."
Claire's smile dropped. Her voice turned sharp, a dagger wrapped in cotton candy.
"You're ungrateful, you know that?" she said, stepping closer. "I did that for you. You're the reason that prank even happened."
Jenny froze. "What?"
Claire rolled her eyes like it was obvious. "All I did was stand up for my friend. I taught her a lesson; don't mess with my girl."
"I didn't ask you to do that," Jenny protested. "That's not the way I wanted things handled."
"Well, oops," Claire said sarcastically. "Damage done."
Then, as if nothing happened, Claire's tone shifted to bubbly again. "Anyway, forget the drama. We're throwing a party tomorrow evening. Kris booked out his cousin's mansion. You're coming, right?"
Jenny shook her head. "Not really the party type."
Claire narrowed her eyes. "Jenny…"
"I don't think I'll make it," she said more firmly.
Claire's lips pressed into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Oh? That's disappointing. Because I've been hearing… you're tryna have a little vibe with that nerd. What's his name? Patel?"
Jenny's eyes widened. "How do you…?"
Claire grinned wickedly. "Let's just say I've got ears everywhere. Same way I heard about Sasha's little attitude toward you. I look out for my friends."
Jenny stared at her, the puzzle pieces clicking into place. So whoever's feeding Claire gossip... they're close. Real close.
Claire leaned in, voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Let me be clear, Jenny. If you don't show up at that party, I swear on my tiara… I'll use everything in my power as Miss Middleford and all the pull Kris has, remember his dad's a senator? to make Patel's life a living hell."
Jenny's heart stopped for a beat. "You're blackmailing me?"
"No," Claire said sweetly. "I'm just giving you a choice."
Jenny stared at her for a long moment, fists clenched at her sides. "Fine," she muttered. "I'll come."
Claire patted her cheek like a pet. "Good girl."
She turned on her heel, her heels clicking triumphantly as her entourage followed behind her, giggling like they just won an Oscar.
Jenny watched them go, rubbing her cheek where Claire touched it, like it burned.
She muttered to herself, "What kind of mess have I gotten myself into?"
"Jenny!"
She turned. It was Patel, looking a little breathless, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder.
"Hey," he said, smiling gently. "You heading home? I was gonna walk you to the gate if that's cool."
Jenny's mood softened at once. "Sure. That's… that's cool."
They started walking down the corridor together, and for a second, things felt normal again.
Then…
"PATEL!"
Mira came out of nowhere, sprinting like a drama queen in a teen romcom. She skidded to a stop between them and linked her arm with Patel's.
"Oh my God, thank goodness I found you," she said breathlessly. "I need help with my math homework. Like, urgently. I won't leave school till it's sorted."
Patel blinked, caught off-guard. "Uh now? I thought you said you understood today's class."
"Did I?" Mira blinked innocently. "Hmm. Must've lied."
Jenny chuckled under her breath. "It's okay," she said to Patel. "Go help her. I'll see you tomorrow."
"You sure?" Patel asked.
Jenny nodded. "Yeah. Go play hero."
Patel grinned sheepishly. "Okay. Thanks."
Jenny waved at both of them and turned away.
Mira watched her go with a little smirk. Once Jenny was out of sight, she let go of Patel.
Then acted like she just remembered something
"Oh. Right. I did already do that homework," she said .
Patel gave her a look. "Wait..what?"
Mira shrugged, grabbing his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Oops. My bad. Let's go home."
Patel stared at her, confused and exasperated. "Mira… what was that?"
But she just tugged him along, grinning like the cat who stole the cream. "Don't worry about it."
Later That Night
Julia's Mansion
The lights were low in Jenny's room, the glow of her phone screen lighting up her face as she lay sprawled across her queen-sized bed, wrapped in a cozy purple blanket with cartoon clouds on it. Her legs kicked playfully in the air behind her as she giggled, texting away like she was having the time of her life.
On her screen:
Jenny: What is wrong with you? LMAO
Patel: It's a gift. I was dropped on the head by the universe.
She laughed harder, slapping a pillow beside her. "This boy is not okay," she whispered to herself, grinning wide like someone had sprinkled sugar into her brain.
Then….
Knock knock.
Jenny's giggle froze mid-air. Her eyes darted to the door, and she groaned.
"Ughhh. Come in!"
The door creaked open slowly, and in walked Julia elegant as always in a sleek silk robe, hair tied in a perfect messy bun that looked straight out of a magazine, holding a mug of steaming green tea.
Julia raised an eyebrow and leaned on the doorframe. "Why is my little sister glowing like she's starring in her own rom-com?" she said, smirking.
Jenny immediately tossed her phone under the pillow. "I am not glowing."
"You are so glowing. You literally look like a toothpaste commercial," Julia teased, walking in and flopping onto the bed beside her.
Jenny tried to hide her smile but failed. "It's just... a friend. Chill."
"Oh? Just a friend?" Julia raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea dramatically. "Is this friend the reason you were kicking your feet like a Disney princess just now?"
Jenny giggled and blushed. "Stoppppp. Okay, fine! His name is Patel."
"Patel," Julia repeated, as if tasting the name. "Sounds... poetic. Tell me everything. Is he smart? Funny? Tall? Does he smell like freshly baked bread?"
Jenny burst out laughing. "Eww no! He smells like... books. And trouble. But like, cute trouble. He's kind of weird, and goofy. He says the dumbest things. But... I don't know. He just makes me laugh. Like really laugh. The kind of laugh that makes your stomach hurt."
Julia tilted her head with a soft smile. "That's rare. A laugh like that is magic."
Jenny smiled, hugging her pillow. "Yeah. He's... different."
There was a pause. Julia placed her mug on the nightstand and leaned forward, her teasing tone softening. "I'm glad he makes you happy, Jen. Honestly, it's nice to see you like this."
Jenny looked at her sister, grateful. "Thanks, Jules."
Julia's smile faltered slightly. "But I hope... I hope you're just enjoying the company. Not... catching feelings."
Jenny's brows furrowed. "Why?"
Julia took a breath and gently reminded, "Because... you're still betrothed to Prince Henry."
The name crashed into the room like a thunderclap.
Jenny's heart dropped, the magic in the moment fading like a balloon slowly deflating. Her smile vanished, and she sat upright, hugging her knees to her chest. "Right. Prince Henry."
Julia placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed gently. "I know it's hard. I know. But try not to forget what's coming, Jen. Please don't make it harder for yourself."
Jenny looked away, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular.
Julia stood up, picked up her tea, and walked toward the door. Just before she stepped out, she turned her head slightly and said softly, "Goodnight, Disney Princess."
The door closed.
Jenny stared at the closed door for a long second. She reached under her pillow, pulled her phone out slowly, and stared at Patel's last message.
Patel: Also I think gravity was invented to keep me from dancing.
She smiled faintly. Then sighed.
Outside, the moon hung silently over Julia's mansion.
Inside, Jenny lay on her bed, caught between laughter and a future she didn't ask for.