Helanie:
Penn looked at and then at Rudy, who had his hands in his red jacket, looking fresher than the rest of us. It was their day off, so he had been out and about until now.
"Back off, Rudy!" Penn hissed at him.
I felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. Whenever eyes were on , I was reminded of the day I had to walk ho after that torturous night. They had examined the sa way back then, and I could never forget those eyes.
"Helanie, he didn’t really do it for you, get that," Rudy stated, with Sage and Summit behind him while Arlo scanned the crowd.
I watched as his eyes landed on Lucy, then shifted to our group, as if noticing how we had fallen apart.
"Rudy! Penn is my friend, let’s not poke at him," I stepped forward to defend Penn, who tilted his head at Rudy, probably smirking because I was standing up for him.
"You’re so innocent, Helanie. He did it to cause a rift between your team. Every move counts, and he has already started a war within your group," Rudy’s words caught off guard.
Even Penn tried stepping forward to face him, but Lamar and Gavin rushed to hold him back.
"Whoa! Easy there, Alpha boy. You might be training today, but we’ve been doing this for years," Sage warned Penn.
I hated this war between us. It was unnecessary and uncalled for.
"He didn’t. Okay? I know Penn, and I know he would never sabotage my test or anyone else’s," I argued, refusing to let them attack Penn, who had genuinely stepped in to defend but was now being painted as a team breaker.
"Yet he played Riri so well. He’s capable of playing gas—it’s just that you’re too good of a friend to hold any of yours accountable. They’ve been sabotaging your reputation since day one, Helanie. Every ti you won a test or were praised, they would ss up your happiness, and instead of celebrating, your group would be caught up in drama," Rudy continued, making my anger flare.
"Oi! That’s enough," Lamar finally spoke up, stepping in front of .
"Why? Are we lying, though? One of you has probably realized how toxic the group is. And trust , she’s doing much better now," Arlo added, turning his gaze to Lucy, who was rocking her body sideways just like Sydney.
"Thanks for your guidance, but I don’t need it. This is what friends do. And you lost your argunt the mont you brought up Riri and tried to make Lucy look like a lesser ss," I shot back.
The second I said that, I saw Rudy’s confidence waver, and Lucy’s body language changed.
Her hands dropped from her waist in shock, disbelief written all over her face. Then there was Rudy, swallowing hard.
"And next ti, don’t co between and my friends," I warned him, feeling bad that he had chosen this route.
"I didn’t an to hurt you. I was just worried they’d ruin your progress," Rudy muttered, reaching for my hand, but I stepped back.
"Let her be. Look at how she made look bad—that’s what she does. She’s not the naive one; in fact, she’s the ssiest in the group. She loves playing the victim and is the biggest ’pick-’ ever."
My heart crumbled at Lucy’s words, but I had expected them. She had been holding them in for a long ti.
"Nobody is talking to you," Sage turned to glare at her, but Sydney had her back.
"Why? She can’t have a say in a royal conversation?" Sydney hissed at Sage.
"My friends were there for when I was lonely. There were tis when I couldn’t believe anyone could cheer up or support , but they did. They all played their parts—except for Lucy! Who thinks I’m just an attention seeker," I said loudly, watching Lamar and Gavin step forward in shock.
"At least Sydney gave her so confidence to say it to my face and not just whisper it when I’m alone," I added, recalling all the tis I had been in pain while Lucy only reminded how imperfect my life was.
"I didn’t an to—" Rudy’s expression shifted as he realized how much he had hurt . He had been competing with Penn, but in the process, he had genuinely wounded .
But I was done with the conversation.
"Co on, let’s go, guys," I told my friends, who looked upset at the way Rudy and the others had tried to paint them.
They had no idea how much my friends had helped . All of them had been there for . Back when I didn’t have clothes, Gavin had offered Lucy’s tracksuit. And though I had been grateful to Lucy for that, I couldn’t say it anymore—not after how she had let down.
Every day, she stood with Sydney and made snide remarks about whenever I passed by.
Just yesterday, as I walked past her, she had said, "I bet so girls are going to sell their million-dollar virginity."
The fact that mine had been taken from by force made her comnt strike deep into my heart.
Our group walked away as the other students continued their open argunts.
"Thank you," Penn’s voice broke through my thoughts as we reached the academy.
"Thank you for standing up for ."
There was a proud shine in his eyes as he looked at .
"No! Thank you for standing up for back there. I didn’t know how to face Hans—he seed intimidating," I admitted, genuinely grateful.
And despite Rudy’s claim that Penn had only caused trouble by breaking our team apart, I knew that Hans would never have worked as a team player anyway.
"So what are you going to do about Hans?" Lamar asked, draping one arm over my shoulder and the other over Gavin’s, peeking at from between them.
"I’m afraid I’ll have to give him power. People like him only function when they’re given responsibility," I said.
I had no intention of becoming a leader—I just wanted to win the test. And for that, I was willing to take whatever necessary steps.
"Indeed, soone who knows everyone’s strengths and how to use them," Jenny recalled my words, and everyone smiled proudly.
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