Monday arrived with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. Kaye's livestream had turned the tide of public opinion, but the challenges of high school life persisted. Stasi walked through the school halls, aware of the positive attention surrounding Kaye. But Clary’s absence from school that day gnawed at her.
Stasi knew the toxic family dynamics in the George household all too well. She confided her worries to her trusted friend, Kaye. Despite their occasional clashes, Kaye felt a surge of concern for Clary. She hadn’t realized the gravity of Clary’s situation at home.
The tension within the elite crew’s friend group was palpable. Aaron’s annoyance at Kat and Lizzie simmered just below the surface. Joey, racked with guilt over his part in the scandal, tolerated Kat only because they shared the same friend group. Wiley and Jae, both fiercely loyal to Kaye, had distanced themselves, walking past their former friends without a glance. Auden and Liv were caught in the middle, struggling with their thoughts about Wiley’s anger towards them.
The air was thick with unease, the power of the elite crew hanging precariously in the balance. Never before had the school seen their influence so weakened. Kaye’s rise from the ashes was nothing short of empowering, and the student body couldn’t help but whisper about how the House of the Phoenix fit the Burcharts as much as it did the Ferucchi’s.
This made Kaye think back on Freja’s words. The Burcharts were indeed rising from the ashes, reclaiming their narrative and their place in the social hierarchy.
As the day wore on, the whispers grew louder. Students glanced at Kaye with a mix of admiration and curiosity. The hallways buzzed with conversations about the livestream, and Kaye’s bold move had clearly left an impact. The newfound respect from her peers was palpable, and she walked with a newfound confidence.
Stasi couldn’t shake her worry for Clary. Her absence gnawed at her conscience, each passing period only intensifying her anxiety. She approached Kaye between classes, her expression troubled.
“Kaye, we need to check on Clary,” Stasi insisted, her voice low but urgent.
Kaye nodded, her resolve firm. “I agree. Let’s go after school.”
The day dragged on, the tension within the elite crew's friend group growing more pronounced with each passing period. Aaron’s anger at Kat and Lizzie, Joey’s guilt, Kat’s annoyance at her breakup with Joey and Wiley and Jae’s silent defiance created a charged atmosphere. The whispers about Kaye’s rise continued, and she felt the weight of expectations pressing down on her.
Finally, the bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Kaye and Stasi wasted no time in heading to the George mansion. When they arrived, a maid answered the door, her expression one of weary resignation.
“We’re here to see Clary.” Stasi said innocently, her voice sweet.
The maid looked unsure and clearly very uncomfortable, “Miss George, insisted on not taking any visitor’s today.” Her voice had a bit of a tremble to it.
Stasi was ready to go and simply call Clary to check in but before the maid could close the door, Kaye’s foot stopped it, feeling weirdly odd about the situation especially now that she knew how suffocating Meredith George was towards her daughter. Ever the resilient friend, Kaye was not deterred. “We’re not leaving until we see Clary,” she declared, pushing the door open and past the maid. Stasi, shocked yet impressed by Kaye's boldness, followed her through the mansion’s halls.
“Please miss,” the maid plead following after the two determined on their heels, “You have to go. Mr. and Mrs. George could return at any minute now.” Urgency and fear filled her voice.
Stasi leads Kaye to Clary’s room only to find it empty. “We should leave before the Georges get back,” Stasi urged, but Kaye refused to give up. She stormed through the mansion, calling out for Clary, but without luck.
She confronted the maid again, her frustration evident. “Where is Clary? What did they do to her?”
The maid, fearing for her job, pleaded, “Please, you have to leave. You’ll get Clary into even bigger trouble. I can’t say anything, but please, just go.”
Kaye, seeing the maid’s distress and Stasi’s concern, reluctantly agreed to leave. Her mind find her old friend Oakley, how she couldn’t save her from her troubling situation and how Clary, though irritating at most, still made her experience the same fear and worry.
As they walked back to Kaye’s car where her driver awaited their return outside the mansion gates, Stasi’s mind was pondered with worry for her friend and surprise at Kaye’s loyalty to Clary, even though they never seem to find mutual grounds. The weight of knowing her family was involved in dangerous crimes pressed down on her. She wondered if she could finally confide in Kaye, especially after seeing how much she cared, even for Clary, despite their differences.
Her memory found the night she wanted to surprise her father at his work with a nice dinner and sweet desserts, he always seemed to be working late since he ventured into the shipping enterprise. That’s when she heard the gunshot and as she dipped in between the containers, curious to what was happening. There, she found the image of her father, a gun gripped tightly in his hand aimed at a man laying in a pool of blood in front of him. Their security guards, who had been with their family her entire life, practically uncles to her, stood proudly and tall behind her father, ever the loyal servants, ready to clean up a murder. Despite this horrific scene, it was the screams that came from inside the containers that haunted her to this day.
“Kaye, I need to tell you something,” Stasi began, her voice trembling, unable to keep this terrible secret any longer. She poured out her heart, revealing everything she remembered so vividly from that night.
Kaye gasped as she listened intently, her expression one of unwavering support. When Stasi finished, Kaye wrapped her in a comforting hug. “Oh my god, Stasi, I had no idea you were suffering in silence for this long. You’re not alone, okay, from now on, you have me to confide in.”
Kaye offered to spend the rest of the day with Stasi, not wanting her to be alone after such a heavy revelation. Stasi accepted, and they headed to the Frasher Estate.
Arriving at the Frasher Estate, Kaye and Stasi were surprised to find Richard Frasher, Stasi’s father, home early. The grand foyer was usually empty at this time of day, but today it buzzed with a tension that was almost palpable. Stasi’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the deep, resonant voice of Victor Burchart, Kaye’s father, mingling with her father’s.
Peeking through the partially open door to the study, the girls saw Richard and Victor in the midst of a heated business discussion. The sight left them stunned. Stasi knew about her family’s underground dealings, and seeing her father in conversation with Kaye’s father, a man she had always seen as upstanding, was shocking.
Kaye’s eyes widened, her mind racing with turmoil. The implications of their fathers’ connection sent chills down her spine. She exchanged a worried glance with Stasi, who looked equally bewildered. Both girls could hardly believe what they were seeing. The conversation between Richard and Victor, both men of who they had always believed to be upright and honourable, painted a different picture of their family lives.
Lingering looks of shock and confusion passed between the girls as they continued to spy on their fathers through the cracked-open door. The realization that their fathers might be involved in something far more sinister than they had ever imagined weighed heavily on Kaye. Her image of her father, the protector and moral compass of their family, was starting to fracture the same way Stasi’s did that night she discovered the horrible truth behind the man she once looked up to.
The girls retreated quietly, not wanting to be discovered. Their minds buzzed with questions and unease. As they went upstairs to Stasi’s bedroom, they exchanged a look of understanding and determination. They had to uncover the truth, no matter the cost.
Wiley had been feeling the weight of everything for days. The scandal, the whispers, and the shifting dynamics in their friend group. The pressure of learning the ways of the Ferucchi lineage, was also starting to take a toll on him, finding it hard to keep the balance of the morals he grew up with and the true nature of his heritage, he tried so hard to suppress. He decided to spend the afternoon at Jae’s house, hoping to find some sense of normalcy. But normalcy was the last thing he found.
The Starling estate was a picture of elegance and charm. Nestled amid manicured gardens, the mansion exuded an air of refined sophistication. Tall, white columns supported the grand entrance, and large windows allowed sunlight to stream into the spacious rooms, casting a warm glow on the polished wooden floors. Inside, the decor was a blend of classic and contemporary, with tasteful furniture and carefully curated artwork adorning the walls. The estate radiated a sense of calm and order, a stark contrast to the turmoil that Wiley felt inside.
As he sat in Jae’s room, waiting for him to return from the kitchen with their snacks and beverages, Wiley’s eyes wandered to Jae’s phone, left carelessly on the desk. It buzzed with notifications, and curiosity got the better of him. He glanced at the screen, it was Lizzie apologizing profusely about the video and blaming Kat, his heart pounded with this news, but the true astonishment came as he saw Kaye's name amongst new messages.
A mix of shock and betrayal surged through him as he read the text messages. Jae had been reaching out to Kaye since before the scandal. After the Valentine Formal, Kaye's responses were sparse and distant, clearly indicating her reluctance to engage. But one message stood out among the rest—it mentioned a kiss. Wiley felt his blood run cold—the trust between him and Jae, gone by this ultimate betrayal.
Wiley’s heart pounded in his chest, a mix of shock, anger, and betrayal washing over him. The words blurred before his eyes as the realization of Jae and Kaye’s secret meetings, and the kiss, hit him like a ton of bricks. How could Jae keep something like this from him? His best friend and his sister, having secret conversations and a kiss behind his back. The betrayal felt like a knife twisting in his gut. And as this revelation washed over him, it mingled with a sense of isolation. Without a word, he went downstairs and left the Starling estate, his anger simmering beneath the surface.
Back home, Wiley could barely contain his fury. He felt the sting of betrayal from Jae and Kaye, and the constant tension with the elite crew only fuelled his anger. Pacing his room, he reflected on the mysterious conversation he’d overheard between the Cuthbert triplets that hazy summer night.
Their hushed tones and nervous glances held his attention. They had spoken about a girl, but who she was and what they had done to her remained unclear. The memory gnawed at him, adding to his growing frustration of not knowing who’s on his side. His temper barely controlled, added to the decision to bring an end to this group, to expose them for their dark actions and manipulations.
Pondering over possible schemes, he knew what to do, perhaps, it would be much easier to turn them against each other first, make them destroy themselves.
A devilish grin spread across his face, finally knowing what to do. Pulling out his phone, he sent a message to Liv, asking her to meet him in secret. He chose a stingy diner in the side of town the elite crew wouldn’t want to be spotted at, dead or alive. A place where they wouldn’t be seen.
The diner was a relic of a bygone era, with cracked vinyl seats and flickering neon lights. There was a young girl behind the counter, perhaps not older than himself, chewing a piece of gum relentlessly all while lost in the math book in front of her. She had made her way towards him twice, her attitude of annoyance and irritation at his presence, as she stared him up and down, and warned him not to take his eyes off his car for his own good. She continued to ask him for his order, which was why the coffee in front of him remained untouched, then the second time she made her way over was to tell him that they would be closing in an hour and that the kitchen would be closed in thirty minutes.
Wiley sat in a corner booth, his eyes scanning the room anxiously faltering away from his car briefly. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, betrayal, confusion. He couldn’t shake the image of Jae’s messages from his mind, the words about their kiss replaying over and over.
Liv arrived shortly after, her expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension. She could sense the tension radiating from Wiley, and it made her as uneasy as the location of their meeting. Especially since he was behaving out of character the last few days and she was sure that he would never lay eyes on her or speak to her ever again.
The diner reeked of cleaning chemicals and coffee but to Liv, it didn’t look like there had been much cleaning done. She threw her gaze over the diner in judgement, never having thought a place that serves food, could possibly look so unappetizing. She was used to the luxurious layouts of the exclusive restaurant in Bloomfield and would’ve never thought of stepping over the border to the Lake View community if it weren’t for Wiley.
Lake View was the town where the mines and other hard labour industrial jobs were located and amongst the community a few public schools, local shops, drug stores and essential care for the inhabitants, who made their living for working for the elite families of Bloomfeild.
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“Hey,” she had a faint unsure smile, “how have you been?” she asked, sliding into the booth opposite of him.
Wiley wasted no time and ignored the pleasantries. “That night, with you and the triplets. Who was the girl you were talking about? And what did you do to her?”
Liv’s eyes widened in shock, a hint of fear creeping into her gaze. A part of her had hoped he had asked her there to rekindle the once tight bond, but she also knew the gravity of answering this question. “Wiley, I... to be honest I have no idea wat you’re talking about.”
“Don’t give me that,” Wiley snapped, his fist bangs on the table earning a look of bewilderment from both Liv and the girl behind the counter, yet, his voice low and intense. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. That night at the last party you guys threw last summer, when I found you, you and Lizzie was protesting for Aaron to invite me into your friend group once school starts. I heard what you said.”
Liv was mortified, even though the elite crew’s bond was faltering at the moment, didn’t mean that they would abandon each other for something as little as the scandal Kat and Lizzie pulled at the Valentine Formal. Their friendship ran deeper than the years they spend growing up together, it harboured many dark secrets, some far too dangerous to admit aloud. She knew what to do, “Wiley, we were all very drunk that night, I honestly can’t remember.”
As much as it hurt her to lie to him, she knew that if he was to find out about what they were all involved in, he would never be able to look at her the same way again.
“I need to know the truth. I’m tired of all these secrets and lies. Why won’t you say something? Why are you lying?”
Liv glanced around nervously, then leaned in closer, reaching out for his hand trembling in anger. He pulled it away, staring at her with a dark look in his eyes she hadn’t seen before, it was chilling and cold. “I’m sorry, Wiley but I can’t help you.”
Liv stood up, walking to the exit. Wiley’s frustration deepened. “Olivia!” his voice echoed through the diner.
She hesitated, the weight of the secret pressing down on her. Her heart ached, he had never call out to her by her full name, and she knew if she was to turn around now, she would falter and betray her childhood friends and her own brother. She couldn’t do that, so she simply focused on the door and left Wiley to his own devices.
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