CHAPTER TWO. Stares and reflections

Vienna sat on the bench near the quad, her legs crossed and the early afternoon sun casting a soft glow over the scene. She carefully reapplied her lipstick, the rich crimson shade a stark contrast to her complexion. It was one of those rare moments of peace in a day that had otherwise been laced with whispers and heavy, anxious tension. There was no way to escape the buzz around Lucas's death—it clung to the air like smoke—but for the moment, Vienna was determined to forget about it.

She watched her reflection in the small compact mirror, adjusting the lipstick with careful precision. Vienna had perfected the art of pretending, of masking everything that was bothering her behind the perfect swipe of color.

Just as she was about to close the mirror, a figure approached from the corner of her eye. Vienna didn't need to look up to know who it was. She had already heard the rhythmic clacking of Ashley's boots as he walked across the cobblestones.

Ashley, as usual, was dressed in his effortlessly chic ensemble—high-waisted trousers and a shirt that Vienna would never be caught dead liking.

Vienna caught sight of Ashley's shoes catching on the uneven stone, his body pitching forward, and she instinctively stood up, ready to help.

Ashley's eyes widened for a split second before he righted herself, his hands flailing momentarily. He looked at Vienna with a mix of embarrassment and something else—something harder, almost challenging, in his gaze.

"You're still sitting there," she said with a smirk, her voice sharp but with an underlying tension.

"So are you"

Vienna raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a small, knowing smile. "I'm too busy enjoying the silence."

Ashley rolled his eyes, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he leaned against the bench. "Whatever you say," he muttered, pulling out his phone. Vienna returned to her compact, ignoring the slight, but a few moments later, Ashley's voice cut through the quiet once more. "Wait—what the hell?"

Vienna's hand stilled, and she glanced up just in time to see Ashley staring at his phone, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. Vienna's curiosity piqued.

"What?" Vienna asked, a slight edge to her voice as she leaned forward. "What's going on?"

Ashley didn't respond right away. Instead, he swiped furiously at his phone, his fingers trembling ever so slightly. Vienna's patience wore thin, but just as she opened her mouth to ask again, Ashley finally looked up.

"It's... it's a message," Ashley said, his voice suddenly low, almost eerie. "From... someone called 'The Watcher.'"

Vienna frowned, her fingers gripping the edge of the bench. "The Watcher?"

Ashley nodded, eyes wide. "Yeah. It says..." he paused and read aloud, his voice barely above a whisper. "'I see everything. I'm watching. You're all in this together. You can't hide from me.'"

Vienna's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down her spine. Her grip tightened on the bench, but she said nothing. There was something unsettling about the message, like a hidden threat wrapped in the guise of omnipotence.

Just then, both of their phones buzzed at the same time. Vienna glanced down to see a new message notification. The sender was the same—The Watcher.

Vienna tapped the message open and read it, her eyes scanning quickly: "I've made a groupchat for all of you. You'll get the truth soon enough. But until then, keep your secrets close. Because I know them all. #TheWatcherKnows."

"What the hell is this?" Ashley muttered under his breath, staring at the message in disbelief. he swiped up and down, as if trying to refresh the screen to ensure it was real.

Vienna's gaze lingered on her phone, a feeling of unease settling in her stomach. The Watcher knows. She read the message over and over in her head. It wasn't just a text; it was an invitation into a game—one that she wasn't sure she wanted to play.

The sound of footsteps approaching interrupted the silence, and both of them looked up just in time to see a few more students passing by, all with phones out, murmuring to each other about the same mysterious message. Vienna had no doubt that by now, the entire school had received it.

Ashley's voice broke through her thoughts. "This feels wrong," he said, his eyes flicking nervously toward the students still walking by. "Do you think it's one of us? Someone from here?"

Vienna didn't answer immediately. Her mind was already racing, trying to make sense of the growing tension in the air. The Watcher had made it clear they were watching, but who were they? And what did they want?

But Vienna knew one thing for sure—there was no way to ignore this. No way to pretend this wasn't happening. The truth would come to light, whether they wanted it to or not. And they were all going to be dragged into it, one way or another.

Emmet walked briskly through the hallways, the buzz of the school's chatter fading as his thoughts lingered on the message from The Watcher. He had heard rumors, seen the whispers passing between students, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something far bigger than he was prepared for. His phone buzzed again, but he ignored it, his fingers twitching as he fought the urge to check. Instead, he focused on getting to his next class.

As he rounded the corner, the sharp click of heels against the tiled floor caught his attention. He looked up, just as the principal's office door swung open. A few students were filing in and out, all with anxious expressions, their eyes darting back and forth as if they were being watched.

Emmet's eyes narrowed, and a chill settled in the pit of his stomach. Something about the way the door opened, the hurried steps of the students, the murmur of voices... it all felt wrong.

He kept walking, trying to act like he hadn't noticed the odd tension radiating from the office. But then, as if summoned by some unseen force, the door creaked open once more.

This time, Emmet froze. The detective stood in the doorway, his dark eyes scanning the hallway with the precision of someone who had seen too many things he wished he hadn't. The detective's gaze caught Emmet's, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down.

Emmet's heart skipped a beat, and before he could even think to respond, he quickly looked away, breaking eye contact. His chest tightened, and he fought to keep his pace steady as he picked up speed. He didn't know why, but something in the detective's stare unsettled him. He couldn't afford to get involved, not now, not with everything else spiraling out of control.

The detective's gaze lingered for a moment longer, but Emmet didn't stop. He didn't dare. He just kept walking, rounding another corner, his breath coming quicker with every step, his mind racing.

Whatever was happening in that office, whatever the detective was here for—it wasn't something he was going to get caught up in.

Emmet didn't stop until he reached the back stairwell, out of view of the principal's office. He leaned against the cool metal railing, trying to steady his breathing. But even as the seconds ticked by, his mind kept returning to the same thought.

The Watcher was watching. And whoever this detective was, he was getting closer.

He couldn't outrun it forever.

EJONA SPEAKS !!

New update wohoo!! I love how this is a mix of gossip girl x one of us is lying x agggtm vibes

Is everyone innocent? Or all they all guilty?

Thoughts?