Disguised As A Boy To Attend Belmont High School
Chapter 118: The Devil’s Bargain.

Chapter 118: The Devil’s Bargain.

The group filed out of the staff room, heads hanging low in defeat. The tension was palpable, and the air thick with unspoken words.

Rachael and Anabella exchanged a bitter glance, anger and resentment simmering just beneath the surface. Peace and Lara walked ahead, their arms crossed, faces set in determined lines.

Henry, Olive, Mark, and Lucas trailed behind, their conversations hushed and subdued as they tried to process the events that had just transpired.

As they stepped into the hallway, the chaos of the school hallway hit them like a wave. The laughter and chatter of students, the clang of lockers, and the wail of the school bell merging into a commotion that grated on their already frayed nerves.

Rachael’s eyes drifted across the crowd, but her mind was elsewhere. Her school fees. She had no way to pay them, and the looming threat of being forced to leave school weighed on her like a boulder. The shame she’d feel, the whispers behind her back, it was all too much. Her shoulders slumped under the pressure.

Anabella noticed her distracted look and scowled. "Don’t even think about trying to pin this on me," she spat, her voice sharp. "This is all your fault, Rachael."

Rachael’s face flushed with anger, but she swallowed her retort. There was no point in fighting now. She had more pressing issues to deal with than Anabella’s accusations. Without a word, she turned and began walking away, heading deeper into the crowd, but Anabella wasn’t ready to let it go and followed close behind, unwilling to be dismissed.

Peace turned to Lara, her voice low but resolute. "We’ll meet at the basketball court after school, yeah?"

Lara nodded in agreement, watching as Peace slipped into the throng of students.

Henry shook his head, confused. "I don’t understand," he muttered once Peace was out of earshot. "What exactly started their fight?"

Lara sighed, rolling her eyes slightly. "Anabella and Lucas broke up because Rachael and Peace revealed her secret. Of course, they fought after that. Things just... spiraled."

Mark snorted. "Typical drama. They’ll sort it out eventually or just keep fighting and digging themselves deeper into trouble."

Lucas chuckled dryly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I never thought I’d say this, but thank God I’m not a girl. Seriously."

"Anyways. I’ll help you and Peace in cleaning. You’re my friend afterall." Olive declared with a warm smile.

Lara turned to Olive excitedly. "Thanks for offering to help with the basketball court. It’s a huge space, and it’s going to take ages to clean it by ourselves."

Olive smiled and gave a small nod. "No problem. It’s better to tackle it together."

Lara’s face brightened as she pulled Olive into a quick hug. "You’re a lifesaver."

After a moment, she pulled back, noticing the amused looks from the others and cleared her throat.

"I’ll help too," Henry offered, his tone genuine. "I mean, this whole mess started because of me, so it’s only fair that I pitch in."

Mark raised an eyebrow, looking curiously at Lara. "Because of you?"

Lara shrugged. "It’s complicated, but yeah, it’s tied to him. I’ll tell you about it later babe."

Mark gave her a knowing grin. "Well, my girlfriend’s in trouble, so count me in. I’ll help clean the court too."

The group turned their attention to Lucas, who had been silent. He immediately caught their expectant stares.

"What? Why are you all looking at me?" he asked, clearly defensive.

"Are you going to help or not?" Mark asked, crossing his arms.

Lucas scoffed. "Why would I? I didn’t start the fight so why should I share in the punishment?"

Olive shot him a glare. "So you’re just going to stand around while we all do the work?"

"Exactly. I’m not volunteering for something I had no part in," Lucas replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Lazy ass," Olive muttered under her breath as she turned away, annoyed.

"What was that?" Lucas asked, his voice laced with irritation, but Olive ignored him, walking away with the rest of the group in tow, leaving him standing there alone, a dejected look crossing his face.

____________

Meanwhile, Rachael had managed to shake Anabella off and made her way to the girls’ bathroom. She needed a break, a moment to breathe. The stress was getting to her, and she felt like she was drowning.

She leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her face pale and drawn. The weight of everything, her school fees, the fight with Anabella, the constant pressure was pressing down on her like a tidal wave.

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to calm herself down, but her mind kept racing. How was she going to come up with the money? She had tried everything asking her mom, searching for a part-time job, even thinking about getting a loan. But nothing had worked out.

As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, the door creaked open, and a familiar face stepped inside. Jessica. Rachael stiffened when she saw her.

Jessica, noticing Rachael’s discomfort, smirked and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a flick of her lighter. She took a slow drag, her eyes narrowing as she looked Rachael up and down.

"Well, look who we have here," Jessica drawled, blowing out a plume of smoke. "What’s the matter with you this time?"

Rachael shot her a glare. "None of your business." She turned to leave, but Jessica grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"Is it about your school fees or the baby in your womb?" Jessica asked casually, her tone filled with mock concern.

Rachael froze, her heart skipping a beat. She whipped around to face Jessica, her voice trembling. "What did you say?"

Jessica’s smirk widened. "You heard me. School fees or the baby? Or is it both?"

Rachael’s pulse quickened, panic rising in her chest. How did she know? Without thinking, Rachael reached out to cover Jessica’s mouth, but Jessica batted her hand away with ease.

"How do you know about this?" Rachael asked, her voice breaking as tears threatened to spill again.

Jessica laughed softly, exhaling another cloud of smoke. "It’s not exactly hard to figure out. Your parents cut you off, you killed your boyfriend, and now you’re pregnant with his kid. You’re scrambling for money to get an abortion. I mean, you practically broadcast it to me who was paying attention."

Rachael’s legs felt weak, and she leaned against the sink for support. "How could you know about the pregnancy?"

"I followed you to the clinic," Jessica replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You’re pathetic, Rachael. You really are. But lucky for you, your problems might just work in my favor."

"Just stop it," Rachael cried, pressing her hands against her ears. "I don’t want to hear this."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Crying won’t help. Listen, I have a deal for you. You need money, right? To pay your school fees, to get rid of... you know what. I can help you with that."

Rachael blinked, her tears slowing as a flicker of hope sparked inside her. "What do you mean? How could you help?"

Jessica’s smile widened. "You work for me. Make up for the damage you caused at my mom’s club when you got your boyfriend killed. You work, you earn, you clear your debt."

Rachael hesitated, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Work for you? Doing what?"

"Meet me at my room in the girls’ hostel when you’re done with your punishment. We’ll talk details then," Jessica said smoothly, taking one last drag of her cigarette before flicking it into the sink. "Until then, take care, Rachael."

With that, Jessica sauntered out of the bathroom, leaving Rachael alone with her thoughts and a difficult decision to make.

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