Velora University was no stranger to gossip. But this time, it wasn't just rumors — it was real, and it was about to explode.

It started on a Wednesday.

Someone had anonymously posted a screenshot in the group chat. A conversation full of half-truths and out-of-context lines. The caption?

"Careful who you trust. Even your friends have group chats without you."

By lunch, everyone had seen it.

Daniela stormed into the cafeteria, phone in hand, eyes scanning. Lara was sitting at their usual table with Daniela, pretending not to notice the tension.

"Want to explain this?" Daniela snapped, voice tight but low.

She looked up, calm as ever. "That's not even the full screenshot."

"So you're not denying it?" Sophia said, suddenly appearing behind Asher, her arms crossed.

Lara stood up. "It wasn't supposed to get out. It was venting. People talk."

"About your friends?" Manon asked from the end of the table, finally speaking. "About me?"

Megan looked away. Guilty.

Sophia scoffed. "Funny. You say it's 'just venting,' but there's a difference between being frustrated and being cruel."

Daniela's hand trembled slightly, the phone screen still lit. "I trusted you. You could've told me you had a problem with me. Instead, you laughed behind my back."

She didn't deny it. "I messed up."

Lara's voice cracked. "We all did. We let small things build up and made it worse by hiding it. But I'm tired of acting like everything's fine when it's not."

There was silence.

Then Manon stood. "If we're going to fix this, we have to be honest. All of us."

"Or maybe," Sophia said, turning to leave, "we stop pretending we were ever real friends in the first place."

The group fractured.

Some stopped speaking.

Some texted late at night, trying to rebuild.

Others needed space.

But behind all the drama, pain, and confrontation... there was a chance — a small one — that something stronger could grow.

If they were willing to face the truth.

Three weeks after the fallout, Velora High was quieter. Not literally — the halls were still buzzing — but certain people didn't sit together anymore.

Sophia had changed.

She didn't just walk out of that cafeteria — she burned the bridge.

She unfollowed, blocked, deleted group photos, even removed herself from projects. And when someone asked what happened?

She simply said, "Ask them. They're good at telling stories."

But behind her sharp words, something lingered: hurt. Deep hurt.

So she planned her revenge.

She joined the planning committee for the upcoming Student Showcase, knowing full well Lara and Manon were submitting a joint spoken word performance — their last chance to earn a top creative arts distinction.

Sophia's idea?

"Let's change the lineup last-minute," she told the committee with a sweet smile. "Some acts aren't ready anyway."

She didn't name names.

But when Lara and Manon found out they'd been cut the day before the event, they knew.

Meanwhile, she was trying to fix things. Quietly. She had started checking in with Daniela and Megan again — nothing dramatic, just simple messages.

To Daniela: Hey. I miss when things weren't this cold between us.

Daniela to her: I miss when things felt real. But thanks for reaching out.

Megan was slower to reply. But eventually did.

"If you want to rebuild, I'm listening. But it needs to be honest this time."

She didn't make excuses.

"I'm done with hiding. I want to fix what I broke."

The night of the Showcase arrived.

Lara stood backstage, furious and embarrassed. "Amber knew how important this was."

Manon looked at the empty audience chairs. "We burned her. We shouldn't be surprised she lit a fire back."

"I want to talk to her," Lara said suddenly.

"Now?"

"Yes."

So for that night, Lara messaged her.

Lara to her: "Help me fix what I broke."

"What *we* broke."

Now, it's left to decide what to do with Lara's final message. Whether to help or not to help — it was in her court now.