The relaxation center was buzzing with students, some lounging on the couches, others glued to their phones, and a few chatting in groups with snacks and drinks.

It was supposed to be a laid-back place, but Isabella sat stiffly on the edge of her chair, her hood pulled low, her heart already uneasy.

Kayla walked up and dropped a stack of books in front of her. “Here.”

Isabella blinked, staring down at them in confusion. Her fingers brushed the covers like they might explain themselves.

“The books? Wh…what are they for?” She finally looked up at Kayla.

"Those are our notebooks,” Kayla said with a tone that screamed duh.

Isabella was still confused. "Then why are you giving them to me?”

Tina chuckled, shaking her head like Isabella was ridiculous. “Seriously? What’s with this ignorance? You act like you’ve never seen how this works before when you literally look like ‘this’ is your whole life.”

Kayla crossed her arms, staring her down. “Since you’re pretending not to get it, then I’ll spell it out for you, dummy. You’re gonna be helping us. Writing our notes, doing our assignments…”

"What?" Isabella blurted out with a loud voice, then she gulped, biting her bottom lip, scared they might get angry.

Although she was still dumbstruck

She stared at the books, then back at Kayla. “If… if I’m doing all this for you, what about tests and exams?”

The girls scoffed. Lila rolled her eyes. “Wow. She’s really clueless.”

Kayla sighed like she was already tired of Isabella. “There’s always a way around it. You’ll help us with everything…”

Isabella panicked. “But… but we could get caught! That’s not something we can get away with, so please, please, I’m begging you…”

Kayla shoved the side of her head with her knuckles, snapping it to the side and shutting her up. "Shut up, Isabella. Tests and exams are months away. We’ve got time to figure that out. For now, deal with this.” She jabbed her finger against the pile of books in Isabella’s hands.

Isabella stayed quiet, knowing arguing was pointless. The least she could do was obey.

“And since I’m the class rep, you’ll handle most of the work,” Kayla continued. “Gather information, pass it to me, submit assignments… basically, you’ll do my work for me.”

“But… won’t anyone notice?” Isabella asked hesitantly.

“Why would they?” Kayla snapped. “All the professors care about is that information gets to the students, assignments are turned in on time, projects are done… they don’t give a damn about who actually does it.”

Isabella rubbed her sweaty palms together, anger bubbling inside her. She wanted to scream, to push back, but she knew better. If she hadn’t been wearing her hoodie, Kayla would’ve seen the red mist clouding her face.

"Now that I’m sure you understand, you can get started. Grab the professors’ numbers, get the info you need. You dig?”

Isabella nodded, feeling like gravity was pinning her down. Her world felt like it was meant to crumble.

‘I’m definitely born to be unlucky,’ she thought.

It had been a rough day for Isabella, one that left her completely drained and stressed. She couldn’t even join her friends to grab drinks or celebrate a successful first day of lectures.

She had to get home because the work waiting for her wouldn’t do itself. Three lectures meant three sets of notes to copy before tomorrow. It felt so unfair.

Isabella dropped the heavy stack of books onto her desk with a thud and pulled out her chair. The best thing to do was start now if she wanted any chance of sleeping later.

“What are those books?” Elizabeth asked, lying on her bed and propping herself up on her elbow.

Isabella glanced over, and sat down on the chair. "School,” she answered bluntly.

“School?” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t take notes there, or couldn’t keep up? Though I doubt that.”

Isabella looked at her and noticed the calculating look in her friend’s eyes. “It’s nothing,” she said, looking away as she flicked on her desk lamp. “You should just get some sleep.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Ella, you got back super early. People with friends don’t do that. After school, everyone hangs out in coffee shops to study, bars to celebrate, clubs to party. I even passed by the Retro Bar and saw freshmen there. I honestly thought you’d be there too.”

Isabella sighed, trying not to let it get to her. “I just… I just had things to do. And honestly, I don’t think I should get involved with that stuff. I’m sure you understand.”

Elizabeth laid on her back, staring at the ceiling, feeling pity. She wondered how long Isabella was going to keep punishing herself for no reason at all.

She was just a sweet, innocent girl who hadn’t done anything wrong.

They’d been friends since high school, so Elizabeth knew Isabella inside and out, and Isabella knew her just as well.

Isabella had been through a lot, yet she kept blaming herself like she was some villain in a story.

Elizabeth let out a quiet sigh. “As much as I don’t want to, I guess I’ll just pretend I understand.”

Isabella didn’t respond. She stayed focused, scribbling down the notes, lost in her work.