When Amanda went on Reddit once more, she was baffled to see the majority of the comments were
directing abuse toward her instead of Elise. “What the hell is going on?” she asked in bewilderment.
After clicking into the post she had made, she scanned the comments anxiously and a grimace began
to work itself onto her features when she arrived at the end of the comments section. I can’t believe
Elise actually has connections with the Griffiths of Athesea! And the four Griffith boys give her a ride to
and from school every day, too!
“That’s impossible!” Amanda hissed through gritted teeth. She had always thought of Elise as some
bumpkin from a below-average family, but boy, she was wrong. Clearly, Elise had the Griffiths to back
her up. Does this mean that the guy from earlier was the legendary Alexander Griffith?
As realization dawned upon her, Amanda quickly found the number that Alexander had given before
she hit the call button. She was hoping that she could conduct some damage control before things
went out of hand. However, she didn’t expect a female voice to speak up on the other line when the call
went through. “Hi, this is the Athesea Psychiatric Hospital. How may I help you?”
When she heard this, color drained from her face and she bitterly registered the fact that he had given
her the number for the psychiatric hospital instead.
A furious Samantha and Riley found Amanda at this moment and they shouted her name, “Amanda!”.
“This must be your doing!” Samantha snapped and snatched Amanda’s phone without another word.
“What the hell, Samantha?” Amanda shrieked. “Give me back my phone!”
Samantha ignored her and instead tapped on the phone screen. Several clicks later, she found the
content she was searching for and concluded mutinously, “Yeah, she’s the one behind all this.”
Upon hearing this, Riley grew outraged and immediately dragged Amanda with her. When Riley found
Elise, she declared seethingly, “Elise, this b*tch has been making up lies about you on Reddit. I have
half the urge to punch her lights out!”
Elise was clueless about the incident until Samantha had sent her the link to the infuriating post. After
having perused the photos and the caption, Elise asked Amanda stoically, “You did this?”
Amanda pressed her lips into a grim line, obviously reticent.
Rather than forcing an admission from Amanda, Elise grabbed the girl’s phone and changed the
password. After that, she tossed the device to Riley and added, “Have fun with her account.”
Riley chuckled deviously. Not missing a beat, she quickly logged into the account and made the post
private before she impersonated Amanda to upload a statement admitting all the accusations directed
toward her. As if adding more insult to Amanda’s injury, she also signed off the statement with
Amanda’s full name.
Needless to say, Riley was seized with great satisfaction at the end of such a feat. Amanda’s name
immediately started trending on Reddit and the torrential abuse that followed was highlighted by an
exposé on her past scandal on plastic-surgery.
At the sight of the scathing remarks that flooded the comments section, Riley switched off the phone
with a grin. Amanda, on the other hand, was stumped as she leaned into the chair, looking as if all life
had been drained out of her.
“Amanda, I think it’d be better if you asked to leave this dorm,” Samantha pointed out bluntly. It was
more of a command than a suggestion, and she didn’t sound like she was offering Amanda a chance to
negotiate.
As she gritted her teeth, Amanda refused to say anything.
Riley then broke the tense silence and drawled, “Well, if you’re so shy, maybe I could help you to ask
instead.”
With that, she took out her phone and gave her father a call. “Hey, Dad, you know how there’s an
Amanda Hudson staying in our dorm right now? She wants to switch to another dorm. Do you think you
can make the arrangements?”
Mr. Bolton didn’t spare any doubt as he readily agreed to his daughter’s request. “There’s still a vacant
bed in Dorm 504. She can move over immediately.”
“Okay, I’ll relay this to her,” Riley quipped with a smile and hung up the call. Then, she turned to
address Amanda haughtily, “There’s still an empty bed in Dorm 504.
See yourself out.”
Bitter resentment filled Amanda, but now that she was backed into a corner, she knew she had no
choice other than to pack her things and move into Dorm 504 next door.
Presently, as the door fell shut after Amanda’s departure, Riley and Samantha high fived each other
with glee. “The evil witch has been defeated!”
Elise gazed at them and smiled, having been moved by the way they stood up for her earlier. She went
over and clapped one hand on each girl’s shoulder before she said lightheartedly, “Dinner’s on me
tonight. Take it as my show of thanks to the both of you being my knights in shining armor.”
Samantha and Riley exchanged a bemused glance, then cackled. “Since you offered, don’t blame us
for tearing a hole through your wallet.”
Elise replied good-naturedly, “Bring it on. You guys can order anything you want.”
The three of them beamed at each other and it was the first time she had ever felt lucky to have
friends.
They dined out that evening and it was the free period when they went back to school. Similar to what
happened last week, Mr. Bolton handed them another set of test questions to work on.
Amanda was noticeably absent from free period after what had happened earlier that afternoon, but no
one asked about her, given how busy they were with the test.
“Hey, Elise, what was your answer for the last multiple choice question?” Samantha asked as soon as
the free period was over while holding Elise’s arm with renewed desperation.
Elise thought about it for a moment before she responded, “I chose B.”
Samantha grew upset at this. “I got it wrong again.”
“That’s alright,” Elise comforted as she ruffled the other girl’s hair affectionately. “I’ll help you work on it
when we’re back in the dorm.”
The trio were conversing with one another while heading back to the dormitory
when someone called out, “Hey, Elise, there’s someone at the school entrance asking for you.”
As such, Samantha and Riley accompanied Elise over to the school entrance. They immediately saw
Alexander standing in the distance and Riley tugged Elise’s sleeve as she asked, “Elise, isn’t this the
hot guy who picked you up earlier? Be honest, is he your boyfriend?”
Samantha was keen to know the answer as well. “Yeah, Elise, let us in on the secret to bagging
handsome men!”
Elise, however, resisted the urge to cringe as she explained hastily, “No, you’ve got it all wrong. He isn’t
my boyfriend.”
Samantha and Riley’s eyes brightened and they said in unison, “Then, he’s mine.”
As Elise gaped at her friends, she was a little astonished by the looks of interest on their faces and
asked solemnly, “Are you guys serious about this?”
They nodded once in response and a smile played on her lips as she turned to look at Alexander, then
shouted, “Hey, Alexander! There are a couple of girls here who are into you!”
The awkwardness that ensued right after was suffocating and while his eyes darkened dangerously,
Samantha and Riley exchanged a panicked glance. Each could tell what the other was thinking: The
joke is getting out of hand!
Samantha was the first to be defensive. “No, no, Young Master Alex! There’s been a mistake; I am
completely not into you.”
Riley jumped on the bandwagon as well. “Yeah, I’m not into you either. That would be ridiculous.”
Elise was rendered speechless by them, but before she could react, Alexander had walked up to her
and held the take-out carrier bag toward her. She glanced at it and took it before she mumbled
hurriedly, “Thanks.”
However, the word had barely rolled off her tongue before he turned on his heels to leave.
Samantha and Riley saw this and skittered over to her. Then, they asked in hushed
tones, “Is he always been so cold and distant?”
“My goodness, he’s like a walking iceberg.”
Elise stared at the take-out carrier bag in her hands mutely. For some reason, she felt as if Alexander
was upset, even though he had uttered not a single word.
She looked up and watched the car drive further away. As she pursed her lips, she thought, Nah,
you’re being melodramatic.
“Wow, what did he get for you?” Riley asked curiously, pulling Elise from her thoughts. Elise gave the
contents of the bag a fleeting look and saw all the dishes she had had with him for lunch.
After she retracted her gaze, she announced, “Come on, let’s go back to the dorm and feast!”
The three girls paid no mind to Alexander’s tense and non-verbal interaction with Elise and headed
back to the dormitory while laughing as they went.
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