Happiness was a dire luxury, it was as temporary as life itself and no one could ever grasp it in its fullness. Faking it was a tiring talent because one could only pretend for so long.

It seemed that the only thing that continued to reapply the glue to my cracking mask of content was rolled-up green leaves and white dust. How could this fraction of an amount make my day better before it even began? To piece together everything and nothing all at once and relieve me of all my stresses.

I had mastered an amount that could keep me at peace long enough with an additional perk of not revealing my incoherence.

I inhaled the last of what Tim had given me off the cold marble tiling of my bathroom sink, closing my eyes to savour the feeling. I hadn't gotten through a day here without a bit of it.

I lifted my head to the mirror, fixing my hair and checking to make sure my nose was clean. I wiped from my eye a lingering tear and gazed for a bit. A smile spread across my face that came easily, no tension in my cheeks or grinding of my teeth to compliment the glimmer of ecstasy that enlarged my pupils.

"You're ok now," I told the girl in the mirror before I exited the bathroom to the faint sound of my father yelling my name from downstairs, telling me that if I didn't get down there now I'd be late for class. I was already dressed, I just hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

I grabbed my things and hurried down, meeting him in the foyer. His arms were folded and his angled brows thinned with impatience.

"Have you eaten?" He asked.

I nodded, not having caught my breath enough to speak.

"Let's go," he ordered , lifting the car keys out of the ceramic bowl on the entry table and started towards the door.

"Why are you taking me?" I asked tentatively, following him out the door.

"Because I feel like it," he uttered dismissively.

I didn't know whether I was more shocked or terrified. Nausea plunged an endless pit into my stomach and my heart's rate was no longer steady. I didn't argue and reached to open the back door. As he took his seat behind the wheel he stopped me and told me to sit in the front.

Within my silent panic I listed everything I had done recently that could possibly explain this weird circumstance and questioning why I might be punished.

I hesitated to follow his order and sit next to him in the front. When I closed the door to the Benz and buckled my seatbelt he pulled out of the driveway.

In a continuous motion, I crumpled the green fabric of my pleated skirt in my fist to control my agitation and prevent any further sweating of my palms. I stole glances at his unshaven visage to maybe decipher his very veiled expression.

I didn't know what to make of his silence and sudden want to take me to school for the first time ever. He was often very vocal and transparent when he was angry or in a bad mood. There were obvious tellings to his discontent that I could spot and know to stay out of his way. When he was quiet and I had no way of reading him was when he scared me the most.

I couldn't calm the frenzy my thoughts were in. Even when I did nothing it was something to them so I didn't now what conclusion to draw.

I wound down the window to let out the tension and ease my uneasiness.

"Dad?" My voice croaked with apprehension, that I cleared after. "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head then said, "You know, there is nothing you could attempt to hide from me and succeed," he reminded me.

"I know, and I'm not," I guaranteed.

He reached his hand over to me and I shift back out of habit. He didn't mind it and proceeded to remove my hair from my shoulder and with his thumb, he grazed intrusively a spot on my neck.

"Like asking me if I'd be home last night so you could have that boy over," he reckoned.

I lifted a hand to my neck as he removed his then pulled down the sun visor with the other to check in the mirror. I stretched my neck to the side and the mirror revealed my ivory skin that was darkened with a red blemish. Oh fuck! I looked at him, my eyes wide with fear and mouth ready to spew my reasonable explanations.

"Don't bother fabricating any lies. I saw your photographs from the other night at his race. I've heard the gossip," he informed me, his tone harsh and malicious.

I tuned him out for a bit, trying to wipe the hickey off when I knew I couldn't. By the second my dislike for Leighton grew. My cheeks reddened at the thought of walking into school with it on my neck.

I rummaged through my bag for my emergency concealer while I attempted to explain that whatever he was thinking was far from what was actually going on but he didn't listen.

The car stopped at red and he turned to me. "I'm not against it, you're not in trouble." His displeased tone said otherwise.

"I just needed to remind you that my partnership with the Mayor is crucial to our stay here." He waited for visible understanding.

I tore my attention away from my hand that was busy applying the powder to my skin and met his eyes with a nod.

"If you plan to fratenize with his son do it silently, away from the cameras," he warned, "and if it becomes more than that you keep that boy in love with you as long as needed because one negative thing escapes his mouth about you, us..."

I could tell how the thought of his ruin slowly built his rage, as his chest rose heavier and the vein in his forehead coming out to smile at me. The reason for it being me, no questions asked was even sweeter.

"We're finished and I won't take that politely," he threatened lightly. The light changed green and he turned into the school lot.

"Dad, please," I exasperated,

"I don't care what you are, Eden, just don't ruin it," he cut me off.

He pulled up in front of the entrance where other students were rushing in. Maëile stood out of their way and visibly by the flower pots.

"Have a great day at school," he smiled and he waited for me to lean over so he could bid me goodbye with a kiss on my cheek. I didn't adhere to his gesture because he was just over 14 years late for that kind of father daughter closeness.

I got out and closed the door."Bye."

I met Maëile and we walked in together.

"Are you ready?" She looked over at me. I nodded with a thin smile, not wanting my voice to give away any uncertainty. My father's words were replaying in my head.

"Meet me in the student council office at lunch," she told me before we separated. The bell rang right after and I was caught up in the hall, waiting for the anthem to end along with a few others.

I walked towards the classroom with a smile on my face, praying Mr Khan didn't send me to the office for a late slip. I greeted him when I entered and continued towards my seat. He didn't seem to mind.

Half way down the row of desks I noticed that my seat was now occupied by Valerie and Leighton was right next to her, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle raucously.

Her eyes drew to me as I began to approach a different seat. "You don't mind, do you, Eden?" She shouted, collecting and directing everyone's attention to me, except his.

"Knock yourself out Valerie." Literally.
I smiled then turned around, rolled my eyes and pulled out the chair to sit down.

"Fun night last night?" Seth leaned over to me and when I glanced at him, his charming smile was corrupted with one of amoral mischief.

I couldn't make it obvious that I was aware of what he was insinuating. I blushed animatedly then shook my head. "Not really," I told him, then smiled to myself for further convincing.

I decided to play into it a little more and took a quick peep of the two of them from over my shoulder. While I was disgusted on the inside, to Seth my expression had fallen, my eyes saddened.

He nudged me. "Don't take it personally," he whispered reassurance.

I faced him. "Did they used to have a thing?"

"Yeah, but it was one-sided." I glanced at them again. "Still is," he added.

"On her's or his?"

"Guess."

The answer was obvious but I stated the latter. "Leighton's still in love with her?"

He laughed like he had never been told a funnier joke. "How much more wonderful would everyone's lives be if he gave her more than just the time of day," he jeered, his voice oozing with sarcasm. "She would certainly be less of a bitch," he finished biterly then laughed some more at the thought.

I said nothing more and opened today's assignment.

Seeing Rowen around had become a rare sighting and I figured he was also avoiding me and I couldn't be bothered with pursuing him just for the fun of it.

On the way out of my second class I bumped into Leighton and unlike the first day, he left me to regain my own balance, brushing past me as if we were sworn enemies.

This new attitude was definitely baffling considering I was the one being screwed over. I spun around and grabbed onto the back of his blazer, pulling him back.

"That was rude," I complained.

"Was it?"

I took a deep breath, my face relaxing with the exhale then I furrowed my brows. "Did something happen that I'm not aware of, you haven't spoken to me at all today?"

"What's to talk about?" He shrugged.

"I mean, you said you liked me and it's not feeling like that right now," I admitted.

"You said you wanted us to stay friends and I'm respecting that," he said then walked past me.

I scoffed, an entertained laugh escaping after. I'm really going to enjoy what's about to go down, I thought and resumed walking.

The door to the student office was left ajar when I got there. At the back of the room, laid down in a settee was Maëile.

I looked around the well organized room, at all the student awards and student designed posters. There was also a slide on the small tv above the couch that showcased past events. Despite that, the office itself looked more like a lounge area than an office.

"So you guys actually have meetings in here?" I asked, walking over to her.

"Mmhm," she hummed and slid her legs up, so they bent at her knees, giving me space to sit.

"We discuss how we can make this school more tolerable for everyone," she added.

"Can anyone join?"

"Yeah but not if you have other priorities. A lot of work and time go into this," she explained.

The average sized portraits of Leighton and Maëile side by side caught my eye. "How did Leighton get Deputy Head?" I jeered.

"One representative is chosen by the student body and the other, me-" she placed he hand on her chest proudly "-I was chosen by the teachers."

"Makes sense." I chuckled.

A few minutes later, she got up and walked over to a folding table near the window. She took a bite sized doughnut ball from a small box on top of it and popped it into her mouth. "There's a few left from this morning, do you want?" She asked. I told her I did and she brought it over and we split the amount left in half.

"You'll have to go soon," she said, sheilding her full mouth. "I normally don't attend the reveal, so I can't be there today or they'll figure I told you," she apprised.

"Won't they already think that, because your always against it?"

She shook her head. "Them thinking it dosen't make it a fact."

"Ok, well, Thanks for saving me from the humiliation," I said as I stood up.

"Thank me when we're sure things go as planned." She waved goodbye.

I entered the cafeteria from the auditorium hall. The room was filled with what looked like the whole school and still had space for more. All the VIPs, except Maya and Leighton were standing around the broad podium, set before the north wall.

Maëile had said that they started first with the farthest guess and then the top five closest. Right now they were on the third closest which was Rowen's. He guessed three days.

As I moved up through the crowd, eyes slowly began to turn on me in realization. They made way for me with snark whispers and snickered to their friends.

"What's going on?" I asked anyone who would answer but I was left with chuckles.

"I don't think you should be here, right now," some guy in glasses and a crew cut cautioned me.

"Why, what's happening?" I asked for further explaining but Valerie was moving on to announce the closest bet and in that time Leighton entered the cafe. He silenced some conversations and boosted the excitement in others.

I pushed through a hored of people to the front of the row. A condescending smile and a wink he gave to me when our gaze met.

Valerie tapped the screen before her, that was being duplicated on the monitors attached to various columns. I kept my focus strained on Leighton's arrogant visage that would soon shatter sheepishly in a few seconds.

"Two days, nineteen hours and forty five minutes," Valerie pronounced and his face twisted puzzlingly.

He pushed her aside and surveyed the screen himself, his expression troubled. I watched keenly as he tapped the screen and a slow smile spread to my lips when his eyes captured my name. They all looked down at the screen appalled and everyone else in awe to see my name bolded on the tv monitors.

Seth stepped closer beside Rowen and read the words, "Eden?" He snorted. "No fucking way!" His head flew back as he erupted in boisterous laughter.

Leighton's firery gaze lifted to me and I blew him a kiss.

I stepped forward into the open space towards them, clapping. "It saddened me that none of you asked if I wanted to play. After all, the bet was dependent on me and why shouldn't I have a say on who I chose to sleep with and when?"

"Is this a fucking joke?" Leighton grumbled, looking bewildered at his friends. They were all speechless, expect for Seth who attempted to contain his laughter with failure and Rowen who shook his head at me.

"Did Wylder just get played by the new girl?" Some girl muttered aloud what they were all thinking. Instantaneous laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Since my guess was exact, how much money do I get...I hope all of it?" I provoked them further. He hopped down from the podium and stormed over to me.

"What's with the death glare, isn't this what you wanted?" I mocked. He grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the centre, not really out of ear shot.

"What the fuck do you think this is?" He cursed threw his teeth, his eyes bulging with indignation and I took delight in it.

"You should be happy right now, I allowed you to break your record," I said kindly.

Then I pulled my arm from his grasp and lowered my disdain filled gaze. The distance between us I lessened, raising the hostile tension between us. "How does it feel to know that the humiliation I was meant to suffer is now yours to keep?"

"Fuck you!" He spat. I laughed at him then made my leave.

On my way into the hall I felt someone grab my arm. Immediately I turned around and pulled my arm away.

Before me stood Rowen and he said, "You don't know what you just did."

I scoffed. "Whatever." I turned away and he took hold of my arm again. I spun around a second time and shoved him in his chest. "What's your problem?"

"I told you from the day you got here that a great year excluded getting involved with him," he reminded me coldly.

I blinked at his audacity. "I think you also neglected to mention that I was already on his radar since before that to be puppette in his game that you gladly take part in. Thanks a million for the warning, Rowen."

"Things could've gone differently if you did," he insisted.

"I could say the same to you," I said lastly then walked away.

Lunch ended merely minutes after and I didn't feel like going to third so I went to the art room.

When I got there, Maya was working on one of her sculptures she hadn't finished. Her head turned up in response to my entrance. Our eyes met, and she paused whatever she was doing, her expression falling somberly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think anyone would be in here right now." I started to turn away.

"No!" She blurted and I faced her again.
"I should be sorry..." She grabbed a towel from a nearby easel to wipe the clay off her hands, as she walked towards me. The cloth did little remove the murky greyness that covered her fingers.

"I wish I could've warned you, I wanted to but-"

"It's fine," I told her.

"You seemed so sweet I couldn't bring myself to be down there today and I would just prefer they just stopped doing things like that in general," she continued to ramble. I didn't want to hear it because she was apart of their clique but her eyes were melancholicly imploring and it sounded like she had been battling with her conscience.

"I won't ask you to forgive us, but I promise they can be nice people," she added and I felt sorry for how much she seemed to genuinely believe that.

"I didn't bet," she started to sputter some more until her phone notification went off, along with mine.

I slipped my phone out of my pocket while she grabbed hers off the table. On my phone a video from the cafeteria during the reveal played.

"You knew?" She lifted her surprised eyes to me. I kept watching.

"Eden?" She called a few minute after and I looked up at her.

"I know you probably couldn't care less, but it's not a good thing that this was recorded then posted. It has never been allowed." She frowned worriedly.

I glanced back down at my phone and in that second the screen went black and a message over it that said the video had been removed.