The class ended, and with it, the deal with Preston was set in stone. As agreed, he handed over the first payment without delay. Naturally, Lily turned down the money, insisting that the best deeds are those done without a price tag.

“Of course she’ll take it,” Zoey said, grabbing the cash. “At least I will. Thanks, Preston.”

And with that, they headed off to their next class. As they walked, Lily couldn’t help but notice the look on Preston’s face. There was a nervousness in his glance, like that of a child bracing for the boogeyman to emerge from the closet. He was so pitiful, it almost inspired a twinge of compassion in Lily.

“So, tell us more about this bully of yours,” Zoey said. “We need to know what we’re dealing with here.”

“Honestly, I don’t know if bully is the right word for it,” Preston said. “This is next level stuff. Like, way beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

“Can you give us any specifics, or are you going to keep being vague?” Zoey said.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Preston said. “My life has been turned upside-down since this person came into the picture. I can’t go anywhere without feeling like I’m being watched. She’s relentless…”

“She?! So, it’s a girl?” Zoey interrupted.

“Uh, yeah. Why the surprise?”

“Nothing, it just adds a new twist to the whole story. A terrifying, psycho, stalker girl twist. Can’t wait to meet her.”

The words had barely left her lips when a loud, high-pitched voice cut through the noise, like a trumpet blast.

“Preston!” it screeched, causing everyone within earshot to jump.

The voice belonged to a girl, who came barreling towards them with alarming speed. She was petite with a short hairstyle, her eyes gleaming with the manic energy of a human hurricane. In moments, she stood with them, her eyes fixed on Preston with unmistakable admiration.

“Did you miss me? I’ve been counting down the minutes until I saw you again!” she exclaimed. “I can’t go a day without thinking about you. Isn’t that crazy? And by crazy, I mean totally normal. Right? Right.”

Not giving Preston a chance to respond, she continued on, her words tumbling out at rapid-fire speed.

“Remember that time we bumped into each other at the library and you picked up my books for me and I was so incredibly grateful? Oh, and how about that time you walked me to my class even though it was completely out of your way? I mean, who does that? Oh right, you do! Because you’re the nicest person ever. Probably the nicest person in the whole world. Like, seriously. I’ve taken a poll, and you won by a landslide.”

Lily and Zoey’s jaws dropped, mirroring each other in shock, as if someone had paused their brains while the world kept playing. Meanwhile, Preston looked like he was trying to find the nearest exit, preferably one that would lead to another universe. Finally, Zoey came back to her senses.

“Wow, Preston,” she said. “Just when I thought my expectations for you couldn’t get any lower, you go and disappoint me even further.”

“Hey!” the girl snapped, her expression turning serious. “Who do you think you are, talking to my Preston like that?”

Zoey let out a deep sigh with the look of someone about to clean up a spilled jar of honey—sticky, unpleasant, but necessary.

“Listen, uh…”

“Eliza,” the girl said.

“Right, Eliza,” Zoey continued. “I don’t know how to say this nicely, so I’m just going to say it. You need to back off from Preston. Give him some space. Respect his personal bubble. You know, that imaginary force field people have around them to keep creepy, clingy people like you at bay? Yeah, that one. And let’s be real here. What do you even find remotely interesting about Preston, of all people?”

There was a paused, with Eliza’s eyes darting around - a clear sign of her mind racing at breakneck speed. Then her face twisted into a scowl, as if she’d unearthed a hidden agenda beneath the surface of words.

“Ah-ha! I knew it,” she said. “You want to keep Preston all to yourself, don’t you?”

“Wait, what?” Zoey exclaimed.

“Ah-ha again! See, look at how you’re denying it,” Eliza said, her voice rising an octave. “It’s so obvious now that I’ve said it out loud. You’re trying to steal Preston away from me. I won’t let you do it.”

Preston, previously merely part of the scenery, chose at that moment to step in. He cleared his throat - a polite reminder that he was, indeed, part of this conversation.

“Listen, Eliza,” he said. “Before you jump to any more wild conclusions, let me explain something. Lily here, well, she’s actually my girlfriend. You know, the whole ‘exclusive’ kind? So, ... uh…there’s nothing else to say here.”

To say that his words had the effect of a bomb would be an understatement—they landed like an asteroid, leaving a crater of shock. Lily stood there, caught in a web of lies she never agreed to be a part of, too dumbfounded to even protest.

“Really?” Eliza said, breaking the awkward silence.

“Yeah,” Preston confirmed.

“Okay then.” Eliza said.

Her expression turned from one of shock to one of resignation. And like that, without a backward glance, she walked away, like the smoke after a firework.

“Phew,” Preston sighed. “Looks like that did the trick.”

He’d just finished his thought when Zoey offered a sharp, and rather painful, critique in the form of a punch in his stomach.

“Don’t use someone else’s name in your lies like that,” she said. “Do you have any idea what kind of rumors are going to spread now?”

“Uh, sorry. I kind of made it up on the spot. But you know how these things go. In a few weeks, it’ll be old news.”

“Lily, please speak up,” Zoey said. “Your reputation is at stake here. We need to clear this up before it gets out of hand.”

“Whatever,” Lily said. “I’ve had enough drama for one day. As my grandpa always says, ‘It doesn’t matter what others think of you, only what you know to be true about yourself.’ Now, can we please get to class?”

***

The rest of the morning ticked by without incident or a single hint of extra drama. Sure, Zoey was still worrying about the whispers surrounding Lily, but Lily marched to the beat of her own drum, treating the murmurs like background noise at a dull party.

Unfortunately, drama could not stay away for long. And it returned with a fiery vengeance. As Lily and Zoey reached the middle of the courtyard on their way to the cafeteria, a shriek pierced the air. It wasn’t a cry for help, but the thundering battle cry of a knight charging into combat.

And who should come charging at Lily, wielding a tennis racket as her weapon of choice? None other than Eliza.

Before Lily could even process the absurdity of the situation, Eliza launched into a series of swift and purposeful swings. Lily moved like a flash of lightning, just a step ahead of the racket’s angry swooshes. She skipped to the left, spun to the right, and even managed to execute a perfect backflip to narrowly avoid a devastating overhead strike.

A collective gasp rose, and in that moment, every pair of eyes was a window to pure wonder, every open mouth a testament to the spellbinding spectacle. The courtyard had been turned into a stage for a sport that didn’t exist yet, a wild mix of tennis and martial arts. An unexpected show that was as breathtaking as it was baffling.

But when it seemed that Eliza was running out of tricks, she produced a final surprise move. From the depths of her pocket, she drew out a handful of tennis balls.

With a ferocious battle cry, she unleashed a storm of projectiles towards Lily, each one propelled by a forceful swing of her racket. The balls soared through the air like tiny cannonballs, aimed at Lily.

For a split-second, Lily was taken aback. Tennis balls? Really? But she didn’t miss a beat. Launching into a side-flipping spin, she dodged the incoming balls, each one whizzing by her as he contorted through the air.

The crowd rewarded her gravity-defying act with a good round of applause. But Eliza wasn’t finished yet. With one mighty smash, she sent another ball hurtling towards Lily.

“Let’s see if you can dodge this!” she said.

With a most impressive spin kick, Lily returned the shot. Not to be outdone, Eliza countered with a tremendous reverse. In turn, Lily sidestepped, and the ball went flying past her.

“Ouch!” a familiar voice exclaimed.

There he was, Preston, sitting on the ground and nursing his forehead where the ball had hit him square on. Comedy gold to most, but to Eliza, it was a scene straight out of a horror film.

“Preston! Oh no,” she cried, rushing to his side. “Are you okay? Can you still see me? Blink twice if you can!”

“Eh–” Preston said, still dazed.

With a fiery look, Eliza turned to Lily, her accusing finger leaving no doubt about her target.

“Look what you did, you maniac! It’s all your fault,” she said.

“Me?!” Lily said. “You’re the one who went all psycho on me.”

“Exactly,” Zoey added.

“Alright, that’s it!” Eliza snapped. “I challenge you to a tennis match. Winner takes all. And by all, I mean Preston.”

The offer didn’t strike Lily as attractive. As far as she was concerned, Preston was like a long overdue library book—something to be eventually returned and forgotten. Yet, despite the oddity of it all, she realized that this match might be her only chance to bring an end to this nonsensical drama.

“Fine,” she said, to the buzzing of the onlooking crowd.

“Um, do you even know how to play tennis?” Zoey chimed in.

“I’ll figure it out.”