Ophelia closed her locker door, and without turning around, said, “Tiffani, I know you’re there.”

Tiffani sighed and replied, “How did you know?”

Ophelia turned and responded, rolling her eyes, “Lately, you seem to have acquired a fondness for coming up behind me while I’m at my locker. What are you going to yell at me about this time?”

Tiffani smiled cheerily. “Nothing. I just wanted to bury the hatchet, that’s all. Let bygones be bygones.”

Ophelia raised an eyebrow and said slowly, “I don’t trust you. You’ve got something up your sleeve. Now spill. What are you up to?”

“Nothing at all. I just realized we’re fighting for really stupid reasons. So… can’t we go back to how things were?”

Ophelia paused, thought, and shook her head. “I think I’ll wait until I see evidence that you’re not going to stab me in the back or anything like that. I’m sure you understand why.”

“Sure.”

Ophelia closed her locker and walked to class, her mind racing. There’s something up, she thought. Tiffani is up to something. I don’t think she would just let this go. She’s planning something. I need to be on my toes. She could try to pull something on me.


With a sigh, Ophelia sat down and waited for class to start. Sawyer sat across from her, a smirk on her face.

“Uh, can I help you?” Ophelia asked.

Sawyer’s smirk widened. “So, what’s this I hear about you dating a chick? I should have known you were like that. You make me sick, you know that?”

“Well, I’m not too crazy about how you live your life either, so I guess we’re about even,” Ophelia shot back.

“At least I’m not pulling a total Katy Perry.”

“You’re saying I’m doing this for attention?”

Sawyer tilted her head, looking utterly confused. “What?” she asked, before going back to her planned spiel. “You’re a real weirdo, you know that? I mean, I knew before this you were off, but this just settles it.”

“Bite me.”

“I’d rather not have any part of me touch you. I might end up like you,” Sawyer replied, shuddering.

Ophelia smirked a little and said, “Oh, really? So, you think if you touch me, you might start making out with your friends?”

“I can’t see why you would actually choose to do anything so sick.”

“I didn’t. Trust me, if I had any choice in the matter, I’d have preferred to end up nice and conventional. Actually, scratch that. I don’t want to be what you consider to be normal-- you consider overpriced outfits and eating disorders to be ‘conventional.’ I think that, all things considered, I’d rather be myself, as weird as I seem to you.” Ophelia grinned at Sawyer, then lightly poked at the girl’s arm and added, “Have a nice day.”

Ophelia watched Sawyer back away slowly, a look of horror on her face. Ophelia sighed and rolled her eyes, thinking, If Tiffani had any part in this, I wouldn’t be surprised. Well, I’m not letting her win this. I’m not sinking to her level. God, Sawyer’s such a ditz!


Charise sighed and rolled out of bed slowly, then began dressing. She looked over at the empty space in the bed, frowning. Dunstan had to go into work earlier than usual that day. Funny, she thought. Months where he’s more or less able to come and go as he pleases at work, and now this. Maybe it’s because his dad is back from that trip. With a sigh, she brushed her hair and styled it. She felt as though she had very little energy in her, despite having just awoken. She stared silently at her reflection, her attention caught again by the ring on her finger. One piece of jewelry, and yet, it seemed to have changed everything.

I can’t go back now, she thought. It’s too late. Nothing short of a miracle will keep any of this from happening. And miracles don’t happen every day, despite what Ophelia likes to think. Sometimes, I don’t even think miracles happen at all. So, what I’m hoping for is impossible. This is it. I’m stuck with Dunstan now.

With this thought, she slumped forward against the mirror and began to sob.


“Hey, I’m going to run to the store,” Elizabeth said. “By the way, you need me to pick anything up that‘s not on the list?”

“No,” Ms. Gibson’s grandmother replied. “Just the stuff on the list.”

“Sure thing,” Elizabeth responded. “And thanks again for letting me stay here.”

“No problem. You're family, kind of. Besides, I wouldn’t be very nice to make Gabby’s former coworker live out on the streets.”


Dunstan sat at his computer, typing rapidly. His mind was occupied on other matters entirely.

That day, he thought. About five or six years ago. I was in the Quarter, and, just for laughs, I decided to get my fortune told. And that woman, that crazy-looking woman… she told me… she said to me, “No man will ever bring ruin to you.” And since then, she was right. I’ve climbed up the corporate ladder-- thanks to Dad, of course, and I’m engaged to a really attractive and wealthy girl. No one’s stopped me yet. And no one ever will. Because no man will ever bring ruin to me. That alone is a testament to my greatness. He frowned a little. But… what if that means a woman will be the one to bring ruin to me? Who would it be? Ophelia’s the most obvious. But Angela has even more dirt on me and will probably benefit more. I know it’s not Charise. But… I just feel like I’m overlooking someone, someone who should be really obvious.