Queen vs. Queen Bee

2

image [https://i.ibb.co/9gP5RS6/toppng-com-line-dividers-png-1000x200.png]

Tiffany crossed her arms, chin held high. "With all due respect, Dean Saito, I had absolutely nothing to do with Eydis's injury. My friends can vouch for me."

Natalia scoffed. "Then explain how she got that bruise on her head, Tiffany."

"Maybe she tripped? Who knows, with her eyesight, it wouldn't be shocking."

As the girls bickered, Eydis stole a glance at Dean Saito. His expression was a mask of indecision. Natalia had filled her in — Tiffany's family was practically royalty, with connections to the senator. In this world, Eydis was a nobody. Expelling Tiffany without proof seemed impossible.

A sly smile tugged at Eydis's lips. This could be fun. Saito didn't strike her as the type to blatantly favour the elite, but navigating their games required finesse. A queen, after all, knew how to play the game.

"Hold on," Eydis interrupted. "Why don't we hear from your precious witnesses?"

Saito blinked, surprised. "That's a good idea," he agreed, pushing his glasses up his nose.

A smug smile played on Tiffany's lips. "Perfect," she purred. "I have nothing to hide."

Eydis grinned, lounging casually in a chair. "Excellent. But first," she leaned forward, her voice turning steely, "I'll choose two from your list of witnesses. Second," she glanced at Dean Saito, "we'll speak to them individually."

Tiffany's smug expression faltered. She scribbled down five names, her brow furrowed. "Fine," she conceded through gritted teeth. "As you wish. As if it will change anything.”

A hint of a smile played on Dean Saito's lips. "Very well," he said. "Pick two, Eydis. We'll get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, Tiffany, I must ask you to refrain from any contact with these witnesses until the investigation is complete."

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Amanda squirmed under Dean Saito's gaze, the glint of the morning sun reflecting off his glasses like a laser pointer directly at her. Behind him stood Eydis, transformed.

Gone was the girl Amanda used to exploit for homework answers. In her place stood someone with a single, powerful braid cascading down her back, amber eyes that held a glint of steel, and a posture that radiated quiet power. This "nerd" who used to be a pushover now exuded an aura of control.

The room's aromatic scent of coffee did little to calm her nerves. Deny everything, that was the plan.

"Amanda," Dean Saito began, his voice heavy, "did you witness Eydis fall?"

Amanda blurted out, "Yes, Dean Saito! I saw her fall with my own eyes!" The words tumbled out in a desperate rush.

Eydis's lips curved into a sly smile. "And where exactly did I fall, Amanda?"

Panic clawed at Amanda's throat. Sticking to the rehearsed story, she blurted out, "The running track! You just tripped and fell!"

"Tripped?" Eydis raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in her eyes as she glanced at the dean. "Dean Saito, is the running track supposed to have obstacles? Because last I checked, it was designed for, well, running."

Amanda's face drained of colour. "Y-you tripped over your own two feet!" she stammered, her voice unconvincing even to her own ears.

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Eydis feigned concern, tilting her head innocently. "Oh dear, was I that clumsy? Perhaps you, Amanda, as the eyewitness, could demonstrate exactly how I managed this impressive feat?"

A faint smile played on Dean Saito's lips. "Would you be willing to reenact the scene, Amanda, for our benefit?"

Amanda rose from her chair, a knot of dread tightening in her stomach. She took a tentative step, then another, her mind desperately searching for an escape. With a sigh, she crumpled to the floor, hands cushioning her fall with a soft thud.

Eydis raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Really, Amanda? That's hardly how I recall it playing out. Did you forget the rather crucial detail of my little... souvenir?" She reached up, casually pushing aside her braid to reveal a faint bruise on the back of her head.

Amanda's face paled. She had rehearsed this lie with Tiffany, confident it would hold. Now, under Eydis's piercing gaze, it felt…short. "Let me do it again!" she murmured, scrambling to her feet. This time, she flung herself backwards in a cartoonish display of clumsiness.

"Fascinating," Eydis purred. "So, you're suggesting I tripped over absolutely nothing, on a perfectly flat surface, and managed to hit the back of my head? Impressive."

Amanda darted a panicked glance at the dean before stammering, "Y-yes? You are a bit clumsy after all."

She dusted herself off and stood back up defiantly, though her hands trembled slightly.

Eydis leaned closer, her amber eyes glinting with a strange light. A slow smile spread across her lips, and with a deliberate movement, she tucked a stray strand of Amanda's black hair behind her ear. The touch sent a jolt through the shorter girl.

‘This nerd is... attractive?’ A disorienting thought danced in Amanda's mind.

"Intriguing theory, Amanda. But the human skull," she trailed a finger across Amanda's hair, lingering for a moment before continuing down the side of her head, "this part here, tends to make contact with the ground first, wouldn't you agree?"

Amanda could only manage a weak nod. It felt like an eternity before Eydis spoke again. "Unfortunately for your story," Eydis paused, her finger hovering just below Amanda's ear. The touch sent a burst of heat through her core.

'Snap out of it!' a voice screamed inside Amanda's head.

"My injury is located..." Eydis continued as she dragged her hand down to the hollow point of Amanda's head, above her neck. "So, Amanda, enlighten me, how exactly did I acquire this injury?"

The room seemed to shrink. Amanda's eyes darted back and forth between Eydis and Dean Saito's disapproving expression. The consequences of her lie crashed down.

Expulsion? No, her father would disown her, his disappointment a far worse fate. Before she could stammer another pathetic excuse, Eydis's voice, deceptively sweet, interrupted her.

"Let's make a deal, Amanda. Confess now, and I'll leave your name out of my report. But if your friend, Jillian, confesses before you..." Eydis leaned even closer. "Then you become Tiffany's accomplice. So what's it gonna be?"

Amanda's jaw dropped, speechless with fear. Choice? Did she even have one?

“Truth is…” Amanda began, her eyes downcast and brimming with unshed tears, avoiding Eydis's knowing, yet frosty gaze.

The investigation wrapped up swiftly. Dean Saito held two written confessions, both detailing the same story: Tiffany's malicious assault with a baseball bat.

"Impressive," Dean Saito finally conceded, "How'd you pick these specific witnesses?"

Eydis's gaze remained fixed on the pulsating pink eye outside the window, its glow casting an eerie light on her face.

"A strategic move, Dean. Those two hold a precarious position in the social hierarchy, just below Tiffany. Friendship? The fear of humiliation outweighs the value of their so-called friendship, don't you think?"

Saito cleared his throat, discomfort evident in his expression. "This evidence is sufficient to suspend Tiffany for a week."

Eydis laughed in disbelief, before narrowing her eyes. “A week, Dean? Barely a slap on the wrist. We both know this isn't her first offence. Playing innocent might work on others, but not me. You knew what Tiffany did. Your inaction speaks volumes about the true power structure here."

Saito visibly flinched, his face paling. "I... there was little I could do when no one came forward." His voice tinged with remorse.

"Consider this your opportunity to rectify that, Dean," Eydis said. "And let's be frank, a baseball bat? People have lost their lives for far less severe injuries. This requires a more… substantial consequence."

Then, the weight of a different truth pressed down on her. What if the original owner of this body had died from this attack? A surge of protectiveness tightened her grip on her new reality. But that was a thought for later. Here and now, there was a point to be made.

Eydis straightened, her posture regaining its imposing command. "Dean Saito, I don't hold grudges. In fact, I find dwelling on the past unproductive. But..." she paused, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "in rare occasions, such as this, I can't help but act on them, wouldn't you agree?"

Saito's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Shame and a flicker of something like admiration battled in his eyes.

With a final, withering look, Eydis swept out of the office, her parting words echoing in the tense silence:

"Silence in the face of cruelty is the same as becoming its accomplice. Don't you feel that weight, Dean?"