Jess took a deep breath. “Risebelle, you know I’ve always been a troublemaker, always getting into some kind of mess. But this time, it was different. Someone approached me this m, someone I’ve never seen before, and they just started throwing blows, no questions asked. It was like they were out for blood.”

  Risebelle’s eyes widened with shod . “Someoacked you out of nowhere? That’s... that’s terrible, Jess.”

  Jess nodded, her gaze fixed on the floor. “Yeah, it was brutal. They picked a time and pce when no one was around, and I didn’t stand a ce. I got beaten up pretty badly, Risebelle.”

  Risebelle couldn’t hide her e. “And the principal just let you leave her offid return to csses, knowing you’re ihat’s uable!”

  Jess bit her lip.“Well, I kind of begged her not to make a big deal out of it, Risebelle. You know my reputation. I didn’t want to cause any more trouble. But the truth is, I barely walk right now. I don’t know who those people were or why they attacked me.”

  Risebelle’s anger simmered beh the surface as she processed Jess’s words. “Jess, this is serious. We o find out who did this to you and why. No one deserves to be attacked like that.”

  Jess looked up at Risebelle, her eyes filled with fear.“Risebelle, not gonna lie girl, but I really didn’t know who else to turn to. I really didn’t want to involve you, but I guess I don’t have a choiow... you help me figure this out?”

  Risebelle nodded firmly. “Of course, Jess. We’ll get to the bottom of this together. No one messes with my friends as away with it!”

  After their serious versation, Jess surprised Risebelle. While still looking slightly pained from her injuries,Jess fshed a flirty smile at Risebelle aended her arms around Risebelle for a hug. Risebelle couldn’t help but chuckle at her friend’s antid gave her a warm hug iurn.

  As they pulled away from the hug, Jess batted her eyeshes pyfully and said, “You’re my hero, Risebelle. Now, how about being a real hero and giving me a piggyback ride to my css? It’s in a different homeroom, and I don’t think I make it on my own.”

  Risebelle raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in her eyes. “Jess, I khere had to be another reason you were here. But I have to tell you, I’m not going to be carrying you around like a princess.”

  Jess pouted, her lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated manner, “Oh, e on, Risebelle! I promise! I’ll make it up to you somehow. Pretty please?”

  Risebelle lowered her eyes, seeing through Jess’s act. “Jess, do you know how crazy you sound right now? I’m willing to help you but I’m not going to be carrying you around like a backpack. What do you think I am? We walk to css together like ‘normal’ people do.”

  Jess tio pout in this manner, but she didn’t push the matter further. “Alright, alright, finnnne you win, Risebelle. Walking it is. But you have to admit, it would have been memorable.”

  " I’ll at least walk you to your css. But no piggyback rides, got it?”

  Jess griaking Risebelle’s hand as they began to walk together.

  As they walked, Jess couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild, envisioning a romantic sario in which Risebelle was her dashing savior. She thought about how their hands were iwihe soft smile on Risebelle’s face, and the way their eyes met. In her fantasy, everything erfect, but the reality was quite different.

  Risebelle, oher hand, maintained a friendly and posed demeanor. She couldn’t help but notice Jess’s daydreaming and was more focused oing to the bottom of Jess’s situation.

  After a few moments of silence, Risebelle decided to ask the question that had been on her mind. “So, Jess, what happeo your boyfriend? I haven’t heard you mention him in a while.”

  Jess hesitated for a moment, her fantasy shattered by the reminder of her ret breakup. She sighed softly and then tried to divert the versation. “Oh, you know how it goes, Risebelle. Sometimes things just don’t work out, and people move on.”

  Risebelle gave Jess a knowing look. “Jess, you ’t hide it from me. You got dumped, didn’t you?”

  Jess bit her lip, her attempts to evade the truth falling apart. “Well, maybe it was more of a mutual decisioh realized it wasn’t w.”

  Risebelle raised an eyebrow. “Mutual decision, huh? Jess, you don’t have to pretend. Breakups be tough, but you don’t have to gh it alone. You talk to me about it.”

  Jess sighed again, this time in resignation. “Okay, okay, you got me. He dumped me, alright? Said he needed spad all that nonse stings, Risebelle.”

  Risebelle couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her friend. She gave Jess’s hand a f squeeze. “I’m sorry to hear that, Jess. Breakups are never easy. But hey, you’ll bounce back from this, I’m sure of it.”

  As they tinued walking, Jess couldn’t help but bring up a topic that had been on her mind. She fshed a wistful smile at Risebelle and said, “You know, Risebelle, you’re lucky you don’t have to deal with all this boyfriend drama. Your family’s rich, so you’ve got everything you need.”

  Risebelle furrowed her brow, a thoughtful look on her face. “Jess, being rich isn’t as easy as it might seem. Sure, we have money, but that doesn’t mean life is without its challenges.”

  Jess raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Risebelle’s response. “Challenges? Like what?”

  Risebelle sighed, realizing that it was time to open up a bit about her own life. “Well, for ohere’s always this pressure to live up to my family’s expectations. They have high hopes for me, and sometimes it feels like I have to be perfe their eyes. Plus, my family isn’t going to be rich for too much longer.. They expect me to get Straight A’s this year to fix that problem ...”

  Jess nodded, listening ily as Risebelle shared a glimpse of her own struggles. She could sehe weight of expectations in Risebelle’s words.

  “That does sound tough, Risebelle,” Jess aowledged with her extraness momentarily set aside. “I guess we all have our own battles to fight, whether it’s retionship drama or family expectations.”

  Risebelle smiled, appreciating Jess’s uanding. “Exactly, Jess.”

  As they reached the entrao Jess’s , Jess turo Risebelle with a more serious face. “Thanks for listening, Risebelle, and for helpi with all this. You’re a great friend.”

  Risebelle smiled warmly. “Anytime, Jess.”

  Jess gave Risebelle a quick hug, this time without any ulterior motives, and theered her . Risebelle watched her friend go.

  As Risebelle walked through the hallway on her way to her css, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she passed by someone who looked remarkably like her but with yellow hair. This person was engaged in a versation with a boy she reized from her css. The resembnce was uny, and it left Risebelle feeling curiosity and fusion.

  ’Wait, is that... me? But with yellow hair? What’s going on here? ’She thought

  As she tinued walking, her mind raced with questions and possibilities.

  ‘Could it be a twin sister I didn’t know about? No, that’s impossible. I’d have heard about that. But the resembnce is just too striking. Maybe it’s a retive?’

  She couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their versation, trying to get some information.

  As Risebelle tio eavesdrop on the versatioween the person who looked like her and the boy from her css, she caught a s of their discussion that piqued her curiosity even further.

  Overheard versation:

  The Doppleganger speaks to the boy with a grin “We should totes meet up after 7 for some fun. And… you know what we discussed earlier. It’s all part of the pn.”

  Risebelle thought ‘Meeting up after 7 for some fun? What are they pnning? Why does it sound so secretive? I o find out what’s going on. If they’re using my likeness for something, I o put a stop to it. But I have to be careful and gather more information fir—’

  Risebelle actally bumped into the girl who looked so much like her, she watched in surprise as the girl’s phoumbled out of her pocket and onto the floor. It was then that she noticed something on the phone’s s that raised even more questions.

  The s dispyed a list of names, with the name ‘Jess’ promily featured and several other names crossed out. Risebelle’s curiosity deepened, and she was about to say something when the girl, with her arms folded and a serious-looking demeanor, beat her to it.

  “Ugh, like, watch where yoing, seriously!”

  Risebelle blinked, surprised by the girl’s attitude. She stammered, “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  “Whatever. ’t believe you, like, made me drop my pho’s, like, so not cool. If it’s broken, i’m so gonna sue you!”

  Risebelle was surprised by the girl’s hostile response, but she couldn’t dwell on it for long. As the girl stormed off, pining to the boy ith her, Risebelle quickly picked up her phone and watched them go.

  ’What the hell just happehat girl’s attitude was so weird... but more importantly, I saw something on her phone’s s – a list of names with ‘Jess’ promily featured. What does it mean? Is Jess somehow involved in whatever they’re pnning? I o talk to Jess about this as soon as possible!’

  Risebelle ehe , slightly out of breath from her earlier enter and the rush to get back to css. She was relieved to fieacher in a good mood, and his enthusiasm seemed to override her tardiness.

  Her teacher greeted her with a cheerful smile. “Risebelle, you’re a bit te today, but I won’t hold it against you this time. Take your seat, a’s get started.”

  Risebelle nodded gratefully and quickly took her seat, her thoughts still ed by the mysterious versation she had overheard and the list of names on the girl’s phone.

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  As the final school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Risebelle wasted no time in searg for Jess. She found her friehe school’s entrance, waiting by the courtyard. Jess looked up as Risebelle approached.

  “Jess, we o talk,” Risebelle said seriously, her blue eyes log onto Jess’s.

  Jess nodded, uanding the gravity of the situation. “Yeah, we do. Let’s go somewhere private.”

  Risebelle led Jess to a quieter er of the courtyard, away from the prying eyes and ears of other students.

  In their secluded er of the courtyard, Risebelle didn’t waste any time getting to the point. She took a deep breath and said, “Jess, earlier today, I overheard someone who looked just like me talking to a boy from our css. They mentioned meeting up after 7 for somethiive, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they’re pnning.”

  Jess’s eyes widened. She leaned in closer and spoke low but with haste. “Risebelle, you don’t uand. It’s not just some secret pn. I...I think I’m .”

  Risebelle’s heart skipped a beat at Jess’s words. “What the hell do you mean, ‘you’re ’? Jess, you o tell me everything. What’s going on?”

  Jess took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the ground. “I messed up, Risebelle. I got involved with the wrong people, and now they want something from me. Something I ’t give them.”

  Risebelle’s deepened. “Jess, you have to be ho with me. What did you get involved in, and who are these people?”

  Jess hesitated for a moment. She looked all the way to the side as if trying to decide something before turning back Risebelle. As she spoke, Risebelle’s eyes grew wider.