An Unexpected Invitation
When Vanessa’s name popped up on my phone, I nearly dropped it. My first instinct was to ignore the notification, but curiosity got the better of me. I opened the message, already bracing for whatever passive-aggressive jab she’d crafted this time.
Vanessa: Hey, Emma. Hosting a party Friday night at my place. You should come. It’ll be fun 😊
A smiley face? From her? The sarcasm was practically dripping through the screen. I stared at the message, half-convinced it was some kind of mistake. Vanessa never did anything without an agenda, and this was no exception.
“What is it?” Sarah’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She leaned over to peek at my phone, and her face twisted into a mix of disbelief and irritation. “You’re not actually considering going, are you?”
“I don’t know,” I said slowly, reading the text again. “Maybe she’s trying to make peace?”
Sarah laughed, sharp and humorless. “Vanessa doesn’t make peace. She lays traps. And this?” She pointed at the message. “This is bait.”
She wasn’t wrong. Vanessa had humiliated me, spread rumors about me, and paraded her endless schemes in front of the entire school. If anyone should know better, it was me. But part of me was tired of running. Tired of letting her call the shots.
“What if I go?” I said, more to myself than to Sarah.
Sarah’s eyes widened. “What? Why? So she can pull some next-level stunt and humiliate you again?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s time I show her I’m not afraid of her,” I said, the words surprising me even as I said them.
Sarah shook her head, her disbelief clear. “She wants you to show up. You’ll be walking right into whatever trap she’s set.”
The conversation stayed with me, swirling in my mind all day. Later, I brought it up to Logan, hoping for some clarity—or at least a distraction.
“Vanessa invited me to her party,” I said casually, trying not to sound as thrown as I felt.
Logan raised an eyebrow. “That’s… unexpected.”
“Right?” I huffed, crossing my arms. “What do you think? Should I go?”
He considered it for a moment, his brow furrowed. “Honestly? I don’t trust her as far as I can throw her. But I think you should go.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he said, leaning against the lockers. “Vanessa thrives on making people feel small. You walking in there? It sends a message: she doesn’t scare you.”
His confidence in me was almost enough to sway my doubts. Almost. But then he added, “Plus, I’ll be there. I won’t let her pull anything.”
It was the way he said it, so matter-of-factly, like there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he’d have my back, that finally made me decide.
By the time Friday rolled around, I’d made my choice. Sarah, of course, wasn’t thrilled.
“This is a bad idea,” she said for the hundredth time as she watched me get ready. “You know that, right?”
“Probably,” I admitted, pulling my hair into place. “But I’m going anyway.”
