—

Cerise: Em… we need to talk.

—

I held my breath and released it with a deep sigh. I intentionally saved Cerise from getting ensnared into the juvenile centre because I didn't want her to drag me into that horrendous crime Kristen did.

I couldn't afford to get well-known at the school, for now. Even just the slightest bit of attention could be a death sentence for me,

And also because I had promised Cerise that she would be free from Kristen after this.

And the third reason…

The third reason that I had to admit was quite disgusting even for me. I still appreciated Cerise's willingness to be my friend in the past life. Not pushing her to the same pit with Kristen right now was the last thing I could do for her.

I took a deep breath and replied to her text.

—

Emmy: Yes, what do you want?

Cerise: Em… is this all part of your plan?

Emmy: Which one?

Cerise: Everything, including the printouts in the school corridor, leading to Kristen having a meltdown in front of everyone.

Emmy: Yes, that's part of my plan.

Cerise: Including the plan to make me a scapegoat?

Cerise: Kristen yanked my hair, slapped me until my face was bruised, slammed my face to the ground, stuffed my mouth with paper, and clawing me.

Cerise: Were those also part of your plan?

—

I didn't answer her immediately, because I was thinking about it myself. Of course, I wanted Cerise and Kristen to suffer. But it was all about ruining Kristen in the first place.

Cerise was added due to her involvement. She was just as guilty as Kristen. Yet, she felt that she was a victim. Cerise was always like that. She always put herself as the victim, not realizing that everything had a consequence.

I couldn't say such a thing on the phone. I needed to meet her asap. So I replied;

—

Emmy: I will tell you everything when we meet.

Cerise: Okay, I'll be waiting for you after dusk at the town park.

Cerise: Em… I don't think I can handle this.

—

I turned off my phone after I read her text. I didn't have the mood to text anymore. I'd just come to the park after dusk if that was what she wanted.

I would tell her everything that she wanted to know because I had no plan to be her friend after everything that had happened. I'd rather save my energy to do something more productive than playing with her self-victimization.

***

Mom returned home after dusk, but she seemed too tired and went straight to her room, probably sleeping until midnight.

So I took this opportunity to leave my house and used my bike to go to the town park.

I parked my bike and walked inside Moria Park. It was a large park with lots of facilities, and most importantly, a lake in the middle.

I walked towards the lake and saw a woman was sitting on a bench, staring straight at the lake in front of her.

"Cerise?" I called her carefully.

Cerise turned her head, and I could see her smiling at me with a bitter smile under the lamp post. She patted the spot beside her and said, "Em, sit down with me."

She was surprisingly calm after that chaotic morning she had with Kristen. Which got me nervous for some reason.

I sat carefully beside her, and we were in a long silence for a while.

I glanced at Cerise and saw her staring blankly at the lake.

"Em…" Cerise opened her mouth.

"Yes?"

"About everything that happened today, did you plan everything?"

"Yes."

"Including all the abuses that I got from Kristen?" Cerise asked.

"Yes."

I replied, short and cold. I didn't really expect anything from Cerise anyway. After knowing how ignorant she was, I didn't plan to keep a girl like this around me as a friend.

I could hear Cerise taking a deep breath.

"Em, do you think I deserve it?"

"Yes."

…

"I know that I made a mistake, but you have to understand that Kristen was manipulating me…." Cerise said.

There you go, she was playing victim again, refusing to take responsibility for what she did and blamed it all on Kristen instead.

"I really thought that I would be dragged like Kristen. But turns out I was saved. You tempered with Helena's phone, right?"

I replied with a nod. Cerise's calmness got me curious, "Why are you so calm after all these?"

Cerise turned her head at me and smiled sincerely, "I came here because I want to thank you. You've free me from Kristen's clutch. You also spared me even though I could be dragged with Kristen too."

I wasn't used to hearing Cerise speaking calmly. I got nervous and checked her hands in case she was holding a knife or something.

"I… I thought we could be great friends after Kristen is gone. But you don't seem to like me so much, Em…."

"It's true. I don't like you."

It was a bit of a lie, though. I used to like Cerise before everything was revealed.

"So everything about the friendship between us was a lie?" Cerise asked with a trembling voice. I could see that she was holding tears right now.

My heart tightened as I tried my best not to get swayed by her tears. She brought me nothing but trouble, and if she could spill Kristen's terrible secret, then there was also a chance that she would do the same to me.

"Yes, I just used you to fight Kristen," I replied. "I have no use of you now."

Cerise started sobbing and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes, "So everything was a lie since the start. I was so stupid for believing you…."

I waited in silence after she stopped sobbing. Cerise got up from the bench and said, "I—I will treasure our friendship, even if you mean nothing, Em. Because I will leave soon. Because you're my best friend, Em.."

"Leave?"

"Yes, I'm too ashamed to stay in our school. I can't go to school after this incident. Because people have started to start gossiping about me…."

"I—I saw on Instagram, they… they think that I might be as malicious as Kristen. They think that I'm also evil…."

"I will… I will convince my mom to let me move with my aunt to another city," Cerise said. "I—I want to start anew…."

…

For some reason, I was relieved when I heard that Cerise wanted to leave the school. That meant I could also start anew without any connection with someone from the previous life.

After getting no answer from me, it seems that Cerise got even sadder than before, "I will leave now, Em. Goodbye…"

Cerise turned her body and walked away from me. I stared until her lonely back until it wasn't visible anymore, then took a deep breath.

I gazed at the deep lake in front of me, hoping that I could release this heavy feeling in my heart.

Because Cerise was the only friend I had before, and now I truly had no one.

Which was actually better. Cerise would only ruin everything with her behaviour.

But it was still heavy.

It was really heavy to be alone.