Chapter 49

Jolene’s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, a red mark instantly blooming on her cheek.
“Juniper, you dare hit me!” she shrieked in disbelief.
“I just did. Do I need to make an appointment?” Juniper pulled her hand back and calmly wiped it with a wet wipe, the defiance in her eyes practically burning.
“I’m telling the headmistress! I’ll have you expelled from Aurora High!” Jolene clutched her stinging cheek, tears welling up as she glared venomously at Juniper. She never imagined this fake heiress would actually fight back.
“Oh?” Juniper unhurriedly popped a candy into her mouth, her eyes half-lidded. “Good thing there are security cameras. Let’s see who was spouting insults and who threw the first punch. Wanna bet on who gets expelled first?”
At that, Jolene’s eyelashes fluttered. A flicker of panic crossed her face. It was true —she had started the name-calling and had tried to hit Juniper first.
“And another thing.” Juniper took a step forward, and Jolene flinched back, nearly suffocating under the girl’s chilling gaze.
“I just want to study in peace. Don’t mess with me.” Juniper stuffed her hands in her pockets, her gaze sweeping over Jolene and her friends. “I, Juniper, never start trouble, but I’m not afraid of it either,” she warned slowly. “If you mess with me, you’ll face the consequences.”
Her eyes locked onto Jolene’s flushed face, her expression turning glacial. “Next time, it won’t be just a slap.”
“You” Jolene tried to retort, but the words caught in her throat as she met Juniper’s cold, fierce expression.
“By the way After her warning, a faint smile appeared on Juniper’s face as she glanced at the other girls behind Jolene. “What was it you were saying about me earlier?”
“N-nothing,” the other girls stammered, shaking their heads frantically, terrified by the example that had just been made of their friend.
“Right.” Juniper readjusted her backpack, lifted her chin, and commanded with quiet authority, “Move.”
Instantly, the girls scrambled to either side, clearing a path down the middle. Hands in her pockets, Juniper strolled away at a leisurely pace toward her classroom, every inch the untouchable queen.
It wasn’t until her figure disappeared around the corner that the girls dared to breathe again.
“Aaargh!” Jolene shrieked, her eyes red with fury, her fists clenched. “I swear, I will not rest until that bitch Juniper is kicked out of Aurora High! It’s her or me!”
…
When Juniper arrived in her classroom, the fake dress incident was already the topic of heated discussion.
“Juniper was the main reason Aurora High won this time.”
“But some people are saying she did it on purpose to get famous, that she
deliberately gave Queenie a fake dress so she’d get on the news.”
“What? And that she had someone break the music player?”
The rumors were spiraling out of control.
“What are you all talking about?” Qadir shot up from his seat. “What does a broken player have to do with Juniper? And she would never give Queenie a fake dress! You think I haven’t seen that dress? You think I can’t tell a real from a fake?”
“Juniper is a hero to this school, and this is how you treat her?” Qadir grew angrier as he spoke, not caring about hurting feelings. “You’re a bunch of ungrateful brats! Without Juniper, Eclara High would have wiped the floor with us!
“Let me hear anyone say another bad word about Juniper, and they’ll have to deal with me first,” he declared.
“And me,” Queenie added, standing up, her fury matching Qadir’s. “Anyone who slanders Juniper again, I’ll rip their mouth out.”