Michelle's Kingdom Ch. 02

** I'm sorry this took so long. I had Ch. 02 finished for a long time but never felt like it was ready to post. But we're in some crazy times right now so I hope this makes your day a bit better. Finally had time to finish Ch. 03 as well, which will be up right away. I plan on continuing this story, I've got a lot of ideas so look out for the next chapter soon (and I actually mean soon this time). Thanks for all the feedback on my last chapter, I read every comment and they mean a lot to me. Best, LemonTek **

Ch. 02

Val couldn't believe what she was witnessing.

It had been such a nice day that she had decided to stay behind after her last period to explore the campus a bit before heading back home. As the former star sprinter on her old high school team she had especially wanted to check out the track and get a look at how good her potential new team might be. She had arrived near the end of practice and had watched the runners from outside the stadium when she had noticed Cass, Jen and Maggie come rushing down the bleachers to greet Michelle and her crew. It didn't take Val long to realize that the humiliating scene from the cafeteria was repeating itself, except worse. When Val had seen Cass kneel down in front of Michelle, the thought of standing back and doing nothing for the second time that day had been too much for her.

She had found herself pushing past the heavy fence door leading into the stadium and breaking into a light jog as she made her way around the track to the side of the bleachers where Cass and the other girls were. From the angle she had been at she hadn't been able to see exactly what Cass was doing hunched over Michelle's feet, but she could guess. She had watched Jen and Maggie cringe as they massaged two pretty girls Val didn't recognize that were sprawled out in front of them.

Now Val stood in the same row of bleachers, shocked to see the look on her new friend's face who moments ago had her nose nearly buried in Michelle's crotch. Cass' eyes were wide and full of shameful tears. Beads of sweat had started to form on her forehead and her face was scarlet red. Jen and Maggie's expressions were less severe but still pitiful as they stood bent above the girls who tormented them. Michelle's expression, however, began as a mixture of surprise and anger at having her experiment interrupted so close to the finale. When she saw who had spoken up, though, a curious look came over her, and she broke out into a grin.

"Oh, you must be the new girl, aren't you?" As she said this Michelle crossed her legs so that her bare foot was once again dangling in front of Cass' face. Cass remained kneeling in front of the gorgeous girl, still too ashamed to look anywhere but at the light-blue toes in front of her.

"I'm Michelle. These are my friends Beth and Rachel." Michelle gestured towards the two prone girls on the bleachers next to her, then extended a hand expectantly towards Val, who stood above Michelle, stone-faced. Michelle was smiling, but there was no warmth in it whatsoever. It was a calculating smile, well-rehearsed and predatory. As Val stared at the outstretched hand in front of her, she realized she was about to make a very important decision. She hoped she wouldn't regret it.

"That's great, I'm Val. And these are MY friends — Cass, Maggie and Jen." As she said this she reached down past Michelle's outstretched hand and grabbed Cass by the arm, raising her up to stand next to her. Cass' eyes remained downcast and it was impossible for Val to decipher what she was thinking, but Val thought she saw a flash of relief in her pained expression. Michelle's smile did not falter as she lowered her hand, her expression still a mask of politeness, but her eyes pierced Val's. Beth and Rachel were sitting up now, their gaze darting uncertainly back and forth between Michelle and Val. Maggie and Jen stood awkwardly in the row behind them, also unsure of how to react.

It was Michelle who broke the momentary silence with a tinkling laugh.

"Oh Val, what a sweetheart," she said with mock praise, "you've only been here a day and you're already helping pick up garbage off the ground. The janitors are going to love you." Rachel and Beth snickered at this while Val glared at Michelle. Cass was still staring silently at the floor in front of her.

"What's wrong Cass?" Michelle continued, turning her toxic smile on Cass, "Pussy got your tongue?" Beth and Rachel laughed once more as Cass flushed red again. She continued concentrating on the pebbles near her feet, blinking back the tears that were constantly fighting to break free. Val could see the pain in her friend's face, and in an instant she felt rage bubble up in her chest. She had had enough of this Michelle girl.

"Why are you such a bitch? Seriously, what's wrong with you?" she said loudly.

Cass was so shocked her head actually snapped up momentarily to shoot Val a horrified glance before casting her eyes down again. Nobody spoke to Michelle like that. Nobody. Not unless they wanted to get expelled. But Val was too new, too uninitiated to know or care about that. Cass, Jen and Maggie had been nice to her on her first day at a new school, and she wasn't about to stand around and watch them get treated like dirt by this Michelle bitch.

To everyone's surprise though, Michelle laughed, still dangling her crossed leg lazily.

"Why am I such a bitch?" she said, her smile pure ice. "Because it's fun."

The way Michelle's eyes burned as she said these last words was enough to unsettle even Val, who found herself struggling slightly to maintain eye contact with the gorgeous, cruel girl in front of her.

"Why don't you give it a try?" Michelle continued. "You're a cute girl. You don't have to play nice, Val. I'm sure Jen and Maggie wouldn't mind giving you a nice shoulder and foot rub after a long first day, would you girls?"

She turned briefly to the less-attractive girls standing behind her, who shook their heads, their eyes downcast.

"See? I can show you all this school has to offer, Val. We can have a great time together at Clover." Michelle once again reached out her hand to Val, smiling, eyeing Val coolly. She liked the new girl's attitude and was willing to give her one last chance to make the right decision.

Val looked at Michelle's outstretched hand, then at Michelle, and for a moment she felt the power radiating from the beautiful girl relaxing in front of her on the bleachers. It was hard to deny her, and as angry as Val was, she began to wonder exactly what the consequences of rejecting Michelle's friendship would be. But then she saw once more the defeated expression on Cass' face, and remembered the humiliating way Michelle had treated Jen and Maggie in the cafeteria, and the doubt escaped her completely.

"Go fuck yourself," she said, still glaring at Michelle.

It was with this that Michelle's smile finally faded. The rest of the girls, including Beth and Rachel, were so silent with shock that it was as if they had faded into the background. They were still in a stadium, but it seemed to Val like she could hear a pin drop.

"I don't need to," said Michelle, "I can get your crush to do it for me." She laughed as she said this, but there was a fury in it that sent a shiver down Val's spine, against her will.

"In fact, getting fucked sounds like a great idea Val, I think I'm gonna go do that. Cass, put my shoes and socks back on, I don't feel like bending over."

Michelle turned her ice-cold stare away from Val and towards Cass, who looked up at the mention of her name. She glanced fearfully at Michelle, then over to Val, who frowned back at her and said, "You don't have to listen to her, Cass. Don't do it."

Michelle just kept staring at Cass, who hesitated another moment, but simply couldn't stand the power of those piercing eyes any longer. With fresh tears in her eyes, she got back down on her knees in front of Michelle, whose smile had returned.

"Cass knows her place, Val. Don't worry though, you'll learn yours soon too. You've got a long year ahead of you." Michelle laughed at Val's furious and shocked expression as Cass hunched over Michelle's bare feet and began sliding her grimy socks back over them. When Cass reached for Michelle's track spike she felt Michelle's socked toes on her lips and she instinctively kissed them. She was so afraid of Michelle in that moment and the wrath she would undoubtedly bring down on Val and the rest of them that she could think of nothing else to do. She hadn't thought she could feel any more ashamed that day, but doing this in front of Val was a new low for her. As Cass put Michelle's shoes back on her feet and tied her laces, Michelle stared at Val, who was so mad she was speechless. She couldn't believe that Cass didn't stand up for herself even when Val had tried to. She didn't understand why Michelle had so much power, but she knew that she wouldn't allow Michelle to keep treating her or her friends that way. She was going to find a way to put a stop to this, one way or another.

Michelle finally stood up, looking down briefly at the girl still kneeling in front of her, before locking eyes with Val again.

"I'll see you at school Val. I'm looking forward to showing you how things work around here."

"Whatever," Val replied, but without as much confidence as before. She couldn't wait to be away from that stare. Michelle flashed another icy grin before turning away and motioning to Beth and Rachel, who began heading down the steps with her. Jen, Maggie, Cass and Val watched the trio make their way to the bottom of the bleachers before disappearing behind the fence door. Only when they were out of sight did the four girls start making their own way down.

"Crazy bitch," Val muttered, but the other girls said nothing. They looked shell-shocked. Val noticed Jen occasionally casting fearful glances in her direction, but look away every time she caught Val's eye. It made Val uneasy, and not for the first time that afternoon she wondered if making Michelle her enemy had been a terrible mistake.

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Val's second day at Clover High started off fairly normal. She had been furious on the way home the day before and it had taken her a while to calm down enough to get to sleep. When she woke up that morning, however, the events of the day before had faded in her mind and she felt better. Her first period was Math, a subject she was usually quite good at, but her teacher was terribly boring and spoke with a bit of a lisp which made focusing on his words even more difficult. Val found herself zoning out, instead turning her attention to a handsome guy that was sitting two rows in front of her. He had jet-black hair, broad shoulders and a wide smile that made dimples in his cheeks. Val couldn't help but wonder if he had noticed her, and she caught herself stealing glances at him often. At the end of class she purposely walked by him on her way out and they made eye contact for a brief moment, making Val's heart beat in her chest. Damn he's good-looking, she thought to herself. The boy was smiling at her.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right? I'm Jack," he said, extending a hand. She flashed him her best smile as she shook it.

"I'm Val, this is my second day here."

"Probably mine too, I hate this class," he laughed. "There's a quiz coming up. We should be study buddies."

Val thought that was a great idea, so they exchanged numbers and then said goodbye since Jack's next class was in the opposite direction. Val was in great spirits as she made her way to her second-period room, not caring that she had to sit through an hour-long chemistry lecture, and thoughts of Michelle completely forgotten. As she sat at her desk, listening to her chemistry teacher Mr. Green trying to explain ionic charges, she kept thinking about Jack's smile and daydreamed about the study date they were planning soon. She wasn't even aware that she had zoned out until three heavy knocks on the classroom door broke her out of her reverie.

Mr. Green put down the pen he was writing on the board with and opened the door with a confused expression on his face. In stepped two police officers, in full uniform, their stoic eyes sweeping the room. One of the cops, a short but stocky man, whispered something to Mr. Green, and he nodded, his eyes resting on Val for a split second. It was enough to make Val's heart race. She started to feel a pit in her stomach forming as the worst thoughts began to creep into her head. What the hell is going on here? She thought of Michelle and the sway she held over the school board. Did she have that kind of power with the police too? Could that be possible?

In a moment her worst fear seemed to be realized. Mr. Green turned and faced her, beckoning her to come to the door. She could feel the eyes of her classmates fixate on her as she slowly got up, her face red, and reached for her bag.

"Leave your backpack, we'll bring it to you later." One of the officers said politely but firmly. Val had no choice but to leave her bag and walk briskly to the front of the room, where one of the officers put a hand on her arm and began guiding her to the open doorway. The surprised expression on Mr. Green's face and the smirks of some of her classmates was the last things she saw as she left the room and stepped into the hallway with the two officers.

"What's going on?" Val asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "Am I in trouble?"

"You're a person of interest," the stocky officer replied. "Please relax, we're just going to the principal's office."

"A person of interest regarding what? I don't know what's happening," Val was almost on the verge of tears now.

"Please hold your questions until we arrive at the office, we will be discussing it shortly."

The officers would say no more after that, and Val had no choice but to walk with them in silence through the hallway leading up to the principal's office. Several students in the hall shot curious glances at her as she passed through, and she tried to smile and look as innocent as possible. I didn't do anything wrong, she thought. There's nothing they can do to me. But even though she knew she hadn't done anything, Val still had the sinking feeling that Michelle had planned something terrible for her. There was no other explanation for this.

After what felt like an awfully long journey, the trio finally arrived at the main office, passing the reception desk and leading Val into a small room next to the principal's. The room was bare except for three small chairs and a filing cabinet. It had no windows. What is this? Val thought. It looked like a jail cell minus the bars on the door.

"Please have a seat. You will wait here until we come back with Mr. Evers." Mr. Evers was the principal of Clover High, and Val had only met him once, before her first day at the school when he had welcomed her as a new student. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but there was no telling how he would react to whatever Michelle had cooked up. Val took a seat, partly because the officer told her to and partly to stop her legs from shaking. She had never been in trouble with the principal before, even at her old school. To be brought over by police officers no less was unthinkable for her.

"Can you please just tell me what this is about?" Val pleaded one last time. The officers looked at each other for a second, and the stocky one took pity on her.

"Last night somebody spray-painted all over Mr. Evers' and various other staff members' cars in the school parking lot. The damages are estimated to be in the thousands. Whoever is charged for this will likely be looking at felony vandalism, which can be up to three years in prison if the person is of age."

Vall felt the blood drain from her face.

"We don't know who is responsible but we did receive an anonymous tip and there is camera footage that points to you as a suspect. Not saying you did it, but if I were you, I'd really make sure I have my story straight."

With that the two officers left the room, closing the door behind them. Val could do nothing but sit in shock, trembling in that windowless room. There is no way, she thought, I'm innocent! There's no way she could have set me up like that! But the more Val thought about it, the more it made sense. Val had disrespected Michelle in front of her friends. She was out for blood after that, just like she had promised. Even so, Val had never imagined something like this happening. She was shaking now, the voice of the police officer echoing in her head. Up to three years in prison.

The agony of waiting in that room was too much, and Val broke into tears. A few minutes later, she felt something buzzing in her pocket. Her cellphone! They hadn't taken that away from her. But who would be calling her at this time? She picked up on the third ring.

"H-hello?" Val stammered, and her blood ran cold when she heard the voice on the other end.

"Hey Val! Where are you at? There's a bit of an echo." Michelle laughed. Val was silent for a second, trying to find the words to speak.

"Michelle, what the hell is going on? What did you do?"

"I think the question is, what did you do?" Michelle said in a mocking tone, "Vandalizing the staff cars? That's a pretty bad way to make an impression on your new school, hun."

"You set me up! This is insane!" Val was speaking rapid-fire, her heart beating out of her chest. "You're gonna be in a lot of trouble. I didn't do anything!"

"I'm gonna be in trouble? You're the one who caused thousands of dollars in damage. You're facing a felony charge, Val. That's a permanent police record. Not to mention the debt you'll be in paying those fines."

"I didn't do anything! I don't care." Val tried her best to keep her voice steady, finding a bit of courage. She was innocent, after all. There was no proof of anything. She'd be out of here and back in class before lunch time. "We both know I'm innocent. You're just wasting everyone's time with this."

"I don't think you're innocent Val," Michelle said with mock concern. There was some sort of confidence in her voice that made Val very uneasy. "There is a bunch of evidence pointing to you after all."

"Michelle, tell me what you did, right now. This has gone way too far."

"Well, last night the cameras recorded someone in a hoodie vandalizing the staff cars. They couldn't make out the person's face but they definitely looked female. Aside from that, the police received an anonymous tip that someone named Val Donovan had done it, and that they'd probably find some interesting items in her backpack if they searched it." Val could hear Michelle's cruel smile through the phone as she said this. In my backpack? She planted something in there? Holy fuck.

"You met my friend Jack earlier, right? He's the one who gave me your number. I think he's the one who "noticed" something in your bag earlier today." Michelle laughed again. Val felt like she was going to be sick. So Jack had been playing a game all along, getting her number for Michelle and planting something in her backpack while she must've had her head turned. Now, with all the false evidence laid out in front of her, Val could see that it all pointed in her direction. If they had actually planted a spray paint can or something similar in her bag, all she had in her defense was her own word. Michelle was seriously about to frame her on a felony charge and get her put in prison. Val breathed a couple times to try and steady her voice. She had to fix this, and fast.

"Ok, Michelle, look. I know we don't see eye to eye, and I'm sorry if you felt disrespected yesterday. But this is wrong. You proved your point, but you have to tell them I'm innocent."