Ploy Rattanakorn's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

The party was over, but Ploy's plan wasn't. She wanted to make Ava fall for her humiliation completely. To do that, she needed to steal the boy Ava liked. One problem stopped her cold. She had no idea who the boy was. Ava never said his name. Ploy could flirt with the wrong boy and waste everything. So she went to the ice cream shop, the pink one shaped like a giant cone. She wore the outfit that made boys stare. The fishnet sleeves, the chain belt, the spiked boots. Three boys tripped over their own feet to hold the door. Ploy smiled. Somewhere in this town, she thought, the right boy would react. She just had to find him. A girl leaned against the counter, watching her. Black hair, dark lips, a leather jacket with gold zippers. Raven had been Ploy's best friend once, years ago, before Ploy dropped her. Now Raven's eyes locked on Ploy like she had waited all this time. "You're hunting," Raven said. Not a question. "I can smell it." Ploy lifted her chin. "I'm looking for someone. Ava's crush. She won't tell me who." Raven's mouth curled. "Ava dropped me too. I know everything about her." She stepped close. "His name is Axel. Blue hair. Soft grunge kid. She's liked him since spring." Ploy's heart jumped. Finally. A name. A face. "How do you know?" "Because Ava tells everyone everything." Raven pulled out her phone and showed a photo. A chubby boy with light blue hair and green eyes, laughing at something offscreen. "That's him." Ploy stared at the boy. Axel Morrison. Now she had a real target. She could aim every smile, every flirt, straight at him. Ava would watch the boy she loved choose her enemy. "Why help me?" Ploy asked. Raven leaned in. "Because I want to be your friend again. And because I want Ava to hurt." Her cold eyes didn't blink. "Same as you." Ploy should have felt happy. She had the name. But Raven's stare pressed on her like a hand. This wasn't a friend. This was someone who never let go. The door chimed. Ava walked in, holding her grandmother's hand. Lola Marisol Santos wore a bright embroidered jacket and gold hoops. She scanned the shop, saw Ploy, and stopped smiling. She knew this was the girl who made Ava cry. Ava froze when she saw Raven beside Ploy. Her face went pale. "You're talking to her?" she said. "Raven, you're talking to her? So it's true, because you hate me now." "I never liked you," Raven said flatly. Lola pulled Ava back toward the door. "We're leaving, anak." She glared at Ploy. "Stay away from my granddaughter." The door swung shut. Ploy stood there, the name burning in her head. Axel. She had what she needed. But now Ava knew Ploy was hunting. And Raven wasn't leaving her side.