The morning after the talent show disaster, Hanna could still feel the sticky remnants of the red paint in her hair and the sting of humiliation lingering in her mind. The moment she walked into school, whispers followed her down the hallway, students glancing and smirking as she passed. She clenched her fists, steeling herself against the fresh wave of embarrassment.
“Ciara,” she muttered to Marco as they walked together. “It had to be her. You know she hates me.”
Marco looked unconvinced, scratching the back of his head. “I get it, she’s… difficult, but I don’t think she’d do that to me. She’s my sister, Hanna.”
“Oh, please, Marco,” Hanna snapped, her voice edged with frustration. “Just because she’s your sister doesn’t mean she wouldn’t do something like this. I wouldn’t put it past her to think it’s funny.”
Marco sighed, but then, as if struck by another thought, he said, “Well, what about Finn?”
Hanna paused, taken aback. “Finn? Why would he—”
“You saw him during our ‘wedding vows’ at the booth,” Marco said, looking at her seriously. “You’re telling me he didn’t look jealous? It would make sense if he did it to get back at you.”
Hanna bit her lip, considering it. She’d noticed Finn’s tension at the fair, but could he really go this far? Part of her wanted to believe him incapable of something so petty, but the betrayal still lingered. The idea that he might have wanted to humiliate her the way he felt humiliated had an uncomfortable ring of truth to it.
“Fine,” she finally said, crossing her arms. “Let’s split up. You ask Finn, I’ll go talk to Ciara.”
They parted in the hallway, each heading toward their respective “suspects.” Hanna tracked down Ciara in the art room, where she was working on a project, her attention focused as she painted delicate flowers on a canvas. Ciara didn’t even look up when Hanna approached, but her smirk hinted that she already knew why Hanna was there.
“Ciara,” Hanna said, her voice sharp. “Cut the act. I know it was you who dropped the paint on us at the talent show.”
Ciara finally looked up, arching an eyebrow. “Oh, hello to you too, Hanna. How charmingly accusatory. And here I was, thinking you’d at least pretend to be polite.”
“Don’t mess with me, Ciara. You’ve had it out for me for ages, and don’t think I don’t see through that whole innocent act.”
Ciara put down her paintbrush and tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Why would I humiliate my own brother? Do you really think I’d go through all that trouble just for you?”
“Nothing’s too low for you, Ciara. You’ve done worse,” Hanna shot back.
Ciara’s smirk faded, and her eyes narrowed. “You’re such a typical victim, Hanna. Always assuming people are obsessed with you.” She shook her head, feigning a pitying look. “I didn’t do it. Not this time.”
Hanna wanted to press further, but something in Ciara’s eyes seemed genuine, albeit annoyed. Frustrated, she stormed out of the room, her suspicions now frayed with uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Marco had found Finn by his locker, and Finn looked wary as Marco approached him.
“Hey, man,” Marco began, trying to keep his tone casual. “So… last night. That wasn’t you, right? The whole paint stunt?”
Finn’s face tightened, and he crossed his arms. “You really think I’d do that?”
“Well, you have been acting jealous,” Marco countered, his gaze searching. “And you seemed pretty on edge when Hanna and I did the whole ‘marriage’ thing.”
Finn’s eyes flashed with irritation. “Look, I’m not proud of my reaction, but I’d never pull a stunt like that to humiliate her. Believe what you want, but I don’t need to stoop that low.”
Marco held his gaze for a moment, studying Finn’s face. He couldn’t detect a hint of dishonesty, but a part of him still simmered with distrust. He nodded curtly, unsure whether he truly believed Finn’s denial.
As they both left their confrontations, Hanna and Marco met up in the hallway, each feeling more confused than before. Neither Finn nor Ciara had confessed, but the air between the two couples was heavy, tense, and unresolved.
“I don’t trust either of them,” Hanna muttered as they walked away. And as they each glanced back at the people they suspected, they both felt that whatever had begun was far from over.