Abigail stared at Vivienne for some time, then throwing another smug smile, turned around and walked outside the classroom.
Esme almost held her breath the whole time; now a deep sigh escaped her mouth. She looked at her side, offering Vivienne an amused smile, "That was... Smooth!"
Vivienne smirked. "I didn't know saying it on her face would feel so comforting! I might do it again."
Esme chuckled, "Girl..!"
But after a moment, her smile faded. "Viv", she called her, serious. "But I'd suggest you watch her. Abigail won't let you go easily. She seems desperate to win Aureates; she might even do something to you behind your back."
Vivienne nodded. "Yeah, I think so too. After all, she's Abigail — the one who lives to stir up trouble."
Vivienne took a pause, then suddenly turned to her. "Esme, um.. if it's okay with you, could you maybe help me with something?"
-
The moment Abigail stepped outside the classroom, her smile disappeared. She clenched her jaw, drawing her eyes together. Vivienne, that girl, who never dared to talk back earlier... She actually dared to mock Abigail!
Earlier, while heading towards the classroom, she heard whispers among her classmates about how today Vivienne had completely ignored them. Now, she challenged her openly! That was new.
Abigail stood at the landing, her fingers tightened around the cold railing. 'What's gotten into her?' She whispered.
She'd known Vivienne since her high school days. Coming from a respectable background, Abigail too had attended some elite parties herself, mingled with the crowd Vivienne moved so effortlessly through. Vivienne never noticed Abigail, but she watched her closely.
Vivienne was always a people pleaser — with a flawless smile, impeccable manners, and a carefully crafted image, she'd always presented herself as the perfect daughter of the Winters. No matter who she spoke to, or whatever she endured, her smile never slipped, not even for a moment!
Later, Abigail understood why. Of course, she was playing her part very carefully. And she had to — being adopted, she had to work twice as hard not to lose face in front of them.
From then on, Abigail stopped paying much attention to her. In her eyes, Vivienne was just a pushover; someone who could be easily manipulated, someone who'd bend to anyone's will. Vivienne too, never fought back — until today.
Abigail's frown deepened. The sudden change made her rethink everything about Vivienne.
Was it really just because of her engagement to Damien?
But, officially, she wasn't even an Ashford yet — could an engagement alone give her that much confidence?
Or... Was there something more to it?
She suddenly remembered what Vivienne told her just a few minutes ago. "I also couldn't imagine that someone would have to socialize so much with... juniors."
Abigail flinched a little. The sentence could imply only one meaning — Vivienne was suspecting her. And that was definitely not a good thing.
Abigail felt her anger rising again. "Vivienne... You-" she muttered under her breath, then stormed down the stairs. She couldn't just sit like this. She had to do something.
-
Ting!
With a soft ring, the elevator door to the rooftop of Juno's cafe opened. Vivienne stepped outside, then turned to Esme. "Come on."
The moment Esme stepped onto the rooftop, her eyes widened. Though she'd visited the cafe once earlier, she had never set foot here. In a single word, the rooftop was.. beautiful! But, one thing surprised her. The rooftop was empty — there was no one except for them! She glanced at her mobile once, it was already afternoon — the peak time! The ground floor was almost packed, but how could the rooftop be so empty?
Esme couldn't suppress her thoughts. Turning to Vivienne, she asked. "Viv, why is no one here today?"
Vivienne was heading towards the couches in the middle of the rooftop. She smiled at her, "I reserved it."
"You reserved it!" Esme almost choked. Vivienne laughed at her reaction, "Yeah, we need some privacy."
Vivienne settled herself comfortably on a couch, then gestured for her to take one. With hesitant steps, Esme walked forward and sat on a couch beside Vivienne.
"Viv, you wanted to ask me something, what's it about?"
Vivienne smiled. "Yeah, but first.. I want you to meet someone. Let's just wait for her a little?"
Esme nodded. Vivienne picked up the menu from the centre table, "What will you take?"
Esme smiled dryly. "I'm fine with anything."
"Okay, let me order for all of us, then!" Vivienne answered, skimming through the menu. Esme didn't say anything, with the corner of her eye she glanced at Vivienne.
The rooftop seats were out of her budget; she could never afford to reserve one, no matter how much she wished. Yet Vivienne reserved the whole rooftop for them! And the way she said it, as if, to her, splurging this much was nothing!
'Surely, some people are really lucky.' She thought.
Esme was lost in thought when she heard the sound of footsteps. She turned to the entrance and her gaze fell on the girl walking towards them. She had on an oversized animal printed tee and jeans; with each step, her sleek bob swayed lightly. She was.. gorgeous.
Vivienne looked up. Seeing her, a wide smile spread across her lips. "Hey Nini !"
The girl, Nini, lounged on a couch opposite to them. "Hi...", then took a brief glance at Esme. Just a moment, but Esme didn't miss her sharp, piercing gaze.
"Okay, let me introduce you to someone." Vivienne grinned, "This is Esme, my classmate", then turned to her, "And Esme, this is Nadine, my best friend."
Esme gently smiled at Nadine. She nodded, offering a smile back; then shot a curious glance at Vivienne. "So, Vivi, what's with the call?"
Before she could say anything, a server arrived with a tray of food. The air was filled instantly with the aroma — warm, cheesy, sweet. There were mini sliders, samosas, and cheese balls, a handful of chocolate-dipped strawberries and a few bite-sized tarts on the side, along with three tall glasses of berry drink, with ice cubes and mint leaves floating on top.
The server went back placing the tray on the center table. Vivienne reached for a glass, then leaned back. "Esme, please help yourself. And, don't be too polite, we're all friends here."
Smiling, Esme picked up a cheese ball and took the first bite. Well, the taste was really good — Juno's cafe was famous for a reason.
She still didn't know the reason behind this sudden sweet treat—but for now, she let herself enjoy it.