Unexpected Events

As he entered the classroom, he felt his nervousness like a knot in his stomach. The brown envelope in his backpack seemed heavier than anything else, a silent reminder that he had no idea what picture Miriam had chosen for him.As he made his way to his desk, his path was blocked by a blonde girl. She was flawlessly styled, her blonde hair perfectly straightened, and her posture radiating confidence to the point of arrogance. With her pink blouse and wide smile, she looked like a Barbie doll—though one specialized in bullying others.

"Well, new guy," she said in a sweetly mocking tone. "Did you bring your homework?"

He paused for a moment, then nodded, wondering why she even cared about him. "Yeah... why?"

She waved a transparent plastic folder in front of his face, already containing several envelopes. "I’m collecting the pictures for Ms. Avas. She wants us to hand them in beforehand so she can sort them."Alex’s heartbeat quickened. He’d wanted to take a look at the photo first, just to make sure Miriam hadn’t set him up. But Isabella was already there, hand outstretched.

"Now?" he asked, his voice more tense than he intended.

"Of course now," she said with a condescending laugh. "It says ‘before class.’ It’s even in the instructions—reading helps sometimes."

He hesitated, but under her piercing gaze, he felt compelled to pull the envelope from his backpack. He felt as though he were giving up something precious, and he would have preferred to just turn around and leave the room.

"Thanks," she said with a triumphant smile as she slipped the envelope into her folder. "Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything is in its proper place."

With that, she left him standing there and strutted off to her seat. Alex could do nothing but sit down, with the picture—his last chance to look at it beforehand—now out of his reach.Class began as usual, and Ms. Avas entered the room with her typical smile. "Good morning, class! I hope you’ve all handed in your photos. We’ll look at them together in the last period," she announced, casting a quick glance at the folder Isabella had placed on her desk and tapping it lightly. "I’m looking forward to learning more about you all, and thanks again to Isabella for collecting the photos. But first, we have a few other things to take care of."

Alex felt a wave of relief mixed with a hint of unease. The presentations wouldn’t be until the end of the day. On the one hand, he had more time to prepare for the moment; on the other, it prolonged the uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty. He kept catching himself glancing at the folder on the teacher’s desk. Isabella sat like a queen at her table, chatting loudly with her friends. She seemed amused by his restlessness, and every time she noticed him looking, she threw him a smug smile.

During lunch break, as Alex poked at his food, his head full of thoughts about the photo assignment, he suddenly heard someone approaching and then stopping briefly at his table. A voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Um... That’s my seat."

He looked up and saw a girl he didn’t know. She had tousled blonde hair, wore a black sweatshirt with a discreet logo, and balanced a tray full of food in her hand. She didn’t seem unfriendly, but not particularly patient either.

"Oh," Alex mumbled, starting to apologize. "Sorry, I didn’t know that this seat—"

"It’s okay," she interrupted, plopping down on the chair across from him. "It’s not marked." She set down her tray and began breaking off a piece of bread without giving him a second glance.

For a moment, Alex was unsure whether he should stay seated. Maybe she wanted to be alone? But then he thought it would be even weirder to just get up and leave. So he pushed the thought aside and stared back down at his plate.

They remained silent until she suddenly broke it again.

"You’re new here, right?" she asked without looking up.

Alex looked up, surprised. "Uh... yeah. How do you know?"

She shrugged. "You’re sitting alone. Most of the others here have known each other forever."

"True," Alex said, nodding slowly. "I moved here a few weeks ago."

"Hm," she replied, pushing a potato cube through the gravy with her fork. Then, almost casually, she added, "Also annoyed by that stupid photo assignment?"

Alex blinked. "What?"

She leaned back and finally looked directly at him. "Ms. Avas’s assignment. That dumb photo from the past. I spent the entire evening yesterday searching and found nothing but junk."

"Oh... Yeah," Alex said hesitantly. "It bothers me too. I have a photo, but I don’t even know what’s on it. My stepmother picked it out, and I couldn’t look at it before Isabella collected everything."

The girl raised her eyebrows. "Wow. So you haven’t even seen it yet?"

"No." Alex shook his head. "And honestly, I’m a bit worried it’s really embarrassing."

"Got it," she said, sighing. "I found one of me in a stupid Christmas sweater with jingling bells. No idea why my parents thought that was a good idea."

Alex had to grin. "That sounds... interesting."

"‘Interesting’ is putting it nicely," she said dryly. Suddenly, she held out her hand. "By the way, I’m Tessa."

"Alex," he replied, shaking her hand.

For a moment, they just sat there, eating in silence. But Alex strangely felt a bit more at ease now that he wasn’t alone—and that he knew he wasn’t the only one annoyed by this assignment.

Tessa finally broke the silence again. "You know what? If your photo turns out to be really awful, at least you won’t be the only one looking dumb. We can make fun of Ms. Avas together."

Alex chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."

Tessa nodded, satisfied, and although Alex barely knew her, he felt that this moment might be the start of something that would make school just a tiny bit more bearable.Alex watched Tessa out of the corner of his eye as she poked at her food. There was something different about her. Her worn-out black boots, with several cracks, didn’t match the shiny sneakers the other girls wore. Her short, unevenly cut hair looked as though she’d taken the scissors to it herself, and he noticed a leather bracelet with tiny silver studs on her wrist.

"So, what’s your thing?" she asked suddenly, not looking up from her plate.

"Uh... my thing?" Alex repeated, caught off guard.

"Yeah, your thing," she said, leaning back. "Everyone’s into something. Hobbies, interests, whatever. For example: I like metal music, I game in my spare time, and I’ve probably sunk more hours into Skyrim than you’ve slept in your entire life."

Alex stared at her, not sure if she was serious or messing with him. But the sparkle in her eyes seemed genuine.

"Uh... I play video games now and then, but I don’t have that much time," he said hesitantly. "I’m more of a casual gamer."

"Casual gamer?" Tessa raised an eyebrow as if he’d just insulted her. "Please tell me you’ve at least played the big classics. Dark Souls? Witcher 3? Elden Ring?"

"Uh... I’ve played Minecraft?"

Tessa dramatically slapped her forehead with her hand. "Okay, that’s it. You’re officially a lost cause."

Alex grinned. "Hey, Minecraft is a classic!"

"Sure, but it doesn’t count if you’ve never rage-mode’d your way through a boss fight."

He laughed softly. "Maybe I need some coaching."

"Definitely," Tessa said, pointing her fork at him. "We’ll start with Hollow Knight. You’re either going to love it or end up crying. Both are fine."

Alex shook his head, unable to suppress a smile. Tessa had a way of making everything feel easy and fun, without even trying very hard.

"What kind of music do you listen to?" she asked next.

"Hm... pretty much whatever’s on the radio," he replied.

Tessa made a face as if he’d just said he hated cats. "Oh man, you really are a beginner. No metal at all? Not even a little? No Metallica, no Iron Maiden?"

Alex shrugged. "I think I heard a Metallica song once. It was... okay?"

"Okay?!" she cried, outraged. "Okay, you’re officially my project now. I’m going to turn you into a real human being."

Alex laughed. "Is it that bad?"

"Bad is an understatement," she said with mock seriousness.

As they talked, Alex noticed that she occasionally glanced around the cafeteria. Her gaze sometimes lingered briefly on other students, but she didn’t seem truly interested in them—until her eyes fell on Isabella.Alex followed her gaze and saw Isabella sitting with a group of other students at a table, laughing and gesturing dramatically. Tessa sighed quietly, took a large sip of her water, and then pushed her tray aside.

"Do you know Isabella?" Alex asked cautiously.

Tessa raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Yes, unfortunately."

"Unfortunately?"

She snorted. "She’s... well, let’s just say she’s the exact opposite of me."

Alex nodded, unsure how to respond.

"You can say that again," he finally murmured. "She’s pretty... uh... loud."

Tessa gave a crooked grin. "Loud, stuck-up, and always determined to be the center of attention."

Alex was about to say something when he remembered how Isabella had so bossily collected the photos that morning. "Yeah, that fits."

Tessa took one last bite of her bread and stood up. "I’m gonna go drop off my tray."

"Sure," Alex said, watching her weave her way through the tables.

Suddenly, she stopped and turned back to him. "By the way, in case you haven’t figured it out: Isabella is my twin sister."

Alex nearly choked on his water. "What?!"

Tessa shrugged. "Yeah, we don’t look alike, I know. Trust me, I’d rather be an only child."

With that, she left him speechless and headed toward the tray return area. Alex leaned back and stared into space.

"Her sister?!" he whispered in disbelief. Suddenly, everything felt a bit more complicated.

Alex was still processing the unexpected revelation when Tessa returned with a casual step and plopped down on her seat again. She crossed her arms and watched him with an amused sparkle in her eyes.

"Looks like I just ruined your day," she said, grinning.

"Not... ruined," Alex mumbled, still unsure how to react to the news. "But, uh, surprised is a good word."

"Don’t worry," Tessa said, as she pulled her legs up onto the bench to get comfortable. "I don’t tell that to everyone, so consider yourself honored."

"Why not?" Alex asked.

"Because everyone automatically assumes I’m just like her," Tessa said dryly. "And honestly? I don’t feel like living in her shadow or being compared to her."

Alex nodded slowly. He understood. Tessa and Isabella really were complete opposites. Where Isabella seemed like a blend of a Barbie doll and a class president, Tessa had the aura of a rebel who didn’t care what anyone else thought.

"What’s it like, being a twin?" he finally asked, genuinely curious.

Tessa leaned back and made a face. "Exhausting. Especially when you’re constantly compared to someone who fits the societal mold perfectly. Isabella was always the one who did everything right—good grades, popular crowd, always in the spotlight. And me?" She gave a crooked grin. "I was always the problem child."

"You’re not really a problem child," Alex said.

"Thanks for the optimism," she replied dryly. "But believe me, for my parents, that’s exactly what I am. It’s hard to stand out next to someone like Isabella. Eventually, I just stopped trying."

Alex wanted to say something comforting, but he didn’t know how. Instead, he asked, "Why did you move here in the first place? You’re new too, right?"

"Yeah, a few weeks ago," Tessa said. "Our parents wanted Isabella to attend a school with ‘better prospects.’" She made air quotes with her fingers. "And I got dragged along because they never do anything halfway. As always."

"That sounds... annoying," Alex said.

"Annoying is putting it mildly," she replied, looking at him. "But enough about me. What about you? You don’t strike me as the guy who runs the show here."

Alex laughed softly. "Yeah, not really. I mostly keep to myself."

"I’ve noticed," said Tessa. "But that’s okay. Sometimes it’s better not to be in the spotlight."

Before Alex could respond, the bell rang for the next class. Tessa stood up, shoved her hands into her jacket pockets, and looked at him.

"Well, see you later," she said. "And don’t forget: we need to work on your music taste."

Alex shook his head, smiling as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Tessa disappeared into the stream of students, and Alex realized that maybe the rest of the day wouldn’t be so bad after all. Later in the day, as the last period approached, Alex felt his nervousness creeping back. The presentation of the photos was coming up, and although he hadn’t seen the picture yet, he knew he wouldn’t have any choice soon. Arriving in the classroom, he took his seat and slowly pulled the envelope from his backpack. He weighed it in his hand, aware that now and then some of his classmates were casting glances his way.

“Well, are you ready?” he suddenly heard a voice.

He turned around to see Isabella standing in front of his desk, arms crossed. She smiled smugly, as if she knew exactly how uncomfortable he felt.

“Let me guess: Your photo is totally embarrassing?” she asked, a hint of mockery in her voice.

Alex pressed his lips together and didn’t reply.

“Thought so,” she said with a shrug. ”

With that, she turned and went back to her seat. Alex ground his teeth. Tessa had been right – Isabella was really exhausting.

When the teacher, Mrs. Avas, entered the classroom, things slowly quieted down. She placed her bag on the table and clapped her hands.

“Alright, let’s get started,” she said with a friendly smile. “I hope you all brought your photos and are ready to say a few words about them.”

Alex felt his heart beat faster. Tessa was sitting a few rows behind him, her head propped in her hand, giving him an encouraging look.

With slightly trembling fingers, Alex sat at his desk. The atmosphere in the classroom was tense as Mrs. Avas calmly announced that she would now show the photos using a projector. No one knew the order she had chosen, but Alex hoped his picture would appear as late as possible. He wasn’t ready to face whatever Miriam had laid out for him.

The room went dark, and the first image appeared on the screen. It was a harmless childhood photo of a classmate – a birthday party with balloons and cake. The class chuckled softly, but there was nothing special about it. More pictures followed: some rather cute, some a bit silly, but all within the realm of what you’d expect. No one laughed maliciously; most reactions were mildly amused or kindly interested.

Alex risked a glance at Tessa now and then. She sat in the back row, arms folded, her lips pressed into a thin line. Maybe she was nervous too. After all, they didn’t know each other well, and this exercise made everyone a bit ****.

Finally, it was Isabella’s turn. The projected image showed her as a small child, about five years old, holding hands with another little girl. Alex needed a moment to realize who that other child was, but the sullen expression on her face left no doubt: that was Tessa. They were clearly twins, yet while Isabella looked cheerful and perfectly posed even as a child, Tessa’s body language back then already showed resistance, as if she found the whole situation unpleasant.

A murmur went through the class, and some students snickered quietly. Seeing Tessa in such a scene alongside her sister didn’t match her current demeanor at all. Alex tried to catch her eye, but Tessa just stared stiffly at the screen. Her eyes narrowed, as if she were about to lose her temper, but she remained silent.

Then the next picture: a little girl in a pink tutu, holding a magic wand, her cheeks sparkling with glitter. It was definitely Tessa – and yet this picture looked much more staged, far more embarrassing than the previous one. This time, the class reacted more noticeably. You could hear some muffled giggles. Up front, Isabella wore a fleeting, triumphant look. She had clearly had a hand in this. Something about it wasn’t right.

If Alex was putting the pieces together correctly, then Isabella had probably swapped the photos or **** Tessa to turn in exactly this picture. Tessa hadn’t mentioned a tutu or a princess outfit to Alex before, but she had made it clear she found the assignment stupid. Apparently, she had hoped to submit a more harmless photo – and now this cheesy picture of her was up there for everyone to see.

Tessa’s face turned to stone, her fists clenched on the tabletop. Isabella had definitely scored a public hit against her. Tessa looked like she wanted to leap up and tear the projector down, but she stayed put, anger simmering just below the surface.

Mrs. Avas cleared her throat, clearly trying to ease the tension. “Tessa, would you like to say something about this picture?” she asked cautiously.

Tessa said nothing. She just glared darkly at the screen. The teacher tried not to show her discomfort at the silence and clicked to the next image after a few moments. Other photos were shown, but the tension from that incident lingered in the air.

At last, it was Alex’s turn. He felt his heart pound harder. The image appeared: It showed Alex as a small child at a kitchen table, a cup of tea in front of him. Next to him was his mother, her hand resting on his shoulder, smiling warmly into the camera. A peaceful, straightforward family photo. Nothing embarrassing, nothing ridiculous – just a harmonious moment. Alex felt relief wash over him. So Miriam hadn’t intended to humiliate him after all.

“A lovely picture, Alex,” said Mrs. Avas, as if glad to have returned to calmer waters. He nodded silently and noticed that the class didn’t make fun of it, just remained quiet. Isabella looked disappointed, while Tessa caught his eye and raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Well, you sure got lucky, didn’t you?”

When all the pictures had been shown, Mrs. Avas turned the lights back on. The atmosphere was still slightly tense. As some of the students began to pack up their things, Tessa sighed audibly and stood up slowly, her jaw clenched. Isabella acted as if nothing had happened, but Alex was sure that the twins’ story wasn’t over yet.

He had survived his own little drama unscathed, but now Tessa had a problem that surely wouldn’t be swept under the rug. Alex didn’t know if he should get involved, but part of him wanted to help Tessa – in his own way, as best he could.

After school, as always, the students crowded toward the bus stop. The sun was low in the sky, late afternoon light filtering through the leaves, the air still slightly scented with fresh foliage, though the wind had grown noticeably cooler. Alex zipped up his jacket and searched for his bus home.

A few yards away, he spotted Tessa. She leaned against the bus stop pole, arms crossed tightly over her chest, wearing a grim expression. Although she tried to look as unapproachable as possible, a nervous twitch played over her lips whenever her gaze happened to drift back toward the school building, from which Isabella and her clique would soon emerge.

Alex approached her hesitantly. He wasn’t sure whether Tessa wanted company right now, but after what had happened during the last lesson, he felt he should at least try to say something. “Hey,” he said quietly.

Tessa shot him a sharp look. Her stare was so cold that Alex nearly believed she’d tell him to go away. But then she just shrugged resignedly. “Hey.” Her voice sounded tense.

Seconds later, the bus arrived – an old, greenish articulated bus rattling slightly. The doors hissed open, and the students piled in. Alex and Tessa found two seats in the back. He was glad to sit down, as the day had drained him more than he cared to admit.

As the bus pulled away, Alex saw Isabella still standing outside. Maybe she was waiting for a ride or planning to go somewhere with her friends. Tessa didn’t look her way. She stared at her knees, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles showed white.

“That was a pretty nasty move of hers,” said Alex finally, cautiously, as if defusing a bomb.

Tessa let out a cold laugh, utterly devoid of humor. “Nasty doesn’t begin to cover it,” she hissed. “She deliberately humiliated me. The little princess enjoyed making me look ridiculous in front of everyone.”

Alex nodded silently. He could almost feel the anger radiating off her. He didn’t fully grasp the depths of their rivalry, but he could understand how she felt. Isabella had certainly had a hand in this to hurt Tessa. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Tessa exhaled through her nose. “Don’t apologize. I swear, she’ll regret it.” Her gaze drifted out the window now. The bus passed trees, a few houses and shops. “This isn’t the first time she’s tried to tear me down, but this time she’s gone too far.” She lowered her voice as if speaking to herself. “I don’t know how yet, but she’ll pay.”

Alex wasn’t sure if he should discourage her **** or not. He liked Tessa, but he didn’t want to see this escalate. “Don’t rush into anything,” he suggested gently. “Maybe just show her that she can’t get to you. If she sees you don’t care, her prank loses its power.”

Tessa turned her head towards him, her brows furrowed. Then her expression eased a bit, as if realizing Alex meant well. “We’ll see,” she said noncommittally. “But trust me, she’s not getting off that easy this time.”

As Tessa stared out the window again, Alex slipped into his own thoughts. The photo he’d seen today had turned out so differently from what he’d feared. He had expected something embarrassing, some silly picture Miriam might have chosen to humiliate him. Instead, it had been utterly harmless, even comforting. His mother looked happy, and he looked content. Nothing he needed to be ashamed of.

This morning, Miriam had given him the impression that she’d picked something that might unsettle him. Why would she do that? Maybe she just wanted to push him out of his comfort zone. Maybe she hoped he’d finally deal with his past instead of avoiding it. He wasn’t sure, but a part of him felt grateful that Miriam hadn’t done anything cruel. He might even have to thank her for it someday.

Not now, though. Not today. But at some point.

As the bus rattled on, Alex rested his head against the window and smiled slightly. Next to him, Tessa remained silent, but he could see determination sparking in her reflection in the glass. Two completely different worlds, two completely different worries.

Life seemed pretty complicated today. But amid all the confusion, there was a silver lining: he wasn’t entirely alone, and maybe he could help someone else find their own way through the chaos – just as he was beginning to find his own.

When Alex got home, he could already hear Miriam’s high heels clicking on the floor. She met him in the hallway, dressed as though she’d just stepped off a fashion runway: a flashy scarf, a shiny blouse in bright pink, a tight skirt, and towering heels. Her eyes gleamed as if she’d been waiting for this moment, and you could almost taste the tension in the air as she looked him over.

“Well, there you are, finally!” Her voice was bright, a bit too bright, as if hiding impatience or excitement. “So, how did it go? Your… photo project at school?” She practically spat out the words, as if she couldn’t wait to hear his reaction.

Alex calmly took off his shoes and set down his backpack. To his surprise, now that he was home, he just felt relieved. The day hadn’t been so bad after all. He looked up at Miriam and smiled lightly. “It actually went really well. Thanks for the photo, it was really nice.”

A twitch passed over Miriam’s perfectly made-up face. Her eyes grew wide, and she breathed faster, as if his answer had completely thrown her. “W-what… excuse me?” Her voice faltered for a moment before recovering. “The photo? Really?” Her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she unconsciously stepped closer, as if trying to detect irony or deceit in his expression.

“Yeah, sure.” Alex shrugged, slightly puzzled by her intense reaction. “It was very harmonious. Me and my mom, just a normal moment at the table. No weird looks, no silly outfits. It was really fine.”

Miriam closed her eyes for a second, as if trying to process this. Her heart pounded in her ears. She had expected anything – embarrassment, anger, accusations – but not such easy-going relief. “So… you liked it?” she asked, her voice almost strained, a little higher than usual. She breathed quickly through her nose, her perfectly styled strand of hair bouncing with agitation.

Alex gave her a questioning look. “Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” said Miriam, but her eyes gave her away. They darted nervously past him, as if searching for some clue or explanation. Her feet tapped restlessly in those heels, and she adjusted the scarf around her neck as though it had suddenly become too tight. “I… I’m just surprised. I mean, you were so tense this morning. I thought… maybe you’d be upset or disappointed.”

Alex shook his head. “Nope, not at all. In the end, it was just a normal photo. Honestly, that was better than some weird picture, you know? I’m really glad everything went smoothly.”

Miriam’s pulse raced. She couldn’t figure out what had happened. Had she misheard something, messed something up? Her stomach clenched, and a momentary dizziness flickered through her mind. “Y-yeah, of course. I see.” Her voice caught slightly, and her smile looked ****. She wanted to interrogate him further, pry out every detail – but she held back. Not now. First, she had to figure this out herself.

“Good, I’m glad everything went well,” she managed, her voice slightly more controlled now, though still too high-pitched. “I have something I need to finish.” Without another word, she rushed toward the kitchen, her heels clicking rapidly on the floor.

Alex watched her go, astonished. He’d rarely seen Miriam so worked up. What was her deal? He picked up his backpack again and headed upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him. From below, he heard a muffled sound, as if Miriam had hastily set something down on the countertop.

As he sank into the quiet of his room, he wondered again about Miriam’s odd behavior. But honestly, he was too relieved to worry much about it. He was just glad that everything had turned out fine.

Miriam, on the other hand, stood in the kitchen, pressing a hand to her chest and feeling her heart pound. It drove her crazy not knowing what had gone wrong. She was shocked, unsettled – even a bit excited, like someone facing a puzzle. She would question Alex about it later. Or try something else. Because this couldn’t be the end of it.