Project Mage

Jess took a deep breath. "Risebelle, you know I've always been a troublemaker, always getting into some kind of mess. But this time, it was different. Someone approached me this morning, someone I've never seen before, and they just started throwing blows, no questions asked. It was like they were out for blood."

Risebelle's eyes widened with shock and concern. "Someone attacked you out of nowhere? That's... that's terrible, Jess."

Jess nodded, her gaze fixed on the floor. "Yeah, it was brutal. They picked a time and place when no one was around, and I didn't stand a chance. I got beaten up pretty badly, Risebelle."

Risebelle couldn't hide her outrage. "And the principal just let you leave her office and return to classes, knowing you're injured? That's unacceptable!"

Jess bit her lip."Well, I kind of begged her not to make a big deal out of it, Risebelle. You know my reputation. I didn't want to cause any more trouble. But the truth is, I can barely walk right now. I don't know who those people were or why they attacked me."

Risebelle's anger simmered beneath the surface as she processed Jess's words. "Jess, this is serious. We need to find out who did this to you and why. No one deserves to be attacked like that."

Jess looked up at Risebelle, her eyes filled with fear."Risebelle, not gonna lie girl, but I really didn't know who else to turn to. I really didn't want to involve you, but I guess I don’t have a choice now... Can you help me figure this out?"

Risebelle nodded firmly. "Of course, Jess. We'll get to the bottom of this together. No one messes with my friends and gets away with it!"

After their serious conversation, Jess surprised Risebelle. While still looking slightly pained from her injuries,Jess flashed a flirty smile at Risebelle and extended her arms around Risebelle for a hug. Risebelle couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's antics and gave her a warm hug in return.

As they pulled away from the hug, Jess batted her eyelashes playfully and said, "You're my hero, Risebelle. Now, how about being a real hero and giving me a piggyback ride to my class? It's in a different homeroom, and I don't think I can make it on my own."

Risebelle raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in her eyes. "Jess, I knew there had to be another reason you were here. But I have to tell you, I'm not going to be carrying you around like a princess."

Jess pouted, her lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated manner, "Oh, come on, Risebelle! I promise! I'll make it up to you somehow. Pretty please?"

Risebelle lowered her eyes, seeing through Jess's act. “Jess, do you know how crazy you sound right now? I’m willing to help you but I'm not going to be carrying you around like a backpack. What do you think I am? We can walk to class together like ‘normal’ people do."

Jess continued to pout in this manner, but she didn't push the matter further. "Alright, alright, finnnne you win, Risebelle. Walking it is. But you have to admit, it would have been memorable."

" I'll at least walk you to your class. But no piggyback rides, got it?"

Jess grinned, taking Risebelle's hand as they began to walk together.

As they walked, Jess couldn't help but let her imagination run wild, envisioning a romantic scenario in which Risebelle was her dashing savior. She thought about how their hands were intertwined, the soft smile on Risebelle's face, and the way their eyes met. In her fantasy, everything was perfect, but the reality was quite different.

Risebelle, on the other hand, maintained a friendly and composed demeanor. She couldn't help but notice Jess's daydreaming and was more focused on getting to the bottom of Jess's situation.

After a few moments of silence, Risebelle decided to ask the question that had been on her mind. "So, Jess, what happened to your boyfriend? I haven't heard you mention him in a while."

Jess hesitated for a moment, her fantasy shattered by the reminder of her recent breakup. She sighed softly and then tried to divert the conversation. "Oh, you know how it goes, Risebelle. Sometimes things just don't work out, and people move on."

Risebelle gave Jess a knowing look. "Jess, you can't hide it from me. You got dumped, didn't you?"

Jess bit her lip, her attempts to evade the truth falling apart. "Well, maybe it was more of a mutual decision. We both realized it wasn't working."

Risebelle raised an eyebrow. "Mutual decision, huh? Jess, you don't have to pretend. Breakups can be tough, but you don't have to go through it alone. You can talk to me about it."

Jess sighed again, this time in resignation. "Okay, okay, you got me. He dumped me, alright? Said he needed space and all that nonsense. It stings, Risebelle."

Risebelle couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her friend. She gave Jess's hand a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry to hear that, Jess. Breakups are never easy. But hey, you'll bounce back from this, I'm sure of it."

As they continued walking, Jess couldn't help but bring up a topic that had been on her mind. She flashed a wistful smile at Risebelle and said, "You know, Risebelle, you're lucky you don't have to deal with all this boyfriend drama. Your family's rich, so you've got everything you need."

Risebelle furrowed her brow, a thoughtful look on her face. "Jess, being rich isn't as easy as it might seem. Sure, we have money, but that doesn't mean life is without its challenges."

Jess raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Risebelle's response. "Challenges? Like what?"

Risebelle sighed, realizing that it was time to open up a bit about her own life. "Well, for one, there's always this pressure to live up to my family's expectations. They have high hopes for me, and sometimes it feels like I have to be perfect in their eyes. Plus, my family isn't going to be rich for too much longer.. They expect me to get Straight A’s this year to fix that problem ..."

Jess nodded, listening intently as Risebelle shared a glimpse of her own struggles. She could sense the weight of expectations in Risebelle's words.

"That does sound tough, Risebelle," Jess acknowledged with her extraness momentarily set aside. "I guess we all have our own battles to fight, whether it's relationship drama or family expectations."

Risebelle smiled, appreciating Jess's understanding. "Exactly, Jess.”

As they reached the entrance to Jess's classroom, Jess turned to Risebelle with a more serious face. "Thanks for listening, Risebelle, and for helping me out with all this. You're a great friend."

Risebelle smiled warmly. "Anytime, Jess.”

Jess gave Risebelle a quick hug, this time without any ulterior motives, and then entered her classroom. Risebelle watched her friend go.

As Risebelle walked through the hallway on her way to her next class, her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she passed by someone who looked remarkably like her but with yellow hair. This person was engaged in a conversation with a boy she recognized from her class. The resemblance was uncanny, and it left Risebelle feeling curiosity and confusion.

‘Wait, is that... me? But with yellow hair? What's going on here? ‘She thought

As she continued walking, her mind raced with questions and possibilities.

‘Could it be a twin sister I didn't know about? No, that's impossible. I'd have heard about that. But the resemblance is just too striking. Maybe it's a relative?’

She couldn't help but eavesdrop on their conversation, trying to get some information.

As Risebelle continued to eavesdrop on the conversation between the person who looked like her and the boy from her class, she caught a snippet of their discussion that piqued her curiosity even further.

Overheard Conversation:

The Doppleganger speaks to the boy with a grin “We should totes meet up after 7 for some fun. And… you know what we discussed earlier. It's all part of the plan."

Risebelle thought ‘Meeting up after 7 for some fun? What are they planning? Why does it sound so secretive? I need to find out what's going on. If they're using my likeness for something, I need to put a stop to it. But I have to be careful and gather more information fir—‘

Risebelle accidentally bumped into the girl who looked so much like her, she watched in surprise as the girl's phone tumbled out of her pocket and onto the floor. It was then that she noticed something on the phone's screen that raised even more questions.

The screen displayed a list of names, with the name 'Jess' prominently featured and several other names crossed out. Risebelle's curiosity deepened, and she was about to say something when the girl, with her arms folded and a serious-looking demeanor, beat her to it.

“Ugh, like, watch where you're going, seriously!”

Risebelle blinked, surprised by the girl's attitude. She stammered, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

“Whatever. Can't believe you, like, made me drop my phone. It's, like, so not cool. If it’s broken, i’m so gonna sue you!”

Risebelle was surprised by the girl's hostile response, but she couldn't dwell on it for long. As the girl stormed off, complaining to the boy who was with her, Risebelle quickly picked up her phone and watched them go.

‘What the hell just happened? That girl's attitude was so weird... but more importantly, I saw something on her phone's screen – a list of names with 'Jess' prominently featured. What does it mean? Is Jess somehow involved in whatever they're planning? I need to talk to Jess about this as soon as possible!’

Risebelle entered the classroom, slightly out of breath from her earlier encounter and the rush to get back to class. She was relieved to find her teacher in a good mood, and his enthusiasm seemed to override her tardiness.

Her teacher greeted her with a cheerful smile. "Risebelle, you're a bit late today, but I won't hold it against you this time. Take your seat, and let's get started."

Risebelle nodded gratefully and quickly took her seat, her thoughts still consumed by the mysterious conversation she had overheard and the list of names on the girl's phone.

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As the final school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Risebelle wasted no time in searching for Jess. She found her friend near the school's entrance, waiting by the courtyard. Jess looked up as Risebelle approached.

"Jess, we need to talk," Risebelle said seriously, her blue eyes locking onto Jess's.

Jess nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Yeah, we do. Let's go somewhere private."

Risebelle led Jess to a quieter corner of the courtyard, away from the prying eyes and ears of other students.

In their secluded corner of the courtyard, Risebelle didn't waste any time getting to the point. She took a deep breath and said, "Jess, earlier today, I overheard someone who looked just like me talking to a boy from our class. They mentioned meeting up after 7 for something secretive, and I couldn't help but wonder what they're planning."

Jess's eyes widened. She leaned in closer and spoke low but with haste. "Risebelle, you don't understand. It's not just some secret plan. I...I think I'm next."

Risebelle's heart skipped a beat at Jess's words. "What the hell do you mean, 'you're next'? Jess, you need to tell me everything. What's going on?"

Jess took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the ground. "I messed up, Risebelle. I got involved with the wrong people, and now they want something from me. Something I can't give them."

Risebelle's concern deepened. "Jess, you have to be honest with me. What did you get involved in, and who are these people?"

Jess hesitated for a moment. She looked all the way to the side as if trying to decide something before turning back Risebelle. As she spoke, Risebelle’s eyes grew wider.