Page 72 - KCN 2020

Despite being classmates, Willow had never had a good impression of Hannah. Hannah was the
a b i t t e r s w e e t
BIRTHDAY time now...’ Willow chimed in her head,
It was 5:15pm, May 24. ‘Any
eyes scanning the high-rise apartment
THAM YUANYI across the road for a familiar figure.
She rocked back and forth on her heels,
swinging her beloved baseball bat as
she waited for the tinted glass doors to
open.
Just as she predicted, the
doors flung open, revealing a beau-
tiful teenage girl. As she left the
apartment and strolled along the side-
walk, Willow observed her intently.
The clothing she donned was casual
but elegant, like your typical wealthy
city-bound adolescent, but Willow
could identify her from a crowd any
day. From her trendy short hair to
the hand-painted butterflies on her
flask, every detail of her screamed
one distinct name: Hannah Bell.
With her target locked in,
Willow followed her at a distance -
far enough that she wouldn’t notice
her presence. Willow already knew
where Hannah was going; her best
friend, Alana, had informed her that
she would be meeting Hannah at
her house at 5:30 p.m. before hang-
ing out together. It was convenient,
Willow thought, that Hannah had
planned a movie night on this par-
ticular day - Willow’s birthday, more
so that she chose to spend the whole
evening with Alana, leaving her com-
pletely alone. Though, it wasn’t a big
surprise either, considering Hannah
and Willow’s sour relationship.
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class queen bee, holding many noteworthy positions in school and being an inspiring role model; meanwhile,
Willow was detested for being a short-tempered ruffian who got into fights with other kids. Though unfortu-
nate, it wasn’t surprising that Hannah and her friends mocked and alienated her. While Willow resented her,
not once did she try any drastic measures against her - until she met Alana.
Alana was the only person in school who cared about Willow in spite of her infamy. Early on, they
were inseparable and became each other’s support. It was at the point where Willow would sacrifice her life
in exchange for Alana’s happiness. That all changed when Hannah and Alana became friends months later.
Eventually, Hannah introduced Alana to her posse of friends, and the duo’s relationship began to dissolve. The
fact that Hannah could take away her most cherished friend just like that made Willow’s blood boil. Without
Alana to stabilize her emotions, she began to spiral downwards into a bottomless pit of envy and anger.
With every step, Willow’s adrenaline shot through her body like bolts of lightning. Her
heart hammered against her chest, and her palms glistened with sweat. She knew this was obvi-
ously wrong, and even considered dropping her “surprise” for Hannah, but a sinister voice inside her
kept her going. “Remember what she did to you,” the voice hissed. “Alana was all you had left, and
she took her away from you. Your one source of joy is gone, and it’s all because of her.” She grit-
ted her teeth, furrowing her eyebrows in rage. “You have to spend your birthday alone because of her,
you poor thing. You don’t deserve any of this. Why don’t you give yourself a nice present instead?”
“If you take care of her now, Alana will be yours again.”Willow saw red as that sentence echoed through
her head.
Hannah turned left into an empty backstreet, which led to the neighbour-
hood where Alana resided. Willow followed, quickening her pace as they both approached a quiet,
narrow alley. Large dumpsters and boxes were placed along the small lane, just what Willow needed.
Acting fast, she retrieved a cloth from her pocket and ran up to Hannah, covering her nose and mouth
as she put her in a headlock. Hannah froze as she was unwillingly dragged into the alley. She regained her
senses and tried to resist, but Willow pushed her to the ground and knocked the wind out of her in retaliation.
Willow stepped back and wrapped her fingers around the baseball bat’s handle, star-
ing down at the struggling girl. “Do it. Finish her,” the voice said. A crooked smile crept
up to her face as she raised her bat. “Time to unveil my present,” Willow said to Hannah.
Just as Willow stepped forward, preparing for the final blow, an unwelcome visitor dropped by.
A patrolling policeman.
Handcuffs quickly clasped onto Willow’s wrists, and in frothing rage, she was
escorted into the back of the police car.
As Hannah diminished from her view, Willow’s frantic screams and repeated rams
against the car door were replaced by an eerie calm, followed by streaks of tears down her face.
She looked in her reflection and found nothing, but soulless eyes and a bitter smile.
“Happy birthday to me.” 70