For now, they knew they had to stay low.
Annie picked up her phone with trembling hands and dialed home. Her voice was calm, but tired. "Hey, Mom… I'm staying over at Kayla's tonight. I'll be back in the morning."
Her parents didn't ask too many questions. Maybe they sensed something wasn't right, or maybe they trusted her enough to give her space. Either way, the call ended quickly, and a strange quiet settled over the room again.
Annie placed the phone down and sighed. "We can't fight them just yet."
Kayla nodded. "No. But we'll be ready."
By nightfall, the search had finally died down.
The streets outside grew quiet, and the angry voices that once echoed through the neighborhood faded into silence. Annie peeked through the curtain and let out a long breath of relief.
"They're gone," she whispered.
Kayla nodded beside her, shoulders relaxing for the first time all day. "For now."
But they both knew this wasn't the end—only a pause before the next storm.
"We need a plan," Annie said, her voice steady. "We can't keep running. If we want this to end, we have to deal with Rose—and everyone backing her."
Kayla's eyes darkened with determination. "Then let's figure out how to cut the Rose Garden at its roots."
sat cross-legged on Kayla's bed, staring at the ceiling. "What if we turn the school against her? Make people see who she really is."
Kayla shrugged, but her eyes didn't light up with hope. "That won't work. Even if the school turns against her, we'd be the ones who suffer. Her family's too powerful—they'd protect her like they always do."
Annie clenched her jaw, frustrated. "Then what? We just keep hiding?"
Kayla paused, then sat up straighter. "What if we caught her in the act?"
Annie looked over. "You mean… record her?"
"Exactly," Kayla said. "She's always threatening people—especially the new students. If we get that on camera, we don't tell people what she's like—we show them."
Annie's eyes narrowed with a flicker of determination. "Then that's what we'll do. We make her bury herself—with her own words."
"It's time," Annie said, her voice cold and certain. "Time to put an end to the Rose Garden… once and for all."
Kayla looked at her, eyes burning with the same fire. "We're not just cutting the petals."
"We're cutting the root."