Chapter 14

Sophie eagerly anticipated the onset of summer holidays. With each passing day, she found herself growing more confident both in class and amongst her peers. As she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, a sense of self-assurance washed over her. It had been a while since she had felt this good about herself. Her school uniform hugged her figure snugly, the skirt accentuating her hips, while her blouse gracefully accommodated her burgeoning curves. Standing tall, she couldn’t help but envision herself as one of the glamorous girls in the all-female pop groups she admired.

Surveying her collection of Kpop posters, Sophie contemplated whether it was time to take them down. The once-exotic allure of Korea seemed to have waned, the only Korean thing she still did now was chat occasionally with Luke, but that did not feel much different to chatting with an American or European, and that made Korea feel not so exotic after all. With a nonchalant shrug, she questioned the purpose of holding onto them.

Summoning a touch of daring, Sophie applied a hint of lip gloss and skillfully concealed a small blemish with makeup. As she embarked on her journey to school, she attempted to exude confidence in her stride, hoping to dissuade the unsolicited comments and lewd gestures from the construction workers she encountered along the way. Despite her efforts, the catcalls and whistles persisted.

Upon reaching school grounds, Sophie endeavored to feel more at ease despite the watchful eyes of her male classmates and the daunting prospect of interacting with her female peers. With each passing day, she nurtured the hope that the coming year would afford her the opportunity to shed her inhibitions and truly revel in the joys of teenagehood.

“Hey, Sophie, do you want to come to my party this weekend?” Dilan, an attractive Pakistani girl in the same year, asked with a friendly smile.

Sophie’s heart skipped a beat at the invitation, her cheeks flushing with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Dilan’s popularity was well-known, and the fact that she was extending this invitation felt like a genuine gesture rather than a mere formality.

Sophie returned Dilan’s smile with one of her own, trying to mask her surprise and excitement. “Sure, I’d love to!” she replied, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

“Cool! See you there!” Dilan winked back, her friendly demeanor putting Sophie at ease.

As Dilan walked away, Sophie couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. This was a chance to step into a new social circle, one she had only admired from a distance before.

The other girls, instead of reacting with their usual smirks or giggles, surprised Sophie by treating her with warmth and inclusion. It was as if Dilan’s invitation had shifted the dynamics of their group, and Sophie found herself being drawn into their conversation effortlessly.

Even Emma nodded along with her comments about a new pop song, signaling a newfound acceptance. In that moment, Sophie realized that perhaps her assumptions about social dynamics had been wrong all along, and she allowed herself to relax among the chatty atmosphere.

As Sophie walked out of class, she found herself falling into step with Priya and Thaila, two girls who had always stood apart from the crowd, never joining in on the bullying but instead offering quiet support from the sidelines.

As they chatted and laughed together, Sophie couldn’t help but admire Priya and Thaila’s unwavering kindness and integrity. They were both excellent students, known for their academic prowess and compassionate nature. In that moment, Sophie made a silent vow to herself that she would strive to emulate their qualities in the coming school year. These were the kind of girls she wanted to befriend, the kind of friends she wanted to have by her side.

As they walked up the steps, Sophie’s eyes were drawn to the girl in front of her. She could see the backs of her thighs reaching up into her skirt, and they were marked by ugly scars. She soon realised this was Anna Gao, walking alone, still seemingly outcast from her previously full group of friends. Priya and Thaila stopped, and Priya’s hand went to Sophie’s arm to stop her. They had all seen Anna’s legs. “Oh my God, look at her legs, I reckon she tried to kill herself” said Thaila. “Stupid slut, I would kill myself if I let everyone take photos of me and sent them around” seconded Priya. “Imagine having everyone at school know you’re a whore, why does she not just stay home?” Thaila and Priya shocked Sophie with their sudden moral revulsion at Anna. It was as if she was a leper, having been a popular girl everyone once looked up to.

“I mean ... it wasn’t her fault, it was her boyfriend, he shouldn’t have given them out” Sophie tried to stand up for the poor girl.

“Sophie, what the fuck! You don’t take photos of yourself like that and send them to people. Not unless you want to be a porn star, she’s a fucking idiot!” Thaila seemed genuinely angry. “But it was just topless photos, it was like being in a bikini, almost...” Sophie was thinking of the photos and videos she had taken.

“Even so, everyone is gonna know, they’re gonna see those photos forever. Imagine having your kids see those, OMG!” Priya continued, “even in her knickers, she is gonna pay for being so stupid. God can you imagine if she was totally naked and had her pussy out...” Priya put her hand to her mouth. Both Thaila and Priya began giggling. Sophie laughed weakly, trying to keep up. “You would have to kill yourself!” said Thaila “That girl doesn’t have the guts to kill herself, just cutting herself like that. Fucking finish the job!”

The two girls laughed more coarsely. Sophie felt a little chastened by the sudden lurch into the hate of another girl. At least this was not her, but even so, it was awful what had happened to poor Anna, she thought. She watched as at the far end of the corridor, the miserable figure of the girl disappeared into her class.

Later that pleasant June Monday evening, as Sophie strolled home from the bus stop she couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief washing over her. It wasn’t often that she didn’t immediately seek solace in the comfort of her bedroom upon arriving home, she noted to herself, a small but significant shift in her mood. Instead of retreating to the sanctuary of her room, Sophie found herself looking forward to spending more time with friends, a rarity for her.

The anticipation of Dilan’s party that weekend filled her with excitement, adding a spark of joy to her evening.

Upon entering her home, Sophie engaged in a cheerful conversation with her mum, who had just returned from a day of work in the care sector. Their discussion ranged from TV shows to her mum’s potential new boyfriend, and Sophie found herself genuinely enjoying the interaction.

Afterward, she retreated to her room with a cup of cocoa in hand, feeling content and at ease. Changing into a comfortable ensemble of short pyjama shorts and a crop top, both in a soothing light blue hue, Sophie set the mood with some music and delved into reading magazines, opting to forgo her usual online distractions for the night.

Just as she settled into her cozy routine, her phone unexpectedly buzzed, indicating an incoming call from an unknown number.

Sophie’s initial instinct was a mix of nervousness and apprehension; she was all too familiar with the possibility of receiving prank calls from her bullies or unwanted attention from strangers.

However, a glimmer of hope flickered within her as she considered the possibility that it could be an invitation from Dilan or one of the girls reaching out to chat. With a hint of cautious optimism, Sophie hesitated for a moment before deciding to answer, her heart pounding with anticipation of the unknown caller’s identity.

“Hello, is that Sophie Yildiz?” came the voice, carrying an air of genial authority.

Sophie hesitated for a moment, then replied cautiously, “Yes?”

“My name is Stanley, though you don’t need to know my second name, at least not yet,” the voice continued, with an odd blend of formality and informality. “I have some news for you, and I wondered how best to approach you for fear of scaring you off! So I thought perhaps a phone call at the start is the best way to introduce myself to you.”

Sophie’s mind raced, unsure of what to make of this unexpected call. “Okay...” she replied, her tone cautious.

“I’m afraid I have some good news and some bad news,” Stanley continued, his voice maintaining its cheerful demeanour. “The good news is that you are truly a very beautiful girl, Sophie.”

Sophie’s discomfort grew as the conversation took an unexpected turn. “Oh...” she responded, her voice trailing off, a sense of unease settling in.

“The bad news is, well I am afraid that there is a danger that people will be able to see that for themselves. I think you have been a naughty girl, Sophie. Do you know what I am talking about?”

Sophie nearly spilled her cocoa. What was this? A sudden terrible thought popped into her head. “Sophie there is no easy way to say this, but, well, I have in my possession some very compromising photographs and videos of you.”

“What?” Sophie felt like screaming but remembered her mum next door. “What, what do you mean?” She started to pray to herself, please, please let this not be happening to me. Let it happen to some other girl, but not to me.

“Well you do look stunning if I may say so, I enjoyed your dancing, you shouldn’t feel too embarrassed. And don’t worry! I am not going to share them, well, yet, anyway!”

Sophie’s face had gone white. She curled up in a ball on the phone, and sucked on her thumb as if to comfort herself.

“Who are you?” she asked quietly.

“I am a friend you haven’t met yet! Don’t worry. I just wanted you to know, that your photos and that nice video are safe with me. You just have to promise me to not tell anyone our little secret OK?” Now I would like to have another way to contact you. Do you have an email, or something?”

“Now, Sophie, please don’t go quiet on me,” Stanley’s voice persisted, his tone retaining its unsettling mix of familiarity and menace. “Do not be foolish and think that ignoring me is going to be a good option.”

Sophie’s breath caught in her throat as she listened to Stanley’s words, his insistence sending a shiver down her spine. “I ... I don’t understand,” Sophie managed to reply, her voice trembling with fear and confusion. “Who are you? What do you want?”

“Maybe it will be easy for you to just read my email. Now please can I send it to you? I will stay on the phone until you give your address to me,” Stanley suggested, his voice retaining its eerie cheerfulness.

Sophie, feeling a mixture of dread and confusion, stuttered out her email address, her hands trembling slightly as she spoke.

“Excellent,” Stanley replied, his tone remaining unsettlingly upbeat. “Okay, I am sending you a formal email now. Now, are you at home?”

Sophie hesitated for a moment before responding, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes.”

“I think you live alone with your mummy, isn’t that right?” Stanley’s words made Sophie recoil, the overly familiar term for her mother making her queasy.

“Yes, that’s right,” Sophie confirmed, her voice tinged with unease.

“Well, let’s keep this a secret between us for now, eh?” Stanley’s request sent a wave of discomfort through Sophie, the implications sinking in with a sickening certainty.

“Okay,” Sophie replied softly, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Now, be a good girl and read the email I have just sent. Are you near your computer?” Stanley inquired, his voice maintaining its unsettling calmness.