The final bell rang, echoing through the empty halls of Green Mountain High School. Everyone had just finished their 9th-grade final exams, and the halls were filled with laughter, high-fives, and plans for summer. But for ten girls, summer would have to wait.
"Guys, we have to come back after three days for extra classes," Prajwal reminded her group, rolling her eyes.
"What kind of cruel joke is this?" groaned Akshada, dramatically falling over the bench like a cartoon character.
"It's just 10th standard prep," Swarali said, ever the topper. Apurva nodded beside her, calmly organizing her books.
"I swear, they should give us a break after exams. Not trauma," muttered Rutuja, stretching her arms like she just ran a marathon.
Srushti leaned on the desk, annoyed. "Ugh, we could be chilling at home. Watching K-dramas. Not sitting in dusty classrooms."
"Think about the bright side," said Swara, quietly from the back. "Less crowd, more peace."
Anushka suddenly whispered, "Or… maybe the ghosts like it more empty." Her voice had a dramatic tone, and the girls froze for a second.
"Shut up, Anushka! Don't start your horror drama," Akshara squealed, hugging her bag tightly.
"You guys don't know? This school is haunted," Anushka continued with a smirk. "A girl died here years ago. No one knows how."
Darshana gasped, eyes wide. "Whaaaat! I knew it! This school always gave creepy vibes!"
Prajwal raised an eyebrow. "You're just saying that because the bathroom lights flicker."
"But seriously," Anushka went on, enjoying the attention, "people say her ghost still roams the building. Especially when the school is empty…"
Everyone went quiet for a moment. Even the ceiling fan creaked louder than usual.
Then Rutuja laughed. "Okay Sherlock, let's all bring garlic and holy water for extra class."
The group laughed it off and headed outside, promising to meet again after three days for the new classes.
But none of them knew... this time, the school wouldn't be so empty.
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