Xena''s POV


    It was a peaceful morning, nothing special. The fresh morning breeze was already beginning to warm. We''d arrived at school early, so after parking our motorcycles, we sat at the pic table to finish breakfast. The sunlight fell gently on my face, feeling especially wonderful.


    "Thanks for the muffin," I said to Samuel.


    "Well, it wasn''t actually for you. I snatched it while the kitchen workers were busy scolding someone else for stealing food." Though the kitchen staff was strict, the food


    they made was truly amazing.


    I couldn''t help but smile slightly as I took a bite of the muffin. I thought to myself that breaking rules felt surprisingly good, this small act of rebellion bringing me a hint of pleasure, like finding a bit of freedom in an environment full of restrictions. "So, are you nning to wear that red dress?" Samuel asked, his eyes gleaming with some meaningful look.


    My heart suddenly tightened as I remembered trying on that dress a few days ago. The


    red dress was too eye-catching.


    "Speaking of which, did Logan say something to Dad?" I narrowed my eyes, feeling uneasy


    inside.


    "Why do you ask?"


    "Dad mentioned some things to me."


    "So you''ll wear the red dress." Samuel nodded, his gaze moving past me to look behind.


    Ama was walking over with Ryder and William.


    "You guys are here early!" Ama gave me a side hug but didn''t sit down.


    “Because I didn''t have you holding me back," I teased. When I looked up at her, I had to


    squint against the sunlight.


    "Yeah, whatever. See you at lunch." Ama waved goodbye as they continued walking.


    I sighed, turning back to finish my muffin. Watching them leave, Ama holding William''s hand, made me feel a bit lost. Even though we were still friends, everything was subtly


    changing.


    "Are you okay?" Samuel asked, bringing my attention back to him.


    More and more students were arriving at school. I only had five minutes of free time left,


    but I still needed to grab my books and print some documents.


    "I''m fine. But I need to go to the library. See you at lunch!" I jumped up and headed for


    the door.


    The whole way, he followed right behind me until we reached the library. When I hit the


    print button, the bell rang. I wasn''t too worried because that teacher was part of the extracurricr activities team. I was actually turning in all the organizational arrangements, supply lists, and attendance statistics for each activity for the remainder of this school year and the next. Usually, I''d finish this work by summer vacation. Although I didn''t particrly enjoy college-level economics, it would be advantageous when applying


    to universities.


    Walking into the ssroom, Mr. Davis immediately put down his sses and looked at


    1. me.


    "Ms. Harris,te again?"


    "Yes, but I have something for you." I smiled as I approached him, handing over the freshly printed documents.


    "Excellent, thank you. Please have a seat."


    Looking around, I discovered my usual seat had been taken by Helen''s followers, and the only empty spot was next to Ryder. Just great, I thought sarcastically.


    "Looks like I''m not the only one taking advanced courses," I muttered as I sat down.


    "These courses were designed to entice you to stay," he said.


    Hearing this, my body tensed. Though what he said wasn''tpletely wrong, it wasn''t


    entirely correct either. These courses had been under discussion before I arrived; my father had just given the final push.


    "Partially correct," I leaned back against my chair, crossing my arms, trying my best to


    ignore Ryder''s presence.


    This was all so awkward. We''d had that non-date, and that kiss, but now we were sitting here like strangers or enemies. Worse still, he seemed to appear in almost all my sses.


    The moment the bell rang, I immediately stood up and rushed out the door, not giving anyone a chance to stop me. I hadn''t had time to go to my locker earlier, so now I needed to get my books. When I turned the corner, I saw a group of girlsughing by my locker.


    My heart sank. Only one person would have the nerve to do something like this. My thoughts began to churn, wondering what made them so gleeful, while a familiar sense of dread crawled up my spine.


    "What''s wrong?" Logan walked up beside me.


    "Not sure yet." I sighed, trying to suppress the panic rising within me.


    "Let me handle this." Logan stepped forward, growling low at the girls. They immediately


    scattered.


    That''s when I saw what they wereughing at-photos of Samuel and me dancing, and pictures of Ryder and me. Above them were the words: "Slut Princess ying with


    Hearts."


    Seeing those photos and words, a wave of humiliation instantly swept over me. My heart raced, my cheeks burning hot, but I desperately maintained my outward calm. Thinking about how people around campus might have seen these, my stomach twisted into a painful knot. Being publicly humiliated like this felt like being forcibly stripped naked in


    front of everyone.


    Logan ripped the pictures from my locker, crumpling them in his fist. "I''m going to


    kill whoever did this," he growled, his eyes darkening dangerously.


    He spun around and stormed off.


    "Don''t," I said, my voice barely audible even to my own ears. "It''ll just make it worse."


    I reached for my locker, grateful that my fingers didn''t tremble as I spun thebination. Inside, a folded piece of paper fell out as soon as I opened the door.


    I caught it before it hit the floor, unfolding it with a growing sense of dread.


    The note was simple but effective: This is just the beginning. Stay away from


    Ryder.


    Anger rose to rece my humiliation, hot and fierce in my chest. I crumpled the


    note and shoved it into my pocket.


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