Chapter 4: Viral Scandal

Early the next morning, a classmate stopped me on my way into school. "Aubrey, you’re on the confession wall! Go look!"

Her tone was a mix of excitement and worry, as if she couldn't decide if this was good or bad news.

I opened my phone, confused. Sure enough, my photo was at the top, getting tons of attention.

"Is this girl dating the valedictorian? Why is she so close to the top guy in class? It’s so intense!"

In the picture, Noah and I were working together on a tough calculus problem, our heads close. But the post’s wording was full of innuendo.

The comments section was blowing up:

"Yo, is Aubrey actually the ice queen or just too cool for all of us? Always so cold, and now she’s glued to the valedictorian?"

"No wonder she never accepts love notes. Turns out she’s only got eyes for the top guy. Forget it, forget it."

"The valedictorian isn’t dating anyone. Poster, he said himself that senior year is crucial—he wouldn’t let anyone distract him."

"Oh, so she’s the one chasing him~~"

Anonymous replies filled the confession wall, going back and forth endlessly.

When I walked into class, I saw a fresh black mark on my desk—a giant 'bitch' written in permanent marker.

There weren’t many students in yet. Only Mallory was watching me, a sly smile on her lips.

"Famous now, aren’t you, superstar?"

Her eyes flicked to my desk as she popped her gum with a sharp snap, the scent of artificial watermelon mixing with the chemical tang of the marker.

"Whoever wrote this has nice handwriting."

She pretended to look around the classroom, then leaned in, voice low:

"Get it now? This seat is mine. Noah is mine, too."

I tried to blink back the tears, but they just kept coming, hot and humiliating. My chest ached, and I could barely breathe. My shoulders shook, and I let the tears roll down my cheeks, my voice just a soft hiccup in the quiet. Even though only a few students had come in, the silence was absolute—everyone’s attention fixed on me, their faces ranging from concern to awkward amusement.

Just before the homeroom teacher walked in—

Mallory’s face turned bright red.

"What are you talking about?!"

Mallory’s voice wobbled, and her hands balled into fists at her sides.