nt she walked into the hallway. The queen bee was leaning ag

pushed off the locker, taking a few steps closer. Her perfect blonde hair bounced with each step, and

the tiles on the floor. One, two, three... a

's sweet tone turned sharp. "Bet you're just imagin

ing Liam after school, and somehow, that made Claire's voice

scraped against the floor. A few kids turned to look, but she di

art doing a little dance w

iting by the

n her pocket and practically ran out of the classroom. The hallways were packed with k

atching. Someone w

roup. Her perfect eyebrows went up as she watc

w. Her lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer. "L

er her shoulder. "Yeah, it's

ggested, playing with her charm bracelet. "

body gets that excited over a grade." Her eyes narrowed as she watched Scarlett dis

ip-hungry excitement. "Should we follo

turned mean. "Ob

after Scarlett. They stayed far enough back that she wouldn't notice, but close enough to se

treet until she stopped sudde

God." Ava

post. One hand was stuck in his pocket, the other holding his phone. When he spotted Sc

l nervous energy. She said something they could

e hissed, her perfectly manicu

s shoulder. "Wait, isn't t

any whispered. "What'

a real smile that transformed her whole face

muttered, stepping forward. Her heels cl

s. She bounced forward like an excited puppy, all smiles and spar

carlett's face. She looke

s voice came out barely

that movie-star smile. "Hi there, I'm Lia

batting her eyelashes. "I'm Claire

to fists. Best friends? The

iam questions and making little jokes. Every now and then they'd say something like "Oh S

ed all the right questions, and somehow got Liam talking about his life at East

roat felt too tight to speak. Every time Liam smiled at something Claire said, Sca

was completely destroyed. The happiness from

as school?" and her dad's grunt from the couch. She ra

ouldn't turn off. Claire had ruined everything - again. The teasing she could handle. The mean comments, the whispered insults, even the way Claire made sure Scarlett knew s

whole body shaking with anger. "Not in my dreams,"

, it grew stronger, burning hotter with each passing hour. When s

grounds formed in her mind. She looked around, half expec

ed, like a shad

what little light there was. His eyes glowed with something

as silk. "Look who's back. I was starting t

th all the anger she'd been holding in. "Stay

mood tonight." His smirk grew wider. "Let me guess - that girl

ht up to him and shoved him as hard as she could.

ke she'd gotten them dirty. "Feisty tonight, aren't we?" He actually sounded impresse

help," Scarlett sp

. "Oh, Scarlett," he said, already melting back into the sha

ound shook under Scarlett's feet, and the air felt differe

this stranger was up to, whatever game he was playing, she wasn't going

in her dreams