5 The Aftermath

Monday mornings were always brutal, but this one carried an extra weight. I clutched the note in my hand as I walked down the hallway, every step heavy with a mix of dread and defiance. The paper crinkled slightly as I held it between my fingers, the words scrawled in sharp, deliberate handwriting: Meet me. Tonight.

Savannah.

I shoved the thought away. I couldn’t let her—or anyone—see that her latest stunt rattled me. I squared my shoulders and kept walking.

The hallway was quieter than usual, though the occasional whisper slipped past me like a knife. I could feel the eyes, the judgment, and the curiosity slicing through my skin. The football game, the video, the chaos—it was still buzzing. Even if I had laughed on the outside, the hum of humiliation clung to me like a shadow.

Then I felt it—Lucas, stepping up beside me with that cautious half-smile that tried too hard to look casual.

“Are you okay?” He asked, voice low, so no one nearby could hear.

I shrugged, forcing indifference. “Do I look okay?”

He flinched, like my sarcasm stung, but he didn’t argue. “Look, about Savannah… You need to be careful. She’s not done. She’s going to try something—big. And I don’t mean just rumors.”

I frowned. “I thought I already handled her.”

Lucas shook his head, sandy hair falling into his eyes. “You handled her in front of the school. That’s clever, don’t get me wrong. But now she’s plotting. And she’s dangerous when she wants revenge.”

I stopped walking and looked at him. “Dangerous? Lucas, it’s high school. What could she possibly do?”

He leaned closer, lowering his voice even further. “High school or not, she’s smart. And ruthless. I’m not just talking about pranks or gossip anymore. She might try to humiliate you again—or worse. You need to watch your back.”

I swallowed, feeling a shiver creep up my spine. Lucas was usually calm, almost annoyingly rational, but there was something in his eyes now—a quiet warning—that made me tense.

“Thanks,” I said finally. “I’ll… be careful.”

“Good,” he said, nodding. “And… don’t do anything stupid.”

I didn’t respond, letting his words hang between us. I didn’t have time for stupid. I had too many other things to think about—the note, Jaxon, and the aftermath of my spectacular humiliation.

The first class passed in a blur. Savannah’s presence was everywhere. She didn’t even try to hide her smirk as she glided past me in the hall, perfectly poised, perfectly calculated. Every flick of her hair and every tilt of her head screamed dominance. I clenched my fists under the desk, trying not to react.

By lunch, the cafeteria felt like a minefield. I scanned the room, spotting the usual cliques whispering, staring, and judging. The seat where I usually sat alone was empty—not because anyone had claimed it, but because the air around me seemed to repel anyone near. I sat anyway, ignoring the whispers, trying to focus on eating without trembling.

“Don’t look so tense,” Lucas murmured from across the table, sliding into the seat beside me. He had a tray of food but hardly touched it. “She’s watching. She’s always watching.”

I exhaled, frustration curling in my chest. “I know.”

“You need to stop giving her that satisfaction,” he said. “Savannah thrives on control. If she sees fear, she feeds on it.”

“And if I don’t?” I asked, letting a little sarcasm slip. “She’ll just… what? Take over the school?”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “No, she’ll make your life miserable. And not in a way anyone else sees at first. I’ve seen her do it. And if you’re not careful, it could get… ugly.”

I chewed my lip, thinking about the note in my pocket. Meet me. Tonight. Savannah was clearly planning something. But I didn’t want to run—not anymore. I wasn’t invisible, not really. Not if I could help it.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked finally. “Why warn me?”

He shrugged, but his brown eyes softened. “Because… someone has to. I can’t just watch you get blindsided. You’ve got guts, Avery. But even guts can get hurt if you’re not careful.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. His words… they mattered more than I wanted to admit.

The rest of the day dragged on. Every class was punctuated with sideways glances, whispers that stopped the moment I looked at them, and the constant hum of tension that made it impossible to concentrate. Savannah wasn’t subtle. She was everywhere.

By third period, the anxiety was crawling under my skin, making my fingers tingle and my stomach knot. I noticed her watching from across the room, lips curled in that smug half-smile that could make someone insane if they stared too long.

Lucas noticed too. He leaned close during a quiet moment in class. “Don’t let her get to you. Just… be ready.”

I nodded, though my stomach churned. “Ready” wasn’t exactly the word I’d use. Terrified might have been closer. But I also knew I couldn’t show it. Not to her. Not to anyone.

After school, I lingered near the lockers, waiting for Lucas. I didn’t want to go home yet—not with the weight of Savannah’s looming plans pressing down on me. The halls were mostly empty, with a few stragglers heading toward the buses.

“Here,” Lucas said, appearing beside me, a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve got your back.”

I glanced at him, half-smiling despite the tension. “Thanks. Really?”

He gave me a small, almost shy nod. “Just… remember what I said. Be careful. Tonight… something’s going to happen.”

The words sent a chill down my spine. Tonight—the same night as the note. My pulse quickened. Savannah had orchestrated this; I was sure of it. But I couldn’t let fear dictate my actions. Not now.

The walk home was a blur. My mind kept returning to the note, to Savannah, to Lucas’s warning. Each step seemed heavier than the last. By the time I reached my front door, I was exhausted, mentally and physically.

And yet… excitement twisted through my nerves. I didn’t want to admit it, but the thought of facing whatever was waiting for me tonight—dangerous or not—made my chest pound in a way I didn’t entirely dislike.

Dinner was quiet. Ethan barely looked at me, and my parents were engrossed in their own worlds as usual. I sat through the meal, nodding absentmindedly to conversation I wasn’t listening to. My thoughts were elsewhere, focused entirely on the night ahead.

Afterward, I retreated to my room, pacing, planning, and second-guessing every possible scenario. Lucas’s warnings looped in my head. Savannah’s cruel intelligence. The note. And then—Jaxon.

I didn’t want to think about him now, but I couldn’t help it. The way he’d looked at me after the football prank… the tension between us… it was still there. Smoldering. Dangerous.

The clock ticked slowly. Hours stretched like molasses. Finally, night arrived. I took a deep breath, shoved my phone, wallet, and the note into my bag, and stepped outside. The air was crisp and sharp against my skin, and the streets were quiet.

Lucas fell in step beside me. “Ready?” he asked.

I nodded, forcing confidence I didn’t entirely feel. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good,” he said. “Let’s make sure this… whatever it is… doesn’t get the best of you.”

As we approached the meeting spot, the hairs on my arms prickled. Shadows shifted where they shouldn’t have. Every instinct in me screamed caution.

And then, in the distance, a figure stepped forward—tall, deliberate, and impossibly calm.

Savannah.

And somewhere in the dark, I felt it before I saw it: anticipation. Fear. And something… else.

Something I couldn’t name, but that made my heart beat faster than it had all day.

Tonight was going to be far from simple.

And I wasn’t backing down.