Chapter 25

Aliyah's POV

I stood there in the quad, the cheers and jeers crashing over me like a wave, my chest heaved as Skylar's back disappeared into the crowd. "Rejected slut!" Dahlia's voice pierced through the noise again, and someone laughed–loud, cruel.

My hands shook and my fists clenched at my sides, but I couldn't move. Tears blurred my vision, hot and uncontrollable tears streamed down my face. How could he do this? In front of everyone?

My wolf whimpered inside me, I felt a hollow ache that made it hard to breathe.

"Get out of here, whore!" a guy from the hockey team shouted, shoving past me hard enough to knock me off balance. I stumbled, catching myself on the edge of the steps, but another student–a girl I didn't even know–kicked at my backpack, scattering my books across the grass. "Pick up your trash, brother-fucker!"

I dropped to my knees, scrambling to grab my stuff, but feet stomped on the pages, tearing them. "Oops," the girl said, smirking as she ground her heel into my notebook. Laughter erupted around me. My throat tightened and sobs choked out as I tried to stuff everything back in.

Why was this happening? I hadn't asked for any of it–the mates, the bonds, the fucking mess.

"Aliyah!" Becca's voice cut through, and she pushed her way to me, shoving the girl aside. "Back off! Leave her alone!" She knelt beside me, helping gather my things, I saw that her hands were trembling too.

"Look, it's the slut's sidekick," Dahlia sneered, stepping closer with Dawn trailing reluctantly behind. "What, Becca? You wanna join the Deville fan club too? Or are you just desperate for friends?"

Becca stood up, glaring at her. "Shut your mouth, Dahlia. You don't know anything."

"Oh, I know enough," Dahlia shot back, grabbing Becca's arm and yanking her forward. "Hanging with her makes you just as gross. A rogue-lover associating with a professor-screwer. Pathetic."

Becca jerked free as her face flushed red. "Don't touch me!"

But the crowd closed in. Someone threw a crumpled paper at Becca's head. "Slut supporter!" Another voice yelled, "Get lost, both of you!" A guy I recognized from literature class spat at our feet, the glob landing on Becca's shoe. She flinched, but she didn't back down as she linked her arm with mine and pulling me up.

"Come on, Ali, let's go," she muttered, her voice sounded shaky but it was firm.

As we pushed through, shoulders bumped us and elbows jabbed our sides. "Whore!" "Rejected bitch!" The words followed us as we walked away.

My heart pounded in my chest, I felt small, exposed, like every eye was stripping me naked. Becca squeezed my arm. "Ignore them. They're idiots."

By the time we made it to the dorm, my face was a mess of tears and snot. I collapsed on my bed, curling up. "Why, Becca? Why did he reject me like that? In front of everyone?"

She sat beside me, rubbing my back. "I don't know. He's an asshole. But you didn't deserve that. None of this."

"But the pictures... the rumors... they're twisting everything." I wiped my eyes, but fresh tears came. "I feel like I'm drowning. And Tyler is not even around– he traveled for pack stuff, he said. No one's here to help."

"I'm here," Becca said fiercely. "Screw the rest."

*****

The next morning, everything got worse. I walked to class, with my head down, but Dahlia was waiting outside the building with a group. "Morning, rejected bitch! Sleep well after your public humiliation?"

"Leave me alone," I mumbled, trying to sidestep.

She blocked me, shoving my shoulder. "Nah, we're just getting started." Her friends circled, one grabbing my backpack and dumping it out again. My pens rolled everywhere. "Pick it up, slut, before I bash your stupid face in."

I bent down as my cheeks burned in humiliation. A foot kicked my hand hard. Pain shot up my arm. "Ow!" I screamed in pain

Dahlia laughed. "Clumsy much? Or are you used to being on your knees?"

Becca appeared then, charging in. "Stop it! What's wrong with you?!"

"Oh, look, it's the slut's bodyguard," one of Dahlia's friends sneered, pushing Becca against the wall. "You want some too?"

Becca shoved back. "Touch her again, and I'll–"

"You'll what?" Dahlia grabbed Becca's hair, yanking hard. Becca yelped and swung her fist, but it missed. That was when the group piled on her, one kicked Becca's leg out from under her and she fell to the ground, they burst out laughing.

"Stop!" I screamed, lunging at Dahlia. "Get off her!"

Dahlia turned and slapped me hard across my face. The sting ran through my whole and I felt a metallic taste on my lip, blood trickling down. "Stay down, you stupid whore."

I tasted blood, rage mixing with the hurt inside me. I lunged forward, but more hands pushed me back. "Professor-fucker!" someone yelled, and a punch landed on my side– it was so brutal that it knocked the wind out of me.

I gasped, doubling over.

Becca scrambled up, grabbing my arm. "Run!"

We bolted inside, slamming the door to the classroom. The professor glanced up, frowning at us. "What's the commotion?"

"Nothing," I gasped, wiping blood from my lip. Whispers started immediately from the other students. "The rejected slut's here." "With her pathetic friend."

And that was how class became torture. Notes started passing around, some even hitting my desk.

One read: "Jump off a bridge, whore." I crumpled it, tears pricking my eyes again. Becca shot glares around, but it didn't stop them. "Just ignore, Ali." she whispered. "They're bloody cowards."

I thought that would be the worst of it but I was wrong because after class, as Becca and I passed through the hallway, the bullying escalated.

A group of cheerleaders– I think they are Kelly's old squad– cornered us. "Hey, Aliyah, heard Skylar called you a stain. Oh, he's so accurate." One shoved me into the lockers, my head hit the metal and I saw stars burst in my vision.

"Back off!" Becca yelled, stepping in front.

"Oh, the quiet one's got bark, where did she get it from," the leader sneered, punching Becca in the stomach. She wheezed, folding over. "Stay out of it, or you'll get worse."

I swung at the girl, connecting with her jaw. "Don't fucking touch her!"

And they came at me. Fists flew– one hit my eye and I immediately felt it close a bit, blurring my vision. Another kicked my knee and I screamed as pain shot up my body. I fell, curling on the floor as boots stomped my back and my arms. "Slut!" "Brother-banger!" My ribs ached, I even felt some of them break, and the bruises started forming.

I laid down on the floor in pains thinking, why did they hate me so much? Why were they so angry? What did I do to them?

Becca fought back too, she was scratching and yelling, but they outnumbered her as they dragged her down, slamming her head against the floor. "You rogue fucker! A fucking rogue fucker being friends with a fucking slut!"

"Stop! Please!" I begged, mu voice breaking. My tears mixed with my blood dripped on the tile.

The fight went on for as long as I can remember until, finally, a teacher shouted, "Enough! All of you, to the dean's office, now!"

Becca and I limped there, with Dahlia and her crew following behind us.

I would think since Dahlia started it first, she and her minions would get heavy punishments but I was fucking wrong because all they got was slaps on the wrist– just warnings.

But me? The dean called me in alone after.

"Miss Marcus, these rumors... the pictures... and now fights? This is unacceptable."

"It's not true," I protested, wincing as I touched my swollen eye. "They're bullying me! They beat me and my friend up!"

He sighed. "We've reviewed the evidence. Your involvement with Professors Deville– both of them– violates school policy. You also assaulted Professor Whyte and conspired against Princess Leah. And now the fights? We simply cannot tolerate this behaviour anymore. We're expelling you, Aliyah Marcus. And that is effective immediately."

My eyes widened in shock. Did I just hear that right?

"What?! No! Mr Hargrove! You.... you... can't..." I found myself unable to put the sentence together because of panic. "Please, I didn't–"

"Pack your things and leave the school premises. Security will escort you out." He waved me away, not giving me a chance to talk.

I thought of staying there until he changed his mind, but he didn't look like he would so I stumbled out of his office, finding Becca waiting, her lip was busted and bruises were blooming on her arms.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

"I've been expelled," I whispered and she gasped, I broke down in tears. Sobs wrecked through my body. "I have lost everything, Becca. My scholarship, my dreams, my hopes–"

She hugged me tight, even though it must've hurt. "You still have me, Ali and I'm not leaving you. We'll figure this out."

We went to the dorm and I packed my stuff, Becca helped me carry my boxes, ignoring the stares that followed us. She dropped me at the pack house, reluctantly leaving me until I assured her that I was okay alone.

That night, after she left, the darkness swallowed me. I stared at the ceiling, replaying Skylar's words: "I reject you." The cheers. The beatings. Expulsion. Becca suffering because of me.

No future– no dreams, no hopes, no degree, no Skylar. I was worthless. A stain, like he had said.

I sat up, my hands shaking as I grabbed the pill bottle from my bag, they were the painkillers from the hospital stay.

I had had enough, it was time to end it. Tears fell as I poured all the pills out. "I'm sorry, Becca," I whispered. "But I can't... I can't take this anymore."

I swallowed a handful, choking them down with water. I added more. The room spun around me. Will I finally find peace?

My phone buzzed, it was Becca: "Are you okay? You can tell me if you need to talk."

Too late. I lay back, waiting for the end to finally come.