Chapter 5

(Annalise)

Walking across the hallway, I clutched my books to my chest and headed into the lecture room for my first class of the day. I didn't believe Landon's words until I got a call from Rosie that night. Just before I could thank him, he already left like he hadn't been there for the past half an hour.

Rosie had told me the surgery was scheduled for the day after tomorrow which was perfect, I'd settle my school issues and spend a night at the hospital for the surgery.

A single visit from Landon and I was smiling throughout the whole day. My spirit was lifted, I was in a better mood, it felt like walking on white, puffy clouds. I had my gaze fixed on my front seat, but even before I could pull out my chair, some sky heel stilettos were placed on it. Well polished nails, flawless skin and an anklet. Without raising my head, I could already guess who it was. Miranda.

Pressing my lips together, I clutched my books and proceeded to find another seat, but they were all occupied with bags and notebooks. They'd rather sit with objects than sit with the loser of Hollymoor college, not after the scene I had caused last night.

I turned to stare at Miranda, “lift your legs, Miranda. I need to have my seat.” I tried to be as polite as possible, but she still chuckled at my words. She folded her arms as she chewed her bubble gum, forming bubbles and popping them at regular intervals, “what you did was unforgivable, loser. You know your seat here?” She pointed at the ground, “right here, dragging your butt on the cleaned tiles, that's where losers belong .”

Really, I wasn't complaining. On a normal day, I'd have left the lecture room to a quiet place to relax, but I didn't want to miss professor Rodger’s test. A stain on my grades could cost me my scholarship, and that was enough to ruin my whole life. I sucked in a breath, “Miranda, I don't know what you're talking about. I just want to have a seat and get on with Professor Rodger’s test.”

She grinned, pulling her phone from her tight pants. She scrolled the screen for a while and showed me a picture, “what do you have to say about this?” My throat ran dry. I was in the school's magazine. I was on the fucking prom magazine, and I wasn't alone. An image of Lucas pinning me against the locker, his lips barely an inch away from mine, and worse? An image of Landon kissing me outside my apartment.

Someone had taken the pictures.

Oh no! This wasn't good. I tore my gaze from the picture, turning to walk away, but Miranda's clique suddenly surrounded me. They folded their arms as they glared hard at me, eyes filled with disgust and anger. Actually, I could understand their plight. I got to kiss Landon Wayne and got pinned against the locker by Lucas in a single night.

It was too much to handle already.

“You have to explain yourself, bitch.” Miranda smirked, shoving her phone in her pocket, “what do you have to say about kissing Landon and getting involved with my boyfriend.”

My eyes popped out. Boyfriend?

I raised my head, biting my lips nervously, “it's a misunderstanding, really. I have nothing to do with Lucas and Landon, you can just ignore it.”

“Ignore it? It's all over the news, dummy!” She snapped, eyes blazing with anger, “as if that wasn't enough, you tried to strip during the prom, Peterson and Dickson had to stop you from doing something so insane. You're that crazy for attention, bitch?!”

“That's not true.”

“Not true? You tried to seduce all the men in a single night, bitch. You've got a sick mother but your head's filled with manipulative ways to pin them on your slimy and disgusting bed.” Her friends laughed out loud, pointing their fingers at me. While a few students ignored the commotion like it was a normal routine, a few kept taking pictures and recording videos.

My eyes burned as my legs weakened, craving support from a pillar, anything, “you don't even have evidence about everything. I would never strip—” I gasped when water was suddenly splashed on my face, soaking my whole shirt. My eyes fluttered open, dripping with water, and when I saw the person who had done it, my heart twisted in pain, “you believe them too?”

Marie rolled her eyes, “I told you I love Landon, but you kissed him and enjoyed it. I should have known you were a bitch all along.” Marie was my only friend. The only friend I managed to make for the past year, and having to lose her over something so insane made my blood boil. “you don't understand.”

“Understand what?!” She snapped, “he must have fucked you so hard last night, you got into class late. We already had professor Rodger's test, but look at you, you slept away and forgot about your important test.”

My books slipped from my hands, “I..”

Miranda laughed out loud, “dummy. Didn't you check the time?”

I bent down to pick up my books, but Miranda kicked them farther away, standing before me in her high stilettos. Tears threatened to slip from my eyes, I was doing a whole lot of job keeping them in. I'd have to plead with professor Rodger's to retake the test, I could lose my scholarship.

Miranda dragged me by my hair, sinking her nails into my scalp and pulled me up, “since you badly want to seduce all the guys, how about you come strip? I'll make a very sexy video and upload it all over the internet.”

I tried to resist, tried to pull her hands away, but her friends held me in place, “let's take her to the restroom and make the video in there.”

“What?! No! You're being ridiculous, you're going to get expelled for this.”

“Have you forgotten Lucas' parents own the school? Well, Lucas is my boyfriend. I can't get expelled.”

“My brother indulges you alot, Miranda, but it doesn't mean you've got everything.” I recognized that voice. That chill, monotone voice, Landon. He advanced towards us in his black shirt and pants, his hands neatly tucked in his pocket, “a picture’s enough to tell you you've got your hand on my property, but since you want more proof..”

Miranda froze.

Marie kept staring, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

I parted my lips, completely stunned by his words.

And when Landon leaned forward to claim my lips before the whole class, I knew I had no more chances to run.