Worse Humiliation 

Raeliana’s POV

My hand was trembling so violently that the phone almost slipped from my fingers.

The dark walls of the library seemed to press inward, suffocating me as the air rushed out of my lungs.

My vision blurred around the edges, tuning out everything until all I could see was that name glowing on the screen.

Annalise?

Before I could process the thumping of my heart, Elias ripped the phone out of my grip.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he swore as he tucked the buzzing phone back into his jacket pocket. “You’re really crazy, you know?”

He turned on his heel, heading toward the library door, but the sudden rush of panic in my veins snapped me out of my trance.

I lunged forward and grabbed his sleeve.

"Wait!" I choked out, my voice cracking. "How… How do you know Annalise?

Elias glared down at my hand on his arm, his jaw clenching in annoyance. "It’s none of your damn business but she’s my annoying ex-girlfriend, alright? Now let go of me."

He yanked his arm out of my grip, pushing me backward with enough force to make me stumble.

"Watch your back, new girl," he hissed, throwing one last dark look over his shoulder. "Your life at Pembroke is officially over."

He walked out, slamming the door behind him.

I stood alone in the dark room, my hand pressed against my racing heart.

Annalise. She was my former best friend and the girl I grew up with back in Texas.

The friend who had ghosted me two years ago, disappearing from my life without a single word of explanation.

How in the world had she ended up in New York?

I don't even remember walking back to the dining room or sitting through the rest of the evening.

I didn't care when Elias and his parents finally stood up to leave, nor did I care about the fake pleasantries exchanged at the front door.

Elias threw a cold glare at me on his way out, but I barely registered it.

My mother tried asking me if I was okay, her eyes filled with worry as she noticed how quiet I had become, but I just shook my head.

I muttered an excuse about being tired and retreated to my bedroom.

*******

The next morning arrived far too quickly but I dragged myself out of bed and prepared for school.

My father left a key for the town car on the kitchen counter, offering his chauffeur to take me to school, but I ignored it.

I couldn't handle sitting in an expensive smelling car right now. I needed the cold morning air to clear my head, so I chose to walk the twelve blocks instead.

As I walked down the sidewalk, my fingers hovered over my phone screen. I pulled up my contact list, scrolling until I saw the name ‘Betty.’

She was my real best friend back in Texas. I wanted so desperately to call her and hear her comforting voice.

But I sighed and shoved the phone deep into my pocket.

Betty had enough on her plate with her own senior year. I didn't need to drag her into my mess.

When I finally stepped through the entrance, the hallway chatter died down immediately.

As I walked toward my locker, people deliberately bumped hard into my shoulders, knocking me off balance.

"Watch it, psycho," a guy snickered as he shoved past.

"Look, it's the girl who hit Elias," a girl whispered, sneering at me. "She looks like a freight train."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, keeping my head up and staring straight ahead.

It was classic high school behavior.

But I had survived moving across the country and dealing with my deadbeat dad returning… I could ignore a few insecure teenagers.

I reached my locker but before I could open it, three girls stepped into my path, blocking my way.

The girl in the middle had bright blonde hair and her arms were crossed over her chest.

“Are you Raeliana Roosevelt?" she asked, her voice dripping with disgust.

I let out a laugh, rolling my eyes. "What's it to you? Do you need an autograph, or are you just standing there to look stupid?"

Before the blonde girl could respond, a painfully familiar voice interrupted.

"Defiant as ever, aren't you, Raeliana? You really haven't changed a bit."

My entire body went rigid and the blood drained from my face so fast I thought I might faint.

The owner of the voice stepped forward, a cruel smirk plastered across her face. She was wearing a designer plaid skirt, a tailored blazer, and her dark hair fell in silky waves over her shoulders.

Annalise.

"Hello, old friend," she grinned.

I wanted to ignore her but as I tried to step to the side, Annalise blocked my exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" she taunted, tilting her head. "You don't even say hi to your former bestie?

She gasped mockingly. “Oh, wait, I forgot… you probably don't want these people knowing where you came from, do you?"

I took a step closer to her, lowering my voice to a whisper. "Shut your mouth, Annalise. I'm warning you.”

She threw her head back and laughed. "Or what? Where is all this bravery coming from all of a sudden?”

The blonde girl standing next to her stepped in, sneering. "Yeah, who do you think you are, layin' hands on Elias?"

Before I could react, the blonde girl reached out and shoved me hard in the chest.

I lost my balance, my back slamming against the metal lockers before I slipped and crashed heavily onto the cold floor.

Damn it… not again.

Annalise stepped over me, looking down like I was a bug under her shoe. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and waved the screen in front of my face.

"Look at this, everyone," she announced loudly, turning the phone toward the crowd. "Since Raeliana wants to act like a tough girl, I thought I'd share a little throw-back with the school group chat!"

My eyes landed on the screen, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

It was a photo from three years ago. A photo from before I started figure skating seriously, back when I was heavily obese.

I was sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by wrappers, crying while eating a box of donuts.

It was a private photo I had trusted Annalise with during my lowest point in life… a photo I thought she had deleted years ago.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"Gross.” someone shouted.

"Look at how fat she was.” another voice chimed in.

"She really is a pig!"

Tears stung the back of my eyes, but I forced them down.

As I pushed myself up, Annalise grabbed a fistful of my hair and slammed me backward onto the floor again.

I gasped in pain as my head bounced off the ground. Before I could recover, I heard the snap of a plastic container.

She dumped eggs directly over my head and it dripped down to my clothes. I almost threw up from the heavy smell of raw eggs alone.

"You don't belong here, Raeliana," Annalise hissed. "Go back to Texas.”

Without another word, she turned on her heel and strutted down the hallway. I sat there on the filthy floor, while everyone mocked and recorded me.

Through the blur of sticky liquid dripping down my eyelashes, I looked up toward the end of the hallway.

Elias Lockhart was there with his hands tucked into his pocket… everyone had left but he was still watching me.