LOGINPiper’s head was still spinning, panic causing her mind to reel as she sprinted down the hallway toward the football field. Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounding as she ran, while behind her Cecil struggled to keep up.“Piper, slow down!” she wheezed.But Piper didn't even glance behind.The moment she stepped outside, she squinted at the sunlight. The field was swarming with students, lecturers, and members from different teams as if something catastrophic was happening.Which, unfortunately, it was.Piper's mind surged with intensifying panic as she struggled her way through the thick crowd. Archie and Rollins were beyond reason at this point.Earlier, a routine drill session had been happening. Coach Drew was barking orders, the players were running routes, and the sun was blazing hot. It was normal and peaceful.Until Rollins showed up, storming in with a demeanor that screamed fury. His brows were furrowed, his forehead creased, his breath uneven, his fists already clenc
“You’ve got some nerve, Piper.”Elsa folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the desk, her chin lifted in her display of superiority. “Coming here to pull this stunt again,” she added, almost gritting. Her cheek still stung from the other day and was still looking a bit reddened despite the amount of ointment she put on it. She had spent days imagining all the ways she would make Piper and Cecil regret everything they had done, all the ways she would remind the school who she was.She should have been basking in her revenge right now, but a certain someone insisted she avoid doing anything ‘foolish’“I’m not here to pick a fight,” Piper said firmly. “And you shouldn’t either.” Her gaze flicked briefly to Elsa’s friends surrounding her, all of them staring at Piper as if she were something they had scraped off the bottom of their shoes.Piper lowered her voice. “I need to speak to you privately. It’s very important.”Elsa let out a loud, dismissive scoff and waved he
“What terrible news?” Piper blurted out, her voice higher than she intended. Shock washed over her face. The cold, judgmental stares she had been getting in the hallway, Jacob's insults told her it wasn’t something small. But what?Rollins rejecting her and kissing Elsa in front of the whole school? Old news.Her getting back together with Rollins? Everyone had moved on.Her involvement with Archie, the whole “second mate” fiasco, had faded weeks ago.Her being fatherless and a bastard? People still whispered about it, but it was basically history at this point. So what now? What was left for people to chew on?Her mind flicked back to Jacob. The word he threw at her ‘Whore’The insult wasn’t random. It wasn’t about him being rude. He believed something he had heard.Ember’s voice pulled her back. “Piper… the rumor has actually been going around for a while, I think. People just weren’t paying attention. But today…” Ember inhaled sharply. “Today it got a photo attached as proof.”“A
Jacob froze, mid-bite, the sandwich hovering inches away from his mouth. He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto Piper. At first, he turned to her with a startled look, but in an instant, it disappeared, his eyes narrowing evenly, with a hint of annoyance flickering through them. He gradually lowered the sandwich to the table. “What do you want?” he asked coldly. Piper noticed the rudeness in his tone, but quickly brushed it off her shoulder as she took a seat opposite him with a warm smile spreading on her lips. “Relax,” she said lightly to ease the tension, glancing at the sandwich before looking back at him. “I won't tell anyone about this,” Jacob's eyes narrowed down, the frown on his face deepening. “Great.” “Great?” Piper raised a brow, deliberately overlooking his obvious sarcasm. “Nice to see you too.” She set her bag on the desk, her eyes locking onto him. To her surprise and horror, he sighed and began to pack up, pulling up his bag and the container for his half eaten
“You…!”Piper blinked twice, her body still pressed against the solid warmth she had slammed into. Her palms rested flat against his chest. She hadn't moved since. She could feel his heartbeat thundering under her hands. And the terrifying, and strangely comforting, part was that it matched hers beat for beat, wild and unsteady.Archie.He blinked, realizing too late how violently he had yanked her inside. His hands hovered awkwardly around her, unsure of what to do with themselves, his eyes flickering with guilt.The two sprang apart almost at the same moment, stumbling back.“ I-I’m sorry,” Archie stuttered, reaching for the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to…to grab you like that.”“It’s fine,” Piper blurted out before he could finish. Her voice was quick and airy, her cheeks burning a shade of red that practically glowed in the dim room. She shifted another step back, needing space and perhaps air. “I mean, it’s fine. Really.”She still avoided his gaze, her eyes darting around
Archie.It was Archie.Piper’s heart jolted the moment she saw him walk into the classroom, sliding past the aisle to his usual spot. A black headset hung loosely around his neck, and his bag was thrown over one shoulder lazily like he hadn’t even tried to wear it properly. His hair was slightly messy, messier than usual, and the sight of him made something warm race through Piper’s chest.It felt like forever since she last saw him. The days that passed weren't forever, she knew that, but her body certainly didn’t. Her cheeks flushed, her breath caught. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and refused to be calm.Cecil, of course, noticed her reaction in less than a second.“Hmmm,” she hummed knowingly, leaning back in her seat. “Archie Quinn hasn’t been around for some days now.” She turned accusingly toward Piper. “And you seem overly excited about his arrival.”Piper snapped out of her trance like someone had snapped their fingers at her. “I’m not overly excited,” she said q







