Chapter Three

Olivia’s eyes narrowed, and her face scrunched up. Adjusting her glasses, she asked, "What do you want?"

"What's that tone for?" A sigh escaped Madeline’s small lips as she walked in. Her once perfectly made-up face was now wiped clean, and the multiple piercings in her ears held only a single earring. Olivia wasn’t surprised by the transformation.

"I don’t want to see you right now," Olivia said simply, her expression tight.

Madeline's somber face darkened with frustration. "You know what? Suit yourself. The girls are going to make your life hell. If you know what's good for you, keep hiding... nerd."

With that, Madeline stormed off, slamming the door behind her. Olivia stared at the door for a long moment, a single traitorous tear escaping her eyelid. She wiped it away with her slender fingers.

"I can't wait till graduation," she thought, pulling her laptop from the study table. She logged into her author’s website and continued writing her novel.

***

The Next Morning – Maverick Mansion

A groan escaped Zachary's lips as he felt a gentle tap on his arm. Pulling off his black sleeping mask, his sleepy eyes adjusted to the light. A woman in her fifties, dressed in a maid’s uniform, stood before him, her head bowed.

"Good morning, young master. It's time to wake up for school."

Zachary shot her a glare. "Nanny Maya, I told you not to bow to me. And I don’t want to go to school." He pouted slightly, his perfectly shaped lips forming a perfect pout.

Maya smiled warmly. "Your father is waiting for you in the dining room, Mister Zach."

Zachary groaned louder, his dark, disheveled hair falling over his face. "Tell the old man I'll be there in a few minutes."

Once Maya left, he dragged himself from his king-sized bed, pulled off his sleeping pants, tossing them onto the marble floor before striding into the massive bathroom. He turned on the steam and the rain shower as hot as he could stand it. Anything he could do to avoid his father.

Zachary entered the large dining room, his strides measured. His hair was now stylishly messy, and a single earring gleaming in one ear. His sharp gaze flicked over his father, seated at the head of the table, then to Liam, who sat quietly picking at his meal, and finally to his cousin, Scarlett, who darted her eyes toward him.

"You're late, Zach," she complained as he took a seat beside her.

A tense silence followed before Tony Maverick, a sturdy man with glasses and a sharp nose, finally spoke.

"A video of your bullying some boy half your size was uploaded online, Zachary. Thousands of dollars were spent taking it down and silencing the reporters."

Zachary remained silent, his expression unreadable. Instead, he pulled out his phone and started typing, his nonchalant attitude pushing his father over the edge.

"What is wrong with you? Why can't you be like your brother for once?" Tony yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. "How many times do we have to have this same conversation?"

Liam continued eating as if nothing had happened, while Zachary finally stopped typing. He slowly raised his head, his cold aura sending a shiver down his father’s spine.

"Have a nice day... Father." With that, he grabbed his backpack and walked out.

A moment later, Liam stood up and left without a word.

"Hey, Liam! Wait for me!" Scarlett called, rushing after him.

They stepped out of the grand mansion, and a chauffeur opened the car door for them.

"You could speak to me occasionally and stop being such a snob, you know?" Scarlett whined, her brown eyes shining.

"And you could stop being a pest, Scarlett," Liam replied in his deep voice as the car pulled away from the luxurious black gates.

"I'm not a pest, snob." She huffed and pulled out her phone, scrolling through the school group chat. Then she turned back to Liam. "What do you think about the nerd who challenged Zach?"

Liam ignored her, making her sigh and lean back in her seat. "I just wish you and Zach could go back to the way you were before…everything happened."

Something enigmatic flickered across Liam’s handsome features but was gone before Scarlett saw it.

Harrison High

Olivia let out the breath she’d been holding after sneaking into class with Riley, unnoticed. She pulled down her hoodie trying to stay that way.

Riley giggled behind her. "That was close."

Olivia nodded. "I can't wait till graduation."

"Me, too," Riley agreed, then hesitated. Her expression fell. "I'm sorry again about yesterday, Olivia."

Olivia turned to her, offering an assuring smile, but it quickly faltered when sudden loud whispers echoed through the classroom.

"It's them!"

"Gosh!"

"They're here!"

 "Irene, you're so pretty!"

 "Madeline, can I take you to dinner?"

"Ava you're so cute! I love your hair!"

Shrinking in her seat, Olivia watched as the BB girls strode confidently into the classroom, their presence both intimidating and overwhelming. Riley gripped Olivia’s hand, nearly jumping out of her skin when the group began approaching their seats.

"They're coming our direction," Riley whispered, her voice trembling.

Olivia, however, kept a straight face, masking her fear, ignoring the voices around her.

"She's approaching the nerd."

 "That nerd… I heard her name's Olivia."

 "Wasn't she bullied by them before?"

"And who do we have here?" Irene’s unmistakable, bitchy voice rang out.

"It’s the piggy nerd," Madeline sneered, her eyes filled with disdain.

Olivia nearly called Madeline out. What would Irene do if she knew Olivia was her sister?

Ava stood behind them, her gaze searching for someone.

"W-what do you want?" Olivia's voice was low and timid, while Riley kept her head down.

Irene smirked wickedly. "Isn't this the scaredy rat who thought she could talk back to my Zach?"

With that, she shoved Olivia to the floor. Laughter erupted around them, and students immediately pulled out their phones to record. Before Irene could do anything else, a teacher walked into the class.

"What’s going on here? Irene?" Mrs. Phil's stern voice cut through the noise.

Irene rolled her eyes. "None of your business, Mrs. Phil."

Shooting Olivia a final glare, she strutted off to her seat, Madeline and Ava following behind.

***

After a few classes, the bell rang for morning break.

"Don't forget you have a test tomorrow. I'd study if I were you," Mr. Holden, the chemistry teacher, announced sternly, scanning the spacious classroom before exiting.

Immediately, students paired up and made their way toward the cafeteria. Loud voices echoed through the hall.

"Where are we going now?" Riley turned to Olivia.

"My hidden library," Olivia replied with a shrug. "It's where I always go for breaks."

"Why don’t we go to the cafeteria?" Riley asked hopefully as they entered the hallway.

"Bad things happen in the cafeteria, Riley," Olivia murmured. She really didn’t want to go there.

"Just this once, please?" Riley pleaded.

With a defeated sigh, Olivia gave in. As they stepped into the elevator, they remained oblivious to the smirks on everyone’s faces.

Stepping over the threshold to the cafeteria, Olivia and Riley were completely drenched with a cold splash of icy water.

 A gasp escaped Riley's lips as the cafeteria erupted in laughter, phones raised to capture the scene.

"Oh no! Did someone just pour water on them?" Irene asked with feigned innocence, approaching them with a smirk.

Behind her, Madeline wore a scowl, while Ava’s expression remained unreadable.

"Nah, I think it's a bowl of urine from the laboratory," Madeline sneered, triggering another round of laughter.

Olivia clenched her fists, her wet hair clinging to her face. Ignoring them, she turned to leave—only for a plate of spaghetti to land in the middle of her chest.

"Oops, I was aiming for the trash can. Didn't see you there," Irene taunted, grinning as the students roared with amusement.

Without a word, Olivia turned and bolted out of the cafeteria the laughter of the students behind her screaming in her ears.

Riley was about to follow when Irene grabbed her arm. "Hey, new girl."

"Let me go," Riley snapped weakly, but Irene only laughed, tightening her grip until Riley winced.

"Just leave her alone, Irene," Ava interjected.

Madeline shot her a glare. "Shut up, Ava. Are you against us now?"

Irene ignored Ava, her hazel eyes locking onto Riley. "Listen, if you want to avoid trouble, stay.away.from.that.nerd." With each word, she twisted Riley’s arm ever so slightly.

By the time she let go, Riley was in tears. She ran out of the cafeteria, sobs racking her body. Laughter filled the room once more.

"I actually feel bad for them," Scarlett murmured to her best friend, Ruby, watching from a back table, stuffing chips into her mouth.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I hate how weak they are."

"Yeah, well. Irene wouldn’t dare mess with us, though."

"We’d make her life hell instead," Ruby said with bravado, and Scarlett chuckled, scrolling through her phone.

"Isn't that Kyle's picture? When are you going to tell him how you feel?" Ruby asked, peeking at Scarlett’s screen.

"He's my cousin's friend, Ruby."

"And? Seriously, Scar, you should just tell him."

"Not until you confess to Dereck," Scarlett scoffed.

Ruby shut her mouth.

School Rooftop

After attempting to clean up in the bathroom, Olivia ran straight to the rooftop, a place she went when she needed to let off steam. She gripped the railing, her damp hair falling over her shoulders as she screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing across the school. "What's wrong with all of you? "

"I hate bullies!"

"You're all a bunch of idiots!"

"Ahhhhh!"

With her last scream, her glasses nearly slipped off, but she caught them just in time, adjusting them before storming away.

Moments after she left, a figure stepped out from the shadows, a book in his hand. Liam's lips twitched as he watched her retreating form before walking off himself.