CHAPTER 4

CARLOTTA’S POV

I adjusted my backpack straps for the tenth time as I walked into the classroom, my palms sweating despite the cool morning air. The room was already half full of students chatting and laughing, their voices creating a buzz that made my head spin.

Just find a seat and keep your head down, I told myself, scanning the rows of desks.

That's when I spotted them. Three girls sitting in the back corner, perfectly styled hair catching the fluorescent light, designer bags placed strategically on their desks like territorial markers. Even from across the room, I could feel their eyes on me, sizing me up like predators watching prey.

I quickly chose a seat in the middle of the room, hoping to blend into the crowd of other students. But as I pulled out my notebook, I heard the unmistakable sound of chairs scraping against the floor behind me.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" The voice was saccharine sweet with an edge that made my skin crawl.

I turned around to see the three girls approaching, led by a blonde with perfectly applied makeup and cold blue eyes. The other two flanked her like bodyguards - a redhead with a smirk that never left her face, and a brunette who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but was too scared to leave.

"I'm sorry?" I said quietly, hoping they'd lose interest and move on.

"Oh, she's polite," the redhead said with mock delight. "How refreshing."

The blonde leaned against the desk next to mine, her perfectly manicured nails tapping against the surface. "I'm Madison. These are my friends, Harper and Jess. And you are?"

"Carlotta," I answered, turning back toward the front of the classroom.

"Carlotta," Madison repeated, drawing out each syllable like she was tasting something unpleasant. "That's... unusual. Foreign, isn't it?"

"It's Italian," I said simply, keeping my voice level.

"How exotic," Harper chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let me guess - your family runs a little pizza shop somewhere?"

A few students nearby turned to look at us, some smiling at Harper's comment. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, but I forced myself to stay calm.

"No," I said quietly. "They don't."

"Ooh, touchy subject," Madison cooed. "What's wrong, princess? Not proud of your heritage?"

Don't engage, I told myself. Just ignore them and they'll get bored.

But they didn't get bored. Instead, Madison moved closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that only I could hear.

"You know, we've heard some interesting things about you, Carlotta. About your... previous living arrangements."

My blood ran cold. They knew. Somehow, they knew about Dante.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, my voice barely audible.

"Sure you don't," Harper said with a cruel laugh. "Come on, girls. Let's help our new friend feel more... welcome."

Before I could react, Madison grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly to my feet. The brunette, Jess, moved to block my path while Harper took my other arm.

"Let me go," I said firmly, but my voice shook despite my efforts to stay calm.

"Let me go," Harper mimicked in a high-pitched whine, causing Madison to burst into laughter.

"Please," I said, looking around the classroom desperately. "Just leave me alone."

Other students were watching now, some with amused expressions, others looking uncomfortable but unwilling to intervene. The familiar feeling of helplessness washed over me, the same sensation I'd felt so many times in Dante's house when no one would help me.

"Aww, look at her," Madison said loudly enough for half the class to hear. "She thinks someone's going to come to her rescue."

"Nobody's coming, sweetheart," Harper added with mock sympathy. "You're at the bottom of the food chain here, just like everywhere else."

The bottom of the chain. The words hit me like a physical blow. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be powerless, to be at the mercy of people who enjoyed causing pain. For two years with Dante, I'd been trapped, but at least I'd known my place. Here, I was starting over, and they were already trying to put me back where they thought I belonged.

"Please," I whispered again, hating how weak I sounded. "I just want to go to class."

"And we're just trying to be friendly," Madison said, tightening her grip on my arm. "Isn't that right, girls?"

"Super friendly," Harper agreed, her nails digging into my other arm.

Jess shifted uncomfortably but didn't let go. "Maybe we should—"

"Should what?" Madison snapped at her. "Sit down and mind your own business?"

The classroom had gone quieter now, with most conversations dying down as students sensed the tension. I could feel dozens of eyes on us, but no one moved to help. Some even had their phones out, probably hoping to catch something worth posting online.

This is my life now, I thought desperately. Even here, even trying to start fresh, I'm still just someone to be pushed around.

"You know what I think, Carlotta?" Madison leaned closer, her breath hot against my ear. "I think you're used to this kind of treatment. I think you actually like being told what to do."

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my whole body trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. Every instinct screamed at me to fight back, to show them that I wasn't as weak as they thought. But what was the point? Fighting would just make things worse, just like it always had.

"Nothing to say?" Harper taunted. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Maybe she's just trying to figure out which one of us she wants to be friends with first," Madison added with a cruel smile.

"I bet she'll do our homework if we ask nicely," Harper suggested, and both she and Madison burst into laughter.

Just then, the classroom door opened with a sharp bang that made everyone jump. A tall man in a rumpled suit walked in, carrying a briefcase and a stack of papers that looked like they might topple over at any moment.

"Good morning, everyone," the professor called out, his voice carrying easily across the room. "Please take your seats. We have a lot to cover today."

Madison immediately released my arm, her sweet smile snapping back into place like she'd flipped a switch. "See you around, Carlotta," she whispered, but there was nothing friendly about her tone.

Harper gave my arm one final squeeze that would definitely leave a bruise. "This isn't over, new girl."

"We'll be keeping an eye on you," Jess added quietly, almost apologetically, before following the other two back to their corner.

I sank into my seat, my legs shaky with relief and leftover adrenaline. The professor was already writing equations on the whiteboard, completely oblivious to what had just happened.

"I said take your seats, ladies," he called toward the back without turning around.

"Sorry, Professor Williams," Madison called back sweetly. "We were just helping the new student find her way around."

My stomach churned at the lie, but I didn't dare contradict her. Instead, I opened my notebook with trembling hands and tried to focus on the lesson, even though the words on the board blurred together through my unshed tears.

One day down, I told myself. Just get through one day at a time.