Trapped By The Phantom: His Little Lamb

s, and the sharp screech of a megaphone. My eyes snapped open. The sun was too bright,

ain. People rushed past the car window, carrying laundry baskets and oversized pillows. A gi

The noise faded into a high-pitched ringing. I

iny apartment just last night. It was a typical YA novel, full of drama, rich kids, and tragic love. And there was a character in it named Chloe Carrillo. She was a no

he calluses from my warehouse job gone. I was w

ispered. "

pain flared instantly, bringing tears to my eyes. This wasn't a dream. T

inside a novel. And if the plot fo

out. I had to avoid the plot. If I stayed away from the main characters-away from the drama,

d convertible swerved into the drop-off lane, music blasting fro

my rent. She moved like the sun, pulling every eye in the courtyard toward

male lead. The cente

s digging into the fabric of my jeans. I couldn'

ked as fast as I could toward the administration building, blending into the crowd o

o the scuffed linoleum floor, counting the tiles to keep myself ca

glasses sliding down her nose. "Carri

loor was quiet. The carpet muffled my footsteps. I found room 302 at the end of the hall.

y bag and figure out a plan. Maybe I could ap

d the d

ng a string of fairy lights above the bed.

art s

Hanna

hopped off the stool, her blonde ponytail bouncing.

to be stuck with the main character. Then I remembered a throwaway line from the book, about how Hannah, to appear more down-to-earth, had specifically refused a single suite

y voice barely a w

ver, grabbing my duffel bag right out of my hand. "H

y bed by the window. She was so close. She smelled like vani

stiffly. "You didn

er mini-fridge and pulled out two glass bottles of Coke, the condensation dripp

ing into her world. But the look in her eyes was so genuinely warm, so painfully

life," I e

so many plans for us! There's this amazing coffee shop off campus, and the frat parties don't start until next

In the book, Chloe was just Hannah's quiet shadow. B

," I said, looking away. "I prob

to make time to have fun! Otherwise,

g energy and think. "I need to use the restroom," I blu

forehead against the cool metal door, sucking in deep breaths.

the mirror was young, scared, and completely out of place. I had to put up a wall. I had

ked my duffel bag. My few clothes were neatly folded in the dresser

sitting on her own bed with a magazine. She looked up,

treating her like the enemy. But she wasn't the enemy. She was

id, the words feeling hea

gazine. A minute later, her phone rang. She gl

"Yeah, I'm all moved in. The dorm is actually really nice. Oh

tly who was on the other end of that phone. Dean Gibbs. The male

ned white. I had survived the female lead, but the male lead was a whole differ

was c