moved on to someone else's drama. Maybe a fight in the cafeteria, or Liv's third break-u

uch

nshots, reposts, and snarky captions that al

One post after another. Same photo - her red face, Jace's hand around her waist,

it "adorable." Mos

oy! Nerd seduces player - desperate much? Be

throw her phone across the room, bury herself under her comforter, and p

g her at 6:48 a.m. sharp - the only person who knew

were blazing behind her smudged g

d, voice rasping like she'd sw

chool, we're gonna ignore every moron with an iPho

ame out more like a grima

hair. You look like an

-

way felt like being f

er like the sound o

that

he begged

o get his attention. M

lub nobody wanted to get into. Her glare was a force field, but it didn't

Disney princess kissing a frog - only the

el her skin off a

the hinges rattled. "Look at this tras

the biggest gossip page

caption: "Nerd seduces player. Desperate much? She's go

ted. "I hate this.

you exist. Jace is the school's favorite toy. They c

nything," Rhea muttered.

ange books she'd never actually read at school. He

laughed at the photo. Her fingers typed phantom comments she imagin

ey

ike a spark. She didn't have to

ason she'd been turn

her locker a little

planting herself between them like a hu

surrender. "I just want

op

" Rhea

you're half a meme to

r locker with a sigh. "Ju

with a pencil. "One minute. Then I'm dragging her

ked a gri

ar enough to eavesdrop - Jace leaned against the lock

oying this,

shot up. "E

ares, the whispers, the buzzing phones. "You

ed. "You think I like peop

you being the center of attention. That's your

opped low. "You really think I wanted this? Th

se the truth was - she d

every day around not being seen. And now she was

ly, only made it look better. "Look. This is exactly what I was trying t

ks for the

arcasm. "So you

inst her locker, crossing her arms ov

nds. "Just listen

ative was another day of cruel captions and gigglin

re the 'pathetic nerd who threw herself at me.' That's the version they like.

h caught. "S

t the corner. "You call it

when he looked at her like that. He was to

he said quietly. "She

inted out. "You think she's gonna sto

face stuck on a clingy cartoon girlfriend clinging to a football player's leg. The

hispered: Mayb

y were real - maybe the novelty would die

t that hated how fake it felt. The par

for you?" sh

back. I get to pick my own narrative for

Golden boy wants th

action. "You don't know eve

bumping the clean white of his Jordans. They were worlds apart - and yet here

er hands sharply. "Times u

one shoulder. "Think about it," he said to Rhea, ignoring Naomi's

sts around the straps of he

he kind that made half the girls at We

you around,

aving behind a handful of curious eyes and a best

o her hairline. "You're not actually con

idn't

as - a tiny, rebell

than the whispers that