Chapter 23
Harper
Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.
| clutch my books closer to my chest, irritated that I have to carry them but my backpack is already full
and my locker won’t open. It’s jammed yet again. I hate this school.
The moment Ryan and I arrived this morning, the first person I saw was Easton. He looked right
through me, his eyes narrow slits, his lips thin. Aisha approached him and it was as if he forgot all
about me, his attention solely focused on her.
She sent me a look that told me she witnessed our little interaction and she wanted to interrupt it on
purpose, the catty bitch. I leave them in a huff, my determined steps taking me to my locker, only to
discover it wouldn’t open.
Thank God I brought all my books homest night, in the hopes could lose myself in homework. Didn’t
happen.
All I could think about was stupid Easton
Didn’t help that he sent me a friend request on Instagram and like the pathetic loser he always reminds
me that I am, I epted it without hesitation. And then I went and
followed his profile, which is public. No surprise.
When he direct messaged me, I almost fell off the bed. At first, he acted like he was into me, and
despite everything that’s happened between us, the miniscule good and the overwhelmingly bad, I
thought maybe he was going to confess his real feelings.
Then he made it seem like all he wanted was a sneaky hookup here and there, and I was disgusted.
More with myself than him.
This is why I can’t get my hopes up. Easton will always bring them crashing down
I walk into my first period ssroom early and copse into my desk, dropping the books I’m carrying
with a loud thump. I suppose I could go to the front office andin about my Wocker. They’d write
me an excuse for beingte so it’s not like it would be a big deal.
I’m about to get back up when Sadie darts into my ssroom, her eyes wide, her expression downright
frantic.
“Oh my God, there you are! Are you okay?” she asks, her words so fast they practically trip over
themselves.
I frown. “What are you talking
about?”
“You didn’t see your locker?” Her frown matches mine.
I slowly shake my head, confused. “I went to it earlier, but I couldn’t open it. That’s why I’m carrying my
books.” I wave a hand at the stack in front of me.
“Oh shit.” She nces around the room before her gaze returns to mine. “Come with me.”
I follow her out of the ssroom, leaving my books but taking my backpack with me. We head for my
locker, which is surrounded by a small group of people. As I draw closer, I can hear whispers and
“..she wishes.” is what I hear someone say
That someone is Aisha.
It’s only four letters written in bold ck spray paint across my faded gray locker door. But the word
prates my heart and nearly makes me crumple.
SLUT!
They even used an exmation point.
No one says anything, but I can feel their eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. I refuse to give them
one. I’m on the verge of tears in an
instant but I suck them up. No way can I cry in front of these people. That’s what they want.
That’s what they live for.
I scan the small crowd, their faces nk, their lips curved as if they’re enjoying witnessing my
humiliation. Sadie is so angry I can practically feel her vibrate as she stands next to me.
“Who did this?” Her voice rises above the crowd as she gestures toward my locker. “Who?”
“I was just here,” I whisper to her. “They had to have done it in a matter of minutes.”
In front of other people, too.
Where my locker is situated is usually pretty quiet before the first bell rings. It’s a smaller cluster of
lockers that sits at the end of the hall, and it’s usually so peaceful in the morning
Not today though
“What the hell is going on?”
At the sound of the angry male voice, both Sadie and I turn around to find Ryan pushing his way
through the crowd until he’s standing right in front of me. His gaze goes to my locker door and his
expression tightens.
He’s pissed
“Who did this?” he asks me.
I shrug. “I have no idea, but it just happened. I was at my locker a few minutes ago and I couldn’t get it
to open.”
He strides toward my locker and does thebination on the lock, which he knows. Just like I know
his, too. When it doesn’t open for him, he curls his hand into a fist and starts banging on the door. Like
magic, it pops open and he steps away just in time as a pile of garbage falls out of my locker and onto
the ground.
When I blink the items into focus, I realize I’m staring at a pile of what looks like used pads and
tampons.
“Gross!” screams a female voice,
Chine
just before they all startughing.
Sadie slips her arm around my shoulder and pulls me in close. “Who could do this?”
“What the fuck?” Ryan turns his murderous re on everyone watching and they all take a collective
step back. “Who did this to my sister?”
I’m shaking. Who hates me this much that they’d try to humiliate me so badly?
I can only think of one person, even though my brain rejects his name. He couldn’t be so cruel..
Could he?
A whistle blows and the next thing I know, our vice principal Mr. Rose is standing in front of my locker.
All the onlookers are gone, making their way to their ssrooms and Ryan is yelling at Mr. Rose,
asking him what he’s going to do about it.
“Did you give yourbination to anyone, Harper?” Mr. Rose asks me.
I shake my head, still fighting the tears. “Of course not. I was just here and there was no spray paint on
the door. I don’t know how they could’ve done this without being seen.”
Unless they’re well protected and popr. People will turn the other
way when someone they like-or fear-is doing something wrong.
“Who do you think did this?” Ryan asks me, his expression one of pure rage.
I’m terrified to say his name, but it’s like I can’t hold back
“Easton.”