Hardin Scott has been madly in love with Tessa Young since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but there's no way she could ever see him as anything more than a friend. After all, he's a bad boy with a promiscuous past and she's a sweet and innoce...
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After falling asleep on the couch last night, we both woke up sometime in the middle of the night and went to bed in our own bedrooms. I dreamed about Hardin and the way he kissed me and brought my whole body to life. I wonder if he dreamed of me, too.
It's Monday morning and I'm about to leave for school. I think about waking Hardin, but I know how he hates getting up too early, so I decide against it and head to school.
I get to college early, so I go to the campus cafe and grab a coffee and donut. On my way back out the door I notice a few girls whispering to each other and giving me dirty looks. I'm not sure what that's about, but I brush it off and head for my first class.
In class the same thing seems to be happening. A few of the girls that sit in the first few rows make a point to stare at me before turning away and whispering. I turn to look around the class and a few of the guys in the back row are also staring, but it's different. They are smirking at me and I swear one of them winked at me.
The professor walks in to start class and for the most part the stares and whispers stop.
When class is over I rush out and go to my next class.
The same thing happened in my second class and I know something is going on, but I have no idea what.
I go to have my lunch break and stop off at the bathroom. I hear the most dreadful, annoying voice from behind me. Molly.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mother Theresa. Although, from what I heard, I think they need to change your nickname," she sneers.
"What the hell are you babbling on about?" I fire back.
"Oh... nothing." She smirks. "By the way, in case you were wondering, Zed's doing great now that he traded up." She gives a mocking smile.
"Ha! Traded up? It looks like he settled for the dirtiest overused whore he could find."
"What did you say?" she gasps.
"You heard me," I sneer as I walk out of the bathroom and purposely bump her shoulder.
I think I understand what's going on now. The way Molly just acted, she must have been spreading what happened between Zed and me around campus. That's why everyone is acting so weird. They all know about my humiliation. Great.
I really don't want to be here anymore, but I can't let either of those two win. They don't deserve to have control over me or my life. I head to my last class for the day, which happens to be yoga.
As I walk down the hall of the athletic building, I see a group of jocks walking toward me and I cringe.
"Look who it is, boys," one of them says as he looks my body up and down, stopping on my chest for too long.
"Girl, you look fine in those pants," one says and whistles at me.
"I bet I could show you what it feels like to be with a real man," the tallest one with the biggest muscles says.
I feel uncomfortable and frightened in this moment and I wish Hardin was here. I manage to push past them and thankfully they don't follow me as I finally reach my class.
"Tessa!" Emma waves to me.
I make my way over to her. "Emma, you have no idea how nice it is to see you!" Relief washes over me at the sight of a friendly face.
"Tessa, thank goodness you're here," she says with concern in her voice.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I really need to talk to you! Well, warn you really." She frowns.
"Okay..."
"I've been hearing some stuff about you around school today," she says as she looks to the ground.
"Yeah, I know." I roll my eyes.
"You know?"
"Yeah. Zed and I broke up because he cheated on me with Molly and now she's spreading it around school," I say angrily.
"Oh, Tessa, that's horrible, but that's not what I'm talking about."
"It's not?" I ask, confused.
"No." She shakes her head. "It's way worse than that."
"What could be worse?" I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"Well, everyone is talking about you and all the guys you've... been with."
"What?!"
"I'm sorry to tell you this, but everyone's talking about all the guys you slept with and how you're easy. They're calling you a slut." She frowns.
My mouth falls open and I feel like the room is spinning. "None of that is true! I haven't been with guys, plural!"
"I know it's not true. I'm so sorry!"
"I guess what Molly was saying to everyone was much worse than I thought," I say as tears threaten to spill from my eyes.
Suddenly her joke about not calling me Mother Theresa anymore makes sense. So do all the looks and whispers and all the guys leering at me.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Emma asks in the most supportive way.
"No." I shake my head. "I have to get out of here," I say as I start to cry. "Thank you, Emma, you're a good friend," I say as I turn to leave.
"Let me know if you need anything," she shouts to me as I leave.
I rush out of the college as fast as I can. I bump into several guys that continue to whistle and make vulgar comments. I need to go home. I need to find Hardin.
