Rival texting D.M

19

FIRST YEAR!

"Bella," Draco comes running over to me in the common room with a big smile that slightly fades when he sees Alec by my side. I dont know why he always reacts that way; I love them both. He has other friends too?

"Dray! What happened?" He shows me a paper, a paper with his assignment.

"Outstanding? That's amazing. I'm so happy for you." He almost jumps with joy in a way I have never seen before. Grades also mean a lot to me, probably because I know what I got. But for Draco, it is the world, and it is all because of his dad.

"I think I may have gotten the best in the class? I got ninety-five," he looks so proud, and I want to smile, but my heart sinks. It's been a while since I saw my best friend this happy, and I now carry something that might destroy his joy. But I won't tell him that; I won't take this away from him.

"That is amazing, Dray; I am so happy for you. I knew you would be outstanding!"

"What did you get?"

"Not very good. But it's okay." He looks sad, and I feel bad.

"It's okay. You will ace it next time." He smiles but acts cool as others join us in the room. I sink down in my seat, feeling my chest ache. Is this how it feels when you have done something terrible? Alec stares at me, giving me a look that means he knows something. Of course, he would know something is up, and Draco would too, but he is too busy showing off his grade to people. I fucked up.

*****

"Bells," Alec gives me a strict look as we leave the common room a few weeks later. I haven't been myself, mostly because I have been hiding stuff from my best friend. Since that assignment where Draco got so happy, I have continued lying about my results. We have gotten the same results the times I haven't gotten better than him. He thinks my results suck. I want him to feel that way.

"I know what you are hiding," he sounds so simple, like this is the end, and he won't take a no.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He only rolls his eyes, handing me a paper.

"I stole this from our professors. It's your results in the last couple of weeks. Bella, you have been outstanding, the best in our year. And worse, you have been better than Malfoy all the damn time." I gulp, feeling ache in my chest; Alec looks at me with a sad smile.

"Alec... Didn't you see the joy in his eyes? I just can't tell him the truth. What would he say if I, his best friend, told him I was better than him?" Alec's eyes look sad but then freeze as he stares at something behind me.

"Bell-"

"You lied?" Draco's sad voice can be heard behind me, and my heart beats faster. Oh fuck.

"Dray-"

"Is it true? Did you lie to me about your grades? You were better?" I suck in my lips before nodding slowly; he stares at me with sad eyes before anger takes place in them.

"You are a fucking liar, a bitch." I shake my head, thinking of something to say, but he only walks away. Draco ignored me for weeks after that, and I thought it would drop and we would return as friends again. But we never did. He acted cold and began to make fun of me. So I used the one thing he cared about the most against him, my grades. That's when our competition started, and we haven't been the same since.

NOW

I sigh, lying in my bed. I just got off a long phone call with Alec, him telling me to be more careful when I go out. I tell him I will be fine and that no one knows who I am. Truth be told, I dont know that. But I would like to think that. There's a knock on my door, and I expect it to be my mother or Cissy telling me to come down and eat something for the tenth time today. But instead, a guy with blonde hair opens the door,