New Girl (Boys of tommen fanfic)

Twenty Seven

Evie

The days following the rugby match were a blur. Between schoolwork and editing the hundreds of photos I'd taken, I barely had time to process everything.

But I couldn't stop thinking about Masen—how effortless he had been on the field, how our brief interaction had made my pulse race.

The school was buzzing with talk about the match. People couldn't stop congratulating Johnny for his leadership or praising the team's performance, but it was Masen who kept creeping into my thoughts.

I was sitting in the library, buried under a pile of books, when Shannon dropped into the chair next to me with a dramatic sigh.

"You have no idea how much I hate history," she muttered, throwing a pencil down on the table.

I looked up from my notes and raised an eyebrow. "What did history ever do to you?"

"Existed," she deadpanned. "But seriously, I'm in need of some serious help. How are you even managing all this and taking photos for the school newspaper?"

"I'm barely managing," I confessed with a laugh. "But it's better than doing nothing. Keeps my mind busy."

Shannon shot me a look. "Speaking of your photos, Johnny was going on and on about how great they turned out. He said you should definitely keep doing this."

My cheeks flushed, and I shrugged it off. "I just did my best."

"Your best is pretty damn good," Shannon praised. "And I noticed Masen couldn't stop staring at you after the match. Spill, what's going on there?"

I froze, the pen I was holding hovering mid-air. "What? Nothing! He's just—he's tutoring me."

Shannon wiggled her eyebrows. "Tutoring, huh? Sure, let's call it that."

I rolled my eyes, feeling my face heat up. "Seriously, Shannon. There's nothing going on."

She chuckled, but before she could tease me any further, a voice interrupted us. "Evie?"

I turned to see Claire standing behind me, looking hesitant. "Can I talk to you for a minute? It's about the next game."

"Oh, sure," I said, standing up. Shannon shot me a knowing smirk as I left the table. I followed Claire into the hallway, where she stopped and glanced around before speaking.

"Look, I know you've been doing an amazing job with the photos and all, but I heard a rumor—about you and Masen."

My heart sank. "A rumor?"

"Yeah, Lizzie's been telling people that you're using Masen to get in with the popular crowd. She's spreading it around, and it's starting to stick. I thought you should know."

I clenched my fists, anger bubbling under the surface. Lizzie had never liked me, but this was a new low.

I hadn't done anything to her, and now she was trying to turn the school against me. "That's ridiculous," I muttered. "I don't even care about any of that."

"I know," Claire said sympathetically. "But people listen to Lizzie, and the more she talks, the worse it's going to get."

I stood there, torn between frustration and a growing sense of helplessness. "I don't know what to do."

Claire placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to do anything. Just keep your head down and let it blow over. People will see the truth eventually."

I nodded, but her words didn't do much to ease the knot forming in my stomach. It was hard enough navigating life at a new school without rumors making everything worse.

Later that day, as I was packing up to leave, I spotted Masen standing by his locker, deep in conversation with Gibsie and Feely.

I hesitated, wondering if I should go talk to him about what I'd just heard. Before I could decide, his gaze flicked up and met mine. For a moment, we just stared at each other across the crowded hallway.

Then, he smiled—a small, lopsided grin that made my heart do a weird flip. Without thinking, I smiled back, but before I could make a move, Shannon appeared at my side, practically dragging me toward the exit.

"Come on, you're not getting out of this that easily," she teased. "We're going to Claire's tonight, and you're not bailing."

I glanced back at Masen, who was now focused on something Gibsie was saying. I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me.

This thing with Masen—whatever it was—was getting complicated, and now with Lizzie's rumors, I didn't know how to handle it.

But I knew one thing for sure: I wasn't going to let her control the narrative.

_______________________________

🤩🤩🤩