Swamp Murder

Swamp Murder. 1

Zhan's Pov.

"I hate that you're cute, and I like you!" Meng Ziyi shouted at me, her voice bouncing off the walls of the empty gym.

I stood there, dumbfounded, unable to grasp how or why Meng Ziyi would ever say something like that. Before I could respond, a loud, "Yo!" rang through the gym.

Wen Xu swaggered in, trailed by Xue Yang, Jin Zixuan, Wen Chao, and Yu Bin. "Zhan, you outdid yourself again," Wen Xu grinned. "We all scored a perfect 10 on our homework!"

"Ten?!" Meng Ziyi's voice shot up again, this time more annoyed than surprised. "Why did I only score 8?" she hissed, storming toward me and grabbing my jaw as if it would help her make sense of her lower score.

I tried to explain, although the words stuck in my throat. "I told you... I don't know anything about chemistry. But I'll study harder next time."

Her eyes glinted with frustration. "I'm angry," Meng muttered. "And I want to blow off steam."

I took a step back as she reached into her purse, pulling out a cigarette. She lit one, then another, the smoke curling through the air as she sucked in deep breaths. I had never seen her this agitated before. After her second cigarette, something shifted. A smirk appeared on her face, sharp and cold.

"Zhan, do you have a girlfriend?" she asked, closing the distance between us again.

Her question caught me off guard. "No, I don't," I answered, my voice barely steady. "Who would want to be with a loser like me?"

"I thought as much." She stepped even closer, eyes gleaming with mischief. "How about a boyfriend?"

My breath hitched. "I... I don't have either," I stammered, unsure where this conversation was going or why I was suddenly the target of whatever game Meng was playing.

"He's a virgin," Meng declared loudly, her voice filled with mockery, causing the other guys to burst into laughter.

"He can't be this handsome and still be a virgin," Xue Yang commented, twirling a lollipop in his mouth, always the picture of casual indifference.

"I know he's a virgin." Jin Zixuan chimed in, joining the teasing, much to my dismay.

I clenched my fists at my sides, wishing the ground would swallow me whole. But the taunting didn't stop there.

"Yu Bin, what's the name of that girl in your class who likes you?" Meng asked her brother, her tone suddenly shifting, but the malicious undertone was still there.

Yu Bin, who had been watching quietly until now, looked confused. "Uh, Mian Mian?"

Meng smiled darkly, and a chill ran down my spine. "Xue Yang, go get Mian Mian," Wen Chao instructed with a grin, clearly in on the plot.

I had no idea what was happening or what these guys were trying to pull, but I knew it wasn't going to end well for me. Meng Ziyi's twisted smile confirmed that much. Whatever game they were playing, I was the unwilling pawn.

The door slammed shut behind Xue Yang, and the gym felt suddenly suffocating. I braced myself for whatever nightmare they had planned next.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as soon as Xue Yang entered, dragging Mian Mian behind him like she was nothing more than a doll. Her eyes were wide with terror, her lips trembling as if she wanted to scream but didn't dare. My stomach twisted in knots. I had never seen her look like that before-so vulnerable, so helpless. I felt a pang of pity for her, but it wasn't enough to stop what was about to happen.