Lila Anderson has returned for her sophomore year at McKinley High. After losing regionals, the Glee Club is officially at the bottom of the food chain, but when Lila comes back for the school year with a new look, she gets more than overlooked in t...
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THE whispers hit me before I even knew what was happening. A ripple of hushed voices, gasps, and barely concealed laughter trailed in my wake, growing louder with each step I took down the hall. I could feel eyes on me, the kind of lingering stares that made my skin prickle with unease. Something was wrong.
I stopped abruptly, my stomach twisting. My eyes darted across the hallway, scanning the faces around me. Some students whispered behind their hands, others stared outright. A group of cheerleaders near the lockers nudged each other, giggling.
"What?" My voice rang out, sharper than I intended.
No answer. Just more staring. More knowing smirks.
A sick feeling crawled up my spine. My palms felt clammy.
"What?" I repeated, my voice more demanding now. Still, no one responded. They just looked at me, like I was the subject of some inside joke I wasn't in on.
Then I saw it.
A girl near me clutched a copy of The Muckraker, McKinley's infamous gossip rag, her eyes flicking between the paper and me as if she couldn't believe I was standing right in front of her.
Without thinking, I reached forward and snatched it from her hands. "Gimme that!"
My stomach dropped the second my eyes locked onto the headline.
"LILA ANDERSON SEEN ALONE WITH CARMEL HIGH'S VOCAL ADRENALINE STAR JESSE ST. JAMES. IS IT OVER FOR THE SCHOOL'S 'IT' COUPLE, SAM AND LILA?"
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
The words blurred in front of me, but no matter how many times I blinked, they didn't change. My grip tightened around the paper. No. No, no, no. This isn't happening.
My mouth went dry. The blood in my veins felt like ice.
People were still watching. Waiting.
What the hell?!
Footsteps. Voices.
"Oh no, she's reading it," Kurt's voice.
Before I could process it, a hand reached out and gently pried the paper from my stiff fingers. Kurt stood beside me, skimming the headline.
"They think I'm cheating on Sam?" The words barely made it past my lips.
"Shh. It's okay," Kurt said softly, his grip firm on my arm, as if he expected me to either collapse or start screaming.
Mercedes stepped in close, her brows knit together. "It's probably just a rumor," she offered, but I could hear the hesitation in her voice.
"Probably?" My head snapped toward her. "Do you guys not believe me?" I turned to Kurt, desperate for reassurance. "Kurt, you know how I am with Jesse."
