Bad guy (REWRITTEN)

Chapter 16

The Morning After

I stared at the ceiling, the sunlight filtering through the curtains in dusty gold streaks. My lips still felt tingly, a phantom pressure from last night that made me smile like an idiot. It was a first for me, the kiss, the connection, the vulnerability. I had finally crossed a line I didn't know I was ready to cross, and for the first time in months, the weight in my chest was gone.

But then reality started to seep back in. Sophie. Ricky. If they found out I was with Billie, the one person they collectively loathed, it wouldn't just be a talk. It would be a betrayal.

I'll just keep it a secret, I told myself, pulling the sheets up. Just for a little while.

The smell of pancakes usually felt like a hug, but as I sat down at the kitchen table, it felt like an interrogation room. My dad was already looking at me, his eyes narrowed as he sipped his coffee.

"Good morning, honey" my mom said, sliding a plate toward me.

"Morning" I mumbled, reaching for a fork. But as I tilted my head, I saw my dad's posture stiffen.

"Anna" he said, his voice dropping an octave. "What is that on your neck?"

My heart did a somersault. I slammed my hand over my throat, my skin suddenly crawling with heat. The hickey. I had completely forgotten to check the mirror.

"I—it's nothing" I stuttered, my brain scrambling for a lie. "I burned myself. With the curling iron"

My dad set his mug down with a deliberate clack. "I wasn't born yesterday, Anna. Since when do you curl the side of your neck? And since when do burns look like bruises?"

"Dad, seriously, it's fine. I'm just clumsy" I said, standing up so fast my chair scraped the floor. I checked my phone, desperate for an exit. "I'm late. I have to go"

"We aren't done with this conversation," he called out as I grabbed my bag. "If someone is touching you, you tell me. You hear me?"

I didn't answer. I just ducked out the door, the cool morning air hitting my face like a slap.

School felt different. I walked to my first class with a secret hum in my veins. When I saw Billie, she was exactly where she always was feet on the desk, looking like she owned the oxygen in the room.

"You're late" she smirked, her eyes immediately darting to my neck. She knew.

She introduced me to her group Noah, Prince, Brandon. They were chill, nodding at me with a curiosity that wasn't mean. But then there was Hannah. She didn't say a word. She just sat there, her long brown hair shimmering, watching me with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust. When she stood up to leave, she swung her hips with a pointed aggression, her eyes boring into mine like she wanted to see me break.

The class blurred past. Billie slept through the whole thing, her head on her arm. When the bell rang, I shook her shoulder gently.

"Billie. Wake up"

She blinked, her blue eyes hazy and bloodshot from sleep. "How long?"

"The whole hour" I laughed.

"Worth it" she rasped, stretching until her joints popped. She leaned in, pecking my lips quickly before anyone could notice. "Amusement park after school? I feel like acting like a kid for a few hours"

"I'd love that" I said, my heart fluttering.

The peace didn't last. By lunch, the atmosphere in the cafeteria was heavy. I was sitting with Sophie and the guys when the room went quiet.

"Not her again" Sophie hissed, her grip tightening on her water bottle.

I looked up. Hannah was walking toward our table, her expression vacant but her eyes locked on me. Without a word, she reached out and swept a tray of food directly onto my lap.

The crash was deafening. I sat there, stunned, as cold pasta and sauce soaked into my white T-shirt and jacket. The cafeteria erupted—shouts of "Fight!" echoed off the walls.

Sophie was on her feet in a second, lunging at Hannah. They went down in a tangle of hair and limbs, Sophie screaming while Hannah yanked her back.

I watched them, but I wasn't seeing the fight. I was seeing him. I was seeing the bathroom floor, the slap, the feeling of being a side quest in my own life. The laughter from some of the guys in the back felt like a physical weight.

I stood up. I didn't cry. I didn't shake. I stepped forward and grabbed Sophie's arm, pulling her off Hannah with a strength I didn't know I had.

"Stop!" I yelled, my voice ringing through the hall.

I looked at Hannah, then at the mess on my clothes, and then at the crowd. I didn't feel like the victim anymore. I felt tired of being the person everyone thought they could move like a chess piece.

I didn't need protection. I needed to move.