Chapter 2

The fallout from my locker room blunder was swift and merciless. What I'd hoped would blow over as an embarrassing mistake instead became the defining moment of my social existence at Westlake High. Every time Jeremy Hawthorne passed me in the hallway, his jaw would tighten and his eyes would slide right past me as if I were invisible—which, ironically, was what I'd wanted to be before this whole mess started.

But invisibility on my terms and being deliberately ignored were two very different things.

"He's still giving you the cold shoulder, huh?" Laura asked as we walked to Chemistry class, noticing my gaze following Jeremy as he strode down the hall surrounded by his usual entourage of basketball players and admirers.

"It's been a week," I sighed, adjusting my glasses. "You'd think I'd committed some terrible crime instead of just opening the wrong door."

Laura rolled her eyes. "Jeremy Hawthorne thinks the world revolves around him. He probably believes you orchestrated the whole thing just to get a glimpse of his precious abs."

I felt my cheeks flush at the memory. Those had been some impressive abs, not that I'd ever admit it out loud. "I just wish he'd let it go. It's embarrassing enough without him glaring daggers at me every time we cross paths."

"Forget him," Laura said, linking her arm through mine. "He's not worth your brain space."

But forgetting Jeremy Hawthorne proved impossible, especially when Laura's cheerleading practices regularly coincided with basketball team workouts. I'd wait in the library until Laura finished, but occasionally our paths would cross in the gym when I came to meet her.

During one such afternoon, I slipped into the gymnasium bleachers to watch the end of cheerleading practice. The basketball team was running drills on the other half of the court, and I could see Jeremy directing his teammates with confident gestures, his athletic grace unmistakable even from a distance.

"Mills! You're half a beat behind everyone else!" A sharp voice cut through the gymnasium, drawing my attention to the cheerleaders. Tina Reynolds, the squad captain, stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Laura. "Do you need a metronome to keep time, or are you just not trying?"

Laura's face flushed, but she nodded. "Sorry, Tina. I'll get it right."

"From the top!" Tina commanded, snapping her fingers.

As they reset their positions, I noticed Jeremy glancing over at the exchange, a slight smirk playing on his lips before he turned back to his team. The tension between him and Laura was palpable, even across the gym.

When practice ended, Laura jogged over to me, her face flushed with exertion and frustration. "Tina's been riding me all week," she muttered as she grabbed her water bottle. "Ever since the locker room incident."

"Because of me?" I asked, guilt twisting in my stomach.

"No," Laura said firmly. "Because of Jeremy. She's had a crush on him forever, and she saw me yelling at her precious basketball god. Now she's making me pay for it."

As if summoned by our conversation, Tina approached, her perfect ponytail swinging. "Laura, your stunts were sloppy today. I need you to practice that routine at home."

"I hit all my marks," Laura protested.

"Barely," Tina replied coldly, her gaze sliding to me. "Oh, look who's here. The locker room voyeur."

I felt my face burn. "It was a mistake," I said quietly.

"Sure it was," Tina's smile was venomous. "Just like it's a mistake that your friend here can't keep up with the rest of the squad."

"Leave her alone, Tina," Laura stepped between us. "Annie had nothing to do with my performance today."

"Whatever." Tina flipped her hair. "Just fix it by tomorrow, or you'll be sitting out the pep rally."

As she walked away, I could see Jeremy watching from across the gym, his expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Laura. "This is all my fault."

"Stop it," Laura squeezed my arm. "Tina's always been a nightmare. This just gives her an excuse."

But things only got worse. Over the next few days, Tina's treatment of Laura during practice became increasingly harsh. She criticized everything from Laura's jumps to her smile, often loud enough for the basketball team to hear. Jeremy never intervened, sometimes even exchanging knowing glances with his teammates when Tina was particularly cutting.

I couldn't stand seeing my only friend suffer because of me. So one day after class, I gathered my courage and approached Tina at her locker.

"Can I talk to you?" My voice came out shakier than I'd intended.

Tina looked me up and down, her perfect eyebrows arched in disdain. "What could you possibly have to say that I'd want to hear?"

I took a deep breath. "It's about Laura. You're being unfair to her because of something that happened between me and Jeremy."

"Unfair?" Tina laughed, the sound sharp and brittle. "I'm the captain. It's my job to push everyone to be their best."

"You're singling her out," I insisted, my hands clenched at my sides to stop them from trembling. "And it's not right."

Tina slammed her locker shut, the sound making me flinch. "You know what's not right? You thinking you have any say in how I run my squad." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "You're nothing here, Annie Grant. A nobody. A pathetic bookworm who doesn't even belong in the same room as people like Jeremy or me."

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Around us, students had stopped to watch, their eyes wide with curiosity and a hint of malicious anticipation.

"Go back to hiding behind your books," Tina continued, her voice rising for the benefit of our growing audience. "And stay away from my squad and the basketball team. Some of us actually matter in this school."

Laughter rippled through the crowd. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I stood frozen, humiliation washing over me in waves. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy at the edge of the gathering, watching with an impassive expression before turning and walking away.

In that moment, I realized that my mistake in the locker room had branded me. I wasn't just the new girl anymore. I was the desperate nobody who'd tried to peek at Jeremy Hawthorne changing—and that story was spreading through Westlake High like wildfire, growing more exaggerated with each retelling.

And there was nothing I could do to stop it.