I stood rooted to the spot, refusing to move or step into the classroom even with Maya’s pleading tug at my sleeve. I was still trying to fathom how I could have almost ruined my reputation just because of one stupid, impulsive kiss. One kiss. One moment of revenge. One disaster waiting to happen.

“Aria, the class is about to start. We should go in since you’re refusing to tell me why you’re acting so weird,” Maya said again, tugging my arm like she was trying to pull me out of quicksand.

I snapped out of my reverie and turned to her. “I don’t think I can go in there, Maya. I can’t face him.” My voice was small, raw.

“You don’t need to face him. We’ll just go in, sit down, and for the love of God, tell me what is going on,” she prodded, looking genuinely worried.

I lowered my voice to a whisper. “We kissed. Or I kissed him.” I heard the ridiculous confession spill out before I could stop it.

Maya’s eyes widened so far I thought they might pop out. “Aria… what? How did that happen?”

“I don’t know. He came to set up my new bed because I needed help and I didn’t want to bother you since it was getting late. I would sooner die than ask Jace for help. I don’t know how it got to that point, but we kissed. And almost…you know.” I tilted my head as if to mime the rest.

Her mouth dropped open in the ‘oh my God’ way. “First Jace, now Professor Rowe? Go, girl!” She pumped the air like she was cheering me on.

I swatted her hand away. “I’m so embarrassed. It’s going to be so hard being in his class. Who knows what he thinks of me?”

“Whatever he thinks of you is his business,” Maya said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t affect your schoolwork. Now please get your butt inside.” She half-dragged me toward the door.

The class was already in session when we slipped in. Thank God he didn’t spare us a glance. We slid into seats near the back and I tried to breathe like a normal human. For a few minutes I thought maybe I’d survive.

But the topic on the board, Foundations of Painting blurred into a haze as his voice became background noise. Every time I forced my eyes toward him, the images of last evening flashed in my head, the bed, the tumble, the kiss, my hands fumbling. My cheeks heated and I had to blink them away like an annoying fly.

Maya jabbed me in the ribs with her pen. “Why aren’t you writing?” she hissed.

“Can’t concentrate. I’ll get your notes later,” I muttered, scrawling an excuse in the margin of my book.

He droned on for a while, outlining color theory and composition, the kind of stuff I loved when my head wasn’t full of panic. Finally he signalled the end of class and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Maybe, just maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

My relief was cut short the moment he said, “I hear we have a new student in our midst.”

No. No. No. I couldn’t do public attention. The last thing I wanted was him turning the spotlight on me, the girl who he'd kissed last evening.

“Umm, Aria. Aria Thomas,” he read from the attendance book, his eyes scanning the page like a benign judge. “Can you stand, please?”

I rolled my eyes at myself, forcing my legs to obey. “Yes.” My voice sounded too loud in the quiet room.

“Welcome to Willow Creek Community College, Aria. I’ll ask a simple question from today’s lecture, is that okay?” He looked straight at me. The entire class seemed to lean forward.

My palms were sweaty. “Okay,” I said, sweating internally.

“Can you tell the class what you think the fundamental elements of art are?” He pointed to the slide on the screen like a man who’d rehearsed this question for new students a thousand times.

Thankfully, even though I’d been half-listening, a few of the basics had stuck. “Color, value, composition, line…” I fished frantically for more, my brain jumbled with the earlier images.

The room watched, waiting for a slip. My face felt hot under their stares. “I can’t remember the rest, Professor,” I admitted, wringing my hands.

“That’s fine. You did well enough. Make sure to pay attention and get notes from a friend so you can familiarise yourself with the things you missed,” he said, and then he walked out of the room.

I hadn’t even sat down before someone said a word, barely a whisper, but loud enough. “Slut,” the girl in front of me mouthed, smirking and then coughing to cover it up. Half the class snickered.

My body went still. I stood up slowly and turned to the girl. “What did you just call me?” My voice was low and dangerous.

Maya stood beside me, facing the girl with the kind of calm she reserves for ridiculous drama. The girl shrugged, trying to play innocent. “Nothing,” she said, standing up to leave like she’d done nothing wrong.

The classroom dissolved into chatter as people filed out and switched to the next lecture. I grabbed my bag, mind racing. I needed air. The day had started okay and now it was spinning into something ugly.

I stepped outside, letting the hallway emptiness give me a moment to breathe. I must have been there only a few minutes when Maya came running up to me, eyes wide and panicked. “Aria, this is bad.”

“What?” My stomach dropped.

“So I asked Jules… you know, one of Chloe’s friends and she said that apparently Jace has been spreading a rumor about you sleeping with Professor Rowe,” Maya blurted out, voice low but urgent.

“What?” I nearly screamed. I steadied myself with both hands on the wall as shock and cold fear rushed through me.

“It’s really bad, Aria. If it’s reached school, it’s already spread to the whole town. People are tweeting about it on the arts forum, calling you the town slut.” Maya’s voice trembled slightly.

A cold coil tightened in my gut. The thought of being the town’s joke, the scandal piece in every feed, whispered about at breakfast tables made bile rise in my throat.

Why would Jace go to such lengths to spoil my reputation? Only four days in town and I was already infamous for all the wrong reasons.

Yes, I’d kissed Professor Rowe, but that was an impulsive, messy moment, not the scandal they were making of it. That was between me and a man who’d caught me after I fell. I hadn’t slept with him. I hadn’t even nearly done the thing people were suggesting, not in the way rumors twisted it.

Anger boiled up fast and hot. I was going to make him pay for this.