Lena’s Pov

The metal clang of my rusty locker door echoed around the girls locker room as I shoved my textbooks into my bag one after the other. My hands trembled, not from Vodka like I was trying to make myself believe, but from what I’d done last night.

“Boo!”

A hollowed-eyed mask streaked with black lunged at me, and I stumbled into the locker, screaming so loud that my throat felt sore.

A clacking laughter broke out as the mask came off, revealing Kyra’s smirking face and her tousled red hair. She doubled over, wheezing at the terrifying look still plastered on my face.

“Jesus, Kyra, what the fuck?!”

“Calm down, girl! Chill. It’s just a mask.”

I pressed a hand to my chest, as I tried to steady my breath. “Why the hell does everyone have a mask?” I asked, frowning as I noticed the other girls in the room holding masks also.

Twirling hers in her hand like a prized possession, “Oh, that? It’s for the welcome stunt. You know, the big entrance thing for the new professor.”

“New Professor? What new professor?” My brows shot up, taken aback.

“Wait. Don’t tell me you don’t know?” She tilted her head, giving me the kind of look that made me feel like the dumbest girl in the room.

“Know what?”

“That Cole Mathew, your Cole Mathew is joining the academy this season as a professor,” Kyra replied, her grin widened with mischief.

My blood ran cold in an instant. “Cole Mathew?” The name ripped out of my throat before I could stop it.

Kyra groaned. “Girl, do you ever check your socials? At all?” She snatched my phone, “it’s all over the group chat.”

She shoved the phone back at my face, a smug look on her face. “See? Right here. Welcome post, fan edits, the whole circus.”

Snatching the phone from her, “Oh, shoot…dammit!” I blurted as I frantically shoveled the phone and more textbooks into my bag.

“Hey…hey, what’s your deal? What is going on here?” Kyra went on to ask with her smile faltered.

I said nothing.

“Lena?” She called loudly with a frown appearing on her face, “I thought you’d be happy. I mean—hello? Your forever crush is in the building, you are supposed to be dragging me to help you hunt him down, not…” she gestured at my wild packing, “not whatever this is.”

Zipping my bag with shaking hands, “That was just some dumb, stupid teenage dream,” I muttered breathlessly, “I don’t want it anymore.”

“Bullshit!” Kyra’s voice cracked so loud that half the locker room turned in our direction, pausing whatever it is they were on to.

I scoffed, my lips tugging sideways. Shoving the last book in my bag not minding the edges that were bent, I slammed my locker shut in a rough manner before slinging my bag over my shoulder.

“Where the hell do you think you are going?” Kyra called after me as I walked away.

“Home, where I belong. I’m done with this damn, blood-sucking academy!” I shot over my shoulder, punctuating it with a hard kick against the metal door as I passed. Pain shot up my shin instantly, making me wince. “Smooth, Lena. Real smooth,” I cursed under my breath.

The hallways housed a chaotic sight as always—buzzing with students gossiping and sprinting past with hockey sticks—and the air thick with sweat, cologne and the disinfectant janitors swore they use but I doubted.

I clutched my bag and weaved through the crowd in a sneaky manner like prey dodging its predator.

I was almost at the exit, relief so close now that I could taste it. When I looked over my shoulders, as I took a turn, I slammed into something solid. No, not something but someone with a body like a wall.

“I…I’m so sorry,” I gasped, dropping to my knees in an instant to pick my bag the person’s books.

“You again?!” A deep voice thundered above me.

I froze for a moment before my eyes shot up and locked on Cole Mathew’s hardened face glaring down at me.

A blanket of silence fell over the hallway as heads snapped in our directions with phones being lifted to do what they are good at doing.

My stomach made a violent back flip as I grabbed my back and sprang up on my feet ready to make a run for the door. But before I could bolt, his hand clamped around my wrist, pulling me back.

“You’re the girl that snuck into my hotel room last night weren’t you?” He asked, drawing soft gasps from the crowd that was beginning to form.

“Yes…I mean…no, no!” My voice broke as panic hit my chest like a tsunami.

Taking a step closer, with his shadows coming on me in an intimidating manner, “Don’t you dare stand there lying to my face, making me feel delusional, you little wretch,” he roared, his breath hot on my face.

“I don’t…”

“Why the hell were you in my room?” He growled, cutting me short. “Who paid you to be there? Because I sure as hell wouldn’t hire you tiny, disgusting piece as a pimp even if I wanted to.”

Waves of murmurs rolled through the hallway as people scrambled to get a clip of the scene on their phone.

“That is a bloody lie!” I exclaimed, my voice trembling but I forced it to be louder, trying to fight off the humiliation suffocating me.

“Oh really? Then allow me to refresh your clogged memory,” he whispered as he took another step that brought him just an inch away from me. “You came into my hotel room last night and forced yourself on me, do you remember now?” He continued, gripping the collar of my shirt.

“Get your hands off me,” I yelled, trying to yank his hand off but he was much stronger than me.

“Do you have any idea who I am? Do you realize I can make your life a living hell with just a snap of a finger?” He asked, shoving me aside roughly that I lost my balance and crashed to the ground.

I thought he was done, but I was wrong.

Crouching right next to me, he suddenly grabbed my hair tightly and pulled it back, looking straight into my eyes as he continued his threat, “You better get started talking on who paid you to come into my room or you prepare to go to a war you are bound to lose with me.”

“Please, nobody paid me,” I cried out, wincing in pain.

“Wrong answer,” he said with a low growl, “You are trying to dare me huh? You are trying to see what I can do, right slut?” He said with a wild smile on his face as he pulled me back on my feet by my hair.

“Arghh!” I let out as my scalp burned from his action.

My throat burned and my eyes watered but my face was hard as stone. “If anyone’s a slut here,” I screamed with a voice raw with frustration. “You’re the one who used me, calling me by some other girl’s name while you…while you…” the words died off, my heart pounding rapidly against my rib cage as his face darkened.

“What did you just say?” He bellowed.

Before I could answer, he leaned down down to me until his breath fanned my face, and before I knew what was going to happen next, he took my lips in his, sucking on it like his entire life depended on it.

The crowd gasped again.

I pushed him as I stumbled back, clutching my mouth with both hands, my heart racing fast.

“You were enjoying my kiss,” he continued breathlessly, “Don’t you remember this from last night?”

The world blurred along with Kyra's voice as she screamed, “Lena,” pushing her way to the front of the crowd.

“How dare you?” I asked in a weak note, voice shaky as I blinked through the sting of humiliation.

Cole froze to a spot with his chest heaving as his eyes flickered from me to Kyra who was now standing in front, then back to me again.

And then without another word, he turned and walked away with long strides, leaving me standing there, shaken and humiliated.