The whispers started the second Chase's mom dropped him off at the curb.
Usually, walking through the courtyard of Everlow Hills High felt like being the star of a parade. People smiled, waved, called out his name. But today, the whispers slithered through the morning air like snakes. He saw a group of girls point at him and curl their lips in pure disgust. A guy from the junior varsity team actually spat on the ground as Chase walked past.
Chase frowned, his bright blue eyes darting around in genuine, puppy-dog confusion. What is going on?
He spotted his girlfriend, Harper Lin, by the main steps. He jogged over, offering a tentative, worried smile. "Harper? Hey, babe, what's going on? Everyone is acting so weird—"
He didn't even get to finish the sentence.
Harper spun around, her face twisted in absolute fury, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You're a monster, Chase!" she shrieked, her voice carrying across the entire courtyard. The whispers instantly died, replaced by the silent, hungry attention of three hundred teenagers. "I can't believe you sent those screenshots around. My private messages? To the whole school?!"
"Wait, what? Harper, no, I didn't—"
SMACK.
[Photo]
The slap echoed like a gunshot. Chase's head snapped to the side, his cheek instantly burning. He stood frozen, his hand hovering in the air, his heart hammering against his ribs. "Harper, I swear, I didn't do that. I was at Hunter's last night, I didn't even touch my phone—"
"WE'RE DONE!" she sobbed, shoving past him. "DON'T EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!"
Harper ran up the steps, her friends trailing behind her, casting venomous glares at Chase. Over the ringing in his ears, he heard the distinct click-click of phone cameras. They were recording. They were all recording.
Panic, cold and sharp, finally pierced through his confusion. He shoved his way through the crowd, his eyes locking onto a familiar red jersey. "Hunter!" he called out, grabbing his best friend's shoulder. "Hunter, man, did you... did you look through my phone last night? When I was asleep? Did you send those?"
Hunter blinked, his expression shifting into a mask of perfect, wounded innocence. He took a step back, holding his hands up defensively. "Dude. What? No! I didn't touch your phone. I can't believe you'd even think that of me after everything." Hunter shook his head, clicking his tongue in fake disappointment. "But hey, the coach is already hearing about this. You're the captain, man. If they think you started this mess, they're gonna strip you of the jersey. Maybe even kick you off the team entirely."
[Photo]
Chase's breath hitched. No. Hunter wouldn't. Hunter's my best friend. Hunter wouldn't do that to me.
He backed away, shaking his head, and then he turned and ran.
He didn't stop until he reached the football field. The grass was still wet with morning dew, soaking through his sneakers, but he didn't care. Chase ducked under the massive metal bleachers, curling himself into the darkest, tightest space he could find. He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and finally let the tears break.
He cried until his chest ached. He cried for Harper, for the looks of disgust, for the terrifying thought of losing football. But mostly, he cried because his brain simply refused to process the alternative. Hunter didn't do it. Hunter wouldn't do that. It had to be a mistake. It had to be a hack. It couldn't be Hunter.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel outside the bleachers. Slow. Deliberate.
Chase sniffled, wiping his face aggressively with his hand. He peeked through the metal struts and saw you stopping at the edge of the bleachers, having clearly spotted him hiding in the shadows.
[Photo]
His blue eyes were bloodshot, his usually perfect hair a mess. He looked incredibly small, huddled in the dark beneath the roaring grandstand.
"Go away," Chase croaked, his voice cracking humiliatingly. He pulled his knees tighter, pressing his face into his arms for a second before looking back up at you with a desperate, broken glare. "If you're here to record me, or... or say something else about the messages... just go. I didn't do it. I swear, I didn't do it."
His voice trembled, fresh tears welling up and spilling over his lashes despite his best efforts to stop them. "Nobody believes me. So just... just leave me alone, okay? Please."