Hidden Play: The Return 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Things aren't always what they seem.

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Damn, Gig – you and your cryptic messages. Doesn't she realize that when she plants those little seeds that they fester into full-grown, demonic plants of worry? I'm king of the 'what-ifs' and have been for as far as I can remember. If I'm learning anything through all this drama, it's that if I worry ahead of time and it materializes later, I put my body through the stress of it twice. Emotionally suffering – twice.

I've been doing well with it, too, but Gigi's words throw me. Luckily, as one period rolls into the next, the thought drifts further and further to the back of my mind. Unfortunately, what replaces it is the mental energy needed to deal with my peers. I'm not surprised by the whispers or the stares. Hell, I received a healthy dose of those before winter break, thanks to the heaping pile of human manure that made a home across my locker.

It's the non-stop conversation that I don't anticipate. It's more than just the non-verbal attention; it feels like an ongoing interview. It doesn't matter if it's before class, after class, during class, or walking through the hallways– there's always someone by my side trying to get a word in edgewise.

By the time lunch rolls around, I'm emotionally drained. I idly wonder if this is what celebrities go through on a daily basis. If so, I now understand why some of them buy private islands and are perpetually pissed off at the paparazzi. Dakota falls in step beside me and pulls his headphones down from his ears to rest around his neck. Mike takes post on my other side, and the three of us head to the cafeteria with the eyes of the school following our every step.

"Ok, one of you has to have an answer for me," I implore, more so to Dakota than to Mike. "Before I left for break, I was like the school leper. Now, it's like I'm the new shiny object. What's going on?"

"Yea, you can thank Zion and Hunter for that," Mike mutters, shaking his head.

"How so?"

"Couple things," Dakota answers, fiddling to undo the knot of his phone charger. "First of all, Zion made it pretty damn clear to the entire school that unless someone had something nice to say to you, they needed to back off. As you know by now, he runs the social circles. If he publicly makes a stand to have your back, you're untouchable."

Hmm. Zion did mention something to that effect when I saw him over break. I immediately saw the effect it had with the trolls on social media, but I didn't realize the potency it would have at school, too. I quiet the internal flutter at the mention of Zion's protective gesture. It means a lot, and it speaks volumes to his ability to step up on my behalf. Still, I remind myself, it's not enough for me to sacrifice my needs in a partner.

"And Hunter?" I ask.

The cafeteria chatter climbs upon our arrival. Some of our peers smile, some wave, but the majority lean in to one another, gossiping so intensely that I swear the tea will start spilling onto the tiled floor.

"Hunter seems to think he's your personal promoter for that little blog you've got going on," Mike answers with a scoff.

My blog?

Hunter knows about my blog?

I frown, thinking through the trail. Gigi knows. Gigi must have told Evan, and Evan lives with Hunter. Boom. See how quickly word travels?

My jaw tightens in frustration. No wonder my numbers are climbing so quickly; I have an undercover advocate. Knowing Hunter, he must have shared it on his own social media, and it's already been seen by quite a few other students. I mentally flip through my entries.