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*Rachel's POV*
"Nina, I need one last favour from you before I forgive you for what you did to me." I say turning on my desk chair to face her.
"What now?"
"It's only a small thing I need you to do."
"What is it? Because I've already done everything you've asked of me. I spoke trash about Lydia to everyone who would listen. I befriended one of Lydia's classmates and turned Mel against her. I tried to break Ash and Lydia up on Lydia's own birthday at her house. I passed on anything I heard about her from Mel to you. I even kept an eye out during the fashion show so no one would see you trying to sabotage Lydia's clothes like you asked. What else do you want from me? I kissed Ash once when I thought he was single...it was ages after you's had split up anyway, and it was one kiss Rachel. Why can't we be friends again already?"
"And I appreciate everything you've done for me, you've been such a big help. You don't know how much you've helped actually and I've almost forgiven you...we can be friends again after you've done this one last thing for me."
"What?" she says with a sigh running her hands through her hair.
"I need you to post these around the college tomorrow morning." I say handing her the final xoxo note.
She stared down at the picture and gasped. "How the hell do you have a naked picture of Lydia?"
"Doesn't matter how I have it."
"Why do you have it?"
"That doesn't matter either; I just need you to distribute it around the college. I need everyone to see it, to know how much of a bitch she is and isn't as clean and shiny as everyone thinks." I say angrily.
Nina just stared at the image before turning it over. "Is all this true?" she asks and I nod.
"Don't you think this is a little too far Rach?" she says looking up at me.
"No." I say ripping the picture from her hands.
"I get you hate her, I mean because of her Ash broke up with you in front of everyone which was embarrassing as hell and they're together now. But you don't need to post this. And now I know you're behind these notes, you've already tormented her enough over the past couple of months and you tried to get her kicked out of the fashion show. Which didn't work, it only resulted in Tina getting disqualified and expelled from college. Do you want that to happen to you?"
"It won't." I say gritting my teeth at her.
"Because I'll be the one handing them out right? So I'll be the one who gets caught and expelled. No thanks Rach." She says standing up off my bed.
"You won't help me?"
"Not any more. Everything I did for you was childish and petty, no harm done really. Spreading rumours and bitching to a classmate isn't that harmful. But I'm not passing out naked pictures of Lydia, and getting expelled and ruining my future over a girl who I don't really give two flying fucks about."
"I thought you wanted us to be friends again."
"Not this badly." She says putting her coat on.
"You better not tell anyone about this." I say grabbing her arm as she reaches my door.
"I won't. I'm just not having anything to do with it."
And then she was gone.
Fuck.
Who the hell was I going to get to do this now?
I needed to speak to Joel.
*Lydia's POV*
There wasn't much left for us to do in college now that the fashion show was over, that was what the main part of our grade was based upon – a whopping 60%. The rest was based on attendance in class, our portfolio of work over the past three years and our research and essay's on the fashion industry we had completed last term. It's not like they could give us a normal 'test' and grade us on that like they could in other subjects, that's what the majority of the other classes were doing this week – including Ash, his started tomorrow. But me and the girls didn't have any, all of our work was based on our craft and creativity.
There were only two weeks left until we broke up for the summer, before we were done with college for good...and I couldn't wait. We had Georgia and Elliot's play to look forward to this Friday, me and Ayla going London to get our visa's next Monday and then our leavers ball was next Friday. And after all that...me and Ayla were off stateside for the summer.
So much to look forward to. Yet as I walked through the doors of college this morning with Ash right by my side, I was filled with nothing but dread. Had they posted the picture of me or not?
"Everything's going to be fine Lou I promise." Ash whispers to me and he tightly wraps an arm around my waist pulling me too him.
"God I hope so. I don't think I'd be able to step foot in here again if everyone has seen me naked. I'd be mortified."
We rounded the corner to the main corridor, heading towards my classroom when everyone turned to look at me.
"Oh..my..god. It's been posted, they've seen it." I gasp turning on the spot to see some of my classmates and everyone in college watching me, whispering to one another and discreetly pointing at me.
"How?" I say looking up at Ash as tears filled my eyes.
"Hell if I know but I'm going to kill whoever has done this." He says angrily before pulling me into his arms.
"Let's get you out of here." He whispers pulling me towards the office to let them know we weren't staying here.
"Lydia...Lydia..." I turned at the sound of my best friends shouting me.
As soon as I'd pulled away from Ash I was enveloped into a hug by all three of them...and I cried.
"Shhh." I hear Ayla say quietly moving us to the side of the corridor as someone strokes my arm. "It's going to be okay."
"No it won't. Everyone's seen me naked...how is it going to be okay?"
"It's okay, you're not naked on it Lyd." Lois says and I pull away from them slightly and wipe my nose.
"What?"
"Look." She says passing me the picture. It was a picture of me stood in Ash's room naked but they'd blurred out my breasts and my privates. They'd just left my tattoo revealed...and you could see exactly where it was.
"I'm still naked Lo; they just can't see everything clearly." I sigh and sniffle.
"I know." She says sadly.
"And they've revealed every clue about me on the back as well. Everyone will know I cheated on Elliot; that I fooled around with Ash before we got together, then that I lost my virginity to him and had a pregnancy scare. They're going to think I'm some slut."
"That's just a regular Friday night for most of them." Georgia says nudging me lightly, trying to make me smile. "And for everyone who actually knows and loves you, we know you're not a slut."
"Thanks Georgia. How come they're not all over the floor and walls like they normally are?" I ask
"I dunno, but this time they were placed in all our lockers when we came in this morning. Well those of us who were in early enough to see them before the head went through everyone's lockers and took them." Georgia says.
"He's gone through everyone's lockers?" Ash says and the girls nod.
"He's super pissed." Georgia replies.
"So you heard any more off Tina after she was at yours last night?" Ayla asks and I shake my head. After Ash and I had gone back inside, I'd rang the girls, then Elliot and filled them in on what had happened and what she'd told us.
"Do you think she really was telling the truth?" Lois asks and I shrug.
"I thought so, but if she had told the police everything like she said, I don't get how these were posted today if they were arrested last night like she thought they would be."
"Unless they were waiting until now to arrest them?" Ayla says getting louder with every word before pointing down the corridor towards the office where Seth was being walked out by police in handcuffs.
That got people talking.
"Oh my god." I gasp as he's angrily walked past us towards the front entrance.
"Why Seth?" I shout at him before I could stop myself. "Why did you do this to me?"
The officers stop him as he turned towards me, his eyes assessing me, checking me out. His eyes eventually met mine and he smirked, he gave me the creeps. "You should have just gone out with me when I asked you."
"Seriously? That's why...you did this because I wouldn't date you." I say screaming at him, the girls had to hold onto my arms to keep me from smacking him. "How could you."
"It's pretty simple really, I wanted you. And then because I couldn't have you I wanted you more. But every time you turned me down. You were like my forbidden fruit; it just made irresistible to me. I just had to have you, I just couldn't think of a way to accomplish that. But then I heard about Rachel and Joel's revenge scheme against you so I joined them. God they hate you Lydia, I mean I just wanted you, just one night with you and because I couldn't I did what I did. But them...Jheeze they did this because they hate you and wanted everyone to know what you're like. That you're not as perfect and goodie goodie as everyone thinks you are. They wanted revenge but couldn't think of a way of getting it without you knowing, that's when I came in handy to them. Everyone here think's I'm stupid, too dumb to be behind this, even you Ash, you thought I was too dumb to be behind this but you're all wrong. I'm the one who put the cameras and microphones into those frames and then got you to think I'd apologised and given up chasing you when I gave you the gift. I'm the one who got Tina involved...and I'm the one who got to watch you on camera every night. Almost made me want to sneak into your room at night...sample the goods for myself" He says whispering the last part, licking his lips and looking me up and down. I felt sick.
I thought Ash was going to punch him when someone familiar pushed him backwards and held him in place as the officers told him to be quiet and dragged him away whilst reading him his rights. "He's not worth it; you don't want to get arrested for assault Ash. Just let the police take him and throw away the key."
It was Fin.
"I called him, thought you'd want him here." Ayla says from beside me and I nod my head at her.
"Thank you."
I was immediately pulled into a hug by my big brother and I cried against his chest. "You didn't tell me you were going through all this squirt." He whispers. "I thought we tell each other everything."
"I'm sorry."
"You've nothing to be sorry about. I just wish I could have been here for you."
"You are now." I mutter
The bell for class had rung but no one seemed to move, everyone stayed where they were – surrounding me and my friends at the entrance. Wondering and probably hoping to see more drama.
"GET TO CLASS EVERYONE...NOW."
That was the head, he shouted out ordering everyone to move. Just as Joel was escorted out of his office, that just made everyone stay put; why would they go to class when the action was going on right here.
I went to ask Joel the same thing I did Seth - why? But he just sneered at me.
"I'm not telling you a god damn thing Lydia." He says before turning to Ash. "You should have just come to the party's man, instead of hanging out with her every Friday and ditching us. Some friend you were, it was always hoes before bros with you."
"Who are you calling a hoe you fucking prick?" Ayla shouts at him, bending her knee up to do some damage when one of the officers stands in her way.
"Miss I wouldn't recommend you doing that, unless you want to join him in handcuffs." He says sternly before carting Joel off outside.
"All this is my fault, Lou I'm so sorry." Ash says pulling me to him and I shake my head.
"Don't even think it Ash, this is no way your fault. They're just fucked up people." I sigh wrapping my arms around him.
"Lydia, could you please follow me into my office." The head says and I nod.
"Can my friends be with me?"
"If you want them there I don't mind." He says and I nod again.
"Come on through." He says holding his arm out towards his door. "I SAID EVERYONE TO CLASS NOW."
Everyone moved their asses then, we were about to head into the office when Elliot and Marcus come running through the front doors.
"They've just arrested Rachel." Elliot says quickly.
"What?" Georgia says turning to face them. "Where?"
"In the car park, she was sat hiding in her car. We saw her after we'd parked up and informed the police outside."
"Good." I say before turning back around and walking into the heads office. They'd finally been caught.
Once we were all in the room I was told by the head and a police officer who had stayed behind about what had happened. My parents made their appearance ten minutes later after being called by the college this morning and informed about the situation. We were told that Rachel, Joel and Seth had been arrested for what they'd done and their participation in harassing me. The officer went over what they were going to be charged with but nothing went into my brain that could make sense. There were a bunch of big technical law abiding words used and they sounded terrifying as hell, so I just nodded. Glad that they were getting the punishment they deserved.
Georgia was thanked by the police and the head for bringing to their attention the photo frame. Me and the other girls gasped when we were told this and turned to face her. She just shrugged and smiled at us, saying that she couldn't just sit by and do nothing so she went for help. But we had no proof that it was them behind it so they couldn't do anything until they struck again. The head knew something was going on and was keeping tabs on the xoxo notes that were being spread around, he tried to catch the culprits on the CCTV but they kept their heads down, and by the time he'd gotten to their location in the college no one was there.
We were also told that Nina had come forward this morning and told the head what Rachel and her group were planning on doing with the photo. Unfortunately Joel had already posted them in everyone's lockers by the time he'd been informed, so some of the students had seen the photo but thankfully it was only a few. Nina had also told him what Rachel had asked of her over the past couple of months. But she swore she wasn't part of the group, she didn't know what Rachel was up to and only found out last night she was behind the xoxo notes. And with what she asked her to do last night was too far, even if Rachel hated me, posting a naked picture of me around college wasn't right.
I didn't learn much about the original reasons behind the scheme to get revenge on me apart from what Seth and Tina had told me, and the tiny bit of information Joel just said to Ash. However, deep down I didn't want to know their reasons, I know no matter what I hear nothing will ever be a good enough reason in my eyes for what they put me through. I know I'm not perfect, and I knew I've screwed up and hurt people over the past few months with my actions, especially Elliot. But I didn't deserve to have my privacy invaded and to be targeted like that. No one does.
I'm just so glad that it's finally over, that they've been caught and I can actually move on from this hell.
*~*~*~*~*
HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS!! Hope you all had a wonderful new year and are enjoying the first 3 days of 2016 :) I have written a small short story call 'Before Midnight' it's all about a group of friends on NYE. I've not posted it yet but it'll be added to the same story as 'The Costume Shop' and 'The Christmas Surprise' so please go check it out, it'll be up tomorrow. In the meantime go read my other short stories, I'd LOVE to hear what you think. You's always give me the best feedback :)
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So the xoxo group have finally got their comeuppance. I know from a few of your comments you were disappointed with the group reveal and i'm sorry about that. I know you wanted a shock and it to be one of her friends behind it but it's chosen the people behind it so long ago, I wasn't changing my story to add a shock that wouldn't make sense. Anyway, to those of you who felt their detective skills were used correctly, well done :) When this is all finished, I will be editing through and adding more *Secret POV's* earlier in the story with more explanation of how they started. But that won't be for a while, I have plans for the spin off first :D
And if my calculations are correct...we have only 4 chapters left... :(
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PS. You guys are totally the best. This story has just reached 10 freakin million reads! 10million, I can't believe it...and it's still at #1. Thank you all so much. <3