You sat at the table in the kitchen, eating a small breakfast. You hadn't heard anything from your dad the rest of the night and even now the house was silent. You glanced at the time on your phone and sighed. You walked over to where your backpack was sitting and slung it over your shoulder. You were about to leave when someone cleared their throat.
You turned to see your dad standing in the hallway. Beside him were two suitcases and a carry-on bag. Your heart plummeted.
"(Y/n)..." Your dad started and you shook your head.
"I get it. I'll go pack." You said, letting your backpack fall to the ground.
"No. You didn't let me finish." He said as he blocked your way to the stairs.
You looked up at him dejectedly.
He cleared his throat again, "After thinking about what you said last night, I'm deciding to give you a chance. I have to go overseas for this case, but instead of bringing you along, I'm going to give you a chance to prove you can take care of yourself."
Your eyes widened, "Wait, do you really mean it? Is this some sort of joke?"
He sighed, "No. You know I hate jokes. This is very real. If you can prove that you can take care of yourself then maybe I'll make it a regular occurrence. I'll be gone for three weeks."
You wrapped your arms around him, "Dad! Thank you! I promise I can take care of myself!"
He tensed up, "That's nice dear. Please let go of me."
You pulled away from him and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry..."
He straightened his tie and sighed, "Get your backpack. I'll drive you to school before I head to the airport."
You nodded and grabbed your backpack, following him out the door to his car.
You regretted it the moment he pulled out of the driveway. You never really tried to stand out at school, but your dads car would bring excessive amounts of attention to you. He had a black Lykan Hypersport, one of the most expensive cars in the world and it definitely looked the part. There was no way people were going to ignore you.
"There's two thousand dollars on the kitchen table at home." Your dad said as he turned onto the road.
"Two thousand!?" You exclaimed, suddenly feeling dizzy.
"For food, clothing, activities...I'm not sure what girls your age like to do, but that should be enough." He explained.
You nodded. It would be more than enough.
"If you have any problems you can call Abby from the diner or Mr. Northview, your headmaster."
You wrinkled your nose, "Why?"
"He's aware of my trip and has promised to keep an eye on you. In addition, he seems to have a lovely son so you should make a point to introduce yourself to him."
Oh, don't worry...I already have.
"Okay." You said as you looked out the passenger window. The school slowly came into view and your stomach twisted in a knot.
"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to answer my cell (Y/n) so if you truly need something, call them." He said as he turned and drove through the school gates. Already students who were walking around campus turned to gawk at you as you drove by.
This is going to be such a pain...You thought as you slumped in your seat.
"Have fun, but not too much fun. I don't want to hear that you got wasted or pregnant while I'm gone."
Your face went red, "Oh my god! Dad! I would never-"
He laughed, "I was just trying to get a reaction out of you. But seriously, don't do it."
You nodded furiously, vaguely noticing the car stop in front of the courtyard.
"Alright. I trust you (Y/n). Have a good three weeks."
You grabbed your backpack and nodded, glancing at the students who had stopped to see who would come out of the car.
"Bye dad." You said as you pushed the door open and stepped out.
"Bye." He said and you softly shut the door.
"Is that (Y/n) (L/n)?"
"Who knew she was rich."
A couple people whistled as you walked by and you scowled. Attention wasn't something you were exactly comfortable with. You walked through the main entrance and shoved your backpack and phone in your locker, grabbing your materials.
"Hey (Y/n) I didn't know you had a rich daddy." Someone said and laughed.
You turned to see Riley and scowled, "Go away Riley. Shove a pencil up your nose or something."
He returned your scowl, "You don't have to be so grumpy all the time you know."
"Then stop talking to me." You growled as you slammed your locker shut.
You made your way up to the second floor ready to go find Layken. She hadn't texted you this morning which was weird. You wanted to know how her date had gone. You opened the classroom door to your old homeroom and stepped inside. You raised your eyebrows in surprise as you saw Layken at a desk surrounded by multiple girls. You recognized a few from your new classes.
"It'll be okay." One said as she rubbed Layken's back.
"You don't need him." Another one cooed.
You shifted on your feet, "Hey Layken. Are you alright?"
You could see every girl tense and they all collectively turned to look at you.
"You've got some nerve coming here." One snapped as she stepped towards you.
"What?" You asked, confused.
"You're such a terrible person." Another one scowled as she looked you over. "What a slut."
Your eyes widened, "What are you talking about?!"
Layken's eyes finally met yours, her face filled with pure anger, "What do you want (Y/n)?"
"I came to see how your date went...You didn't text me this morning, so I came to find you."
She laughed bitterly, "Oh I think you know how my date went."
You furrowed your brow, "Layken what do you mean? None of you are making any sense!"
She stood up and pushed past all the other girls, stopping in front of you. "I can't believe I thought you were my friend. You're a really good actress though, I'll give you that."
"I'm still your friend! What do you mean?!"
She scowled, "No. You're not. Friends don't stab each other in the back (Y/n)."
"I didn't do anything!" You exclaimed.
She laughed bitterly, "I was so excited for my date. I thought maybe, maybe I could find a guy, but then you had to come in and ruin everything. He seemed to enjoy himself before you showed up."
Your eyes widened, "Layken wait-"
She narrowed her eyes and held her phone up to your face. Your entire face paled as you looked at what was on her screen. It was a photo of Sean kissing you...at the park.
"L-Layken I can-"
"How can you come up with an excuse for that?!" She yelled as she pulled her phone away. "You set the whole thing up and you purposefully ruined it! You're such a scheming little witch!"
You shook slightly. Who had taken that photo? "Layken-"
"I don't want to hear it! I hate you (Y/n). This was all some sort of sick joke and I've had my part in it. Go bother one of those stupid boys and stop trying to mess with me." Layken turned on her heel and walked back to the other girls who were giving you dirty looks.
Your feet moved numbly as you walked out of the classroom. You walked up the stairs and down the hall, not really knowing where you were going. You bumped into someone accidentally but kept moving.
Eventually, you found yourself in one of the bathrooms. The bright white walls mixed with gold detailing made your eyes hurt. You focused on the sink in front of you.
What do I do...? Layken won't listen to me and hates me! A-And who took that picture!? A tear rolled down your cheek.
Your eyes widened slightly. Yesterday you'd heard a click but you assumed that it was someone walking down the path...what if it was someone taking a photo.
Stupid...Stupid...
"Stupid!" You shouted as your fist hit the sink counter.
"That's a little rude, don't you think?"
You turned slowly to see Elijah leaning in the doorway of the bathroom.
"E-Elijah? You can't be in here, this is the girls bathroom-"
"Shhh. You ran into me earlier and didn't say a word. You look sad...what's wrong?"
You stared at him, trying to keep yourself from expressing any emotion.
"(Y/n)...What's wrong?" He asked softly as he stepped inside.
"Y-You can't be in here." You stammered.
He waved his hand dismissively and came over to you, resting a hand gently on your arm. "You can talk to me."
You went to say something, but hesitated.
I don't know him that well...What if he's just trying to gain something...
You glanced at him. His eyes were filled with concern as he watched you.
He doesn't look like it...And I don't have a friend anymore...
"I-I...well..." You struggled as you tried to find a way to word everything.
"You don't have to force yourself. We can stay here for as long as you need."
You nodded, "Um, Vincent took me to the park with the Art Club." You started. "And Layken was going on a date with Sean there..."
Elijah nodded and rubbed his thumb along your arm soothingly.
"And somehow, he saw me. He left Layken and went to talk to me except...except..."
"It's alright. Don't force yourself."
You looked at him, tears starting to form, "He kissed me! He kissed me while he was on a date with Layken and somehow someone took a photo and now all those girls think I'm some kind of whore and Layken...Layken..." A small sob escaped your lips.
Elijah's face softened and he pulled you into him, "Shhh. It's okay."
You wrapped your arms around him and cried into his shoulder, "She hates me. S-She won't listen to my e-explanation!"
Elijah made more soothing noises as he rubbed your back.
"I don't know what to do...I just lost my best friend..." You whispered, tightening your grip.
"We'll work it out. It'll be okay."
You stood there with Elijah for a long time, crying softly as he whispered soothingly. Eventually, you pulled away from him and looked at him.
"I'm sorry." You whispered.
He shook his head and wiped away your remaining tears, "Don't be. I'd rather you let your emotions out instead of bottling them up. I'm glad I was the one who could help you."
You blinked slowly and nodded, a small smile coming to your face.
He returned it and pulled you closer, his gaze travelling over you.
You watched as he closed his eyes and sighed.
"As much as I want to keep you here, we should probably get to homeroom soon."
You nodded and glanced at the mirror. Your eyes were puffy and red and there were tear stains on your cheeks. "I-I can't go to class like this..."
Elijah looked at your reflection and laughed softly, "Alright then. Let's get you cleaned up." He grabbed your waist and hoisted you up onto the counter before you even had a chance to protest.
"Elijah what are you-"
He held a finger to your lips and winked, "Let me do this." He pulled a white handkerchief from out of his pocket and turned the faucet on.
"Why are you carrying a handkerchief?" You asked.
"It's become a habit." He answered as he ringed it out and turned to you. He lightly pressed the cold cloth under your eyes. He alternated between each eye, dabbing lightly before he set the cloth down. He gently pressed his fingers against the same areas.
"What are you doing?" You asked, your eyes closed.
"I'm stimulating the blood flow." He answered as he took the cloth again and wiped at your cheeks. "There, I think you're good."
You slowly opened your eyes and turned to the mirror. The puffiness had gone down drastically and the tear stains were gone. You just looked tired now.
"Thanks Elijah." You said, turning to give him a smile.
He blushed slightly, "No problem."
You slid off the counter and straightened your uniform.
"Hey (Y/n)..." Elijah said.
You turned to look at him, "Yeah?"
He mumbled something and shook his head, "Never mind. Let's just go to class." He gave you a smile.
You nodded and he took your hand, pulling you towards the hallway.