The next day at school, the new couples made their grand entrance, arm in arm. Ryder walked confidently, his fingers interlocked with Samantha’s, a lovesick grin plastered on his face. Not far behind, Lucas strolled with his arm draped protectively around Katelyn, holding her tightly against his side. The two were completely lost in each other, oblivious to the whispers around them.

Ryder glanced around and frowned. “Is it me, or is everyone staring at us?”

Katelyn smirked. “It’s not your imagination.”

Ryder, always one for dramatics, turned to the gawking students. “Hey! Haven’t you seen a couple before?” he shouted, causing heads to turn and whispers to intensify.

Samantha’s eyes widened, and she tugged on his sleeve. “Ryder! Did you really need to do that?”

Katelyn rolled her eyes. “Yeah, shut up.”

Ryder shot her a playful glare. “Don’t tell me to shut up.”

“Don’t make me come over there,” Katelyn teased. “Can’t you see you’re embarrassing your girlfriend?”

Samantha’s cheeks flushed as she looked down at her shoes. “Ryder, please stop. It is embarrassing,” she mumbled.

Katelyn raised an eyebrow, giving Ryder a knowing look. “See? Told you.”

Lucas laughed softly, pulling Katelyn closer. “Calm down, baby. Let’s just get to class.”

Katelyn softened immediately, smiling up at him. “Okay. I’ll listen to you, sweetie.”

Ryder stared at them, wide-eyed. “Is this my cousin?” He glanced at Lucas. “Props, Luke, for taming the devil.”

Katelyn shot him a glare. “You’re going to see hell if you keep talking.”

Lucas chuckled, shaking his head as he gently pulled Katelyn down the hall. “Come on, let’s go.”

———————————————————————————

Later that day, Lucas was exiting the bathroom when he bumped into someone. He looked up, ready to apologize, but froze when he saw who it was—Lucy Walters. Her signature smirk was firmly in place.

“Oh, sorry,” Lucy said with a fake laugh. “Looks like we have a habit of bumping into each other.”

Lucas just stared at her coldly, uninterested in whatever game she was playing.

“Well,” Lucy continued, undeterred by his icy demeanor, “I’m glad, actually. I needed to tell you something.”

“I’m not interested,” Lucas said flatly, already starting to walk away.

“Wait,” Lucy called after him, her voice sharpening. “It’s about Katelyn.”

That stopped him in his tracks. He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. “What about her?”

Lucy smiled, her tone dripping with faux concern. “Not to stir up trouble, but do you really know anything about her?”

Lucas’s expression darkened. “What are you trying to say?”

Lucy’s smirk widened. “She isn’t as innocent as she looks.”

Lucas’s jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. “Excuse me?”

“I just don’t want to see you get tricked,” Lucy said, her voice sweet but venomous. “Didn’t you see the pic going around?”

Lucas’s heart skipped a beat. “What pic?”

Lucy pulled out her phone and swiped to a photo, showing it to Lucas. “This one—of Katelyn and Zach hugging by the bleachers.”

Lucas stared at the screen. The picture was clear: Katelyn and Zach were wrapped in an embrace, the angle making it look more intimate than it was. He felt a surge of anger, but it wasn’t at Katelyn—it was at the way Lucy was clearly trying to manipulate the situation.

“So?” he said, his voice flat.

Lucy blinked, surprised by his reaction. “So… aren’t you mad? She’s cheating on you, right? How could you not be upset?”

Lucas glared at her, his eyes hard. “Katelyn told me about the hug. She’s not cheating on me, Lucy. She’s just a good person who didn’t want to hurt her friend. That’s all.”

Lucy’s smirk faltered. “But—”

“Nice try, though,” Lucas cut her off. “If you think a picture is going to make me doubt her, you’re wasting your time.”

Lucy’s face twisted in frustration. “Why not? Are you stupid? She’s flirting with other guys!”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, his voice calm but firm. “I trust her.”

Lucy scoffed, her anger bubbling over. “Trust her? There’s proof she’s a whore.”

Lucas’s fists clenched at his sides, his fury rising to the surface. “What did you just say?”

“I said she’s a whore who goes around with other guys,” Lucy spat, the venom in her words cutting through the air.

Lucas took a step toward her, his body rigid with barely-contained rage. The fury in his eyes made Lucy’s bravado falter. She backed up instinctively, a flicker of fear crossing her face.

“If you weren’t a girl, I’d punch you right now,” Lucas growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Lucy’s lips curled into a sneer, though she kept her distance. “I can’t believe how stupid you are! You’ll see—she’ll hurt you in the end. She can’t be trusted.”

“I don’t know what your game is,” Lucas said through gritted teeth, “but don’t talk bad about Katelyn again.”

Lucy huffed, clearly rattled, but she wasn’t about to back down completely. “Whatever,” she snapped, before storming off, her heels clicking angrily against the floor.

As soon as she was gone, Lucas stood there, trying to calm the storm of anger still raging inside him. He knew Katelyn was loyal, and he wasn’t going to let anyone like Lucy plant seeds of doubt in his mind. But the fact that someone was out there trying to tarnish Katelyn’s name infuriated him.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas composed himself before heading into class.