Everyone burst into laughter as I wiped my face with my hands to see what was going on in front of me.
The perp hadn’t made herself known. I knew this was a girl and probably one of Blake’s admirers.
This was a warning to stay the hell away from him. I didn’t want Chasmore High all over again, but it was slowly heading that way.
Just ignore it, Elena, just ignore it.
I slammed my locker shut as tears pricked in my eyes. Everything inside my locker was ruined—all the textbooks. How the heck was I going to explain this one? Students laughed and pointed in my direction as I walked to the nearest girl’s bathroom.
A few girls jumped as I came dashing in and went to the basin. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Red paint dripped off me, making me resemble a modern age Carry.
Blake only sat at my table. That was it. It was hardly a conversation. I couldn’t believe how insecure some girls were.
I opened the faucet and washed off the paint from my face and eyes.
“Are you okay?” One girl in my class asked. She had curly brown hair reaching her shoulders, big doe eyes, and freckles dusting her face.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” I found a towel in her hands for me to dry my face. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. So you want to tell me why Chloë Bishop felt the need to booby your locker?”
“Chloë who?”
“Bishop. She is just the most popular girl at this school. Two years higher, and probably the most beautiful, too.”
“I don’t know,” I said, but I knew why. Blake wasn’t in our grade. He was older.
“Well, if she did that, all I can say is watch your back, girl. She has a mean streak.”
“Why is she doing this if she is so popular and beautiful? Seriously, wasting her time with a student, not even in her grade, it’s pathetic.”
“Yup, she thinks you have something she already claimed as her own.”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“So you know why?”
“Yes, and she has no reason to feel threatened. The guy just wanted some alone time, probably from her.”
The girl laughed. “I see. The new guy. Man, he sure is hotness on legs.”
“And he doesn’t see me in that light. I can promise you.”
“I hope so, for your sake. Otherwise, tomorrow something else will wait, I’m afraid.”
“Yay, me.” I hoped not. “Thanks for the warning.”
“You are welcome. I got this from the lost and found. It’s not beautiful, but at least you would not walk around with red paint all over your clothes, scaring the teachers shitless, and hopefully not freeze to death either.”
“You are a lifesaver.” I took the long sleeve t-shirt from her.
She left, and I was all alone in the bathroom. I took off my coat drenched in red paint and a shirt that looked like someone had stabbed me in the chest with the amount of color covering the front. With delicate fingers, I pinched a part that wasn’t drenched with paint and chucked it next to me in the basin.
My face still stung from the blow. I was glad I didn’t hurt my eyes.
I scrubbed the paint from my hands, turning the water red. I dried myself with the towel and pulled this old stuffy long sleeve shirt over my head. Nobody would make this look fashionable even if they tried.
I got most of the paint from my hair and face and looked at my beanie, also ruined. It was one of my favorite ones. My lower lip vibrated as I tried to stop the tears from rushing down my cheeks.
