LOVE LOCKDOWN: Nia and Callum

The Escape Plan

Nia's POV

I didn't even remember falling asleep.

One second, I was trying to convince myself everything would somehow be okay.

The next...

I woke up trapped in Zaria's arms like she had decided I was a human-sized teddy bear.

For a moment, I just stared at the ceiling.

No panic.

No rumors.

No disaster.

Then reality came crashing back.

Right.

My life was currently a mess.

Carefully, I slipped out of Zaria's hold, making sure not to wake her.

The first thing I did was call Keaton.

No answer.

I frowned and tried again.

Still nothing.

I stared at my phone.

Why hadn't he called me?

Not even a text.

Was he angry?

Did he blame me for everything?

I hated not knowing.

Maybe I should just go see him.

Maybe if we talked, everything would make sense.

Before I could decide, my phone started ringing.

Mom.

Again.

I stared at her name flashing across my screen.

I had ignored her calls more times than I could count.

But I just couldn't do it.

Not right now.

I didn't have the energy for another conversation.

I was about to put my phone down and head to the bathroom when another notification appeared.

An email.

From Westbridge University.

My stomach tightened.

I opened it.

Then I froze.

I read the first sentence.

Then I read it again.

And again.

Because there was no way I was understanding this correctly.

"Dear Nia..."

My hands suddenly felt cold.

The words blurred together, but I forced myself to keep reading.

My scholarship.

They were suspending my scholarship.

No.

Not suspending.

Starting the process to terminate it.

Because of the scandal.

Because of everything that had happened.

And now they wanted me in front of a Student Conduct Panel.

A hearing.

A room full of people deciding whether I deserved to stay.

I dropped my phone onto the bed.

Just yesterday, I was worried about losing Keaton.

Now I had to worry about losing my entire future.

"Zaria..."

My voice broke.

"Corinne..."

Nothing.

They didn't move.

Of course they didn't.

They were both completely asleep, unaware that my entire world had just collapsed.

I stared at the email again.

Then I couldn't hold it anymore.

I sank onto the floor and cried.

Not quiet tears.

Not the kind I could wipe away and pretend never happened.

I cried until my chest hurt.

I worked for that scholarship.

I sacrificed for it.

Late nights.

Exams.

Giving up things other students didn't have to think twice about.

That scholarship wasn't just money.

It was proof that all my hard work meant something.

And now they wanted to take it away from me.

How could they do this?

I didn't deserve this.

"Nia?"

My head snapped up.

Zaria was awake, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

I couldn't even explain it without falling apart again.

"Corinne."

Zaria reached over and tapped her shoulder.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"What?" Corinne mumbled, barely awake.

Then she sat up.

"She's crying."

That was enough to wake her completely.

"Why are you crying again?"

I couldn't answer.

I just handed Zaria my phone.

The second she read the email, her expression changed.

"Oh my God."

Her voice softened.

"I'm so sorry, my baby."

She pulled me into her arms, and that was when I completely broke.

"I don't know what to do," I whispered.

"I can't afford my tuition."

My voice shook.

"I can't lose this."

Corinne moved closer and joined the hug.

"I wasn't expecting this," she admitted quietly.

Neither was I.

"You're not going anywhere today," Zaria said firmly.

I pulled back slightly.

"But we have classes."

Corinne looked at her.

"Exactly."

"And you want her to go to class in this condition?"

Zaria shot back.

Corinne sighed.

"Fine."

She pointed at me.

"But I'm writing notes, and you're getting them later."

For the first time since reading the email...

I almost smiled.

Almost.

Because even with everything falling apart...

I wasn't alone.

I woke up with the worst headache of my life.

My brain felt like someone had spent the entire night playing drums inside my skull.

Alcohol.

Definitely a terrible invention.

I pushed myself out of bed and immediately regretted it.

The room spun slightly.

"Never again," I muttered.

A lie.

But one I wanted to believe.

I dragged myself to the drawer, pulled it open, and grabbed some painkillers.

After swallowing them with the water sitting in the jug beside my bed, I collapsed back onto the mattress.

I didn't regret going to the bar with the girls.

I needed that night.

I needed to forget.

But I was also very sure this was the last time I was letting alcohol punish me like this.

I picked up my phone and started scrolling through Higram.

For once, something good happened.

My video wasn't everywhere anymore.

My name wasn't the first thing people saw.

The comments had slowed down.

I wasn't a celebrity.

Thankfully.

I knew scandals had a short attention span.

People always moved on to the next thing.

I kept scrolling until an advertisement caught my attention.

I stopped.

A reality show.

My eyes moved to the prize money.

"Five hundred grand..."

I sat up slightly.

"That's a lot of money."

Too much money to ignore.

I clicked on the advertisement.

The audition deadline.

Tomorrow.

I stared at the screen.

Could I actually do this?

No.

Absolutely not.

A reality show?

Me?

After everything that just happened?

The last thing I needed was more people watching me.

But then another thought entered my mind.

My scholarship.

My tuition.

My future.

I looked back at the number on my screen.

Five hundred thousand dollars.

Enough to pay my tuition.

Enough to breathe.

Enough to stop feeling like my entire life was hanging by a thread.

Maybe...

Just maybe...

This was the crazy idea I needed.

My finger hovered over the application button.

One click.

That was all it would take.

A new opportunity.

A new beginning.

Or maybe another disaster waiting to happen.

Before I could decide—

"Baby, good morning."

I quickly turned.

Corinne stood at the doorway looking way too happy for someone who had just woken up.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. You?"

She stretched.

"I slept f*****g well."

A small laugh escaped me.

"Great."

For a second, everything felt normal.

Then her expression changed.

And I knew.

Something was wrong.

"Another video was posted on the school forum."

The little bit of peace I had disappeared instantly.

I turned toward her.

"What is it about?"

My heart started racing.

"Did they finally reveal the video with Professor Malcolm was fake?"

Corinne hesitated.

And that hesitation was enough.

"Not exactly."

My stomach dropped.

"It's another incriminating video."

"What?"

She sighed.

"The video of you entering his office."

I closed my eyes.

Of course.

That video.

"The one Zaria and I told you not to go to," she said, pointing at me. "But you didn't listen because apparently Nia has to learn everything through maximum suffering."

Normally, I would have argued.

I would have told her she was being dramatic.

I would have rolled my eyes.

But right now...

I could feel my headache coming back.

Not from the alcohol.

From my life.

"Do you want to see it?" she asked.

No.

Absolutely not.

I had spent enough time watching strangers decide who I was based on a few seconds of footage.

"I don't."

The silence that followed was heavy.

Then Corinne spoke.

"I think you should go home."

I looked at her.

"What?"

"You need to get away from here for a while."

Her voice softened.

"Everywhere you turn, there's another reminder. The rumors. The videos. People whispering about you."

She paused.

"Maybe you just need somewhere else. Somewhere you can breathe."

Maybe she was right.

Maybe leaving was exactly what I needed.

But New York?

No.

Not yet.

I wasn't ready to walk back into that house.

I wasn't ready to lose the little freedom I had fought so hard for.

My eyes drifted back to my phone.

The application was still open.

Waiting.

A stupid idea.

A risky idea.

A desperate idea.

But maybe...

It was my only idea.

If I wasn't selected, I would figure something else out.

Maybe Seattle.

Somewhere far away.

Somewhere nobody knew my name.

But if I was selected...

I stared at the words on the screen.

Reality Show Application.

Prize: $500,000.

A chance to fix everything.

A chance to start over.

I took a deep breath.

Then I pressed the button.

Application submitted.

I stared at the screen.

And for the first time in days...

I felt like I had made a choice.

Reality show...

Here I come.