OLIVIA
I walked down the hallways in one of the fancy dresses Christian bought me, humming along to the familiar tune blasting from a phone somewhere nearby.
Ever since I won Mr. Blackwood over in our last impromptu meeting, I had been in an impossibly good mood. Even though I hadn't told Christian yet, I couldn't wait to tell him all about it, to see his reaction, to revel in the moment.
"Is that her?"
The words drifted to me as I passed a group of girls lingering in the hallway, snapping me back from my thoughts. Just as I turned around, I caught one of them pointing directly at me.
What did I do this time?
It was always something, always some reason for them to whisper, to judge me.
"Yes," another girl confirmed, her voice carrying that cruel tone I had come to recognize too wel
