The Boy Next Door’s Secret Crush

Chapter 6:Study Group Trap

*Chapter 6: Study Group Trap*

*POV: Mia Bennett*

Midterms were coming, and with them came Mr. Davies’s favorite idea: mixed study groups.

“Collaborative learning builds confidence,” he said, writing names on the board like he wasn’t ruining lives. “You’ll be in groups of five. Meet twice this week, once next week. Turn in a joint outline for the essay.”

I kept my eyes on my desk. If I didn’t make eye contact, maybe he’d skip me.

He didn’t.

“Mia, Lucas, Chloe, Jake, and Priya,” he said. “Group three. Library annex after school. Chloe, you’re in charge.”

Chloe smiled like she’d just won the lottery. “Of course, Mr. Davies. I’ll make sure everyone participates.”

Her eyes met mine for half a second. It wasn’t a nice smile.

---

After the bell, Lily caught up to me in the hall.

“You’re in a group with Lucas and Chloe?” she said, low enough that only I could hear. “That’s not a study group. That’s a trap.”

“I know,” I said. “What am I supposed to do? Say no and look guilty?”

“Yeah, kind of,” Lily said. “Or bring me. I’m good at derailing things.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said. I wasn’t sure I believed it.

The library annex smelled like old paper and dust. Ms. Alvarez had left a sign on the door: _Group 3 – Please keep voices down._

Chloe was already there, sitting at the head of the table with her binder open and her phone face-down like she was being responsible. Jake and Priya were arguing quietly about quotes from _To Kill a Mockingbird_.

Lucas walked in two minutes after me. He glanced at me, then at Chloe, and his shoulders tightened a fraction.

“Alright,” Chloe said, tapping her pen. “Mia, you’re with Lucas. You’ll do the thesis and outline together. Jake and Priya, you handle quotes. I’ll do the introduction and conclusion. Questions?”

I opened my mouth. “Why am I—”

“Because you’re new,” Chloe said smoothly. “And Lucas got an A on the last essay. It’s only fair he helps you.”

Lucas looked uncomfortable. “I don’t mind helping, but—”

“No buts,” Chloe said. “This is how it works. Mia, you start. What’s your thesis idea?”

I stared at my blank page. My brain was empty.

“I… don’t have one yet,” I admitted.

Chloe’s smile sharpened. “That’s okay. Lucas, help her. You have ten minutes.”

She stood up and walked to the shelf, clearly not going anywhere. Jake and Priya pretended not to notice.

Lucas shifted in his seat and lowered his voice. “You okay?”

I nodded, even though I wasn’t. “Yeah. Just… not used to this.”

“Don’t let her get to you,” he said quietly. “We’ll just do the outline. Ignore the rest.”

I believed him for about two minutes.

Then Chloe came back with a stack of books and set them down loudly. “I found some great sources on Scout’s reliability. Mia, you can take notes. Lucas, you can explain them to her.”

It wasn’t a study group. It was a performance. And I was the prop.

---

The next day was worse.

Chloe didn’t even pretend to work on the essay. She spent the whole hour “checking her phone” and making comments loud enough for the whole annex to hear.

“Did you guys see the Westfield Watch chat?” she said casually. “Someone posted a screenshot of Mia at the assembly. Wearing Lucas’s jacket. Again.”

Jake coughed. Priya looked at her notebook.

Lucas’s jaw tightened. “Can we focus?”

Chloe sighed. “I’m just saying, it’s weird. Mia doesn’t even have i********:. How did she see the photos?”

I froze. My pen stopped moving.

“I don’t have i********:,” I said quietly.

Chloe looked surprised, like I wasn’t supposed to answer. “Oh. Right. So how do you know what people are saying about you?”

“I don’t,” I said.

“Mm,” Chloe said. “Weird. Someone said you made a fake account to follow Lucas’s game stats. You didn’t, right?”

The room went quiet.

Lucas sat up straight. “Chloe.”

“What?” she said innocently. “I’m just asking. People are curious.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. If I said no, it sounded defensive. If I said nothing, it sounded guilty.

I packed up my notebook instead. “I’m done for today.”

“Mia, wait—” Lucas started.

“No,” I said. “I’ll finish the outline at home.”

I left before he could say anything else.

---

By Thursday, the rumor was everywhere.

I heard it in the bathroom. In the hallway. In the cafeteria line.

“Did you hear? Mia made a fake i********: to stalk Lucas.”

“She’s been saving his soccer clips.”

“No wonder she was wearing his jacket. She’s obsessed.”

None of it was true. I didn’t have i********:. I didn’t know his game stats. I couldn’t even name the team he played against last week.

But it didn’t matter. Chloe said it like it was fact, and people believed her because she was Student Council President and her dad bought the bleachers.

Lily found me in the library before school, furious.

“I’m going to tell Ms. Alvarez,” she said. “This is harassment.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Don’t. It’ll make it worse.”

“How could it be worse?” Lily said. “They’re calling you a stalker, Mia!”

I shrugged, but my hands were shaking. “If I ignore it, it’ll go away.”

Lily stared at me. “That’s not how rumors work.”

I didn’t answer. Because part of me thought maybe if I disappeared, it would.

---

The second study group meeting was scheduled for 3:30 PM.

I almost didn’t go. I stood outside the annex door for five minutes, listening to Chloe’s voice inside, laughing about something.

Then the door opened, and Lucas was there.

He stopped when he saw me.

“You’re coming in,” he said. Not a question.

“I don’t know if I should,” I said.

Lucas stepped aside. “Chloe’s not in charge of you, Mia. Come on.”

I followed him in.

Chloe was sitting at the table, phone in hand. She looked up and smiled when she saw us.

“Perfect timing,” she said. “We were just talking about you.”

Lucas sat down next to me. “Then talk about the essay.”

Chloe ignored him. “So, Mia. Are you going to deny the i********: thing?”

I looked at Lucas. He was watching me, waiting.

“I don’t have i********:,” I said. “I never have.”

Chloe’s smile didn’t falter. “Then how do you know what Lucas posted on Saturday? Someone saw you quote his game stats in the hallway.”

I hadn’t. I didn’t even know what game stats were.

“I don’t,” I said.

Chloe leaned forward. “Then why does it look like you do?”

“Because you’re making it look that way,” Lucas said flatly.

Chloe blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Lucas said. “Stop.”

The room went quiet. Jake and Priya stopped pretending to work.

Chloe’s face went red. “I’m just asking questions, Lucas. If she’s innocent, she has nothing to worry about.”

“She has to worry about you,” Lucas said.

Chloe stood up, chair scraping against the floor. “Fine. Do the essay yourself. I’m done.”

She walked out, heels clicking, leaving the door open behind her.

Lucas exhaled and rubbed a hand over his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have let it get that far.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said.

“It is,” he said. “I should’ve said something sooner.”

I looked down at my notebook. The outline was half-finished. My handwriting was messy, rushed.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked quietly.

Lucas frowned. “Doing what?”

“Defending me,” I said. “You don’t have to. It’s easier if you just… stay out of it.”

Lucas was quiet for a long time.

Then he said, “Because it’s wrong.”

I looked up.

“If I see someone getting picked on, I say something,” he said. “That’s it. That’s all this is.”

“It doesn’t feel like ‘all this is,’” I said.

Lucas hesitated. “Mia, I’m not stupid. I know people are talking. I know it’s because of me.”

I waited.

“I don’t want you to avoid me because of them,” he said. “If you want space, fine. But don’t let Chloe decide that for you.”

My throat felt tight. “I’m trying not to.”

“Good,” Lucas said. He nudged my notebook toward me. “Now finish the outline. We’ve got 20 minutes before Ms. Alvarez kicks us out.”

I almost laughed.

Almost.

---

We finished the outline in silence. It wasn’t perfect, but it was done.

When we walked out, Chloe was waiting by the main library doors with two of her friends.

She saw me and smiled.

“Mia,” she said sweetly. “Hope you had fun in study group. People are talking about how close you and Lucas seemed in there.”

Lucas stepped in front of me slightly. “Stop, Chloe.”

Chloe held up her hands. “What? I’m just saying what everyone’s saying.”

“Then stop saying it,” Lucas said.

Chloe’s smile dropped. “You can’t tell me what to do, Lucas.”

“I can tell you to leave her alone,” he said.

Chloe looked at me, then back at him.

“Fine,” she said. “But don’t come crying to me when this blows up in your face.”

She walked away, her friends following.

Lucas didn’t watch her go. He looked at me.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He didn’t look convinced. “If she does anything else, tell me. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said.

He nodded once and walked away, heading toward the parking lot.

I stood there for a minute, holding my notebook, feeling like I’d just been handed something I didn’t know how to hold.

---

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Chloe’s face when Lucas told her to stop. Angry. Humiliated.

She wouldn’t let this go.

I got up and opened my sketchbook.

I didn’t draw the jacket this time. I drew the library annex table. The five chairs. The way Lucas sat across from me, leaning forward like he actually cared about the essay.

I didn’t finish it.

I didn’t know how it ended yet.

---

Friday morning, the rumor was worse.

Now it was “Mia hacked Lucas’s account.”

Now it was “Mia showed up at his house last night.”

I didn’t. I was home, helping Mom with dinner.

But it didn’t matter. Chloe had said it, and that was enough.

At lunch, I sat with Lily under the oak tree. I didn’t eat.

“You need to say something,” Lily said. “To Mr. Davies. To the principal. To someone.”

“I can’t,” I said. “It’ll make it worse.”

“Worse than this?” Lily said, gesturing at the group of girls staring at us from the next table.

I didn’t answer.

Lily sighed. “Fine. But if Lucas says something, you can’t stop him.”

I didn’t know what she meant until fifth period.

Mr. Davies was going over essay outlines. He called on Group 3.

Chloe stood up and started presenting. Halfway through, she added, “And as you can see, Mia’s research was very… thorough. Almost too thorough, considering she doesn’t have social media.”

A few people laughed.

Mr. Davies frowned. “Chloe, let’s stick to the outline.”

But it was too late.

Lucas stood up.

“Mr. Davies,” he said.

The room went quiet.

Lucas looked at the class, then at me.

“Mia doesn’t have i********:,” he said clearly. “She doesn’t have Twitter either. She told me. Chloe’s lying.”

Chloe’s face went white.

“Mia doesn’t stalk people,” Lucas continued. “She’s quiet. She minds her own business. And if anyone has a problem with that, they can talk to me.”

The room was dead silent.

Mr. Davies cleared his throat. “Alright. Group 3, sit down. We’ll discuss this after class.”

Lucas sat down. He didn’t look at me.

I didn’t know what to feel.

Relief? Fear?

Gratitude that someone finally said it out loud.

---

After class, Mr. Davies kept Chloe and Lucas behind.

I left with Lily.

“You heard him, right?” Lily said, almost bouncing. “He said it in front of everyone!”

“I heard him,” I said quietly.

Lily stopped walking and looked at me. “Mia. That’s huge.”

“I know,” I said.

“So what are you gonna do?” she asked.

I didn’t have an answer.

Because if Lucas was willing to stand up like that, then avoiding him didn’t make sense anymore.

And if I didn’t avoid him, then I’d have to admit that I wanted him to keep doing it.

---

_Hook_

After school, I found another note in my locker.

No doodle this time. Just three words, written in Chloe’s handwriting:

_You’re next._