Falling for the Scandal

The Scandal walks in

Chapter 1

Iris Mercer.

‘Isn’t she the slut?’

‘I wonder who she must have slept with to get her into such school and during second semester’

Students murmur, point and stare like they haven’t heard and seen enough of me on the internet. I hold my head high and ignore them. At least my earpiece is able to fool them into thinking I can’t hear them. Mr. Calvin made me promise to stay out of trouble because he doesn’t have any other school to enroll me into.

That is one thing I can’t promise because just like every college I was pulled out from, they trigger a ridiculous yet understandable amount of reaction out of me. I pull out my tablet to cross check my classes for the day. This school is quite bigger than any other school I have been too, I hope I won’t be late to class or –

A hard body bumps into me and I mutter cusses under my breath. I don’t even bother to look up. I bend down to grab my tablet and so the moron who bumped into me. Our head collides- doesn’t he understand boundaries? He grabs the tablet before I can. I take it from him forcefully. I turn the tablet and notice the screen has cracked.

“Bloody hell” I cuss out loud.

“I am sorry. I can have that replaced” a male voice apologizes.

I look up to lock eyes with a tall, huge young man on dreads. He has this smug smile that irks me.

I don’t need your damn help with a replacement.

I ignore him and walk past him.

I walk around this damn school but unfortunately, I can’t find my classroom. It seems the class doesn’t want to be found. Everyone I try to ask for help ignores me or cuss at me. Please let this girl be generous enough.

I stop a girl and put on the brightest of smile I can muster, “I am look for human anatomy class. Bio 2100”

I look down at the broken tablet to be certain. I nod when I find out I am correct.

“Oh sure. Follow me” she walks ahead of me and I follow directly behind her.

Thank goodness.

~**~

I enter the lecture room, offering a brief greeting to the lecturer. My eyes immediately met the young man who bumps into me earlier. He maintains that annoying smile of his. I look away and sits behind him.

“You are?” The slender elderly man questions just by the board.

“Iris Mercer” I reply.

He grabs his tablet from his table and scrolls through it. He looks back at me, “You aren’t in my class. I am guessing you are new or you would have known you have to register the courses you want before attending lectures”

“Can I do that after, sir?”

“No, you can’t” The lecturer replies and I groan.

“Can I show her to the admin’s block?” The young man from earlier raises his hand. The lecturer darts his eyes from the young man to me.

“I will find my way” I stand up and gather my things.

“I insist. What do you say sir?” The young man uses a sterner voice.

“Iris, Kennedy will show you around” the lecturer speaks up and I walk away.

If Kennedy wants to tag along he can catch up to me.

~**~

I scroll through my laptop to go through some files Mr. Calvin wants me to analyze. My air pod blasting the music I am playing. I dance a bit and then start eating. This would have taken my two weeks but because of school work, I won’t finish until a month or even more.

A soft hand aggressively pats me. I remove my pods and frown at the annoying figure before me. A petite dark girl. I raise an eyebrow waiting for an explanation.

“You are at our spot” she growls and I look around the table for a sign that a name is written on the table but I don’t see any.

“No, it is not”

“Yes, it is. I and my friend sit here” she flips her hair to the back.

I look around and a few people are staring. Fine, I will be the bigger person. I save my work and close my laptop. I put my phone, laptop into my bag and hang it on my shoulder. I carry my food tray and a couple of other girls comes to meet the dark girl in front of me.

I stand up and take a few steps away from them but one of them just had to talk. I want to be sure I heard right so I take a few steps back. I pray they have the guts to repeat it again.

“Excuse you. Say it to my face, I didn’t quite hear you” I raise an eyebrow.

“I said why won’t the w***e move away. You thought framing him for some money will, at least you landed big client after – “Before she can complete her statement I pour the bowl of hot pepper stew on her. The chicken and fish roll down her face to her dress until it falls to the ground.

“You- “her friend races to her rescue, raising her hands to hit me. I hold her hand mid-way and squeeze it. She groans and tries to break free but can’t. I don’t think they googled me properly or been a w***e won’t be all they saw. They would have known I don’t bullshit from anyone, especially not some wanna be.

"Stop."

A deep, commanding voice echoes behind me. The entire cafeteria goes dead silent.

I whip my head around to lock eyes with a tall guy sporting piercing in both ears and a sadistic frown. I don't need a search engine to know who he was. His face was plastered all over Vandermoore College's brochures. A billionaire's son, campus royalty, the school's star basketball player and most importantly the son of my dad’s business rival – Gideon Cobbett.

"Get your hands off her," Gideon orders.

His tone agitates me so much I squeeze the girl's wrist even harder.

"This isn't your business," I shoot back, ignoring the collective gasps of the students watching us. "Your business is in basketball court perfecting your three pointers. You can’t continue to fool us this season”

I intentionally shove past his shoulder, leaving him standing there in shock.