CHAPTER 4: Rumors Don’t Lie
783 Words
Ariana’s POV
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By the next morning, something felt off.
It started with the stares.
Not the casual kind, but the kind that followed me down the hallway, lingering a second too long. Whispers trailed behind me, soft but noticeable, like I had suddenly become the center of attention for reasons I didn’t understand.
I tightened my grip on my bag and tried to ignore it, but it was getting harder with every step.
“Okay… what is going on?” I muttered.
Maya glanced at me, hesitating before speaking. “You really don’t know?”
I stopped walking and turned to her. “Know what?”
She sighed. “People are saying you and Ethan… are a thing.”
I blinked, completely thrown off. “What? That’s ridiculous.”
“I know,” she said quickly, “but this school runs on gossip. And after what happened yesterday… people are talking.”
I followed her gaze and noticed a group of girls staring openly now. Some looked curious, others annoyed, and a few were clearly jealous.
My stomach tightened. Not because of the rumors—but because I couldn’t stop thinking about why Ethan had stepped in.
Why did he care?
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“Watch where you’re going.”
I ran straight into someone, and the moment I looked up, I wished I hadn’t.
Vanessa.
She stood there, perfectly composed, her eyes slowly scanning me like I was something unpleasant.
“So the rumors are true,” she said.
I frowned. “What rumors?”
“That you’re chasing after Ethan.”
A small spark of irritation flared inside me. “I’m not chasing anyone.”
Vanessa stepped closer, her expression calm but sharp. “Girls like you always say that. But in the end, you all want the same thing.”
“And what exactly is that?” I asked, refusing to back down.
She smiled faintly. “Him.”
I crossed my arms. “Then you clearly don’t know me.”
For a brief second, her expression hardened.
“You should learn when to stay quiet,” she said.
“And you should learn when to mind your business,” I replied.
The air between us turned cold instantly. I could feel the tension building, like something was about to snap.
Vanessa took another step forward, and for a moment, I thought she might actually do something.
“Enough.”
The voice cut in sharply.
Ethan.
He stepped between us, his presence immediately shifting the atmosphere. His expression was calm, but there was something in his eyes that made everything feel heavier.
“You’re causing a scene,” he said to Vanessa.
She let out a quiet laugh. “I’m the one causing a scene?”
“Yes.”
His tone didn’t change, but the weight behind it did.
Vanessa studied him carefully. “Since when do you defend random girls?”
There was a pause, and my heart started beating faster without warning.
Then Ethan spoke.
“She’s not random.”
The words hit harder than I expected.
Silence followed.
Vanessa’s gaze snapped toward me, her expression darkening instantly.
“Stay away from him,” she said, her voice low and firm.
Before I could respond, Ethan’s hand closed around my wrist.
The contact sent a sudden jolt through me, unexpected and impossible to ignore.
“Come with me,” he said.
And just like that, he pulled me away, leaving behind the whispers—and Vanessa’s burning stare.
Ethan’s POV
Rumors spread fast at Blackwood.
Faster than they should.
By morning, everyone was already talking about her.
Ariana.
I noticed the way people looked at her—curious, judgmental, some even jealous. It didn’t bother me. If anything, it was expected.
What I didn’t like was Vanessa.
She doesn’t let things go easily, especially when she feels like something is slipping out of her control.
And right now, that “something” was Ariana.
From the moment Ariana arrived, she stood out without even trying. No fear, no hesitation, no need to impress anyone. That alone made her different from everyone else here.
And different… gets attention.
When I saw Vanessa corner her, I already knew how it would go. Ariana wouldn’t back down. She never does.
That much, I’ve figured out.
So I stepped in.
Simple.
But when I grabbed her wrist, something shifted.
She froze—not out of fear, but awareness. Like she felt it too.
That same spark from before.
I don’t believe in accidents.
And I don’t get involved without a reason.
Which means this… whatever this is… isn’t random.
It’s something else.
Something I shouldn’t be interested in.
And yet—
I am.
- Writer
