Chapter 1: The Golden Boy and the Ghost
Megan's POV
The hallways of St. Vivienne Academy felt like a runway, and I was the only one wearing the wrong clothes.
I clutched my bag, staring at the one thing I hated most in this building: the "Wall of Fame." Right in the center was a photo of Liam Carter and me from freshman year. We were laughing, oblivious to the fact that he'd eventually stab me in the back to save his own elite reputation.
"Still obsessed with him, Megan?"
I didn't have to look. The scent of expensive perfume told me it was Sophie Collins. She was the queen of the school and the girl currently glued to Liam's side.
"Just checking to see if they've updated it with a photo of you sabotaging someone yet," I snapped.
Sophie smirked, checking her nails. "Watch your mouth, Scholarship. People like you are easily replaced."
She looked past me, her expression shifting to a fake, sugary sweet smile. "Liam! Over here, babe."
I stiffened. The hallway went quiet as Liam Carter approached. He looked like he walked off a magazine cover; messy black hair, amber eyes that saw right through you, and a designer uniform that cost more than my house.
He didn't even look at me. He just walked by, his shoulder slamming into mine with enough force to nearly knock me over.
"Watch it, Foster," he muttered.
"The hallway is big enough for both of us, Liam. Try using your eyes for once," I fired back.
Liam stopped in his tracks. He turned slowly, his eyes dark with a mix of irritation and something I couldn't name. "Maybe if you weren't standing in the middle of the hall like a ghost, I wouldn't run into you."
"A ghost you created," I whispered.
The air between us was electric. For a second, it felt like the old Liam was there; the one who used to share his lunch with me. Then, the mask returned.
"Liam!"
Mrs. Carter, Liam's mother, appeared at the end of the hall. She was the only reason I still felt even slightly welcome in this world. She looked at us; Liam's anger, my defiance; and a strange spark lit up her eyes.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" Liam asked.
"There are rumors, Liam," she said, her voice sharp but her eyes on me. "Rumors that you're 'distracted.' Your father is worried about the family image. We need to fix this."
She turned to me with a warm, almost terrifying smile. "Megan, dear. It's been too long. Don't leave yet. I have a feeling you and Liam have a lot to talk about."
As they walked away, I saw my ex, Daniel, watching from the corner with a cocky smirk. He'd been harrassing me for weeks to get back together.
I looked at Liam's retreating back. I hated him. He hated me.
But as I looked at Daniel's smug face, a desperate, crazy idea started to form.
