Harper got out of the library, and she felt a lot more relaxed. She knew the library was her only comfort zone, and now she felt much better.
She reached out for her phone from her tote bag when she heard it buzz.
A message from Tyla.
Tyla: "How's it going?? Where even are you?"
After reading, she rolled her eyes. Harper couldn't comprehend why Tyla fussed over her that way—
As if she was older than her.
Although she admired it, it felt irritating sometimes. Exhaling deeply, she stared at the glowing screen of her phone, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.
Harper: "I'm on my way, mom!"
Then, she switched her phone off.
Harper looked up only to see Hazel Freeman standing in front of her, with her minions, Alexis and Alexa, behind her.
Their piercing gaze made her shiver. She instantly remembered what Tyla said: Since you'd be dating Logan Hayes, you should prepare for haters—especially Hazel Freeman.
Tyla's words echoed, making Harper transfixed.
Turns out she was right after all.
Fear enveloped Harper as she just stood there, her fingers wrapped around her tote bag, clenching as she stood, staring.
Hazel Freeman glared at her, her brown eyes unchanging, not wavering.
Her expression?
Neutral.
Harper couldn't pronounce it.
Then Hazel smirked.
"Harper? Am I right?" Hazel's dulcet voice asked, her arms folded.
Harper just nodded.
"Harper Reed, isn't it?" she added, and Harper didn't even make a sound.
Her reply was only another mere nod.
"You see, you're very good at making a fuss, you know. I didn't even know you existed. Alexa, did you?" Hazel turned to Alexa, who shook her head.
"Not even one bit," she replied.
Hazel chuckled. "Alexis?" She turned to Alexis.
"What's the name? Hannah?" Alexis joked.
The three girls exploded into laughter, and Harper swallowed. She wished she could just vanish. She wanted the earth to open up and swallow her.
Tendrils of sweat formed on her forehead, a knot forming in her stomach.
Hazel Freeman stopped laughing, and her minions followed when she raised a hand to shut them up.
"You see, we didn't know you even existed. Then, you just appeared out of nowhere to come and disturb me, isn't it?" Hazel continued, her tone sharp, loaded with dominance.
"What... what did I do?" Harper managed to ask, her voice barely audible.
The fact that she lacked confidence made them giggle.
It was actually going to be easy to push this nuisance away.
"What did you do?" Hazel repeated. "Lexis, Lexa, which one of you can tell this—" Hazel searched for a word to use.
Then—
"...slut what she did?"
Harper winced at the name, her heart aching.
She really wanted to talk back, to yell at her like she does when talking to Tyla or Logan.
But fear wouldn't let her. Fear wouldn't allow her to speak.
Hazel's aura was too strong for her to conquer.
Too powerful for her to even think she should whisper or whistle.
"I can," Alexis spoke.
The brunette flipped her hair swiftly and walked majestically towards Harper, the dark eyes she held not leaving Harper's.
"I can say it," she began. "So, Harper Reed—or whatever you call your damned self, I don't give a fuck—you literally seduced Queen Bee's boyfriend."
"I don't even know how that's possible... I mean, look at you," Alexa commented. Her nod afterward signaled Alexis to continue.
"Also, we've noticed you're loitering around the campus heartthrob," she turned to the blonde, Alexa.
"The Logan Hayes," Alexa continued.
"And the fact is that we—especially Hazel—don't like it," Alexis finished.
"So," Alexa began, her voice heavy, "all my girl here wanted to say is—stay away from Logan Hayes."
Harper let the words sink in.
What they wanted her to do was out of the question.
That is literally what she has to do to restore her spotless reputation.
Harper just stood there.
Not talking. Mute.
Hazel's frown tightened.
"What? You can't do it or what?" she spoke, losing her patience.
"Speak," Alexa commanded, and Harper found herself obeying.
"I can't," she said, her voice soft, inaudible.
"What was that?" Hazel asked quietly, but her expression was wild. Daring. Piercing Harper's skin.
"I—I..." Harper's bottom lip shivered. She was scared of them. Of Hazel.
She didn't need to voice it out, because they saw.
They saw the way she swallowed, the way she quivered under their piercing gaze, the way she spoke like she was afraid they'd hear... everything.
"You what?" Hazel stared into Harper's amber eyes, and she quickly looked away.
"It's cool," she spoke, moving towards Harper until she was close enough to whisper in her ear.
"But do what you think will make you happy in this campus, Harper." She moved closer. "Do what will make you feel secure. Feel safe."
Then she moved backward. A delish smirk on her lips.
"I don't care if your father is the academic dean, Miss Reed, but you wouldn't like me."
The way she pronounced each word made Harper feel she meant it.
Each and every one of them.
"Lexis. Lexa," Hazel called. "Let's go," she commanded.
Waving, Alexa and Alexis walked away, leaving Harper there.
She sighed a sigh of relief as she watched them leave.
It hadn't even been a week and she was already facing the wrath of Hazel Freeman?!
This was going to be something else.
Trouble.
Harper's phone buzzed.
Message from Dad:
"To my office. Now!"
Harper gulped hard.
She was so doomed.
No one needed to spell that out for her—
She just knew it.