Elena sat quietly in the lecture hall, her fingers fiddling nervously with the edge of her notebook. Her mind was clouded with thoughts of Mia’s cruel threats. The images Mia had painted in her head were vivid and terrifying. She knew that one single photo could destroy everything she had worked so hard for.
Her breathing felt uneven as Mia’s words repeated in her mind: “Just wait, Elena. I’ll make sure everyone in this university knows exactly what kind of girl you are.”
The lecture seemed to pass in a blur. Professor Marcus was speaking at the front of the room, but Elena heard nothing. She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
“Elena,” Gabriel’s voice broke through her thoughts. He was sitting to her right, leaning slightly toward her. “What’s going on? You’ve been off all morning.”
“Yeah,” Andrew chimed in from her left. “You’ve barely written anything. Star, you okay?”
Elena gave a weak smile, shaking her head. “I’m fine.”
Gabriel didn’t look convinced. He leaned closer, his dark eyes searching hers. “You don’t look fine.”
Andrew nudged her gently with his elbow. “If something’s wrong, just tell us. We’re your friends now, remember?”
Before she could reply, Professor Marcus’s sharp voice rang out.
“Elena!”
Her head snapped up in alarm. She saw Professor Marcus staring directly at her, his expression stern.
“Stay after class,” he said firmly. “I need to speak with you.”
The room went silent. Elena felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment as she muttered, “Yes, Professor.”
Andrew and Gabriel exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting to concern.
When the lecture ended, Elena trudged to the staffroom, her heart heavy. She pushed the door open hesitantly, finding Professor Marcus seated at his desk.
“Come in, Elena,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him.
She sat down, clutching her hands tightly in her lap.
“Elena,” he began, his tone softer than before, “you’re a bright student. But today, you were completely distracted in class. This isn’t like you.”
“I’m sorry, Professor,” she said quietly, keeping her gaze fixed on the floor.
He studied her for a moment before leaning back in his chair. “I know it’s not easy being a scholarship student here. There’s a lot of pressure. But you can’t let personal issues affect your performance.”
“I understand,” she murmured.
“Do you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Because exams are coming up, Elena. And as a scholarship student, you’re expected to excel. If you don’t, you could lose your place here.”
Her stomach twisted at his words. The thought of losing her scholarship terrified her.
“I’ll do better,” she promised, her voice barely above a whisper.
Professor Marcus nodded. “I hope so. You’ve worked too hard to let anything pull you down now. If something’s bothering you, talk to someone about it. Don’t try to handle everything alone.”
Elena nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Thank you, Professor.”
He offered a small smile. “Good. Now, go focus on your studies.,”
Elena stepped out of the staffroom, her mind swirling with emotions. Gabriel and Andrew were waiting for her just outside, leaning casually against the wall.
“What happened?” Gabriel asked immediately, his tone sharp with concern.
Elena shook her head. “Nothing. He just reminded me to focus on my studies.”
Andrew frowned. “That’s not all, is it? You look upset.”
Gabriel stepped closer, his intense gaze locking onto hers. “Star, talk to us. What’s going on?”
She hesitated, her eyes darting between the two of them. The weight of Mia’s threats felt unbearable, and she couldn’t keep it bottled up any longer.
“It’s Mia,” she finally said, her voice trembling.
Andrew’s face darkened. “What did she do now?”
Elena took a deep breath, her hands trembling. “She… she threatened to release photos of us of you two holding my hands. She said she’d make it look like something it’s not. She said everyone will believe her and that it’ll ruin me.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “That’s it. I’ve had enough of her.”
Andrew’s eyes flashed with anger. “She’s gone too far this time. We need to put her in her place.”
Elena looked at them, her voice shaking. “But what if she actually does it? What if everyone believes her? I’ll lose everything.”
Gabriel stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Star, listen to me. Nothing’s going to happen to you. We won’t let her hurt you.”
Andrew nodded. “We’ve got your back. She’s not going to get away with this.”
“But how can you stop her?” Elena asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
Gabriel’s voice was firm, his eyes blazing with determination. “Leave that to us. Just focus on your studies, like Mr. Marcus said. Let us handle Mia.”
Andrew smirked. “We’ve got a plan, Star. You don’t need to worry about a thing.”
Elena wanted to believe them, but the fear in her heart wouldn’t go away.
Meanwhile, in her dorm room, Mia was scrolling through the photos on her phone, a satisfied smirk on her lips. She had taken the perfect shots-ones that made it look like Gabriel and Andrew were kissing Elena on either side of her face.
“This is gold,” she muttered to herself. “One little upload, and her life is over.”
She opened her social media app, her finger hovering over the “post” button. But just as she was about to click it, a loud knock on her door startled her.
“Mia!”
It was one of her friends, sounding out of breath.
“What is it?” Mia asked, annoyed as she opened the door.
“You need to see this,” the girl said, holding up her phone.
Mia’s smirk faltered as she watched a video play on the screen. It was footage of her and her gang dragging Elena to the pool and throwing her in. The angle was clear enough to identify everyone involved.
“Where did you get this?” Mia demanded, her voice shaking.
“I don’t know,” the girl said, her eyes wide with fear. “It just showed up in my messages.”
Mia’s hands trembled as she gripped the phone. Someone was watching her, and they had proof of what she had done.
Her smirk was long gone, replaced by a growing sense of dread.
Cliffhanger
Back in her dorm, Elena sat at her desk, trying to focus on her studies. Gabriel’s and Andrew’s words replayed in her mind, their promises offering a flicker of hope.
But deep down, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this is not going to be easy.
And she was right. Somewhere on campus, a shadow moved, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.