Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Kaelani POV

When I step into the locker room, the sound of running showers and conversations fills the space. I head toward my locker, but stop when I hear my name.

“I can’t believe Kaelani got a perfect score today,” a voice says.

“Yeah, well she's always been an overachiever,” Aliza replies.

“Did you guys see how Liam picked her up and the other two just stood there smiling?” another voice asks.

“Did you see Kieran almost help her and she stopped him? Or him putting his hand on her back?” the first voice says again.

“How did she get all of them to even be around her?” the second girl asks.

“She has to be sleeping with them, because she's boring, so it can't be anything else,” Aliza says.

Nyra lets out a soft whimper.

My chest tightens as the words settle over me. I'd spent all day trying to ignore the whispers in the stadium, telling myself people would eventually get bored and move on. Instead, the rumors had only gotten worse... and they were coming from my own sister.

This wasn't the little girl who used to crawl into my bed after nightmares. Somewhere along the way, I'd lost my sister... and I didn't even know when it happened.

“What’s your plan to get Kieran back, Aliza?” the second voice asks.

“Oh, don’t worry. I have a few plans.” I can practically hear the smile in her voice. “First, ruin her reputation. She cares about how people see her. If everyone keeps thinking she's a whore, then they have to stay away from her. At least he does.”

The words hit harder than I expect. Not because they're true... but because Aliza knows exactly where to hurt me.

Nyra whines again.

"Why is she doing this?" she whispers sadly.

I wish I knew.

Without another word, I quietly turn around and head toward the showers.

There isn't anything I could say that would change her mind, and if I walked over there now, I'd only be giving them exactly what they wanted.

I can't believe Aliza feels this way about me.

I never asked for Kieran's attention.

I never asked for Liam's.

Or Zaire's.

If I could go back to being invisible without losing the friendships I'd somehow stumbled into, I probably would.

I take my shower, the hot water runs over my skin, but I can still hear Aliza's voice echoing in my head. No matter how many times I replay it, I can't understand how my own sister could think so little of me. After changing back into my clothes, I grab my bag and head outside.

The guys are all waiting for me again.

Liam notices me first.

“What happened?” he asks, his smile fading the second he gets a good look at my face.

I shake my head.

“Nothing,” I say, trying to walk past them.

Before I can take another step, someone gently grabs my hand.

I look back.

Liam.

“Come on,” he says softly. “Talk to us.”

His voice is gentle enough that the knot in my chest tightens instead of loosens. I don't even realize how badly I want someone to ask until he does.

“I just don't like the way people are talking about me,” I admit.

He smiles sympathetically.

“But you did good today. Why wouldn't they talk?” he asks.

“I'm not talking about the score.” I sigh, looking down at the ground. “I'm talking about you three... and everyone calling me a slut for being around you.”

The word feels just as ugly coming out of my mouth as it did hearing Aliza say it.

The smiles disappear from all three of their faces.

“So... what do you want us to do?” Liam asks.

None of them argue. None of them brush it off or tell me to ignore it. They just wait for my answer, like whatever I say next is the only thing that matters.

I let out another sigh.

“I don't know.” I wish I did. “I'm just going to go back to our seats.”

I turn and start walking away.

This time, nobody tries to stop me.

But when I glance over my shoulder a few seconds later, all three of them are quietly following behind me anyway.

When I get back to our seats, Kaia immediately links me.

“What happened?” she asks.

“I overheard Aliza and her friends talking about me in the locker room,” I link back.

She lets out a loud groan.

“Lani, they’re just jealous of you. You know what they're saying isn't true.” She folds her arms across her chest, shaking her head like the whole thing is ridiculous. “Besides, the guys don't have a problem being around each other with you. You also like being around them. Fuck Aliza and her friends. She's just mad because Kieran realized you were the better sister all along.”

“I know, but—”

She cuts me off before I can finish.

“No.” Her voice leaves no room for me to argue. “If you know, then stop letting the rumors get to you. It's our senior year and three hot guys like you. Embrace that shit, girl.” She grins. “Hell, one of them might turn out to be your mate, then none of it would've even mattered.”

“She has a point,” Nyra says. “If one... or two of them are our mates, then it would just be a head start.”

The thought makes my stomach flutter for reasons I don't want to examine.

Kieran walks over and drops into the seat beside me, resting his arm across the back of the bench behind my shoulders.

“So... what bothers you the most?” he asks.

Before I can answer, Zaire sits down on my other side, his leg brushing against mine as he leans forward with his elbows resting on his knees. Liam turns around and sits on the bench in front of me, resting his arms across my knees like it's the most natural thing in the world.

“I just don't like so many people talking about me when they don't even know the truth,” I admit.

“Do you want us to keep our distance from you?” Liam asks, tilting his head back so he can look up at me.

The question catches me completely off guard.

The sight of him looking at me upside down is so ridiculous that a laugh slips out before I can stop it.

Then the meaning behind his question finally sinks in.

The thought of them avoiding me...

Of eating lunch without them...

Training without them...

...of going back to the way things were before they became part of my everyday life...

My stomach twists.

“No,” I say quietly. “I don't want that either.”

The answer comes so quickly that it surprises me almost as much as it seems to surprise them.

I glance between the three of them, and matching smiles slowly spread across their faces.

“I guess I just never thought this would be me,” I admit with a small sigh. “The center of multiple rumors... and surrounded by you three.”

A few weeks ago, I would've laughed if someone had told me this would become my life. Now I couldn't picture a school day without one of them finding me somehow.

I glance toward the giant screen as another group prepares to compete.

Blackridge is doing well.

I'm just waiting for Kaia to go so we can leave.

The next group flashes onto the screen.

Aliza.

“Oh shit, guys. Aliza's up,” Caelum says.

“She is going to make Blackridge look bad,” Kaia mutters under her breath.

“She might not do so bad,” I say.

Everyone turns to look at me.

“Seriously, Lani?” Kaia asks.

“I'm just saying...” I shrug. “She could surprise us.”

“You're being too nice,” Kaia says, shaking her head.

“She's my little sister regardless. I don't want to see her fail.”

No matter how angry she made me, a part of me still wanted her to succeed. I wasn't sure if that made me a good sister... or just a stupid one.

Canon lets out a low whistle.

“You're a good sister,” he says, shaking his head.

I don't know if I'd go that far. I simply offer him a small smile before turning my attention back toward the field.

Everybody focuses on the starting line.

“Well,” Sebastian says, “I guess we're all about to find out.”

Everybody's attention shifts back to the field.

Kieran's arm slides fully across the back of my shoulders, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating from him without him actually pulling me against his side. Zaire's leg rests flush against mine as he leans forward, elbows planted on his knees, completely focused on the course. Liam sits comfortably between my legs without a care in the world, like this has become our normal.

And maybe that's what scares me the most.

I hate the rumors because none of them are true.

At least... not the way everyone thinks they are.

But I think I'd hate the idea of not being around them even more.

When had that happened?

Did I feel like this the first time I met Kieran?

“She still hasn't even made it over the wall yet,” Caelum says.

His voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I force my attention back to the field instead of the boys surrounding me.

“You would think after watching so many people do it, she'd be over already,” Sebastian says.

Everybody nods in agreement.

Eventually, one of the instructors signals for Aliza to go around to the next obstacle.

“Pathetic,” Kaia spits.

“Yeah, I think she's the first one to not complete an obstacle so far,” Canon says.

“Wow... that's embarrassing when your sister got a perfect score,” Caelum says.

Liam lightly squeezes my knees.

The small gesture catches me off guard, and despite everything that happened in the locker room, it warms something in my chest.

The other three students are already approaching the tire run while Aliza is still struggling on the cargo nets.

“She should just quit at this point. Everyone else is done,” Sebastian says.

“Yeah, this has to be embarrassing for her,” Liam says.

“This is good for her after spreading rumors about Lani,” Kaia says, pulling out her phone to record Aliza on the field. “This is the universe giving her a taste of her own medicine.”

“Because now everyone is going to be talking about how she scored a negative score on the obstacle course,” she adds.

“How do you know it's negative and not zero?” Caelum asks.

“Because that's not how the scoring works for the rankings,” I explain. “It's all added up over the next few weeks. Today is worth one hundred points, but another day may be worth more or less depending on the event. The rankings are cumulative. She's already losing points for every incomplete obstacle, every penalty, and her technique score. Even if she quits now, she'll keep losing points for everything she never attempted.”

“Omg, she's really still trying to complete it,” Kaia says, shaking her head. “She's making it worse.”

Aliza finally reaches the rope swings.

She misses the first one.

Then the second.

Frustration is written all over her face as another instructor motions for her to move on.

A few seconds later...

She quits.

“Finally,” Caelum and Sebastian say at the same time.

The stadium falls unusually quiet as everyone waits for the scores to appear.

Even the conversations in the stands die down as hundreds of students look up at the giant screen.

The scoreboard flickers.

Gasps erupt throughout the stadium.

Whispers spread like wildfire.

Shannon: Crescent Ridge: 96

Gregory: White Claw: 94

Jonathan: Blue Mountain: 90

Aliza: Blackridge: -130

“Negative one hundred thirty? That is horrible!” Kaia shouts.

“Kaia,” I say, trying to keep her voice from carrying any farther than it already had.

She looks back at me.

“It is, Lani. Even a ten would've been better than that.”

She's not wrong... but I still can't bring myself to celebrate my sister's humiliation.

The next set of students flashes onto the screen.

Kaia.

Sebastian.

Caelum.

Canon.

Someone has to be working in our favor, grouping us together.

Good.

Because now there's no reason for us to stay after this.

“See you after, bitch. Make me proud,” I say as they stand and head toward the locker rooms.

“Always, bitch,” she calls over her shoulder without looking back.

I smile, shaking my head. Some things never change.

Now it's just me and the three of them.

“So... are we still going to Mitzy's after this?” Kieran asks.

“Yeah, I guess I could eat,” I say with a shrug.

“She could eat,” Liam repeats dramatically, mocking me.

I laugh and shove his head.

He grins without even pretending to be offended.

I turn toward Zaire.

“Can we practice magic today?”

Then I look at Kieran.

“I’m cool with that,” Zaire says.

“Yeah, that's fine,” Kieran replies. “After Mitzy's?”

“Yes, please.”

He nods once.

“Okay.”

I look over at him.

“I'm still mad at you,” I say quietly.

“I know.”

There isn't a hint of defensiveness in his voice. No excuses. No argument. Just quiet acceptance.

He turns his attention back toward the field.

For some reason, hearing him accept it so easily makes it harder to stay angry.

Those two simple words settle somewhere deep inside my chest, leaving behind a warmth I don't fully understand.

And that scares me almost as much as the rumors do.