Chapter 140: The arrival

Chapter 140: The Arrival (Elena’s POV)

Thursday morning arrived, and the air inside Northview High School felt entirely different. The white server log sheets we had taped up on Tuesday were gone, scraped off by the janitors during the night shift, but the residue from the packing tape was still visible on the metal lockers. Nobody was talking about the Alumni Breakfast anymore. The only topic in the hallways was Liam’s release.

I stood by my locker, trying to organize my binders for AP English. My hands were slightly unsteady. Mr. Peter had called my cell phone at 6:30 AM to confirm that the county judge had signed the final release ledger. Liam was legally free, his bail conditions were cleared, and he was officially returning to school for registration before first period.

"Elena," Sarah said, walking up to me with a morning coffee in her hand. "Have you seen the front parking lot? Mason and the entire hockey team are standing by the main entrance. They refused to go to homeroom until his car pulls in."

"Principal Reynolds is going to give them all detentions," I said, shutting my locker door.

"Reynolds won't do anything today," Sarah replied, taking a sip. "The student council sent that official letter yesterday withdrawing all support for Maya's complaints. If Reynolds punishes the team now, it looks like he’s taking sides with a family that just got exposed for fraud."

I slung my backpack over my shoulder. "Where is Maya?"

"She didn't show up," Sarah stated flatly. "Her locker is completely empty. Someone said Arthur is arranging for her to finish the semester through an online private tutor program so she doesn't have to face the student body. She’s completely gone."

I felt a small sense of relief, but it didn't last long. As Sarah and I walked down the central corridor toward the main entrance, I saw Chloe standing near the trophy display cases.

She was surrounded by three girls from the cheerleading squad. She was playing the part of the grieving, exhausted hero perfectly. She was holding a tissue, nodding slowly as the girls hugged her and told her how brave she was for standing up to Maya and Arthur. She looked like a saint who had sacrificed everything to save the school's star athlete.

But as I walked past, Chloe’s eyes shifted over her friend’s shoulder. She looked straight at me. The sad, tearful expression vanished from her eyes for a split second, replaced by a cold, confident stare. She didn't look like a victim. She looked like a person who had just won a major promotion.

Before I could say anything to Sarah about it, a loud cheer erupted from the front courtyard.

The heavy glass double doors opened, and Mason walked in first, holding the door open with his arm. Right behind him was Liam.

He was wearing his standard dark school hoodie and jeans, carrying his old duffel bag over his shoulder. He looked tired—there were dark circles under his eyes from spending three days sleeping on a county facility cot—but his posture was straight. The second his boots hit the indoor tile, the entire hallway went silent. Dozens of students stopped walking, staring at him. Then, a few hockey players started clapping, and the sound spread through the corridor.

Liam didn't look at the crowd. His eyes immediately scanned the hallway until they locked onto me.

I didn't care about the school rules or the people watching. I dropped my binder onto a nearby bench and walked quickly through the crowd. Liam met me halfway, dropping his duffel bag straight onto the floor. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, lifting me slightly off my feet, and buried his face into my shoulder.

"I told you I’d be back by Thursday," he whispered into my ear, his voice rough and low.

"I knew you would," I said, holding the back of his jacket tightly. My chest felt tight, the massive weight of the last three days finally lifting off my shoulders. "Are you okay? Did Mr. Peter get the contract cleared?"

"The Boston scout called Coach Vance an hour ago," Liam said, pulling back just enough to look down at my face. He gave me a small, genuine smile. "The contract is safe. The athletic board fully reinstated my eligibility after reviewing the timestamps. We won, Elena."

"We did," I said.

"Not completely by yourselves," a voice interrupted from behind us.

I turned around and saw Chloe standing there. Her cheerleading friends were right behind her, watching the scene play out. Chloe had a soft, sweet smile on her face as she looked at Liam, completely ignoring my presence.

"Welcome back, Liam," Chloe said softly, stepping closer. "I’m so glad the facility supervisor processed my paperwork quickly. I was worried the retraction wouldn't clear the desk until Friday morning."

Liam’s expression changed instantly. The warmth left his eyes, his jaw tightening as he looked at her. He didn't step toward her. He kept his arm firmly anchored around my waist, pulling me slightly closer to his side.

"Thanks for signing the paper, Chloe," Liam said, his tone flat and businesslike. "It was the right thing to do since you lied on the first one."

Chloe’s smile stiffened for a fraction of a second, but she maintained her gentle composure for the benefit of the students watching us in the hall. "I know. I felt so guilty. I just couldn't let Maya use my family anymore. I'm just glad I could be the one to finally get you out of that place."

One of the cheerleaders behind Chloe nodded aggressively. "Yeah, Liam. Chloe literally ruined her family's real estate deal with Arthur just to save your hockey contract. She’s the only reason you aren't still sitting in that cell right now."

I looked at Chloe’s face. She didn't defend me, and she didn't correct her friend. She just kept her wide, innocent eyes fixed on Liam, waiting for him to show some kind of public gratitude.

I remembered what Marcus had said in the student council room—that Chloe’s family was already planning a move to Chicago at the end of the month. She hadn't sacrificed her life here for Liam; she was leaving anyway. She was just using this entire disaster to make herself look like a martyr so Liam would feel indebted to her before she moved closer to Boston.

"The athletic board used the server logs, Chloe," I stated clearly, stepping forward so I was standing directly between her and Liam. "The numbers cleared his name. Your retraction just kept you from getting charged with perjury."

Chloe looked down at me, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits that the rest of the hallway couldn't see. Her voice remained entirely sweet. "Of course, Elena. We all did our part. I’m just glad Liam is safe."

The warning bell for first period rang loudly through the PA system. The crowd of students began to break up, moving toward their classrooms.

"We need to go to the administrative office to sign my return ledger," Liam told me, completely ignoring Chloe as he picked up his duffel bag from the floor. He took my hand, his fingers locking tightly between mine. "Let’s go."

We walked down the corridor toward Principal Reynolds’ office, leaving Chloe standing by the display cases. When I looked back over my shoulder, she wasn't smiling anymore. She was watching us walk away, her fingers gripping her purse strap so tightly her knuckles were white.

Maya was gone, but looking at Chloe’s expression, I realized the hallway conflict wasn't over. Maya had tried to destroy Liam with lies, but Chloe was much smarter—she was trying to claim him by pretending to be his savior. And I wasn't going to let her do it.