Chapter 101 One Kiss Two Wrongs
The next morning started badly.
Which usually meant it would end worse.
Lenora walked into school with her hood up and headphones on, even though nothing was playing.
She just didn’t want people talking to her before first period.
Unfortunately, the school had other plans.
Whispers followed immediately.
“She’s here.”
“That’s her.”
“I heard Pamela almost reported her.”
“No, my cousin said the school covered it up—”
Lenora kept walking.
Face forward.
No reaction.
That irritated people more than panic would have.
She reached her locker and immediately saw it.
A photo.
Taped right across the metal door.
Her stomach tightened slightly.
It was from the rink.
Blurry.
But clear enough.
Pamela on the floor.
Lenora standing nearby.
And across the picture, written in thick black marker:
LIAR.
Silence hit hard around her.
People were watching now.
Waiting.
Lilibeth arrived first.
“Oh, hell no.”
She ripped the picture down immediately.
Crumpled it.
Kylen appeared seconds later.
His expression darkened instantly.
“They’re getting bold.”
Lenora stared at the locker quietly.
Not shocked anymore.
That was the worst part.
The hockey boy walked down the hallway toward them, hockey bag hanging from one shoulder.
He took one look at the scene and sighed.
“Yeah,” he muttered. “This is getting ugly.”
Lilibeth rounded on him immediately.
“You keep saying that like you’re watching a TV show.”
He held her stare.
“I’m saying it because none of you are reacting fast enough.”
Kylen stepped in before she could snap back.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The boy dropped his bag near the bench.
“It means whoever’s doing this keeps moving first,” he said. “And you keep defending after the damage is already done.”
Lenora finally looked at him.
“So what do you suggest?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
Then—
“Hit back.”
Silence.
Kylen frowned.
“That’s reckless.”
The boy shrugged.
“So is letting people build a story around her every day.”
Lilibeth crossed her arms.
“And how exactly do we hit back?”
The boy looked directly at Lenora.
“Find out who started it.”
That sounded obvious.
Too obvious.
Lenora leaned against the locker slightly.
“And if the person hiding it is smarter than the people spreading it?”
The corner of his mouth lifted faintly.
“Then stop playing nice.”
That line sat there.
Heavy.
Before anyone could answer—
A voice cut through the hallway.
“Well, this looks guilty.”
Pamela.
Standing near the stairwell.
Watching them.
Kylen immediately tensed.
“Seriously?”
Pamela ignored him.
Her eyes landed on the ripped photo in Lilibeth’s hand.
“They’re moving faster now,” she said quietly.
Lilibeth scoffed.
“You think?”
Pamela stepped closer.
People nearby immediately started pretending not to stare.
Lenora noticed that too.
Everything had become performance now.
Pamela lowered her voice slightly.
“You need to be careful today.”
Kylen laughed dryly.
“She says that every day.”
But Pamela didn’t look away from Lenora.
“I mean it,” she said.
Lenora crossed her arms.
“What’s happening?”
Pamela hesitated.
And that hesitation alone was enough to annoy everyone.
“Say it,” Lilibeth snapped.
Pamela finally spoke.
“There’s supposed to be another incident.”
Silence.
Kylen’s face hardened.
“What kind of incident?”
Pamela shook her head.
“I don’t know exactly.”
“That’s getting old,” Kylen muttered.
Pamela ignored him.
“They just said it’ll make everything worse for her.”
Lenora’s jaw tightened slightly.
Of course.
Lilibeth exhaled sharply.
“Okay, this is insane now.”
The bell rang loudly through the hallway.
No one moved.
Pamela glanced around briefly.
Then back at Lenora.
“Don’t be alone today,” she said quietly.
Then she walked away.
Kylen watched her leave.
“I still don’t trust her.”
“None of us do,” Lilibeth replied.
The hockey boy grabbed his bag again.
“But she’s scared,” he said.
That made Lenora pause.
Because he was right.
Pamela did look scared.
Not dramatic.
Not obvious.
Just enough.
Kylen looked at Lenora.
“What are you thinking?”
Lenora answered honestly.
“I think someone’s enjoying this too much.”
And deep down—
That was the part bothering her most.
By lunch, the tension had spread through the entire school.
Teachers were watching students more carefully.
Students were whispering more openly.
And every time Lenora walked into a room—
Conversations shifted.
Lilibeth slammed her tray onto the cafeteria table.
“I’m one bad day away from fighting everybody.”
Kylen sat beside her.
“That line was crossed yesterday.”
The hockey boy sat opposite Lenora.
Watching her quietly.
“You haven’t eaten,” he said.
“I’m not hungry,” she replied.
He leaned back slightly.
“That’s not helping.”
Lenora looked up.
“And what exactly would help?”
Silence.
Because nobody actually knew.
Then—
A loud crash echoed through the cafeteria.
Everyone turned.
A drink spilled across the floor near one of the tables.
Students jumped back.
Shouting started immediately.
And right in the middle of it—
Two boys started fighting.
Punches.
Yelling.
Tables moving.
Chaos exploding instantly.
Kylen stood halfway.
“What the hell—”
Then one of the boys shouted something that froze the room.
“This is because of HER!”
And pointed directly at Lenora.
The cafeteria erupted.
“What?”
“Are you serious?”
“She started another thing?”
“Oh my God—”
Lenora stood up slowly.
Heart pounding now.
Not from fear.
From exhaustion.
The hockey boy grabbed her wrist before she could move.
“Don’t,” he said quietly.
She looked down at his hand.
Then at him.
The noise around them kept growing.
Teachers rushing in.
Students recording.
More shouting.
And somehow—
Right in the center of all of it—
The hockey boy pulled her closer.
Fast.
Without thinking.
Then kissed her.
Lenora froze instantly.
So did everyone else.
The cafeteria went dead silent for one terrifying second.
Not because it was romantic.
Because it was wrong.
And everyone knew it.
When he finally pulled back—
The entire room was staring.
Kylen looked shocked.
Lilibeth nearly dropped her tray.
Even the teachers had paused.
The hockey boy looked directly at Lenora.
Still close enough to feel her breathing.
“Now they have something real to talk about,” he said quietly.
And somehow—
That made everything worse.