Chapter 12: The Beast on Campus

VANESSA’S POV

My hands are a mess. I shove them deep into my hoodie pockets because if anyone sees the torn skin around my nails, I’m done. The fire happened five hours ago, but my heart is still pounding.

The assembly hall is packed. It’s loud AF in here. Usually, everyone is just complaining about having to sit on these hard plastic chairs, but today the vibe is different. It’s twitchy. Gossip is flying everywhere.

I’m sitting next to Lena who's currently vibrating with excitement. She’s on her phone, her thumb moving like crazy. I’m surprised it hasn’t caught fire too.

"V, look at this," she whispers, shoving her phone in my face. "Someone posted a photo of the lab door. Look at the handle. It’s totally bent. People are saying a bear got in. Or like, a mountain lion."

I look at the blurry photo. I know how that handle got like that. I’m the one who did it. I swallow hard, my throat feeling dry from all the smoke I breathed in earlier.

"That’s wild," I mutter. I try to sound bored, but my voice shakes.

"Wild? It’s insane!" Lena says, her eyes wide. "And Chloe? They’re saying a Ghost saved her. Like, someone just carried her out and vanished. This school is finally getting interesting."

I don't say anything. I just pull my hoodie strings tighter. I want to be invisible.

Up on the stage, the Dean walks to the podium. He looks tired. Not just 'I need sleep' tired, but like he’s actually scared. Behind him, standing in the shadows, is Derek Thorne. Adrian’s dad.

Looking at Derek makes my skin crawl. He’s scanning the rows of students, his eyes moving slowly. He's gaze drifts closer to my section. It’s like a spotlight is hitting me. My internal instincts go dead quiet, which only happens when something dangerous is nearby.

The Dean taps the mic, and the loud noise makes me jump.

"Quiet down," he says. His voice is steady, but I can hear the edge in it. "We are still looking into the fire, but we need to talk about something else."

He picks something up from the table. It’s the door handle. In the lights, the deep marks from my fingers look like claw marks.

The whole room gasps at once.

"What the heck is that?" someone shouts.

"This is the handle from the lab door," the Dean says. He holds it up like it’s a piece of trash. "It was hit with extreme force. We aren't sure what caused this, but it looks like a large animal got onto campus during the fire."

The room explodes. Everyone starts talking.

"A bear? Are you serious?"

"There aren’t even bears around here, idiot!"

"Then what did that? A mountain lion?"

I’m trying to breathe, but it is hard. My hands are stinging inside my pockets. The bandages are sticking to my skin. I can feel everyone’s energy getting louder. I keep my head down, staring at the floor.

Suddenly, a loud laugh comes from the front row. It’s Melissa’s group. She’s sitting there in that stupid neck brace, looking like a drama queen. One of her friends, Sarah, leans back and shouts.

"Maybe it wasn't an animal! What if it’s a student? What if we have a freak among us?"

She laughs, and a few guys join in.

"Yeah, maybe Vance did it!" one guy jokes, pointing at me. "She’s already a freak, right?"

The joke hits me hard. I feel the blood rush to my face.

"Shut up, Mark!” Lena snaps, turning to glare at him. “Everyone already knows you don’t have sense, so this isn’t surprising, but can you at least try to keep your leaking brain in public under control?”

But people are already looking. A few girls are whispering and pointing at me. The story is already starting, and I’m right in the middle of it.

"Because of this safety concern," the Dean continues, ignoring the noise, "there is a strict curfew starting tonight at 8 PM. No one is allowed outside after dark. We are bringing in specialists to track whatever animal did this."

Specialists. My stomach drops. That word never means anything good.

"Also," the Dean adds, "we want to say that Chloe Miller was saved today. Someone pulled her out before the fire spread. We don't know who you are, but the school is thankful. Chloe is in the clinic, and she's going to be okay."

Lena nudges me. "See? A hero. I bet it was Adrian. He’s always acting like all tough."

I look toward the side of the hall. Adrian is leaning against a pillar, completely ignoring the Dean. He’s looking straight at me. Our eyes meet for a second, but he doesn't smirk. He just looks thoughtful, like he's trying to solve a puzzle.

I look away fast.

The Dean finishes and tells us to go to class. The noise is crazy. Everyone is talking about what kind of creature could have done it. Some kids are scared, but most of them think it’s cool. They’re making memes already. I see a guy walk past with his phone, showing a photo of a lion with a student's face on it.

As I stand up, I feel a chill on the back of my neck. I look toward the stage.

Derek Thorne is staring straight at me. He’s not even pretending to look at anyone else. He’s just watching. He looks at my hoodie, then at my arms. He knows something is wrong.

"Come on, V," Lena says, grabbing my arm. "I want to hear what everyone is saying. This is the biggest drama ever."

I let her pull me toward the exit, but I can’t stop shaking. I saved Chloe because I couldn't let her die, but now I’ve put a target on my back.

The hunt hasn’t even started yet.

And somehow… I already feel like the prey.