Oliver's eyes dart around the room, taking in the mess with a deep frown. Seeing Stella still on the floor, he quickly moves to help her, but she shoves him away.
"Get off me, you freak!" she snaps, her voice thick with rage and humiliation. Oliver's face momentarily falls, a glimmer of sadness flashing in his eyes. He watches as she struggles to her feet, her balance wavering, before she staggers toward the door. At the threshold, she spots the crowd of people gathered, still recording with their phones.
"What the hell are you all looking at?" she yells, her voice echoing down the hallway. Her face twisted in fury, she watches as a few reluctantly put their phones down and others slowly disperse. She straightens herself, sniffs, and storms off down the hallway.
With the tension easing, Oliver turns back to me, his usual sheepish smile returning. "Sorry you had to witness all that," he says, scratching the back of his head. "Got my keys, let's get you home."
I follow his lead, snatching up my purse and trailing behind him out of the room. As we walk through the hall, whispers and side glances follow us. People point, their voices a low hum of gossip that I try my hardest to ignore, but it's not easy.
We finally make it outside to the parking lot, and my eyes instinctively roam over the rows of parked cars, searching for any sign of Reid and this mysterious "Red."
"He's not here, you know." Oliver's words cut through my thoughts like a knife.
"Who?" I ask, feigning ignorance as my gaze shifts back to him.
"Reid," he replies, his eyes studying mine knowingly. "Isn't that who you're looking for?"
I hesitate, trying to come up with a denial, but the lie sticks in my throat. "No," I finally say, though I can tell it's not convincing. He just nods, a faint smile playing on his lips as he leads the way.
We come to a stop in front of a sleek black Range Roverâpolished, elegant, and undoubtedly expensive, a car that seems to fit Oliver's quiet sophistication perfectly. He walks over to the passenger side, opening the door with a small flourish. "Your carriage awaits, madam," he says with a smirk.
I laugh, giving him a quick "thank you" as I slide into the seat. He jogs around to the driver's side, pausing before he opens the door. I watch, amused, as he mumbles to himself, "You've got this, Oliver. She's just a girl, mate. Just a girl."
I can't hold back my smile. When he finally climbs in and catches the look on my face, his eyes go wide with embarrassment.
"You heard that, didn't you?"
"Yep," I say, and he sighs, his cheeks flushing.
"Brilliant," he mutters, settling into his seat. He starts the car, and soon we're on the road, the silence between us oddly comfortable.
"So, where am I taking you?" he asks after a moment.
"My dorm," I reply, trying to give him clear directions. "It's on campus, just off Hilgard Avenue."
He raises an eyebrow, glancing over at me. "You're at UCLA too? Can't believe I haven't seen you before."
"Freshman," I say with a shrug. "Just got here."
"Ah," he says, nodding, his gaze returning to the road. "That explains it."
"Wait, you go to UCLA too?" I ask, surprised.
"Yeah, I do, sophomore " he replies, and I smile. Did he meet Reid through school?
"So...how do you and Reid know each other?" I ask curiously.
He chuckles, a hint of reluctance in his expression. "That's...a bit complicated. But yeah, we're best mates, grew up together in England" he says, giving me a polite smile. I sense he doesn't want to get into it, so I decide to let it go.
Silence settles between us again, but I catch him glancing at me every so often, his grip tight on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. It's endearing, in a way.
"You don't have to be so nervous around me, you know," I say, breaking the quiet.
He lets out a small laugh, glancing my way. "I'm not nervous...well, maybe a bit." He visibly tries to relax, though he's still got that tense posture.
"Girls make me nervous," he confesses after a pause.
"Why?" I ask, genuinely curious.
He shrugs. "I don't know, really. They're just...complicated. Hard to talk to. I'm rubbish at it."
I grin, shaking my head. "You're not doing too badly."
"Oh, now you're having a laugh," he says, though he's smiling. I notice his shoulders have relaxed a bit, and the flush in his cheeks is almost gone.
"Seriously. We've been talking this whole time, haven't we?"
"Yeah, and I probably sound like a right idiot," he mutters, though he's smiling.
"You don't," I say softly, meeting his eyes for a brief moment. He grins back, his face lighting up, and I feel my cheeks heat up, surprised at the ease that's crept into our conversation.
Before I know it, we're pulling up in front of the dorm. The drive felt so short, I almost wish we had more time. Time, I could use asking more questions about Reid.
"Well, here we are," he says, glancing at the building, then back at me.
"Thanks for the ride, Oliver," I say, reaching for the door handle, but his voice stops me.
"WaitâI never got your name."
I turn back to him, smiling. "Isla."
His eyes widen, something unreadable flickering in his gaze. "Listen, Isla," he begins, hesitating. "You seem like a nice girl, so...bit of advice. Stay away from Reid."
The words take me by surprise, and I blink at him, unsure how to respond. "What?"
"It never ends well," he says quietly. "You saw what happened tonight. That's not even the worst of it."
I don't know what to say as he gives me a final, sad smile, so I just open the door and step out. I watch as he drives off, his warning lingering in the air, like a cold gust that chills me. Deep down, I know he's right. Reid's never going to return my feelings. That kiss was a fluke, nothing more. Stella was rightâif I keep going down this road, I'll end up as just another one of the girls he's left heartbroken.
With a new determination, I head into my dorm, swearing to myself to avoid Reid. How hard could it be? It's a big campus, after all.
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The next morning, I wake up to the persistent dinging of my phone. Groaning, I reach for it, rubbing my eyes as I blink at the screen. My notifications have explodedâover a thousand new followers, DMs, comments. What is going on?
Confused, I open a text from Aaliyah:
Is this you??
Girl, you're going viral!
No way, are you and Reid a thing? Text me back!
Hello, are you still alive?
What's going on? And who's this Stella chick?
Heart pounding, I click on one of the many links she sent, and my breath catches. It's a video from last night. Stella, screaming and pulling my hair. Me, flipping her onto the floor. Oliver, running in, looking helplessly between us. Multiple videos, from different angles, all showing last night's chaos. I knew they were recording, but did they seriously have to upload it?
There are even clips of us walking up the stairs together, Reid holding my hand. I scan the comments, my heart sinking.
Poor Stella. What was he thinking?
Isn't Reid the dude who got caught sleeping with a girl who had a boyfriend? And now they're fighting over him too.
Why was she just standing there like that? Where was Reid?
Damn, what self defense classes did she go to? I wanna sign up
Isla and Reid? I did NOT see that coming.
Dude, I follow this girl on insta, can't believe she was hooking up with that loser, Reid.
Guys her insta is pampered princess 101, I just found her page and can't even comment...... we're not in the same tax bracket.
It's too much. My phone keeps buzzing with messages, and my head spins. I finally open another one of the links from Aaliyah and find myself on a gossip blog titled Bruin Buzzâthe UCLA hotspot for scandalous gossip. The newest post is about me, and the title reads:
UCLA's Heartthrob and Beverly's Princess: A New Power Couple?
This week's hottest topicâIs Reid Carter officially off the market? The internet is buzzing after last night's intense showdown between Stella and an unexpected new face, Isla Kensington. Witnesses reported seeing the two girls in a heated exchange, which quickly turned physical, while Reid was nowhere to be seen. Could Isla be the one to finally tame the campus playboy, or is this just another fling?
I throw my phone down, groaning and burying my face in my pillow. So much for staying low-key at UCLA. As I scream into the pillow, my dorm door swings open, and Lila steps in, phone in hand.
"Dude..." she says, wide-eyed. "You've seen it, right?"
"Ugh," I mutter, covering my face. I thought moving here would be a chance to blend in, to have a fresh start. But with this gossip storm brewing, it seems I'm about to be anything but invisible.
I knew I should have stayed in yesterday.
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Yay, two chapters in one day...... what do we think so far, leave your thoughts in the comment and don't forget to vote too. Love y'all and see you all later......