Chapter 50 Audrey

The moment we stepped out of the auditorium doors into the bright hallway, my friends were already swarming me like moths to a flame.

"Audrey, what the hell happened?" Tina demanded, her eyes as wide as saucers as sh reached up to gingerly touch the spot on my temple where a little bit of blood had dried. "Why did you show up so late?" I flinched away from her touch and quickly dabbed at my temple with a tissue.

"Linda..." I began, swallowing hard. "Linda and her friends attacked me in the bathro before the ceremony. Smashed my phone, locked me in a utility closet..." My voice began to quiver as I recounted the details. As I continued to tell the story of what happened, my friends' faces went pale, Avis's hand flew to cover her mouth in shock. Tina gasped loudly. Betty's jaw dropped, and Gavin's eyes narrowed.

"That's low, even for Linda," Gavin growled. "Why would she do something like that?"

"She said it was to keep me from making it to the next round." My stomach twisted at the thought. "To get revenge, I guess."

Tina huffed to herself. "I guess because of what happened with you

and Claudia Klein.

I nodded quickly, my eyes flickering down the hallway toward where it all happened. Linda and her friends had long since slipped away like ghosts in the crowd. "Is there any evidence?" Avis asked. "Did anyone see?"

I shook my head-even though Edwin had shown up, he didn't see it actually happen. Without real, tangible evidence, then it would be my word against Linda's.

An uneasy silence fell over the group as we processed that harsh reality. If it was just my

word against Linda's twisted version of events, chances were she would find a way to

wriggle out of facing any real consequences-even if Edwin vouched for me.

and I turned to see Edwin approaching with his hands curled up into fists at his sides. A security guard was with

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Chapter 30

us to the security office, Miss Thatcher," the security guard

main security office.

guard slid into her chair and tapped a few keys, pulling up the

as she sped through the footage. "But luckily, there was a camera just around the corner that

the screen, walking down the empty hall with my friends before breaking off from the group and disappearing off-camera into the bathroom. A few minutes passed before a mousey head poked out of the bathroom door

a few moments later, Linda and her friends appeared

I thrashed and kicked, but

caught it all, even Linda using one of the janitor's keyrings-likely stolen-to lock me inside.

eyes as the security guard froze the video,

assure you that Miss O'Malley and her friends are going to face disciplinary action for this," she stated firmly, already rising from her

He was staring at me again with that intense gaze that made me feel like he could see

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brushing his knuckles over

hallway, and then suddenly, Edwin's tall form came running into frame. 1 felt my breath catch in my throat as I watched him pause halfway down the hall, those dark eyes of his flashing a brilliant gold for just a split second. He was frantic, searching every door and classroom desperately until he seemed to pick up on something. Then, his head whipped around toward the utility closet. He hesitated for only a moment before he suddenly broke into an all-out sprint, his shoulder slamming against the door. Once,

the corner, trembling and petrified. And without a word, those strong arms had swept me up and pulled me close, cradling me against his chest as if both

enveloped in his warm arms. I had felt so safe, so... right. Like nothing else in the world mattered. Like this was how it was supposed to be-just the two of us, tangled together

auditorium. A moment later, Edwin stepped out as well and stalked after me with his hands in

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