I didn't want to acknowledge Frankie's disgusting remarks with a response, but I wasn't about to let someone like him, or anyone else, for that matter, badmouth Amari or Nat when neither of them were present to defend themselves.

With fire in my veins, I reached for his arm to keep him from running away. "Where do you think you're going, you ignorant piece of shit? I swear to God, your idiocy knows no bounds. You realize that Amari's dad is Muslim, her mom is Christian, she's 100% agnostic, and militant terrorist groups have absolutely nothing to do with their beliefs, right? And Nat and her gorgeous red hair are so fucking out of your league that you don't even deserve to look at her!"

"I think you just kicked yourself in the ass with that argument." Frankie smirked as his hand moved over mine. He gripped my wrist, squeezing hard enough to leave a red mark as he removed my hand from his arm. "I'm pretty sure being a Muslim and a terrorist are one and the same."

I snatched back my wrist and growled, "People who think like you are the reason why our world is so fucked up. At this point, I don't even know how to commuicate with you. It's like your brain exists in an alternate dimension, and all it does is create these made-up narratives that have never aligned with reality!"

"Whatever, Donati. Bitches like you are the reason why girls should just sit down, shut up, and look pretty."

"Why the fuck are we still talking?" I muttered. "I'm pretty sure half of my brain cells have died during this revolting conversation."

"Oh, get off your high horse. You're the one who's living in a self-righteous fantasy world. It's fucking annoying. I bet you imagine that you're some kind of hero, but you're playing for the wrong team."

"Dude—"

He interrupted me, "You think Amari want to be your token brown sidekick? No, bitch, she wants your crown. And don't get me started on Natalia. She's nothing but a bottom feeder who has been using you and Amari clout to survive at this school. Just wait and see how quickly that girl drops your ass once she realizes you're a nobody."

Frankie's words hit me like a slap in the face.

Right as I was about to fight back, however, the one-minute warning bell echoed across the entire campus. Not wanting to be late for first hour, I decided it was time to ditch the loser and head to class. I flipped him off as I turned away. "As always, it was a pleasure to be defiled by your deeply flawed views on life, but I'm gonna have a great day, anyway! I hope lightning strikes you down on your way to class."

"Don't be a dumbass, Donati! Remember this moment," Frankie shouted after me, his confidence unwavering, even as the distance between us widened with every step I took, "when you realize that everything I just told you is the honest to God truth!"

***

On the way to AP Chem, Frankie's menacing statement swarmed over me like a devilish cloud, whispering doubts and dark thoughts into my mind.

Could there be a tiny ounce of truth to his claims?

Did Amari really resent me?

Had Nat simply been using me?

I considered both of them to be my best friends, but my intenions weren't exactly innocent, either, for keeping them so close to my side. Nat had her brains, and Amari had her family's money.

Once I sat down in class, I quickly pulled out my phone to respond to our group text. I never responded to any of their frantic messages from the night before.

Thanks for checking up on me last night. Let's talk at lunch.

First hour came and went, and I never received a response from either of them. This was a strange. Amari was always on her phone, and Nat was usually very prompt with messaging back and forth in our group chat. I tried not to let my anxiety get the best of me, but, right then, I really needed to know that my friends were still in my corner. Everyone in AP Chem took turns flashing knowing looks in my direction for the entire hour. It was fucking exasperating. In the past, none of them would've possessed the balls to cross me. But the tables had since turned on me. Now, even Vince Neubauer didn't hesitate to take a swipe in my direction, and this was the same kid that cried after I cussed him out in Italian for calling me "Caterina."

"How did you sleep last night, Cate?" Vince asked me tauntingly. "Judging by those dark circles under your eyes, you probably had a lot on your mind, huh?"

"Poor girl. Just let me know if you need to borrow some lunch money," Emma Clarence chirped with a chilly smile. "In case your daddy forgot to give you some."

I ignored them to the best of my ability. Now wasn't the time to fight back. It would only make me look desperate and give Lily the upperhand. I needed to bide my time and set the stage properly before making my move. I glanced down at my phone one more time. Still nothing from Amari or Nat.

Goddamn it.

Zac, however, was waiting for me with a fierce expression on his face the moment I stepped out of my AP Chem classroom.

With his arms crossed over his chest, he demanded, "Where the hell have you been, Cate? Why haven't you responded to any of my messages? I wanted to come get you this morning!"

I stared up at him with a guilty expression. "I..."

His face softened. "Hey, you okay?"

Instinctively, I launched myself into Zac, clutching to his shirt and burrowing my face into his chest. His arms unfolded as his hands settled on my waist. He drew me to him until the space between us was completely gone. He smelled fresh and woodsy. His closeness calmed me.

Whispering, I said, "Things aren't even that bad yet, but I feel like this might be the calm before the storm. Lily saw me leave with you yesterday."

"Shit," Zac swore quietly. His jaw tightened. "I saw last night's post on Instagram. That bitch is out for blood, isn't she?"

"I think so." I took in a slow breath. Released it shakily. "I have some good news, though. Bea delivered on her end. Lily agreed to host the charity ball at her house."

"Is that actually a good thing?" challenged Zac. "Lily has the whole school talking about you right now. I'm worried about what she has planned for us down the line."

"True," I admitted. "Lily is definitely a shady as fuck."

Zac frowned. "Was Lily making shit up on her Insta post? What kind of dirt does she have on you?"

Grudgingly, I revealed, "Lily kept pressuring Bea for something to use against me."

"It seems like Bea didn't hesitate to throw you under the bus."

I defended my half-sister against his accusatory tone. "She only did it so Lily would trust her. Otherwise, Lily wouldn't have agreed to host the charity ball."

Zac lifted an eyebrow. "You sure about that? I thought you two hated each other?"

"You mean, Bea and me?"

"Yeah."

"I guess our relationship has always been fucked up," I acknowledged, "but things have been changing lately. Bea has been meeting me halfway a little more."

"I don't trust her," Zac grumbled. His mouth had compressed into a thin, flat line. "Your sister is probably hiding something. Something big. Maybe she's even working with Lily."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

He brushed his lips against my temple and held me tight. "We need to be careful, babygirl. It's not too late to back out, you know?"

"You keep saying that," I said, tilting my face up to look at him intently, "but you should know by now that once I commit to something, I don't stop. Whether it's helping you find the truth about your dad—or becoming your girlfriend."

"Becoming... my girlfriend?" Zac's brown eyes grew wide as saucers. "Are you for real? You better not be fucking with me right now."

A corner of my mouth tilted up. "I'm being 100% serious with you right now."

He smiled stiffly. "Damn, babygirl. I feel like I should be the happiest motherfucker in the world, but all I can focus on are the knots in my stomach right now. I can't stop worrying about what Lily has in store for you."

"Are you too worried about Lily to be my boyfriend?" I demanded.

"No, not at all!" Zac insisted hurriedly, "I wanna be your boyfriend—no, wait—I am your fucking boyfriend, but, like, don't you know what everyone at school has been saying about you?"

"I have a vague idea. I ran into Frankie on the way to first hour."

Zac's whole body tensed up. His eyes sought mine beseechingly. "What did he say to you? Did he try to mess with you?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," I fibbed. "He was an asshole, as usual, but I handled it."

Zac relaxed slightly. Then, he asked, "Are all the rumors true, then?"

"Be more specific," I murmured as calmly as possible.

"Lily has been telling everyone that your dad is cutting you off at eighteen. Or some shit like that."

My heart began to race. I didn't want to lie to Zac, but there wasn't really much time to explain everything to him in detail. We needed to get our asses to AP History soon. Not to mention, I was still scared about his reaction.

Averting my gaze, I replied cautiously, "It's complicated, but most of it is bullshit."

Zac eyed me suspiciously. "I wouldn't care, you know, whether or not you had money."

I grimaced. Easy for him to say. Shit had yet to hit the fan. And even if he didn't care about money, his mom and stepdad probably wouldn't be so chill about it. People in our world simply didn't socialize, date, or marry outside their circles very often. A part of me wondered if I was being irrational. Overly emotional. Zac wasn't a superficial guy, after all. His stepdad was well-off as a cardiologist at Mount Sinai in Queens, but his tax bracket was nowhere near where Mr. Mazur's income level had been. Maybe he wouldn't care trust-fund-less situation. Maybe Zac's mom wouldn't care, either.

Still, I was too scared to risk it.

I knew I was going to have to fight to save my reputation at Ashton Wellesley. It wasn't going to be easy to convince everyone to believe me over Lily, but I was determined to keep my crown. Maybe it wasn't fair to Zac, but I didn't even want to give him a reason to leave me. Ever since Mamma passed away, I had been careful not to let too many people into my life. At least, not in any real way where they could wreak havoc on my heart by disappearing all of sudden. Nat and Amari were supposed to be my closest friends. Even then, I kept them at a distance. I kept everyone at a distance. Until I started cathing feelings for Zac. Losing him right now would simply be too much for me to handle.

In that very instant, I decided not to tell him the truth about my dad's divorce agreement until I finished dealing with everything else: Lily. The "rumors" she was spreading about me. School and finals. And, of course, the fucking charity ball.

I grabbed Zac's hand and started pulling him towards second hour. "Come on, we can talk more later. We're gonna be late for class!"