24

                                    

                                          
I walked into school the next morning with a knot in my stomach, knowing full well that the rumors had probably spread overnight. As I made my way through the crowded hallways, I could feel people's eyes on me, and it didn't take long before the whispers started. I hadn't even made it to my locker when I heard the first comment.
"Haters to lovers, huh? Kinky," someone muttered, laughing as I passed by.
I clenched my jaw, my face flushing with embarrassment. It was exactly what I had feared-people had taken the whole "Steve lending me his shirt" thing and twisted it into something way bigger. Now, everyone was convinced we were secretly a couple. The whole school seemed to be buzzing with gossip, and I was caught right in the middle of it.
"Nice shirt yesterday, Nala!" another voice called out, followed by more laughter.
I groaned under my breath and quickened my pace, eager to get to my locker and hide from the insanity. As I rounded the corner, I spotted Ashley waiting for me, leaning against the lockers with a knowing look on her face.
"Don't tell me," I muttered, dropping my bag on the floor and opening my locker. "It's all over school, isn't it?"
"Yup," Ashley said, popping the "p" as she grinned. "It's like a wildfire. Everyone's talking about you and Steve."
I groaned again, burying my face in my locker door. "This is a nightmare. How did something so small get blown out of proportion?"
"Because it's high school, and people love drama," Ashley said with a shrug, crossing her arms. "But listen, there's something else you should know. Word on the street is Heather found out about you wearing Steve's shirt."
I froze, pulling my head out of the locker and looking at her, wide-eyed. "Are you serious? She knows?"
Ashley nodded, her expression serious now. "Yeah. And you know how she gets about Steve. You might want to watch your back, just in case she decides to make this a bigger deal than it needs to be."
Heather wasn't the kind of person you ran into by accident. Our paths barely crossed, and I liked it that way. She ruled the popular crowd with an iron fist, and anyone who crossed her could expect to deal with the consequences. I had always stayed far enough away from her drama, but now, it seemed I was right in the center of it.
"Great," I muttered. "Just great. That's all I need-Heather coming after me because of some stupid rumor."
"Look," Ashley said, her voice softening, "I don't think Steve even knows how much she's into him. She's been crushing on him forever, but he doesn't seem to care. Just... be careful, okay? She can be intense."
I furrowed my brows, the thought of Heather's infatuation with Steve swirling in my mind. "You really think he has no idea?"
Ashley shook her head. "Honestly? He's probably oblivious. He's not exactly the most emotionally aware guy, you know?"
I frowned, trying to process everything. If Steve really didn't know about Heather's crush on him, then he had no idea why lending me his shirt had caused such a big stir. And now I was stuck avoiding not just Steve, but Heather as well. The last thing I wanted was to get into some ridiculous fight over a guy I didn't even like in that way.
With that thought in mind, I made a mental note to steer clear of both of them for the rest of the day. I wasn't in the mood to deal with any confrontations, and I definitely didn't want to get caught in the middle of whatever drama was brewing.
"Thanks for the warning, Ash," I said, closing my locker. "I'll lay low for the rest of the day. Hopefully, this whole thing blows over soon."
Ashley gave me a sympathetic look. "Good luck with that. I'll keep an eye out for you."
I nodded and headed to class, my mind racing. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to avoid both Steve and Heather, but I knew one thing for sure: I was going to make it through the day without getting involved in whatever mess was starting to unfold.
The rest of the morning passed by in a blur. I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone who looked like they might have something to say about me and Steve. Every so often, I heard more whispers and snickers, but I pretended not to notice. By lunchtime, I felt exhausted from dodging rumors and side-eye glances, and I hadn't even seen Steve yet, which was both a relief and a growing source of anxiety.
Just when I thought I was in the clear, I walked into the cafeteria and saw Heather sitting with her group at the far table, her eyes scanning the room. For a split second, I thought she might be looking for me, but then she turned her attention back to her friends, laughing at something one of them said. I exhaled in relief and quickly grabbed a sandwich, heading to the farthest table I could find with Ashley by my side.
"Close call," Ashley whispered, glancing over at Heather's table. "She didn't see you."
"Thank God," I muttered, unwrapping my sandwich. "I don't think I can handle her right now."
We ate in relative silence, with Ashley keeping watch for any sign of Steve or Heather. My nerves were frayed, and I found myself jumping every time someone walked by or glanced in my direction. I hated feeling like I was at the center of attention when I didn't want to be.
Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and I bolted from the cafeteria like my life depended on it. I still had the rest of the day to get through, but so far, I had managed to avoid any major confrontations.
As the afternoon wore on, I kept my distance from everyone, especially Steve. Every time I saw him in the hallway, I ducked into a classroom or turned a corner, hoping he wouldn't spot me. I didn't know how much he knew about the rumors, but I wasn't ready to find out. 
By the time the final bell rang, I was drained. I grabbed my things and headed straight for the door, eager to get home and leave the chaos of the day behind me. As I walked through the hallway, I overheard a group of girls giggling behind me.
"So, do you think Steve and Nala are *actually* together?" one of them asked.
"Maybe," another one said. "I mean, she wore his shirt. That has to mean something, right?"
I rolled my eyes and quickened my pace, wishing for the rumors to just disappear. Steve and I weren't together, and I had no idea how to make people believe that. All I could do was hope that tomorrow would be better-and that I wouldn't have to deal with Heather's wrath in the meantime.
As I walked out of the school, I took a deep breath, relieved to be free from the madness for a few hours. But even as I tried to push the day's drama out of my mind, a part of me couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I actually ran into Steve-or Heather. And if that moment ever came, I wasn't sure I'd be able to avoid it.
For now, though, all I wanted was to disappear, and hope that tomorrow would bring some sort of normalcy back into my life.