A bullied girl meets the popular new student.
*****
"Still saying that you're perfectly okay?" Max whispers.
I'm surprised to hear that his voice is shaking.
"I'm going to find who did this to you."
*****
One time, I was the most popular girl in sch...
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I've cried to the point that I wonder how I still have my tears left, and I know that I deserve this agony. I've broken Max's heart, and it kills mine too.
When I step out of the car in front of my school again, my pulse quickens. What am I doing here? I'm aware that I've been acting like a robot. I keep living, but I'm actually dying inside.
My soul is dying.
Still, every time I think about Max, I know that he still has his future. We wouldn't be able to step onto the ground of this school if the photos were leaked -- this school cares so much about its reputation.
I would save Max's future as long as I can.
My body shudders as I remember how Rory still has those pictures. I don't want her to ruin the people I love, but I'm also sick of myself, because I've already ruined Max.
The only thing I can't save is his heart, and mine.
Tears threaten to fall from my eyes, and the lump in my throat hurts to the core.
Don't worry, Luna. Time will fix everything. Max still has his bright future ahead, and he'll forget about you.
Right. It would be easier for him, since I walk away from him in such a harsh way. He must hate me more than Tyler does, because I've hurt him more than I've hurt Tyler.
When I come into the corridor, the students whisper and murmur around me. Some of the things they say stab my heart, but I have no other choice but to keep going.
I tighten my grip on the straps of my backpack, trying to ignore the coldness thrown at me.
Once again, I'm officially the most despised thing in Royal Heights.
I come to a sudden halt in front of the lockers, where Max is standing. His eyes dart on me, and they still hold so much pain. He looks so weary, so tired.
So broken.
The sight slices my heart into pieces, and I fight the tears brimming in my eyes, turning to my locker instead. People watch the two of us, and the whispers become louder.
"Look, she's acting like nothing happened."
"What a slut. She lured Max and took advantage of him to be in the spotlight again."
"Poor Max. No wonder Tyler despised her. She loves to manipulate men. She's such a whore."
When I open my locker, my body freezes.
My locker is filled with many sticky notes that have horrible words written on them, words that I can't even bring myself to say to any human being.
While I'm still frozen at the sight before me, Max tenses. "Don't read them," he growls, snatching all the sticky notes and shoving them into his backpack, leaving nothing for me to see except for the books that I've kept inside my locker.
