I kind of hate that it's Monday already, but my birthday is on Friday, which is Valentine's Day, so at least I have something to look forward to. I've never enjoyed sharing a birthday with a Hallmark Holiday, but I'm excited to turn eighteen and get my tattoo. Dad's schedule is a bit crazy next week, but he promised we would talk about it soon. Dad's making an effort to spend time with me is the best birthday gift I could ask for. If only everything else would fall into place, maybe I wouldn't feel like my world is falling apart.

I pull into the school parking lot. Derek has his seatbelt off a mere second after the car is parked. He leaves in a huff. I pull the visor down to check over my make-up. I caked on a bit more than usual, because my eyes are swollen from the lack of sleep I've been getting. Finally satisfied with it, I step outside the car and swing my bag over my shoulder.

Once inside I head for my locker. Other students stop and glare when I pass by. It's not unusual, because of who I am, but today there's something different about the way they are going about it. One group stops talking all together when I pass, and in another, one person elbows the other and it's a chain reaction.

I keep an eye out for Tanya and Rose; neither of them have messaged me this weekend after our cancelled mall date. I stick my head inside the locker in an attempt to find the books I need for the morning, while taking a breather from the weird stares. A knock on the locker door startles me. I pull back and Cam is standing there smiling. He leans in for a kiss and when he does he grabs a hold of the back of my head and pulls me close to him.

"Hey, I missed you this weekend," he says.

"Where were you?" I ask.

"After the game we spent the weekend at Pete's cabin."

I'm about to open my mouth when a group of girls walk by whispering to each other until they pass me. They are dead silent as they give me their looks of pity.

"Are people acting weird today or is it just me?"

Cam takes my hand in his and squeezes. Is it weird to feel nothing when your boyfriend touches you? There's no spark, no excitement, only pure dread. The zing I used to get is gone. "You don't know?"

I shake my head. "Know what?"

"Your dad and uh ... Lucille?"

The way the two have been acting the past few weeks have definitely set off some warning bells, but how would Cam know that? He hasn't been over in two months and I never mentioned anything to him about my suspicions.

He digs in his back pocket and pulls out his phone. It takes him a few seconds to scroll through, but when he finds what he's looking for he hands it to me. I almost drop the phone at the sight of the words on the screen.

Brooke Wood Mayor Caught in a Scandal.

Like any celebrity tabloid there's a very fuzzy picture underneath the title. I don't read the words, but I scroll down to find a picture of him covering her head with a jacket, only the picture doesn't look so recent. I'm not sure why this is a scandal, if they're in love what does it have to do with anyone else?

"Sleeping with the nanny, go Mr. Mayor!" someone shouts from down the hallway.

A knot forms in my throat, but I refuse to cry. I have to stand my ground and let people see that whatever is happening is not bothering me. The old Marnie would brush it off, so this weird version of myself needs to do the same.

I hope Derek isn't getting bombarded with harassing comments too. I give Cam his phone back and send Derek a quick text asking if he's okay. The bell rings and Cam lingers.

"You're okay, right? I can't be late today." Cam stares at me.

"Totally fine." I lie through my teeth.

"Great, just ignore them, they don't know shit."

He gives me a quick kiss on the forehead then runs down the hallway. I stare after him until he turns the corner, then shut my locker. I don't move for the first few seconds, even as the bell rings. I need a few seconds to collect myself. A text comes through.

Derek: I'm fine! I know it's hard for you to have people talking shit, but you'll get over it.

I throw the phone into my backpack, hoping it will keep me from checking the news throughout the day. Straightening my shoulders I head off to first period in hopes I can fly under the radar.

By the time I enter Mr. Shepherd's room I'm confident enough to finish out the day and wait until after school to talk to dad. There has to be some explanation for the older picture, and I'm sure that dad will tell me that it's all a big misunderstanding.

I take a seat and wait for the second bell. I grip the desk and try to keep it from rattling as my leg bounces. There's some whispers behind me and I hear the words cheating and Mayor in the same sentence. Not able to wait another minute, I dive deep into the depths of my messy backpack and pull out my phone. Placing it under my desk I scroll through the latest articles, there are so many new ones popping up since this morning.

A source has spoken out about Eric Benett's previous relationship. An unidentified source tells us that relations with Lucille Martin, their Nanny, came about while he was still married to Josephine Benett, now Josephine Young.

"That's bullshit!" I yell out loud. The room falls silent.

"Excuse me, Miss. Benett?" Mr. Shepherd asks.

I was so lost in the article that I didn't realize that class started. My face burns red as I meet his eyes.

"I uh - not you." I slink down into my chair.

He gives me a warning, then tells the class to simmer down as laughter fills the room. Dad would never cheat on mom, there has to be some mistake. She left us because she couldn't handle it, not because he cheated on her. I was only four when she left, but I know he loved her. He treated her like she mattered. They used to dance in the kitchen late at night when no one was watching. They didn't start fighting until the very end of their relationship, I know because I used to hide under the covers.

A vision of that day plays over in my head. I try to focus on her face. She ran out of the house while I was watching TV with Dom. I may have been young, but the memory is ingrained in my head. Her face was stained with tears, but I thought it was out of anger. What if she had walked in on them? What if the whole time that is what they'd been fighting about?

Around the room mostly everyone's eyes are focused on Mr. Shepherd. There are some that are scrolling on their phones and I'm paranoid that they are reading articles about my dad. The room spins causing my stomach to churn. I can't spend another minute in school. I start to gather my bag, but my phone drops with a thud. Ignoring Mr. Shepherd's sudden silence I grab it and stand.

"Marnie, where are you going?" He calls after me.

I push open the door and exit the class. Without looking back I speed walk through the hallways, hoping he's not following me. If I don't get fresh air I might puke. My chest hurts as if someone is squeezing it inside a vise. I run away in the hallway.

Swinging my backpack forward I rifle through it to find my keys. When I don't feel them I shake the bag to try and hear them over the roaring in my ear. A lump rises in my throat, don't cry Marnie, keep it together.

I push through the double doors near the front office and out into the cold February chill. The air hits me and my lungs fill up. Crossing the bus lane I find myself continuing to dig into my backpack instead of watching where I'm going. I grab what feels like the hard jagged edge of a key and start to lift my head when I collide with someone.

I gasp as their arms instantly hook around my waist, tugging me towards them. Right away the familiarity of his hold tells me exactly who it is. Flint. My hand lays flat against his leather jacket. I try taking a deep breath, but it's impossible. I'm gasping for air as he holds me close. With each shaky breath tears begin to fall.

He reaches his hand into my bag and like magic pulls my keys out. Throwing an arm over my shoulder, he guides me to my car.

We stop next to the passenger side door. I can't face him, not with tears streaming down my face. Instead, I concentrate on the movement of his chest. He dips his pointer under my chin to raise it up. His eyes search mine, while his thumb caresses the side of my cheek.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asks, gently.

I don't trust my voice, so I shake my head. There's no reason to lie to him, unlike Cam he'd see right through me.

"Is this about the news?"

Another nod.

"Where are you planning on running away to?" His voice is thick with worry. "Talk to me, Marnie."

I close my eyes and allow the pad of his thumb to graze the skin on my face. I need a few moments to collect myself before I can speak.

"Home," I say with a rasp. "I have to find out the truth."

He lifts his gaze towards the school, but focuses right back on me. "I'll drive you. You're a wreck, I can't let you drive by yourself like this."

I stare at him. "What about school?"

"Screw school," he says, dropping his hand from my face.

"I don't need people to...."

He clenches his teeth, so I drop it. Jesus Marnie, you could at least say thank you. Why do I do that? There's a distant look in his baby blues. I don't know why he bothers to reach out when I'm like this. I can't ever admit that this feels right.

"I'm late anyway, no one will think twice. I won't say anything, if that's what you're worried about."

I can't see him backing down from his offer. He's probably right, no one would suspect us being together because he's technically not in school yet. I can't ask him to miss class, but driving this upset won't help anyone.

"Okay." My words barely form a sound.

"I've always wanted to drive a fancy car. Why can't you drive something cool, like a lamborghini though?" He grins and playfully nudges me with his elbow.

A shaky laugh escapes my lips. Flint straightens himself out, his smirk widens like he's proud of himself for getting me to smile. I lightly push his chest and the soft chuckle vibrates through me. He presses his hand gently against my face and my stomach flutters when I stare up into his eyes again.

"Come on, let's get you home," he whispers.