Red Pov

The weird but amazing encounter with Mr. Caddel left me in a state of silence as I swiftly departed from his office, my mind racing with thoughts. As I made my way back towards my group of friends, a realization struck me-I never anticipated having friends in the first place. But that aside, my immediate concern was the perception that I had received special treatment by using my connection with the principal's son to gain entry into the school. I couldn't allow people to think I had taken the easy way in; I needed to find a way to clear my name.

I need to talk to Xavier.

Determined, I headed towards the bustling halls, where a group of guys caught my attention. Among them, I recognized Xavier's voice and made my way towards him.

Taking a deep breath, I summoned the courage to approach him. Xavier had already noticed my presence, and he abandoned his conversation to meet me halfway. "We need to talk," I blurted out, unable to contain the urgency in my voice. I overheard whispers and saw smirks on the faces of his friends, but I pushed past those distractions.

"Of course we do, but not here," he replied, understanding the need for privacy. I grabbed his wrist, signaling my intention, and together we hurried out of the school, seeking a more secluded spot.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted our departure with an unexpected apology. I turned to see who had spoken, my ears refusing to believe what they had heard. "I'm sorry," the voice repeated, its tone soft and filled with genuine remorse. I couldn't help but feel uncertain and vulnerable in that moment.

"What?" I responded, my voice barely above a whisper, unsure of how to process this unexpected apology.

"I'm sorry about the rumors. I had no idea it would escalate this way," he confessed, desperation evident in his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you, I swear, but your friends wouldn't allow me. Not that I blame them." The sincerity in his voice touched me, and I began to question whether I should give him the benefit of the doubt.

"It's okay," I said, trying to regain some composure, though I folded my arms defensively.

"No! It's not, Red!" His voice rose, surprising me with its intensity. "People think you're a slut, and that's bullshit!" Finally, I was relieved that he didn't act like a complete jerk.

"We need to put a stop to these rumors, Xavier. The Elders can't find out about any of this," I pleaded, realizing the gravity of the situation. But I couldn't reveal the true reason behind my urgency. Not yet.

"Why?" he asked, confusion etched on his face. Little did he know that my life depended on keeping the Elders in the dark, and any misstep could result in dire consequences.

"I can't tell you," I replied, feeling the weight of guilt settle over me. His eyes reflected a mixture of sadness and understanding.

"Okay, I get it," he said, though I knew he didn't truly comprehend the severity of the situation.

"What are we going to do about Avery?" I asked, frustration creeping into my voice. "You might not know how to handle her."

"Huh! Why would you think that?" he retorted, clearly annoyed by my assumption.

"Well... she managed to completely alter the perception of you within the entire school in, what, 24 hours? But I might have a plan," he said, checking an imaginary watch on his wrist. The intensity in his gaze both frightened and excited me, as I wondered what he had up his sleeve.

"How?" I asked, curiosity and a hint of fear evident in my voice as I locked eyes with Xavier. His intense gaze sent shivers down my spine, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation, wondering what he had up his sleeves.

Xavier took a few minutes to explain a part of his plan to me, and as he did, I found myself thinking it was seriously insane. I begged him to reveal the rest, but he insisted that it would spoil all the fun. I resisted the urge to strangle him out of frustration.

"Red!" Dean called out, and I abruptly stopped walking. I glanced back and saw the guys waiting for me outside. I hoped they hadn't seen Xavier with me.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted them with a big smile, but their confused expressions made it clear that something was amiss.

"Okay, which spell did you cast on her, Ana?" one of them asked, looking at Avery.

"I didn't do anything!" Avery raised her hands in defense, denying any involvement.

"Why would you think that?" I questioned, feigning innocence.

"Well, just a few hours ago, you wanted the ground to swallow you up because of the rumors, and now suddenly you're all happy..." Ana paused for a moment, her eyes widening as if she had a sudden realization. "...wait, what happened between you and Mr. Caddel, hmm?" She wiggled her eyebrows mischievously, and the rest of the group burst into laughter.

"Huh...what?" I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.

"Oh, look, she's blushing," Jacob teased, reaching out to touch my cheek. I swatted his hand away, feeling the need to defend myself. "Yep, something definitely happened. Details, Red. Now."

"Guys, seriously, nothing happened," I protested, but they stood there, waiting for me to reveal the truth, unconvinced by my denial. "Fine! He just comforted me, that's all, and we...kinda hugged." I whispered the last part, feeling even more mortified.

"You what?" Dean looked shocked, and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

"We hugged." I confirmed, and they continued to stare at me, waiting for a more detailed explanation. Avery, in particular, seemed determined to get to the bottom of things.

"Okay," I sighed, realizing that there was no escaping their curiosity. I motioned for us to take a seat at an empty table, and they eagerly dragged me over, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Well, if you guys must know..." I began, drawing out the suspense. "He called me to ask about the rumors. I felt embarrassed and wanted to leave, but he stopped me."

"How?" Ana and Jacob chimed in simultaneously, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I was about to open his door to leave, and he grabbed my wrist and hugged me. He told me that I could cry on his shirt, that he had an extra one, and reassured me that everything would be fine..." As I recounted the moment, I couldn't help but remember how it felt to be in his arms, his muscular frame providing a comforting embrace. My heart skipped a beat at the thought of him.

"My goodness, this feels like a romance novel coming to life," Ana exclaimed, playfully wiping fake tears from her eyes.

"Come on, guys, he was just being a good guardian, that's all," I defended, but Avery scoffed in disbelief.

"Yeah, Red, guardians allow their students to cry on their shirts without caring if it's normal or if someone might walk into the office," Avery retorted.

"It's not?" I questioned, genuinely puzzled.

"No, Red, it's not normal. I didn't want to admit it, but you guys have this intense situation going on, and I can't even explain it," Avery explained, her tone serious.

"Maybe he's just sexually frustrated," Jacob interjected, earning glares from all of us.

" Jacob, you need help. What Ana said is true. You should have seen the way he acted when Xavier carried you to the nurse's office... I sensed a man's jealousy from a mile away," Avery remarked, her expression grave.

"I don't know what to do or think about him right now. But what Ana said about him being a teacher is true. I shouldn't feel these things, but when I see him, I just..." I trailed off, struggling to find the words.

"Get hard?" Jacob smirked, unable to resist teasing me.

"Shut up, Jacob!" We shouted, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

"Either way, it's just a silly crush. It'll go away, I hope. But right now, I need to focus on something more serious," I declared.

"Aubrey?" Dean asked, knowing the weight of the situation.

"Yeah, her. But don't worry Xavier and I have come up with a plan for tonight," I said, determination shining in my eyes.

"Wait, isn't he the one who started this rumor in the first place?" Dean questioned, raising a valid point.

"Yep, he is. And he's going to be the one to end it. Or else, I'm killing him," I declared, a hint of a mischievous grin playing on my lips.

"You, my dear Red, are the greatest thing that has ever happened to this school," Ana said, giggling and breaking the tension with her lighthearted comment.