I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to school today. It isn't only Chloe or Liam or Leo that I'm worried about. It's the entire Swindon High. Everyone whom I knew or everyone who knew me, were now going to look at me with a very different angle.

But to hell with the entire school. I had to explain things to Liam and Chloe. Chloe has been my best friend since childhood, I knew it wouldn't take much of an effort to convince her that the post was all a lie. But what about Liam? He'll be devastated. I have been calling him since I saw that post but his phone was switched off.

After getting changed for school. I go downstairs.

I was so worried about the whole post thing I forgot to sit for breakfast.

"Evelyn. Evelyn! Aren't you forgetting something" says mum pointing towards the breakfast plate that she already has ready on the table.

"I'm not really feeling hungry today. And I need to go to school as soon as possible. We have this test and I think I need to revise."

"Evelyn, are you sure you're ok? If you're not feeling fine, maybe skip school today." Mum looked tense and a little bit of curiosity was overshadowing her concern.

"No... uhm. I'm fine, it's just that there is a new geography teacher who is not very pleasant and it's the first time that he is taking a class test so, I just don't wanna screw up." I try my best to keep up with the poker face. "And you know how worked up I get when it comes to academics."

"Yeah sure. I understand and I am sure you will nail it." Her face looks convincing. "But skipping breakfast isn't good, at least grab a few pieces of bread. Eat it on the way."

"Fine" I grab 2 pieces of bread with peanut butter spread all over it.

"Ok then see you after school"

I shove the bread inside my mouth "Yeah yeah after school yeah" and step out of the house in a hurry.

I go by Chloe's place and wait for her to come outside so that I can explain everything. But no one comes out, for the last 15 minutes. I call her and she doesn't answer.

I couldn't stop myself from thinking that she might be really pissed off but then on the other side of my mind I knew that she won't get pissed off so easily, she knows me we have been friends for like... forever! And she won't just believe an anonymous post on Instagram and get mad at me.

I ring the doorbell.

Chloe's mum comes out

"Hi, um.... Chloe?"

"Oh, Evelyn, Chloe left for school early today" What!? But why? She can't be mad at me because of that post. "Didn't she inform you? I thought you two were going together?"

"Uh, no, did she mention any reason for why she was leaving early today?"

"Nope, nothing in specific she just said she had some work to finish...."

"Alright. Ok thank you."

I still can't find the reason why Chloe would leave so soon. Was she trying to avoid me? But she knows that it's not possible, we are gonna meet at school anyways. Also we're literally neighbors!

I almost reach our school gate when I see Leo waiting for me. He comes rushing towards me as he sees me, "What the hell on earth is going on!?'' I look at him with absolutely no reaction on my face. So many things were going on in my mind I did not know which one to focus on.

"I don't know. I am still trying to figure it out"

"That post yesterday, what was that all about? Was it cropped? It did not look cropped?

"No no it was so real."

"The picture or the caption? Did you guys really go on a date or something?"

"What no! No. No! You're seriously even considering that thought." Leo saying that made me think that maybe even Chloe's thinking the same. So I lash out at him "your of your mind if you're thinking that"

"I don't know what to think anymore. Both of you guys are equally my friends and I don't want to take anyone's side. And I know how much you both care about each other. It would not just break me but our friendship as well."

"You're right." I pause "You should know the whole story. And it's definitely not the one that the caption says"

"I would like to believe that. And I do. But everyone else in the school is going nuts over that post. Have you seen Chloe?"

"No, that's what I am trying to find." I keep looking for Chloe as we walk towards the school.

"I thought you guys talked, didn't you?"

"No I didn't. She left home early today. And I didn't call her last night cause I thought a face to face conversation was more necessary." I could tell by Leo's face that he was worried.

"What about Liam did you talk to him"

"No, I couldn't reach him. He came outside my home last evening just before I saw the post and since then I have been trying to call him but his phone is switched off." But it's not Liam that I'm worried about.

I can explain to him later, Liam is new to all this and he knows how much Hazel hates me. But it was Chloe that I was worried about.

"Evelyn. Evelyn!" Leo's yelling brings my attention back to him. "Before we both go and find Chloe, tell me what were you guys actually doing there together. "

"Alright listen, it was the day that my nose got banged against some door. And it started to bleed, Jasper happened to be there, and he helped me. Like any other sane person would. He dragged me to the washroom and did everything necessary at that point, and trust me, it was necessary. I could barely stand. Later that day he saw me in the library to ask me how I was doing and I was about to start talking to him, when it struck me, that I shouldn't, I remember how Chloe cried her heart out, so I told him that after what he did last year I don't think we can have a lot of friendly chit chats, I know that you helped me and everything and I'm really thankful for that. But Chloe means a lot to me. So I asked him to stay away from me and not try to talk to me like we're friends or something. Jasper left. In the evening I got a text"

"From Jasper?" Leo predicted. Correctly.

"Yes! Him. He told me that he wanted to meet me and he wanted to confess something. I went insane. I was like bro! What are you talking about." Of course with all the things that happened earlier I thought he was going to maybe confess his feelings for me.

Uhg now that I think about it, it makes no sense. "But then he said that it wasn't about me; he wanted to patch things up with Chloe. For a moment I thought I should just ignore his texts but then he kept on saying how everything that happened last year was a big misunderstanding and he just wants me to hear him out." I was out of breath.

"So you agreed on meeting him in the nearby cafe. And that's when someone..." Leo predicted again. Correctly.

"Yeah. And after hearing the whole story about what happened last year, I felt that Jasper deserves a fair shot at a second chance. But I was not sure if Chloe would like to give him another chance. So I told him that I will give you two some time but you will have to do all the work, you will have to tell her the truth and just let her know that you like her. And that's what happened."

"Okay okay okay wait. Look I get it you give Jasper a fair shot and you didn't know that if Chloe was going to give him another chance and all of that, I understand. But why did you never mention all of this to me? I mean I know that Jasper and I had our differences and about what happened last year, it wasn't Jasper's fault it was Hazel's. Our connection was just collateral damage. I wouldn't have stopped you if you told me that Jasper should have another chance."

"Leo, I wasn't sure if Chloe was going to get together with Jasper until the day that you and I both saw Chloe talk to Jasper in the lunch break. And you have always been very sensitive about your own relations with people. After the whole revealing incident last year you never talked about you and Jasper. I thought maybe you don't want to."

"What. No. I didn't used to talk about him because of Chloe. I knew how upset she was about him."

I look at Leo with guilt and amusement on my face. "I'm so sorry Leo. I should have known. All of this was such a huge misunderstanding"

Leo's face looked a bit disappointed. And he should be. I'll try to make it up to him for not making him a part of this but right now I needed to find Chloe.

"But who do you think posted that?" Leo looks at me with confusion all over his face.

"Hazel." I knew there was aggression, hatred and irritation in my voice.

"Wha... who? That bitch again. But how?"

"That is what I don't know. Hazel wasn't there that day. At least I didn't see her."

"Then how do you know it was her? Wasn't it an anonymous account"

"Hazel's been threatening me since the day after that. Remember you saw me and Hazel during and you asked me what she was talking about, that's what she was asking me about. She tried to threaten me and ask me to convince Chloe to break up with Jasper. She asked me not to talk about this with any of you guys or she'll make a big thing out of it. Which she clearly did."

"So what did you do? Did you ask Chloe to break up with Jasper?"

"No no of course not, but honestly, that thought did cross my mind. It was before Chloe texted me about how excited she was with everything that was happening with Jasper. She texted me that she is really really glad about Jasper trying to impress her again. Jasper had already told her the entire story of what happened last year, so of course that misunderstanding was clearly not a problem. And somewhere I knew that Chloe liked Jasper a lot and that feeling won't just go this easily"

"Is that why you ask Chloe to not stay close to Jasper during school time?"

I nodded my head. Gesturing him a yes.

"Listen Evelyn. Look at me" Leo grabs my arm and makes me stop walking. "How about you go find Chloe and I'll get Liam, that way both of them can get a clarification at once."

"Yeah good. Ok." I said.

I run towards my locker, place my bag inside it. I look around. To see if they're here.

I do a little power walking, while looking around properly. I go to the washroom, in the library, the 2nd floor hallway, 3rd floor hallway, all the other girl's washrooms.

But Chloe was nowhere to be found.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N

A BIG THANKS to all readers, really happy about the book reaching 1k! all your comments and votes counts and they truly make my day.

The next chapter will be up soon! See ya'll there!