Alyssa's PoV:

"So nothing happened ?" Nate questioned

"You look pretty different" Amy noticed looking at Em. That was true, since the Halloween party Emily has been quite different.

Emily is probably one of my favorite people in the world, she is this sweet kind, and cute soul. She never gets mad or angry and tries to see the best in things, to me she resembles a ray of sunshine.

Emily is usually happy and smiling and since that Halloween party she has been well... more morbid and sarcastic and I fear she has spent too much time with me.

But then I think we have been friends for over 13 years and she had never been like this so this one isn't on me... and once it is since the Halloween party it can only be due to one person. My brother.

Aiden had the nerve to completely transform my best friend into a similar copy of me. I want to kill him but I know if I just simply tried his freaking knight in shining armor will come and rescue him.

"I have told you it's nothing. I'm fine"

"Ok..." Amy breathed "So let's cheer up the mood"

"How will you do that?" Selena questioned curious

"Something happened at the party" Amy told us in a secretive way

"Why are you saying that? Did someone steal something?" Nate questioned

"Yes Nathan...you are right"

"What do you mean??"

"Ok so... I was heading to the bathroom and I was pulled by my arm into a dark closet" Amy explained to us

"Sounds like a kidnapping" Nate mentioned

"Sounds terrifying we were in a horror house!" Selena exclaimed making me nod

"Well I sensed it was a sexy grip"

"That doesn't make any sense" I thought our loud

"Whatever. The person who grabbed me locked us in and spoke to me"

"He locked you?" Emily questioned as Amy nodded a simple yes leaving all of us with shocked faces

"Then he said you won't have to wait for me for too long in this super deep and sexy voice"

"It sounds like an horror movie" Nate recognized

"Stop interrupting !" she took a deep breath " Then he said did you like the rose and he left and turned on the lights" Amy explained leaving us thinking

"So this is the guy from the rose and the note... it's J" I told her as she nodded to me frantically

"We just need to make a list of everyone that went at that party with a name with J"Amy told us more like demanded

"You are not making a list of that. All of the school went and also other people" Selena advised her

"So I am doomed?"

"Aren't you afraid he's like a psycho?"Nate asked

"If he loves me I am fine with it"

"You are so desperate" he fired back

"I really don't get anyone in this, we suck at love for real. You are dating one of the most popular guys in school and besides looking happy as always radiant like the sun you look like a tornado" Nate mentioned pointing at Emily and then me "You could be dating by now with the cute surfer boy but instead you have been avoiding him for a month. And you " Nate looked at Amy now " you have a freaking stalker and instead of being worried you are over the moon with it... you " he looked at Selena while she tilted her head waiting to hear what he got to say "You love direct boys but you never say a word first, they won't simply rain on you and me... I am gay!" he breathed tiredly "We are all fucked "

"I am fine with living with you forever" Selena smiled

"I am not" Nate mentioned

"Maybe we should just focus on school " I said with a small smile hoping they would agree with me but instead I just earned disapproval faces

"Maybe we should take risks" Selena proposed

"After you" Nate imposed

"Well... I need courage for it"

While we were talking we suddenly understood the gossiping in the cafeteria.

"What is going on?" Amy asked looking around as we watched all of the tables gossip. Whispering low to each other and in the meantime looking at... Our table?

" They are looking at us?" Emily questioned

"It looks like it" I mentioned as some students passed with the lunch on their trays and looked at us.

"Ok, guys think... what did we do?" Nate asked panicking

"We slay like every day" Amy said confidently, but I was thinking what could cause such gossip in the school. My heart tightened at the thought of my secret being revealed, but that is impossible... Mason wouldn't tell my secret... would he?

"I can't believe they are dating" we heard a girl say to another

"Can't you see they aren't? She was totally doing that for popularity"

"She is such a wannabe"

"What a bitch" they laughed between each other while we stood there trying to figure this out

"I got this I —" Amy said "Beatrice!" she called getting the attention of one of the most influential people in this school, she was like a living newspaper. Everyone thought she was the owner of the gossip Instagram account of the school... and if she was then she was the one who made my tragic relationship public last year. She knows everything... but she claims she is not the owner of the account yourlocalgossipxoxo.

"Amy..." These two were a bit like rivals. Amy was the aesthetic influencer, publishing places, parties, and crazy events. Beatrice was the one of rumors and gossip and you don't want any of them as your enemy.

"What is going on?"

"How can you not know? It's about your friend...." She mentioned looking at Emily for a second... I mean I think it was Emily

"What is?"

"Regina spread the rumor she was dating Aiden, but no one is believing it, the rumor is that actually she is lying to get his attention like a wannabe popular?"

"Excuse me?" Emily said offended

"What? Do you think they are going to believe a silly no-one is really dating THE Aiden Anderson... its ridiculous and everyone knows it" Beatrice responded

"What did Regina said exactly? Wasn't she the one saying Em was a liar right?" I asked Beatrice as I saw her face change for a few moments thinking of a lie

"Why would she?"

"She has her reasons" I shrugged my shoulders

"Regina is the most popular around Why do you think she would waste time on making up a rumor about a no one?"

"Did you do it then?" I asked as Beatrice frowned her eyebrows and slammed the table

"Calm your tits" Nate mumbled

"She is the liar!" Beatrice said out loud, so the whole cafeteria would hear, while pointing at Emily " This loser is trying to be popular by saying she is dating Aiden Anderson. That is like... outrageous! How did you think that you could ever date someone like him? You are so low in the pyramid for that... I pity you, like everyone else here Emily. You are just a poor skunk that tried to step on popularity, but shame on you we all see right through you bitch!" I was watching Emily this whole time and she tried to get up but I didn't let her I simply held her hand underneath the table.

But containing her didn't mean I would contain myself, as I was about to bet this bitch up but a loud spank against a table was heard, and all eyes moved to the owner of the sound.

No one moved but him, he got up looking at Beatrice sternly while reaching near our table.

"I hope I heard it wrong but Beatrice did you just call a poor skunk and a bitch to my girlfriend?" he said making me smile, gosh I did not know this day would come, look at him doing something right!

Beatrice didn't move she was too shocked by it while the cafeteria was filled with surprised and gasping sounds.

"So did you?" he asked her while placing both his hands on our table and leaning a bit on it while facing Emily on the other side.

"I— I—" she mumbled not really knowing how to answer.

"Did you or did you not?" he asked slamming the table and making her and my friends flinched meanwhile I just stunned by my brother's act

"I - I did" she whispered

"Couldn't hear you?" He said angrily "SPEAK"

"I did" she said a bit loud

"You really shouldn't have done that Beatrice, because I'll make sure you are the one turning into a poor skunk!" My brother mentioned as Beatrice's eyes trembled and a pout appeared

But he continued "Since everyone is so interested in my life" he said turning around to face the others at the cafeteria "I will let you know that Emily Day is my girlfriend and everyone that does anything bad to her or talks bad to her as to pass through me! " He shouted painting at his chest "Was I clear?" he questioned the whole cafeteria as if we were in the NAVY but he didn't obtained an answer so he scremed louder and with a meaner face "WAS I CLEAR?"

"Yes..yes" the people answered subtly and lowly, afraid of my brother

"Good" He nodded as he checked around, his eyes stopped on his table and he made a hand movement as if calling them to him. Then I understood that Aiden had just called all of his crew to have lunch with us not only his dearest friends but the football team too.

"Great..." I mumbled

"What are you still doing here?" He asked looking at Beatrice but she couldn't respond, just weird sounds were coming out of her mouth "GO AWAY!" he ordered as she ran in embarrassment, I presume... away from the cafeteria.

The whispers turned into How sweet, he's so hot, they look cute and just like that no one would dare to make fun of Emily ever again or something bad would happen.

Meanwhile, we were squeezed into our benches because the football team was ordered to join in with all their trays of foodus. Aiden sat beside Emily while I was being squeezed between her and Nate. Luke joined Nate at the other side and the rest of them well, they just tried to fit in the table.

"Are you okay?" Aiden questioned Emily, she didn't respond she nodded. If EM was in her normal self I bet she would have a huge smile and be hugging him by now for having saved her... however she was not in her normal self. " I am sorry" felt apologetic... real... who was he?

"For what?" She responded coldly making me open my eyes

"You know all of this"

"You didn't make them say those things"

"But my popularity did" he said a bit ashamed

"Your personality did not your popularity" She answered coldly again while eating a piece of food from her tray without... honestly the best expression would be.... giving a fuck. Damn you, Emily Day, who are you, girl?

"Why are you being like this?" He asked her while all of the table was interested in their argument

"Like what? Giving you the right answer? I am sorry I am not saying what you wish to wear but sometimes it happens unfortunately. I know that very well" She answered making a slight curve in my lips go up.

"What did you do?" My brother asked leaning forward at the table to take a good look at me since Emily was in our middle

"Me? I did nothing"

"Looks like it"

"You did it! She has been like this the whole week"

"What did you do then?"

"Me? Can't you take responsibility?" I asked him

"I can... I just did!"

"It's your fault... You did something fix it!"

"I didn't do shit!"

"She's like this because of you! Fix it or I will kill you" I threatened

"I'd like to see you try" He teased as he smirked

I was about to grab him but a hand grabbed my arm once I looked at the owner of the hand, I almost shot myself mentally for not thinking about him right away... I mean who could it be? My brother's knight, Mason Gray.

"What did we talk about?" He asked in a low voice looking at me

"I hate you" I mouthed at him while my brother smiled in victory. I looked at Emily and I saw how unfazed she was by all of this and that really worried me.