It's been a week, a week of spending every single day covered under her blankets in her dorm trying not to dwell on the fact that everything she planned has gone down the drain with that article. Classes had been out for a break and with no real reason to leave her room, she stayed inside alone the whole week.

When classes were finally back in session Adelaide didn't moan like all her classmates instead she welcomed the distraction with open arms. She might no longer be on the school's paper but she has a full schedule of journalism classes to tie her over until inspiration on how to fix all this comes to her mind.

She could try to sue the school ... but then again in this town, no one would side with her much less a whole court. Best to keep thinking.

She makes good use of her thoughts by focusing on them and not the way everyone still seems to be completely focused on her as they gossip with each other.

"I can't believe she stuck around." A girl's voice breaks her concentration as she walks through the doors of her Investigative Journalism class.

She stumbles through the door in shock and when she looks up at the story of seats in front of her. Sitting dead in the middle of the room is Samuel who glares down at her. The rest of the team sitting around him with shocked expressions.

"I guess I'm just full of surprises today." She whispers under her breath as someone's shoulder barges past her.

"Hey watch it." She spits out as the guy waves to the ice hockey team, at her words he turns around.

His hood falls down as he turns revealing the brown shaggy hair and vivid green eyes of the guy she slammed into. Her anger fades away and she's about to make a comment about it being some kind of payback as a joke but his smile fades and he's glaring at her.

"Sorry I thought it was a bit of trash, my mistake." His words cut deeply into Adelaide's chest as the crowd behind his laugh.

She feels sick as she walks past him, up the stairs to the last row as far away from the pricks as possible.

Adelaide can't help but watch him walk up to the team to a round of applause, Samuel even forcing the guy next to him to move for the newcomer.

"Paxton that was legendary." Sam directs his comment more to her than to Paxton but still, he takes the pat on the back with an evil smirk on his face.

Adelaide supposes that the way to be on the captain's good side is now to attack her and make her feel like shit.

She takes a deep breath as the teacher walks into the room, she straitens her shoulders and prepares herself.

If this is how they want to play against her then they have another thing coming she's not going to be intimidated by some punk guys who don't know a single thing about her. She has more going for her than being liked by some guys at university.

The teacher begins the lecture with some famous investigative journalism works.

"Everyone has seen the books written by journalists of famous real-life cases but lately a new form of investigative journalism has come out. These new forms bring more to the study of journalism. Podcasts and documentary series have brought a new way to get real-life news out to people. With many actually helping to solve mysteries and bring the victim's stories to light."

He flicks to the next slide.

"Your first bit of homework is finding a Podcast or documentary series that highlights the victims and not the perpetrator. In the past, the focus of journalism has been to find out more about the perp and ignoring the victims but they are the ones we write for, the stories we want to tell and give a voice to."

He changes the slides again.

"Your first assignment will be writing your own script for one of these forms of journalism and investigating your own victimology of a true or fake crime. You can use real-life cases that interest you or you can even find a movie or TV show but make sure you can find out a lot about the victims and not just the perp."

The class continues as the professor explains investigative journalism and what that really entails for a journalist. Adelaide barely hears his words as ideas begin forming in her mind. She knows she's going to use a real-life crime but which one?

She wants to do something shocking, she wants to turn around her journalism career from the shark attack of her article being published to someone people listen to, someone people believe.

The class passes in a blur as she spends the time writing down cases she can study some more and just as the professor leaves she starts packing up her things.

She notices one of the girls near her, who spent half her time gossiping to her friends about Adelaide and the other half ogling the team, as she walks up to the boys swaying her hips and bringing the focus of all the guys to her at once.

Even Adelaide struggles to look away from the girl's figure.

"Sammy," she calls to him with a little wave but her eyes are focused entirely on Paxton as she talks, "next weekend is the first game are you excited?" Her eyebrow quirks up.

Samuel smirks at her.

"In fact, I spent this morning with some past team captains and I think we came up with the perfect plan for the best season we've had." He winks at her before turning to the crowd still seated and listening to the exchange.

"Actually I have a bit of an announcement for everyone. This ice hockey season we will take the world by storm and show everyone that some little girls," his eyes shift over to Adelaide along with everyone else, "some little girls' cruel lies are not going to affect us. In fact, we are going to do better than ever and I have a secret up my sleeve that will help us along the way."

He winks at her, Adelaide watches as he spins back on his heel and the crowd of them file out of the room. He's baiting her, she knows it but she can't help but follow along with it.

What secret does he have up his sleeve? How can she the girl shunned by every ice hockey fan find out without suspicion falling on her?

This might be the break that brings her recognition if the story is juicy enough she might even get back onto the school's newspaper.

Her eyes alight with excitement she grabs her things hastily and gets up ready to follow the team and get to work on her new personal assignment when all of a sudden a foot is placed in front of her and she tumbles down the stairs.

Laughing echoes around her as she lies at the bottom of the stairs. She doesn't feel any pain but sticks to the ground as people walk around her, embarrassment wrapping its arms around her.

At the door, she notices the sound had caught the attention of the team. Samuel's face is turned to her, bright red as he laughs himself hoarse with the rest of the team.

The only person she doesn't seem laughing or smiling with is Paxton as he looks over at her. He's the first to turn away and continue on walking, the others and everyone else in the room following behind him shortly after.

She takes a minute or two to collect herself.

"I am strong." She breathes the words in deeply.

"I am not afraid." She cracks her neck.

"I don't need anyone's bullshit. I can take on the world." She stands up, ready to take on the world.

She takes a step and feels the slightest bit of pain as she put pressure on the ankle. She cringes away from the pain.

"Well at the very least I can take on this school."

She doesn't let anyone know her pain as she walks through the school to her next class, she keeps her steps steady and teeth clenched.

As she walks down a hallway to her next class the phones of students around her all beep with a message. Her back tightens as her phone beeps a second later.

She's slow to pull out her phone, not stopping her march to her next class until she opens the email and the video attachment.

Welcome to Hell Week Bitch.

The video is shot from the bottom of the lecture hall stairs as one of the girls next to Adelaide sticks out their foot and pushes her slightly as she falls down the stairs.

A smile spreads on Adelaide's face as she watches the video over and over again. This is great, she thinks to herself, those dumb bitches caught themselves on video.

She smirks up at the crowd forming around her.

And she knows exactly what to do with it.

She pushes her way through the crowd and enters her class, feeling the happiest she's felt since this whole fiasco started.

She has a plan, and a focus and once again she feels inspired to write something. 

Another chapter down and I don't know about you guys but my anger issues are through the roof with these people. I hope Adelaide gets revenge on those girls. 

What do you think the captain has up his sleeve? 
Do you think Adelaide will be able to find out and uncover the truth? 

Also how good does there assignment and homework sound? I would one hundred percent love to do that for school hahaha

As always if you see any mistakes or issues within any of my stories please comment so I can fix them in the next draft. 

Thank you for reading,

Laura Tector