Elijah Carter didn't talk to anyone that morning.
Not Brielle.
Not even Grace.
He walked the hallways like a ghost with clenched fists and stormy eyes. Rumors swirled like wildfire, whispers of cheating, of stolen test answers found in his locker.
Brielle heard it from a junior on her way to class, and her heart sank like a stone.
"Elijah?" she breathed, cornering him after the third bell. "What the hell is going on?"
He stared at her, silent for too long.
"They found something in my locker," he finally said. "Answers to next week's Chem final."
Her stomach dropped. "You didn't..."
"No," he snapped. Then softer, ashamed, "No. Of course I didn't."
Brielle stepped closer. "Then someone planted it. Who?"
"I don't know," he said, voice strained, jaw clenched. "But it doesn't matter. They've already suspended me from class until the hearing."
She wanted to scream. Elijah, the one guy who'd never even break a pencil wrong, being labeled a cheater?
Her blood boiled.
And then it got worse.
In the Library
She was halfway through her search for clues when Ariana Lane slid in beside her.
Perfect hair, smug smile.
"I heard about Elijah," Ariana said, eyes glinting.
Brielle ignored her.
Ariana leaned in. "He was always so focused. So clean. Until you..."
That made Brielle's head snap up. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Ariana's voice dipped. "He was stable before you showed up. Then you kiss him in some random hallway, drag him into your drama, and now he's a suspect in a cheating scandal?"
Brielle stood, fists trembling at her sides. "Don't twist this on me."
"Oh, I'm not twisting anything," Ariana whispered, too close. "Just saying, maybe you're the chaos Elijah doesn't need."
And with that, she walked off, swaying like nothing had happened, leaving Brielle with fire crawling under her skin.
After School – Behind the Gym
Elijah was still outside, seated against the brick wall like the weight of the world had flattened him.
"I know you didn't do it," Brielle said, approaching.
He didn't look up. "Then why does everyone else think I did?"
"Because they don't know you."
Elijah finally glanced at her, tired and torn. "I used to think Ariana knew me."
The sentence hung in the air like a wound.
Brielle swallowed hard, unsure how to answer that.
Just then, footsteps echoed.
A tall figure approached, muscles, smirk, and storm.
Zane Woods.
Brielle froze. "What the hell...?"
He didn't even look at her. His eyes were fixed on Elijah.
"So you're the genius who kissed my girl," Zane sneered.
Elijah stood slowly, calm but cold. "Your girl?"
Brielle stepped between them. "I'm not anyone's girl."
Zane's eyes burned. "Funny. You didn't say that when we were together."
Elijah's hand curled into a fist.
Zane tilted his head mockingly. "Don't worry. I'm not here to fight. Yet."
He turned to leave, throwing a final glance over his shoulder. "But if you thought this was over, Carter... you've got another thing coming."
Later That Night
Brielle sat on her bed, phone in hand, Elijah's contact open.
She didn't press call.
Instead, she stared out the window and whispered to the night, "Who the hell planted those answers?"
And far across town, a pair of eyes watched her name flicker on a screen… and smirked.
Because chaos was just getting started.