Alina strolled into the school, heading straight for her locker. She was in a sour mood, and it had been a terrible morning. First, she had spilled milk all over herself, only to realize there was none left for her cereal, so she had to eat it dry. Then, her car tires were flat. When she decided to take the bus, she missed it and had to run half a mile to school, arriving just in time to trip over a stray dog and fall face-first into a puddle.
Alina groaned as she opened her locker, muttering to herself about how this day couldn't possibly get worse. She started stuffing books into her bag when she saw Marcus, the most handsome boy in school, walking past. Marcus was tall with a perfect body, and his ass—oh yes, his ass was carved by the gods themselves. Alina lustfully stared at him, not even realizing she was smiling aimlessly and drooling.
"Wake up, Alina," she snapped herself back to reality. Just then, Marcus glanced her way, their eyes met, and he winked at her with a smirk. Alina's face turned bright red, and she quickly turned away, feeling a rush of butterflies in her stomach.
"Get a grip, Alina," she whispered to herself again. "He's not the one for you. That title is reserved for Evan, who's gentle and nice... and is definitely not a bully." She smiled, but her smile immediately disappeared. "Who am I kidding?" she sighed, remembering he was currently dating Kendra.
The thought of Evan brought a pang of sadness. She needed to let go of her obsession with him, which meant getting rid of her scrapbook. It was filled with love letters and stories she had written about her and Evan. She quickly remembered that the scrapbook was still in her locker.
Alina opened her locker again, grabbed the scrapbook, and stuffed it into her bag. Determined to head for class and forget about her ridiculous crushes, she started down the hallway.
On her way, she saw Marcus bullying someone near the drinking fountain. He was at it again, she thought. But as she was about to pass, she heard a familiar voice. "Give it back!" the person cried. It was Lizzy, her best friend.
Alina hurried to where they were and saw Marcus with Lizzy's backpack, holding it just out of her reach, laughing as she tried to snatch it back.
Alina did not know what to do. She hesitated, fear creeping into her mind. Marcus was handsome, yes, but he was the biggest bully in school. If she interfered, he would target her as well. But she couldn't leave Lizzy like that. Lizzy was her best friend, and she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Taking a deep breath, she approached the scene.
"Hey, Marcus! Leave her alone!" Alina shouted, her voice strong despite her legs wobbling like jelly. "Please God, don't let him hit me," she prayed silently.
Marcus turned, a smirk spreading across his annoyingly perfect face. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Wonder Woman," he said with a mocking bow. "What are you going to do about it?"
"You better leave her alone," she said, her voice breaking as she swallowed hard.
"What are you doing?" Lizzy whispered to her.
"Saving you, of course," Alina whispered back. "But I don't think I'm doing a good job because I think both of us are in trouble now," she added, shaking all over.
Marcus's eyes narrowed, but he still looked amused. "Oh, this is just too good," he said, laughing.
He tossed Lizzy's backpack aside and turned his attention to Alina. With a swift move, he snatched her bag from her shoulder and dumped its contents onto the floor. Textbooks, pens, and the brightly colored scrapbook spilled out.
"What are you doing?" Alina screamed at him.
"Well, what do we have here?" Marcus said, using his legs to scatter her things until his eyes caught the brightly colored scrapbook. He picked it up, flipped it open, and started reading aloud, his eyes widening in mock surprise. "Dear Mr. E, you are the light of my life. Your eyes are like the stars, and your smile is brighter than the sun."
Alina's face turned beet red. "Marcus, give it back!" she pleaded, reaching for the book.
"Oh, this is too good!" Marcus laughed. "Who's Mr. E? Come on, Alina, tell us. Or should I tell them? Or maybe read some more? Wait, we need an audience," he said. "I can't enjoy this alone. Everyone gather around!" he screamed out loud.
A crowd started to gather, curious students watching the drama unfold. Marcus held the scrapbook high, out of Alina's reach.
"Everyone, Alina here is in love," he announced to the students that had gathered around them. "And it could be any of you. Wait, let me read some of her heartfelt letters to the love of her life." He read again, "Mr. E, you are the love of my life, the air I breathe. When I see you, I quaver all over." He mocked her as the crowd started to laugh.
"Please give it back," Alina pleaded, embarrassed.
"Please, Marcus, please give it back," Lizzy also joined Alina in pleading as both knelt in front of him.
Marcus paused for a while, acting as if he was in deep thought before responding. "Hmm, I think I'll keep this for a while. Maybe I'll reveal the identity of Mr. E later today. How about that, folks?"
The students murmured excitedly, some giggling and others looking genuinely interested. Alina felt a wave of panic. "Please, Marcus, give it back. This isn't funny."
"Oh, but it is," Marcus said, a wicked grin on his face. "And for daring to challenge me, you're going to pay. Now get out of my way," he said, walking past her. As he strolled down the hall, Alina watched him playing with the scrapbook, tossing it in the air and catching it.
"Oh my God, he is basically advertising the book. I'm in trouble," she said, panicking and looking at Lizzy. "What do I do, Lizzy? What do I do?" she said, dragging Lizzy by her dress. "If he tells the school I'm in love with Evan later in the day as he claims, I will die of embarrassment."
Lizzy removed Alina's hands from her dress. "Calm down. We need a plan. We need to think of something to stop him."
"I got it," Alina said excitedly.
"What's the plan?" Lizzy asked, glancing over at Marcus, who was now talking to his friends near the large oak tree in the courtyard.
Alina took a deep breath. "We need to create a distraction. Something big enough to draw his attention away."
"Like what?" Lizzy inquired, curious.
Alina grinned. "I've got an idea. Remember the fire drill prank we pulled last year?"
Lizzy nodded. "Yes, I do."
"Good, but we need something even bigger," Alina said.
Lizzy nodded.
"What if we stage a big argument? One so loud that everyone, including Marcus, will come to see what's happening?" Alina suggested.
Lizzy smiled. "Perfect. Let's do it."
"But we need help. I will ask Mia for help," Lizzy said.
"Alright, let's go," Alina said, excited but nervous.
Alina, Mia, and Lizzy walked to the courtyard, positioning themselves near Marcus but far enough to avoid suspicion. Alina took a deep breath, and then the show began.
"What do you mean you took my phone?!" Lizzy yelled, her voice carrying across the courtyard.
"I had to borrow it, okay?" Mia shouted back. "You always take my stuff without asking!"
Students started turning their heads towards the escalating argument. Marcus looked up, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Alina seized the moment. She slipped behind Marcus, her heart pounding in her ears. She saw the scrapbook sticking out of his bag, and with trembling fingers, she reached for it.
"Hey, break it up!" a teacher's voice cut through the chaos as they approached Lizzy and Mia.
Marcus stood up, distracted by the commotion. Alina took a deep breath and gently pulled the scrapbook from his bag, slipping it into her own.
Just as she was about to step away, Marcus turned back around. "What the hell are you doing?" he snapped, his eyes narrowing at her.
Alina pretended she wasn't doing anything suspicious and tried to act natural. "I was just looking for my notebook. I think I dropped it here earlier," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Marcus's eyes flicked to his bag, and then back to Alina. "Your notebook, huh? Then why are you so jumpy?" he asked, stepping closer.
Alina's mind raced. She needed another distraction, fast. She spotted a group of students setting up a poster display nearby. "Look, the principal!" she shouted, pointing over Marcus's shoulder. He turned to look, and Alina took off, sprinting towards the school building.
She could hear Marcus shouting behind her, his footsteps pounding closer. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him gaining on her, his face twisted with determination.
"Alina, stop!" Marcus yelled, but she didn't dare look back again.
Just as she reached the steps to the school building, her foot caught on a loose brick. She stumbled, her dress snagging and tearing on the rough edge. Alina hit the ground hard, her palms scraping against the pavement. Pain shot through her knees, but she quickly scrambled to her feet, clutching the scrapbook to her chest.
Marcus was on her in an instant. He grabbed the scrapbook, yanking it out of her hands with a triumphant grin. "Nice try," he sneered, holding the book high above his head.
Alina's cheeks burned with embarrassment as laughter echoed around her. She could feel tears stinging her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She stood up, brushing dirt off her torn dress, trying to maintain her dignity.
"You think you can fool me?" he sneered. "This is just the beginning. I will make your life a living hell. Just watch out," he said, waving the book in her face and walking away.
Alina was shaking all over. She needed to come up with a plan as quickly as possible, or else her last semester in school would be a horrific experience she wouldn't be able to tell her future kids about.