When Monday rolls around, I'm not looking forward to going to school. Now that I'm positive Lacey is plotting some sort of revenge on me for "stealing" her boyfriend, I'm dreading the chance of running into her, which is inevitable considering how small this town is. Unfortunately, I know better than most that there is no point in running from your problems. They'll always find a way to catch up to you; so I might as well put a brave face on and hold my ground.

I find Lana waiting for me by my locker once I approach to grab my books for first period. I pretend not to notice the faint hickeys that dot her neck, unintentionally searching the hall for Kyler. I don't notice him, so I assume Lana is here to talk about the "we're together but not official" relationship she has going on with him.

As if on cue, the second I reach her side, Lana says, "I need your help."

"What is it this time?" I tease, shooting Lana a playful smile before turning my attention to entering my locker combination in order to get into my locker.

"Kyler asked me to be his girlfriend," Lana blurts in one quick breath, rushing to add, "And I said yes."

"You said yes?" I cry in excitement, completely forgetting about my books for first period as I turn to face Lana and offer her a wide grin. "Lana, that's great! I'm so happy for you two!"

"No, it's not great!" Lana counters dejectedly. For the first time since I joined her, I notice the worry and embarrassment lacing her tense expression. "I was drunk at the time, Morgan. And now . . . now Kyler is my boyfriend." Lana shudders as if this is the worst thing she could possibly think of happening to her, and I see that she's still trying to act like she doesn't have feelings for Kyler.

"Lana, we both know you like him," I retort simply, as if stating a fact. I take a few notebooks out of my book-bag and set them into my locker, facing away from Lana as I say, "And we both know that he likes you. You two were bound to get together eventually." 

"I just wanted him to work harder for it," Lana admits with a groan, leaning against the locker next to mine. "I didn't want him to ask me out while we were both wasted. I don't want that to be our how-we-got-together story, you know?"

My eyebrows furrow as I lift my gaze back up to Lana, her words puzzling me. "But haven't you two been hooking up this whole time, anyway?"

"That's different," Lana retorts, dismissing my statement with a roll of her eyes. "It's easy to get someone into bed with you. But managing a real relationship? That's hard. It takes genuine effort and work and maturity. I'm just not sure Kyler can handle all of that."

"Lana," I say softly, resting my hand on my friend's shoulder as I offer her a sympathetic gaze. "Anyone looking at Kyler can see how much he cares about you. Believe me. And if he thinks he's ready for a real relationship, and you both like each other, what's stopping you from at least giving it a try?" Lana opens her mouth to respond, but I quickly stop her short by mumbling, "Speak of the devil, he's walking this way."

"Hello, my beautiful girlfriend that I'm finally lucky enough to be able to call my girlfriend," Kyler says as he greets Lana, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leaning down to kiss her cheek. I bite my lip to suppress the smile threatening to take over my expression as I notice Lana blushing, thinking to myself that these two may just be able to make things work after all.

"Ky, you don't have to keep this up. I know we were both drunk when we agreed to—" Lana abruptly stops short when she glances over at me, as if realizing for the first time that I'm still here and able to hear her conversation. Her blush deepens, averting her gaze from both myself and Kyler.

Kyler's eyebrows come together in confusion, seemingly taken aback by Lana's words. Shaking his head slowly, Kyler murmurs, "What are you talking about, Lana Banana? I asked you out because I want to be with you. How many times have I asked you to be my girlfriend now? Do you really think I'd keep coming back to you if you didn't mean anything to me?" I notice Lana's expression soften as Kyler draws on, and I begin to feel like I'm intruding on a private moment. I want to give the two some space, but they did choose to start this right in front of my locker, which I need to get into in order to prepare for class.

"Unless you don't want this," Kyler mumbles, gesturing between himself and Lana. "Because I would never want to—"

"No," Lana cuts Kyler off quickly, shaking her head. "No, I do want this. It's just hard to tell when you're serious sometimes. I didn't know if this is what you wanted."

"I'm being serious right now," Kyler assures Lana in a low tone, smiling faintly. "And I want to be with you, Lana Banana. I'm in this for the long run."

It's hard not to blurt what I'm thinking, which is that Lana and Kyler might be the cutest couple I've ever seen. But by the way the two are smiling at each other, I find it best to let them remain oblivious to my presence. Then Lana and Kyler are making out against my locker, which is much more disturbing than cute, and I find that I'm more than ready to give them their privacy. Thankfully, I spot Jack just as he enters the hallway, so I quickly rush over to him in order to get away from all that is Kyler and Lana.

"Hey," Jack says breezily once I reach him, offering me a lazy smile. "You ready for that assembly we're having today?"

I roll my eyes in response to Jack's question, sure my expression already resembles how bored I am at the thought of sitting through a high school assembly. "Not really," I admit. "I'm going to have to try my hardest not to fall asleep this time." Assemblies always wear me out, as something about hearing adults drone on and on never fails to lure me to sleep. It doesn't help matters that we have to sit with classmates in our first periods, which means I won't be able to sit near Jack. Fortunately, Lana and I have the same first period, so I won't be completely alone.

"Well, I'm going to be paying attention to you the whole time, so I don't think I'll have that problem," Jack teases as he stoops down to kiss me before pulling back and offering me a warm smile, swinging an arm around my shoulders.

"I didn't know I was dating a creep," I bite back, shoving Jack's shoulder off of me as my gaze dances tauntingly.

"I'm your creep," Jack retorts as he shoves me back, his words causing a laugh to escape my lips. We talk for a few moments longer before the bell rings, signifying the time to head to class. I assure Jack I'll catch up with him after the assembly before departing from him and walking over to Lana, walking to our first class of the day together. And though the assembly has yet to start, I can already tell that it is going to be a long day.

• • •

I don't think I've ever seen the auditorium as crowded as it is now, watching as the entire school crams into seats, students trying to fit through the narrow rows that are quickly being filled by lower grades. Lana and I find seats in the middle row of the auditorium's second section, mindlessly staring ahead at the empty stage before us. Soon, our principal will be standing behind the podium, lecturing about school rules and policy, as he does every month. Like us students need reminders of how to use common sense. Well, maybe some students do, but most of the time I'm not one of them. 

"I have a boyfriend," Lana murmurs softly from her seat next to mine, a dreamy expression on her features as she smiles down at her phone, the screen flashing with a text from Kyler.

"It only took you two forever to get together," I remark playfully, face lighting up as I add, "Hey! That rhymes!"

I find my gaze wandering over the crowd as Lana quickly replies to Kyler's text, giggling as she does. I involuntarily spot Jack in the next section over, sitting in the same row as me and Lana. He glances up at just the right moment, our stares meeting. Jack offers me his signature easy-going grin, waving to prove that he's found me. I return his smile and wave, pursing my lips once we both return our attention to the stage.

I find Lacey as well, spotting her familiar blonde head in the very front row of my section, perched right in front of the stage. Sitting to her left is Lucas, their heads bent together as they whisper words I can't hear. I have to admit that seeing Lacey unnerves me a little. I'm still unsure of what it is she's been up to recently, and if she's even planning anything or just saying she is to scare me is also unclear. I've toyed with the idea that Lacey may have been bullshitting her threats just to mess with me, yet I still can't shake the feeling that her words run deeper than that. I mean, this is Lacey I'm talking about. I can see her seriously conspiring against me just because I'm now dating her ex.

"I wish this assembly would start already," Lana mumbles under her breath. "I'm ready to take a nap."

"Me too," I agree with a faint laugh. "I think I see Principal Simpson walking in now, though." As soon as I say the words, the principal himself wanders up to the stage, a microphone in hand. He begins his lecture in his usual monotone, seemingly struggling to get his PowerPoint presentation to appear on the smart board behind him. Then Elena is entering the auditorium, rushing up to the stage in order to gain Principal Simpson's attention. A faculty member interrupting an assembly doesn't normally happen, so I find myself wondering what's going on as I watch the scene before me unfold with curious eyes.

"It appears there is a matter I need to take care of quickly," Principal Simpson explains into his microphone. He assures us students that he'll be back in a moment before setting his microphone back onto the stand attached to the podium, rushing after Elena. The moment Elena and Principal Simpson disappear behind the auditorium doors, everyone seated simultaneously erupts into conversation, filling the once silent area around me with noise.

Next to me, I notice Lana's lips moving as she attempts to speak, but it's too loud for me to make out what she's saying. Her expression is almost worried, which confuses me, and I'm still clueless as to what she's trying to say.

"I can't hear you!" I admit, crying over the commotion and gesturing to my ear. Pausing her movements, Lana's gaze locks with mine as she opens her mouth to try speaking to me again. All I'm able to make out from her sentence is the word "there", which isn't very helpful. I shake my head and gesture to my ear once again so Lana gets the hint that I can't understand her, and she gives up trying to communicate. Instead, she points across the auditorium, and my gaze follows her gesture.

My stare lands on Lacey, who is now walking up the steps to the center stage down below. I'm perplexed by this, as I'm pretty sure students aren't supposed to be on the stage unless otherwise given permission. Once standing on the middle of the stage, Lacey reaches for the microphone perched on the stand before her. Raising the mic to her lips, Lacey clears her throat into the speaker, the sound barely audible over the roar of the crowd. Frustrated expression pinching her features, Lacey takes to the mic again and says, "Hello? Can you guys hear me?" though her words are hardly a whisper. Abruptly, the auditorium instantly falls silent as Lacey raises the mic to her lips and snaps, "Everybody shut up!"

After gaining the audience's attention, Lacey offers a wide smile to the hundreds of eyes now peering at her in question, no doubt wondering what the hell she's doing up on the stage. I'm certain everyone in attendance of this assembly knows who she is, as this town isn't that big and she's Lacey Hanson. I'm more positive that Lacey enjoys that fact, most likely reveling in her small town stardom.

"I'm sure most of you already know who I am," Lacey speaks into the mic, confirming my thoughts, "but for those of you who don't know me—even though you should—I'm Lacey Hanson." Lacey pauses her speech to offer the crowd a dazzling smile. I find myself falling down a rabbit hole of confusion.

"What's going on?" I whisper to Lana, as it's now more than quiet enough to hear her speak.

Lana only shrugs, her gaze remaining fixed on Lacey. "I have no idea."

As Lana responds to my question, I notice Lucas standing by the computer sitting on a movable desk in front of the stage; the same computer that projects images to the smart board. I watch as his fingers nimbly wander over the keyboard as he works on Lord knows what. It's hard to tell for sure, but it dawns on me that Lucas seems to be helping Lacey with whatever it is she's doing up on the stage now.

The next thing I know, Lucas is taking a step back from the laptop before him, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his lips as the smart board screen fills with an image of Lacey in real-time, helping the students in the back of the auditorium to see her clearly. Lacey offers the audience a wide grin, blowing kisses and waving as if she just won the Miss America title, her reaction only confusing me further.

"So, you're probably wondering what's going on right now," Lacey voices my thoughts, speaking into the microphone in her hand. I catch Jack's gaze in the next section over, raising an eyebrow to silently ask him what the hell is happening. With an expression as apprehensive as mine, Jack merely shrugs in response.

"I don't want to take up too much time, as I'm sure Principal Simpson will be back any minute now." Lacey pauses mid-explanation, obviously enjoying the suspense the crowd is reflecting, and reveling in the fact that it's in her control. "I'd like to introduce you all to a little friend of mine. I'm sure most of you don't know her, but this is Morgan Scott."

I'm beside myself when I hear my name rolling off of Lacey's ruby-red lips, my face suddenly plastered across the smart board screen. I find myself staring at my image with wide eyes, expression shocked and cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Next to me, I notice Lana tense, staring down at Lucas and Lacey with eyes full of suspicion. I can feel the entire student body gazing at me, most likely wondering why Lacey just called me out and what the hell is going on, as am I.

My stomach begins to churn as I stare down at the stage, my vision blurring as my eyes begin to sting. Realization slowly dawns on me, and I vaguely begin to piece together what it is Lacey is trying to do. I'm certain that this little show she's putting on for the entire school is something she's been plotting for weeks, and I believe without a doubt that this is the revenge Lacey warned me would go down if I didn't comply with her demands. And now it's too late for me to do anything but watch as Lacey lights the match that's guaranteed to send me up in flames.

"If you do know who Morgan is, then you've probably heard about how she stole my ex-boyfriend, Jack Crawford, from me. Up on the screen behind the stage, the image of my horrified face is replaced with Jack's stricken expression. I watch his head turn on the screen, notice him turning to face me out of the corner of my eye. We hold one another's stare for a long moment, both confused as to what's going on and dreading what is to happen next.

"We'll talk more about that later," Lacey chirps as the smart board fills with my face once again, my cheeks flushing as my hands begin to shake. "Why don't we focus on Morgan for a moment? As one of Morgan's friends, I know a lot about what she's been through in her short lifetime. I know all about the trauma she's had to face, so I can understand how Morgan turned into such a self-centered and heartless person. When Morgan was just a kid, her mommy decided her life as a mother was too dull, so she up and left. It's so unfortunate that she never came back. Apparently, Morgan's mom died when she drove off of a mountain while running away from her family. She was most likely drunk at the time, which shows how irresponsible and ill Morgan's mother was. As you can tell, having to deal with such a problematic parent and then live through her death is a lot for a person to experience. It could leave anyone rattled. Which is why I can't blame Morgan for her actions. After all, she's mental."

My entire face flames bright red as I listen to Lacey drone on, hardly able to wrap my head around what she's saying. For starters, I have no idea how Lacey even knows about my mother at all, considering the only two people I've ever told my story to are Jack and Lana, and I refuse to believe either of them would go behind my back. And the way Lacey is slandering my mother, trying to turn her into a villain and painting her in a dark light . . . that has my blood boiling, my hands shaking with restrained anger. I can hardly believe Lacey would be cruel enough to stand in front of all of our peers and twist my sob-story into a nightmare, then try to pass me off as some helpless mental patient. And all over a high school boy.

I feel like I'm living through a fever dream. I get a glimpse of myself reflected on the smart board, noticing that my cheeks are flushed and splotchy. My vision blurs and burns with unshed tears threatening to fall, and I'm too weak to hold them back. I'm too weak to do anything except for sit still and stare mindlessly down at the stage, pain surfacing in my chest as I listen to Lacey talk about the worst parts of my past in front of the entire student body.

"As you can tell, Morgan's had a pretty terrible life so far. And I hate to be the one to have to tell her this, especially under the circumstances, but I feel I need to, as Morgan's friend." Lacey hesitates after her last sentence, and I hardly hear her words, much less understand them. I can't seem to do much of anything besides stare at her, wondering what I did to hurt her so badly that could possible deserve for her to do something like this in exchange.

"Can we pan the camera back to Jack please?" Lacey questions, Jack's face lighting up the smart board the instant the demand leaves her lips. It's easy to tell Jack is just as dazed as I am, because his green eyes are glassy and conflicted. However, his expression quickly morphs into one of anger, and if looks could kill the entire audience would be long gone with one look into his gaze. He glares down at Lacey like he's taking all of this personally, yet I find no comfort in his displeasure. 

"As I'm sure most of you know, Jack and I dated on and off multiple times throughout high school. And no matter how many times we broke up, I never thought another girl would dare to take him from me. I was sure Jack and I were endgame. But now that I know the kind of guy Jack really is . . . well, I wouldn't take him back even if he begged me for another chance." Lacey smirks out at the crowd as she lets her words sink in, clearly enjoying how fixated all of the students are on her.

I notice a lot of people in the audience shifting to glance at Jack,