My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 113

Chapter 113 A Note In My Locker

(6

76

Tuesday morning brought a pale, washed-out sun. The light filtered through the transit bus windows, offering zero warmth. I sat in the back row. My canvas backpack rested against my knees. I tucked the folded contract inside the back cover of my biology textbook before 1

left my house. The blue ink meant nothing now. I crossed the point of no return.

I stepped off the bus at the Crestview Prep gates. The sprawling brick campus looked the same, but my internal world lay in ruins. The realization from yesterday afternoon pounded a steady, relentless rhythm in my chest. I loved my fake boyfriend. I loved the boy who

terrified the entire school.

The damp wind whipped my dark hair across my face. I pulled my navy blazer tight against my ribs. I joined the stream of students

funneling through the heavy oak doors of the A-wing.

The noise of the student body hit me. Metal lockers slammed shut. Rubber soles squeaked against the polished linoleum floors. Conversations echoed down the long corridors. I navigated the sea of uniforms. My pulse spiked with every tall silhouette I passed. I searched the crowd for his scuffed leather jacket. I expected to see his broad shoulders around every corner.

I needed to face him. I ran from the darkroom. I left him standing in the red safelight. He believed his scars chased me away. I needed to fix the damage. I needed to tell him the truth.

I turned the corner into the B-wing. I walked past the chemistry lab and the bulletin boards. I approached Locker 412.

Ryder was not there.

The space beside my locker sat empty. The beige cinderblock wall offered a cold, indifferent greeting. A sharp pang of disappointment struck my chest. I survived his weekend silent treatment, but his absence this morning felt different. It felt like a direct consequence of my cowardice. I pushed him away. He respected my retreat.

I reached the metal door. I touched the silver dial. I twisted the mechanism to the right, stopping on thirty-four. I spun it to the left, hitting twelve. I brought it back to eight. I pulled the latch upward.

The heavy door swung open.

A small, folded square of thick cream paper fluttered from the top shelf. It drifted through the stale air and landed near the toe of my

scuffed loafer.

I frowned. I dropped my canvas bag onto the floorboards. I bent down and picked up the paper. It felt heavy and expensive. The texture lacked the cheap, thin quality of standard notebook sheets. Someone slipped it through the narrow metal ventilation slits on the locker

door before the first bell.

My name sat centered on the front flap. The black ink displayed a neat, elegant cursive. It possessed precise loops and balanced spacing. It did not match the jagged, rushed handwriting on the card hidden inside the dark dahlias.

I unfolded the thick square. The scent of faint, expensive cologne wafted from the page.

1/2

13:10 Fri, Jul 10

Chapter 113 A Note In My Locker

76

Raisa, I watch you in the library. I see the fierce focus in your eyes. I see the way you trace the textbook pages with your pen when you solve complex equations. You dedicate your entire soul to your future. You deserve a quiet, steady life. You deserve a harbor, not a storm. The school

knows Steinmann uses you to fix his reputation. We all see the act. You do not have to settle for a boy who brings chaos to your doorstep. You

do not have to play the part of a human shield. If you want a real date with someone who values your true worth, meet me by the bleachers

after the final bell. I want to show you genuine respect.

– A Secret Admirer.

I stared at the black ink. The words felt intrusive. The author claimed to see my true worth, yet they hid behind a nameless signature.

A month ago, I might have felt a spark of curiosity. I might have welcomed the distraction. Today, the elegant handwriting left me hollow. I did not want a safe harbor. A harbor meant standing still. I wanted the boy who stood in the freezing rain and promised to clear my

path to the finish line.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify