bapter /bb62 /b

“It’s not mine. I bwas /bjust helping-b” /bAmber was about to blurt out Mia’s name, but then she remembered bwhat /bMia had said. She’d promised to keep it secret. She couldn’t betray her friend.

One of the girls sneered, b“/bbSo /bbit /bbwasn’t /byou who bwrote /bit? Amber, we thought byou /bwere just academically challengedb, /bbut it turns out you’re morally bankrupt. Adrian would never blike /bsomeone like you, bso /bjust give up already.”

Amber stammered helplessly. Just then, Adrian finished packing his books and stood up.

b*/bSorry, Amber. At this crucial time, we should be focusing on our studies. bI /bcan’t ept this letterb. /bbPlease /breturn it to its owner,” Adrian bsaid/b, his tone polite but distant.

Amber bwatched /bAdrian walk baway/b, clutching the envelope bas /bshe prepared to bleave /bthe ssroom herself.

b‘/bbI /breally messed things up. I’m bso /bsorry, Mia, Amber thought, guilt weighing heavily on her heart.

“Hey, Amber. Since you im you didn’t write this letter, why not open it up and prove your innocence to usb?/bb” /ba girl bsuggested/b.

Amber ignored them and snarled, b“/bGet the hell out of my way.”

JAmber, how shameless bcan /byou be? Writing a love letter to Adrian? Seriously, know your ce. Someone like you isn’t even worthy. Adrian and

ire are a perfect match. You don’t stand a chanceb./b”

b“/bThat’s right. A loser like you dreaming of being with the top student? Did your parents teach you nothing?b” /b

Amber, if I were you, I’d have dropped out already. At least I have some dignity, unlike you, still showing your bface /baround here.”

“Shut up. I didn’t write this letter. I’m just the messengerb,/bb” /bAmber snapped. She clutched the letter so tightly her knuckles turned bpale/b, her eyes zing with fury.

“Then who bare /byou delivering this for?”

“Name the person and we’ll let you go. Did a bottom–feeder from ss 10 really think you could just waltz into ss b1/bb?/bb” /b

Amber clenched her fists, her eyes shing with a fierce intensity, ready to pounce.

“What do you want from me?b” /bAmber snapped. “bIf /byou don’t get out of my way right now, don’t me me for what happens next.”

“Amber, we won’t budge. What can you possibly do to us? This is bss /bb1 /bterritory. You barged in here. Don’t make us report you to the teacher and bsee /bwhat she’ll do to you.”

“I heard she’s filthy. We should all keep our distance. Who knows what kind of diseases she might spread?”

“Yeah, bexactly/b.”

“What’s going on here?” A gentle voice rang out. A long–haired girl walked in, arms full of books. When she saw Amber, a hint of disdain shed in her beyes/b.

ire Quinn set her bstack /bof books down with practiced bgrace/b, her tone polite but unmistakably cold. “What’s going on here? Amber, you’re not from ss 1. What bare /byou doing in our ssroom? Leave immediately.”

“ireb, /bbyou /bcan’t just let her go so easily. Do you even know what she just did? She actually wrote a love letter bto /bAdrian.”

“I’ve never seen anyone so shameless. Does she actually think she’s in Adrian’s bleague/b? Pleaseb, /bsomeone like her can barely write her name, and she bdares /bto write a love letterb?/bb” /b

b“/bAnd the worst part? She keeps denying it. If you didn’t write it, Amber, then who did?”

bire /bsighed in exasperation, “Amber, with just a few months left before the bSATs/b, at such a critical moment, shouldn’t we all be focusing on our bstudies/bb? /b

“As the lowest–ranked student in the whole school, who even turns in nk test papersb, /bbare /byou trying to drag Adrian down with you with this kind of behaviorb?/bb” /b

“I didn’t. I told byou/bb, /bthis love letter isn’t mineb,/bb” /bAmber shouted desperately.

ire was utterly disappointed in Amberb, /bseeing bthat /bshe was still trying to bargue /bher bway /bout of it. She said coldly, “Still lying through your teeth, Amberb? /b

“Fine, open that letter right now and show us the signature on the envelope. If it really isn’t byours/b, I’ll personally apologize and make sure you walk out of ss bI /bunharmedb./bb” /b

ter 62

bAmber /bclutched the envelope tightly in her handsb. /b‘bI /bcan’t let them find out, she thought desperately.

This is my businessb, /bnone bof /bbyours/bb. /bGet lostb, /bAmber snapped, turning on her heel to leave.

Suddenlyb, /bba /bpair of hands shot out from nowhere, snatching the blove /bletter from Amber’s graspb, /btearing it open immediately.

“Give it back to me, you bunch of jerksb,/b” Amber shouted, burning with brage/b. She lunged forward to snatch it backb, /bbut was blocked by the girls in front of bher/b.

b“/bEveryone, look. She still won’t admit it. Amber, bsee/bb? /bIt’s got Adrian’s name on it. Let me read it out loud for you all,” a girl said.

She cleared her throat and began to read in a mocking tone, “Dear Adrian, I really like you. I fell in love with you at first sight.

“I know bwe /bface new obstacles that seem insurmountable. Oh, wait? She can’t even spell obstacles right. And for insurmountable, she wrote it wrong too. What ba /bmasterpiece. Come check this out, everyone.”

Amber had never endured such humiliation before. Gnashing her teeth in fury, she lunged at the ringleader, who wasughing mockingly, and swung a heavy punch straight at her bface/b.

“Oh my god. She’s attacking. bGet /bthe teacherb./bb” /b

Amber, are you out of your mind? How dare you hit her? You’ve gone too far.”

“I’ll beat you bitches to death,” Amber snarled, showing no mercy as she yanked the girl violently.

ire’s face hardened in disbelief at how things had escted.

In a cold,manding voiceb, /bshe snapped, “Stop this instant, Amber. You’repletely out of line. Do you even realize where you are? The teacher will be here any minute.”

Amber had finally had enough. Suddenly, she swung her arm and pped ire hard across the face.

‘If she hadn’t run her mouth, none of this would’ve happened, Amber fumed inwardly. ‘All I wanted was to help Mia deliver a letter. They pushed me too far.

ire bwas /bleft dazed by the p, a vivid red handprint blooming on her cheek. The burning pain made herpletely lose control.

ire no longer cared about her image or dignity. Her mind was consumed by a single, raging fire of anger.

“Amber, you damn bitch. How dare you hit me? I’ll beat you to death,” ire screamed. With a shriek of fury, she lunged at Amber, and the two became a tangle of scratching nails and pulling hair.

Amber shoved ire aside. She tumbled between the desks and got stuck, unable to get out.

Amber specifically targeted the girls who had mocked her,nding blows squarely on each of them. By the time ba /bssmate ran to get the teacher, every one of those girls bore visible marks on their faces.

Some of the girls couldn’t take the pain and burst into tears.

Amber’s face was contorted with fury, her teeth clenched like a cornered wildcat ready to strike.

Mia rushed over, panic in her voice. “Amber, are you hurt? Oh god, your face? It’s injured. Are you alright?”

Mia shot Amber ia /iworried look, silently willing her to snatch back the envelope. But before she could act, the ss 1 homeroom teacher, Wendy, loomed over them, her voice sharp with authority. “Hand over that envelope now.”

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