Chapter 4 My girlfriend.

Lauren's POV

“What?! Dating?” Gwen's voice nearly attracted everyone in the hallways

I slapped a hand over her mouth. “Shhh!”

She pulled my hand away, her hazel eyes wide with disbelief. “Baby, you found THE Serena's body in the lab, the whole school thinks the school is haunted and that you're some serial killer, they've even suspended all coven and pack clubs and now you're telling me you're dating Zarek Whitmore?"

“Fake dating." I reminded. “how do you miss the point where it's fake?." I glanced down the hallway.

A group of students walked past us, their voices dropping the second they noticed me. One of them whispered something into her friend's ear before they both looked at me.

Gwen folded her arms.“So? You sound like you don't understand how insane this sounds."

"So,” I sighed and opened my locker again, pretending to rearrange books I had already arranged twice. “It's a charade to distract the school from knowing we want to find out what happened to Serena."

She raised an eyebrow. “‘We?’" making air quotes. “Seriously Wren, ‘may her soul rest in peace’ but we both know after what Serena was doing to you, ‘helping’” another air quote. "Isn't exactly what you should be doing and I know you, you'd do the exact opposite of involving yourself.”

I shut my locker. "Well I have to know, if I don't try, they are gonna continue staring at me like this and I might even get expelled.”

That wiped the amusement from her face.

I didn't tell her about the note nor the flashdrive and every time I thought about those words inside my locker, my stomach twisted.

Sixteen years since I lost my parents and sixteen years since I had to be someone else and wear some charmed bracelet to hide who I truly was and suddenly someone at Ashford had dragged it out of the grave and replaced it with Serena Whitmore.

I rubbed my thumb against the edge of my sleeve, feeling the faint outline of the moon bracelet beneath it.

“Okay look…” Before she could say anything else, a familiar voice floated down the hallway, followed by someone nudging my shoulder from behind.

“Well, well, well.”

I knew that terrible cologne.

Lila Blackthorne approached with the two blonde twins who seemed permanently attached to her.

Her red hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, not a strand out of place. Even her uniform looked freshly ironed.

Of course it did.

If it was anyone who wouldn't be grieving the death of Ashford's golden girl, it would be her shadow.

“if it isn't the little killer.”

I turned away from my locker. “What do you want, Lila?”

She smiled. “I heard you were with Zarek this morning.”

My fingers tightened around my books.

“So?” Gwen chirped in.

She tilted her head. “I just find it interesting that Serena dies and suddenly you're standing within meter radius with her brother”

Everyone knew Lila loved Zarek even if he never paid her any attention.

“You know what everyone is saying?” she waved her hand. “They're saying you killed Serena.” She raised her voice just enough for more than a few students nearby to slow down. “You found her body" Another step. “And now you're attached to her brother.”

She jabbed one perfectly manicured finger against my shoulder. “Do you really think nobody sees what game you're playing at?"

Gwen scoffed lightly, interrupting her. “You're one to talk. You hated Serena too.”

Lila's expression hardened. “At least I didn't kill her.”

Gwen opened her mouth. “You might have, you weren't seen at the ball at that..…”

I placed my hand in between them “Gwen that's enough.”

Lila's eyes narrowed.

“What? Afraid she'll say something you don't want people hearing?”

She pushed my shoulder and I stumbled back against the locker.

The metal slammed against my spine.

"Step away from her, Lila.”

All the students' attention turned to the other direction.

Zarek stood a few feet away from her.

His hands were buried in his pockets, his dark hair slightly disheveled, he still looked like the golden boy the school expected from him and still looked very much like someone who was in no mood to tolerate anything at all.

His eyes moved from Lila's raised hand to me then something hardened in his expression.

Students began pulling out their phones and making way for him to get to us.

Meanwhile, Lila immediately lowered her hand and smoothed her skirt.

“Zarek.” Her voice changed completely. “I was just talking to…”

He walked straight past her and didn't even spare her a glance.

He stopped in front of me, his grey eyes searching mine.

“Are you okay, babe?”

My brain stopped instinctively.

Babe?

For one stupid second, I actually looked behind me to see if he was talking to someone else.

But then I remembered.

Right.

The fake relationship.

“I'm fine.”

Another rumble echoed in the crowd as his eyes dropped briefly to the shoulder Lila had pushed.

Then back to my face. “Good.” Then he turned to Lila “Because I don't like people bothering my girlfriend.”

‘Oh my god, girlfriend?’

‘is Zarek serious?’

‘Bet she had him under a spell.’

Lila stared at him. “Your girlfriend?” She gave a nervous laugh. “Come on, Zarek. Stop playing.”

“I'm not.”

“You barely know her, she was found with your sister's body.”

“I know enough.” he replied curtly.

Lila glanced at the crowd. “You can't seriously expect anyone to believe this.”

Zarek stepped closer to me, slipping his arm around my shoulders.

My entire body went rigid as warmth spread through the side of my neck where his arm rested.

This was ridiculous.

It was just acting yet his scent was suddenly everywhere.

Clean soap and something darker beneath it.

My fingers curled around the edge of the books I held

Zarek looked at Lila. “Wren Hale is my girlfriend.” he paused. “And if anyone has a problem with that, they can come through me.”

Lila's smile vanished, like she was waiting for the prank call but it never came.

Zarek looked down at me.

“Come on, babe.” He took my hand, letting his fingers close around my mind and I was a bit glad because I suddenly forgot how to walk.

I let him pull me down the hallway while behind us, whispered exploded.

‘Did you see that?’

‘Since when?’

‘Isn't she the scholarship girl?’

‘That's definitely Zarek Whitmore.’

‘Are they really dating? His sister just died!”

I wanted the floor to swallow me and the moment we turned the corner, I pulled my hand free.

“You didn't have to call me babe."

He shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Well it worked.”

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and turned the screen towards me.

SCHOLARSHIP GIRL WREN HALE DATING ZAREK WHITMORE HOURS AFTER HIS SISTER'S DEATH?

With pictures of us talking on the court and holding hands a few seconds ago.

My eyes widened slightly at how fast Ashford carried news.

Zarek locked the phone. “Now everyone is going to be watching us with a romantic side which gives us room to really focus."

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed, if only this didn't involve me.

“You still got the flashdrive?”

I nodded.

"Good, tonight we'll find out what she was trying to tell you.”

On the thought of that, my heart started to race like going back on this path would definitely change something.

Something I might not come back from.