Hayley was buzzing when she picked me up for school on Monday. She was chatty at the best of times, but right now my best friend was talking like she’d smashed back three energy drinks before arriving at my house.

“You’ve got to slow down, Hayles,” I said, laughing as she flicked me an annoyed glance. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

“I’m asking if you’ve checked your Instagram today?” she spoke each word purposefully slow to ensure I could hear.

“Because…”

“Because you gained like five thousand followers last night!”

“What?” I exclaimed. I grabbed my phone out and opened the app. My eyes widened and my hands started shaking as I checked my page.

“That can’t be right,” I muttered. “I hardly ever post anything.”

“It’s totally right,” Hayley replied. “Everyone’s been watching the competition. You should see how many people like your Cadi Facebook page.”

“I don’t have a Cadi Facebook page,” I said.

Hayley shrugged. “Apparently you do now.”

I sat back in my chair with a frown on my face as I scrolled through my new follower notifications. There were so many people I didn’t even know. I didn’t recognize any of their faces. Since when was this competition being watched by people outside of the school?

“Hayley, who are these people?” I asked as I continued to scroll. “They’re not from school.”

“Well, that’s not so strange,” she replied. “Word is spreading about how great the contest is, and everyone is watching. I was talking to my hairdresser about it at the weekend, and she was so excited that I’m your friend. You, girl, are famous.”

I liked most things that my best friend had to say, but that was not one of them. I didn’t want these people following me, and I definitely didn’t want to be famous.

“You and Cole could not get any hotter,” Hayley continued. “Please tell me that he followed you home on Friday, climbed up the tree at the side of your house, banged on your bedroom window and demanded that kiss from you!”

I laughed, putting my phone away. “You have a seriously active imagination.”

“Or it’s been way too long between boys. I swear I’m going through the biggest dry spell of my life right now. I’m living vicariously through you, so you’ve got to tell me all the details!”

My hands twisted nervously in my lap. “I’m sure you saw it all last night on the show,” I replied.

Hayley instantly slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt in the middle of the road. “Please tell me you didn’t miss last night’s episode too!” she cried, turning off the car and staring at me with a look of shock on her face.

“Hayley, there are cars behind us,” I said, turning in my seat to look out the back window as the drivers began honking their horns at us.

“Go around!” Hayley yelled, waving a hand out the window before turning back to me. “I swear I’m not moving this car again until you tell me you watched the episode last night.”

“Well, I guess we’re not going to school today then.”

“Are you serious?” Her voice went up an octave.

“What? I don’t like watching myself on film. I hate hearing my own voice. It’s weird.”

Hayley shook her head at me. “Only you could think that.”

“Plus, I already experienced the whole ordeal. I really don’t want to have to go through the torture again.”

She snorted at me. “Yeah, it looked like you were having such a horrible time on Friday night.”

I felt a smile trying to creep onto my face as I thought back to the group date. I couldn’t argue with Hayley; Friday had been surprisingly fun, aside from the fact that Laurie had tried to take me out. I had the biggest bruises on my knees from the fall I took, and they still hurt like hell.

“Okay, it wasn’t all awful,” I admitted. “Can you keep driving now?”

A smug smile formed on Hayley’s lips. “I knew you liked him.”

I raised my hand and pointed a finger at her. “I never said I liked him.”

“You don’t have to, it’s written all over your love-struck face.”

“It is not!”

“Tell you what, admit you like Cole and I’ll keep driving to school,” she said.

I turned my darkest glare on her. “I’m not going to lie to you to get you to keep driving.”

Another horn blared from one of the cars trapped behind us, but Hayley was completely unbothered. “We’ve got Mr. Randall first period, and he loves me. I’m in no rush,” she said, sitting back in her seat as she made herself comfortable.

“Hayley, you know Cole and I hate each other. We have for years. He drives me crazy.”

She didn’t respond but simply smiled as if she was waiting for me to continue. It was clear she needed more convincing.

“He’s rude, and he always says inappropriate things. I swear his mind lives in the gutter,” I continued. “He goes out of his way to annoy me!’

I let out a breath when it was clear my words weren’t going to sway her. I wasn’t so sure they were convincing me either. Cole had been different these last few weeks, and he wasn’t nearly as rude or annoying. It was hard to argue that I hated him when it didn’t feel true anymore.

“Look,” I said. “Even if I did like Cole, it doesn’t mean he likes me back. He’s got a whole group of people throwing themselves at him right now. He’ll probably eliminate me tonight.”

“Yeah, right,” Hayley said with a shake of her head. She started the car and continued our journey to school.

“But I didn’t admit to liking him.”

“Maybe not out loud,” she said, turning and giving me a knowing smile.

Her words silenced me and I could feel myself frowning as I considered them. I didn’t say another word to her the rest of the drive to school. I did come to a conclusion though: Hayley had no idea what she was talking about.

It seemed like every eye in the school was focused on me as Hayley and I got out of the car. The stares continued to follow us as we made our way across the parking lot and up the steps to school. I strongly suspected people were only watching me because of the show, but it made me uncomfortable and I wished they would stop.

“Madi, great episode last night,” a girl said to me as we entered school.

“Oh, thanks,” I replied.

“Go Cadi!” one of the football guys hooted from her side.

Other students shouted similar messages of support and enthusiastic congratulations as I continued down the corridor. There were countless more “Cadi” posters dotting the walls today, and everyone I encountered was smiling as they passed me.

“I told you! You're famous!” Hayley squealed. She was practically bouncing at my side. “They love you!"

I swallowed and tried to remain calm, but I clearly didn’t share her enthusiasm.

“Don’t look so glum,” Hayley said. “Is it really so upsetting that people like you?”

“I just don’t love the attention, but you’re right I shouldn’t let everyone’s support upset me.” I shook my head and laughed at how much I was overreacting. People cheering for me was a good thing, even if I did find it slightly overwhelming.

“You shouldn’t,” she agreed, linking her arm with mine.

As we continued down the corridor, I began to feel a little better about the attention. I didn’t exactly want it, but at least it all seemed positive. Perhaps I really could handle this competition.

The two of us slowed when we saw people up ahead gathered around my locker. Hayley kept to my side as we moved through them. But I stopped, frozen to the spot, when I finally set eyes on what they were all there to see.

Words were scrawled across every part of my locker in black permanent marker. Horrible words. Words that made tears gather in my eyes and my whole body start to shake. I couldn't stop staring at the two largest ones in particular.

Slut.

Tease.

I swallowed, trying to take a deep breath and remain calm, but the air was caught in my lungs and my chest felt tight. I could feel people crowding around me, and I felt suffocated by their presence. I clutched my arms around me as I tried to block them out. I could hear them whispering though, and I could hear their laughs. Had one of them done this? Had several of them? Were the things they had written true? Was this who people really thought I was?

Hayley bristled at my side. “Will you stop staring?” she yelled at all the kids gathered around us. “Put that phone down or I will break it!”

A tear ran down my cheek, and Hayley grabbed my arm, pulling me to the nearest bathroom. As soon as we were inside, she hugged me tightly.

“I’m going to find out who did this,” she said. “And I am going to make them wish they had never existed.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I murmured.

She pulled back from our hug and looked me in the eye. “Uh, yeah, I do. Nobody messes with my bestie.”

“They’re just words,” I said.

“I don’t care. They made you cry, so they’re not just words.” She shook her head, her eyes still wide as though she too was reeling from what had happened. “If it makes you feel any better, I doubt the culprit is going to graduate. They spelled fake with a y.”

I let out a small laugh and rubbed some of the tears away from my cheek.

“Why would someone do something so horrible?” I asked.

“They’re obviously jealous,” she said.

“Because of the competition?”

“Yeah,” she replied, with a nod. “You and Cole are really cute together.”

“Maybe it was Jake,” I said, barely whispering the guess aloud. “We only broke up last week. He must be upset if it looks like I’m already moving on.”

“Jake’s pretty self-involved and can be a total jerk, but I don’t think he’d write crap on your locker,” Hayley responded.

“He spread rumors about me last week though,” I said.

“Yeah,” Hayley agreed. “So, I guess we can’t completely rule the guy out.”

I let out a sigh. I wished I’d never been a part of the True Love competition. I hadn’t wanted to do it in the first place, and it felt like every week it was making my life worse.

“Madi?” a boy's voice called into the bathroom. I turned to find Cole standing at the entrance.

“Cole, this is the girls' bathroom. You can’t be in here.”

“Does it look like I care?” he asked, striding across the distance between us. He grasped my arms tightly and looked deeply into my eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I take it you saw my locker,” I responded.

“Yeah,” he said, through gritted teeth. There was so much anger in his eyes that I felt breathless. “And I’m going to find out who did this and make them pay.”

“You gotta line up buddy,” Hayley said from behind me. “I’m making them pay first.”

Cole’s eyes flicked over my shoulder and he nodded. “As long as I get a piece of them that’s fine by me.”

I shook my head at the two of them and took a step back. “You guys don’t need to go defend my honor. It’s fine. This will all blow over soon. You’ll see.”

I didn’t wait to hear them disagree with me and walked from the bathroom before they could get a word out in response. There was no point planning revenge on someone who in all honesty would probably never be found.

I went to my locker, ignoring the eyes watching me and the cruel words scrawled across the door, and grabbed my books and went to class. As I sat down at my desk, people still watched me. They whispered amongst one another, and though I couldn’t hear their words, I knew they were all talking about me. I hated the attention, especially knowing what they all thought of me.

I was the tease who wouldn’t put out.

I was the slut who jumped from dating one guy to another.

I’d been through this with the hot list, and I couldn’t do it again. I couldn’t handle the pressure of these people’s expectations, and I couldn’t deal with the weight of their judgment.

The spotlight I was suddenly under again was too much to cope with. So I was left with no choice. I had to get out of the True Love contest, now more than ever.