The bell for Mr. Clark's English class finally rang, a sweet symphony of freedom. I packed my books with a desperate haste, eager to escape the suffocating walls of the classroom and the tormentors within.

"Awwn, look who fell!" Claire's saccharine voice dripped with mock concern as I stumbled, face-planting on the cold, hard floor. My old wound flared, a familiar throb of pain. Bianca, the self-proclaimed queen, loomed over me, her shriek echoing through the silent classroom. "How dare you try to ruin my dress?"

I bit back a retort, apologizing for a transgression I hadn't committed. Just then, a shout from the class announced the arrival of Aiden, the Greek god of our school, who also happened to be my worst nightmare. The girls, including Bianca, flocked to him like moths to a flame. I took the distraction as my cue, gathering my scattered books and fleeing the scene.