Tuesday morning. Second period. Group chat chaos.
Penelope's phone buzzed once, then again, then lit up like a disco ball. Callie sent one message before the flood:
> Someone posted a pic of you and Julian kissing. On the rain steps. It's everywhere.
Penelope's stomach dropped.
She didn't even get to look before whispers started in the hallway. Whispers with her name in them.
By lunch, it had 317 likes on an anonymous gossip account called @BaysideTruths.
Caption:
> Looks like Penelope finally found a hobby.
#DramaQueen #SketchyRomance #RainReboundPenelope stared at the screen. She wasn't sure if she felt more violated or furious.
Julian slid into the seat beside her, eyes locked on his own phone. "Did you see this?"
"Of course I saw it," she muttered. "I think the school intercom saw it."
He looked at her, jaw tense. "Do you want me to say something? Post something back?"
"No," she said. "That's what they want. A reaction."
Veronica arrived seconds later, phone already in hand.
"I've traced the original post," she announced, sitting down like a general at war. "The first upload came from Lila Harper's burner account. Same one she used to post that 'anonymous' art contest critique last year."
Callie clapped. "She's been caught."Veronica smirked. "Oh, she has not been caught. She's about to be."
Penelope stared at the picture again. Not the caption. Not the rain. Just… them.
Her and Julian.
It didn't look scandalous.
It looked real.
"I don't want to fight dirty," she said finally. "But I'm done playing nice."
Julian looked over. "What are you thinking?"
Penelope smiled, slow and sharp. "I'm thinking it's time I write my version of this story."
And this time, the entire school would read it.