CHAPTER ONE:
RUMOR HAS IT
“Anya, I really think you should calm down.”
I smirk at my ever level-headed friend Jaime Potter. She’s still caught inside the box, but she isn’t trying to get out either. “Oh, Jaime,” I say in the most patronizing tone I can manage under the circumstances. “You’re overreacting.”
She scoffs, and her face turns as red as her hair. “I’m overreacting? You’re the one plotting Carson Drake’s demise!”
“Along with the rest of the female population at Villanova,” I snap back cattily. Villanova College Prep is our over-the-top private high school. It’s a pretty large school, with roughly 1,000 students, and I wasn’t kidding about the female population being out for Carson Drake’s blood.
I might as well start somewhere, so I’ll give you a little background on Carson Drake. He’s your average prep-school hot-shot with all the perks that come with being school’s reining babe magnet. He’s hot, he’s rich, and he’s undeniably charming. Girls can’t resist him. And he can’t resist them. So he easily moved through our entire junior class back in sophomore year, and he’s currently weaseling his way through the senior class as well.
Oh, and he’s busy starting rumors about me. And Jake Hannibal, who, at this moment in time, wants to eat me alive because he thinks I started the rumor about us doing… the nasty. I totally didn’t, obviously, or else I wouldn’t be so peeved.
But I’m still terrified of him. He’s got that scary, hardcore band-thug thing going on, and if someone like that threatens your life, you’d be scared out of your wits too.
See? This is all Carson Drake’s fault.
I mean, I strike up a conversation with Jake Hannibal at a crappy party at Kate River’s house one night because I’m a little tipsy and clearly already out of my mind. I spill my drink on him—courtesy of my graceful demeanor—and help him clean it off by taking him to the bathroom. And Carson Drake thinks that’s good enough reason to start blabbing to everyone.
Hence, I want him dead. And Jake Hannibal wants me dead. And Carson wants Jake dead for reasons I can’t fathom. One of us is going to die, and I can assure you, friends, it won’t be me.
Because Anya Berry doesn’t let people push her around. And she certainly doesn’t let rumors fly about her tainted purity, which, by the way, still remains intact. I’m going to stop referring to myself in third person because I’ve got a person to kill.
“Anya, seriously. You’re worrying me.”
I’m pulled out of my reverie by Jaime, who’s still staring at me with her doe-like brown eyes that ooze concern. “Don’t worry about me,” I say noncommittally. “I’m going to be just fine.”
“I’m not worried about you,” She says with an eye roll. So much for concern. “I’m worried,” She says, “about Carson Drake.
I throw a pillow from my bed, aiming for her face. Naturally, I miss and swear under my breath. “So much for friendship,” I grumble, snatching the bag of Krunchers from her hands. “So,” I say. “Should I make it painful?”
AN: Haha actually I've had this finished for about three days. I'm working on chapter three/four right now. Umm this isn't even 600 words, so... Sorry. I promise the other chapters will be longer. This is just so you can get a taste of Anya's awesome-ness.
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