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The onlookers started laughing

"You stupid bitch!" I heard Nate bark frohtened my shoulders when he stepped forward

Some people were born stupid

I cockedhi his bloody nose, and I hovered, ready for his ass to pop back up again

Madoc pushed through the crowd, his eyeballs da out of his head as he surveyed Nate on the floor

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning his eyes on Tate

I didn’t hear or see her respond, but Madoc shook his head and looked back down to Nate

"How did you do it?" Tate asked Piper

She didn’t respond

"Your dad’s a cop, right?" Tate asked "What’s his number?" She held up her phone like she was ready to dial "Oh, yeah, 911"

"Ugh, alright!" Piper screeched "Nate tookand then to Tori’s party afterwards Whenyou and Jared head upstairs, Nate took his camera phone and climbed onto the balcony When he showed me the video later, I saw that Jared had left his phone on the dresser, so I snuck back into the room to take it"

Son of a bitch

"So the video ca at me "It was transferred to Jared’s before it was texted"

Our eyes were locked, and a mountain of relief descended on my shoulders

"Get Jared’s phone, Piper Now," Madoc ordered, and I looked down at Nate as trying to get up

Once our eyes h, he seerueling minute to retrieve the phone, and then she threw it at Tate

"We’re done," she said cattily and waved her hand, dis names I wanted to call her, but it would be a waste of tietting aith shit

Just get Tate out of here

But, of course, Tate had other plans

"Piper?" she spoke calet some help Jared is not yours, and he never will be In fact, he won’t ever look at you again and see anything good, if he even saw anything good in the first place"

Tate turned toher by the hair!

And I stood there like a darab, because they were ainst the lockers Piper tried to punch her Tate ducked, and then sht of Madoc waving at ency etched on his face as I hurriedly grabbed irl and whispered in her ear

"Shhh" I tried to control her, but she was struggling

Dr Porter orking his way through the crowd "What’s going on here?" he growled as he came to the front

Tate immediately relaxed into my body I releaseddohile Porter glanced between the whining lu heap of Nate next to her

"Dr Porter," Madoc spoke up "Nate and Piper bumped into each other"

Sweat poured downTate, smack Madoc, or…smack Madoc

"Mr Caruthers, I’m not stupid" Dr Porter looked to the crowd "Nohat happened here?"

I tippedto keep his led, but I just pressed harder

I doubted he’d say anything anyway He didn’t want us going to the cops with this

I would if Tate wanted to, but I’d rather handle it on , sir," my friend, Gunnar, offered

"Me either, Dr Porter," another student followed his example "Probably just an accident"

Everyone else in the crowd figured out the ga froot in trouble

Tate was safe, and I would be taking her ho his beard, Dr Porter looked to Nate and Piper "Alright, you two Get up, and come to the nurse Everyone else Head home!" he barked

Nate and Piper stoh Nate was a little wobbly The rest of the students departed slowly and quietly No one laughed behind their hands No one gave Tate a look

They knew that the video wasn’t , and if I wasn’t on board with it, they shouldn’t be, either

People being afraid of you can be useful

Wrapping ht her into

"I’ you" Her ainst my chest "And about what I did to your car, too"

I couldn’t care less about the fking car

"Tate, you’reto realize that more and more When you believe it without a doubt, then I’ll have earned your trust"

I knew I didn’t have it yet Today was the result of the dae I’d done

"I am yours I just wasn’t sure if you were really mine," she said quietly

"Then I’ll e of Piper grabbing her by the hair flashed throughin ht her down