The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Max’s POV:

No, this can’t be true. Ella isn’t that kind of girl. She couldn’t have... not her.

The little time I spent with her, she didn’t seem like that at all. She was tough, sure. Mysterious, maybe. But sleeping around to get into school? That doesn’t fit the girl I talked to, the one who barely gave me the time of day but still had this... something about her. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

She was different. Or was I just seeing what I wanted to see?

I mean, could she have been pretending the whole time? Just playing me along, acting like she wasn’t interested in all the crap people say about her now? No. There’s no way. She had this fire, this honesty. I know girls who throw themselves at rich guys or do whatever it takes to climb up the ladder, and she was nothing like that.

But now... all these rumors. And the flyers. It’s everywhere. How the hell did it blow up this fast?

I don’t want to believe it, but maybe I didn’t know her at all. Maybe the Ella I thought I saw was just a mask, like the one she hides behind in her hoodie. Damn, my head’s spinning.

Dylan’s POV:

What the hell am I even reading right now? No way. This can’t be true. Ella wouldn’t do something like this. Right?

I stare at the flyer for what feels like forever, the accusations burning into my brain. "Sucker of cocks"? Seriously? Who the hell came up with this? My gut twists. This doesn’t feel right. I mean, we’ve all seen girls use whatever they’ve got to get ahead, but Ella? She wasn’t like that. She never flirted, never tried to get in good with any of us after the accident, never played any games.

And now this crap?

I’m having a hard time believing it. Jason wanted to mess with her, yeah, but he wouldn’t go this far. I know him. He’s got his limits. And Amber... well, she’s Amber, but even this seems out of control. Ella’s tough, but this kind of thing? It could wreck her. No one deserves to have their name dragged through the mud like this.

Nah, something’s off.

There’s no way in hell Ella would do this.

Jason’s POV:

As we walked toward class, I had just finished explaining to Max and Dylan—again—that I had nothing to do with the recent rumors spreading like wildfire. They seemed relieved, but what surprised me more was how sure they both were that Ella couldn’t have done it. Max was almost defensive about it, like he couldn’t believe she’d ever stoop that low. Dylan, on the other hand, was still trying to piece everything together, but he wasn’t convinced either. It was strange, seeing them back her up like that, especially after all the crap we’d pulled. I didn’t have time to dwell on it, though.

Just as we were about to enter class, Amber practically bounced up to me, her steps full of energy, a smile stretched across her face like she’d just won some kind of lottery. Before I could react, she clutched onto my arm, her nails digging in a bit. That familiar feeling of resentment hit me hard, like a punch to the gut. It wasn’t her I wanted grabbing my arm like that. But I didn’t pull away. Not yet.

"Did you see what I did?" she chirped, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "I finally put that cockroach in her place." She smirked, her eyes flashing with twisted pride. She really thought this was a victory, didn’t she?

I could hear Max and Dylan snickering under their breath as they walked into class, leaving me to deal with Amber and the sick game she was playing. The tension in my chest grew, and I fought the urge to snap at her. This wasn’t what I wanted. Sure, I had plans to make Ella pay, but not like this. Not with a rumor that could ruin her for good.

Amber didn’t know when to stop. And now, I had to clean up this mess.

This bitch really thought she was helping me. For fuck’s sake, couldn’t she see I didn’t need her twisted version of "help"? Amber had done this for her own sick satisfaction as much as she’d done it to impress me. I could see right through her. The way she gloated wasn’t just about "helping" me. It was about revenge. Ella had humiliated her, stood up to her, and Amber couldn’t handle it. This wasn’t about me or some misguided loyalty—this was all about her ego.

I gritted my teeth, my patience wearing thin. "Amber," I said slowly, trying to rein in the frustration bubbling inside me, "I didn’t ask for this." She blinked, clearly not expecting that.

"What do you mean?" she scoffed, her smirk faltering for a second. "You wanted her put in her place, right? Well, now everyone knows what kind of slut she really is. I did you a favor."

"No," I snapped, my voice lower but sharper than I intended. I leaned in closer, keeping my voice just loud enough for her to hear but not for anyone else to catch on. "You did this for yourself. Don’t act like this was for me. I wanted her to learn her lesson, not have her reputation destroyed by some bullshit rumor you cooked up."

Amber’s face twisted, a mix of confusion and annoyance flashing across her features. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "This isn’t helping anyone. Especially not me."

She pulled back, eyes narrowing. "You’re mad at me?" she asked, disbelief creeping into her tone. "After all I’ve done?"

I exhaled slowly, the weight of everything pressing down on me. This was a mess—one I didn’t need right now. "Amber, just... stay out of it from now on," I muttered before walking past her and into class, leaving her standing there with that self-satisfied grin wiped off her face.

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. And now, Ella would probably hate me even more, all thanks to Amber’s twisted sense of justice.

I stepped into the class, my eyes immediately seeking her out like a magnet. And there she was—Ella—sitting in her usual spot, but looking anything but usual. She was a vision, like some kind of mafia queen. Her combat boots were propped up on the desk, her arms folded in front of her, and she leaned back in her chair like she owned the place. Damn, she looked bossy. And hot. Scratch that—sexy as hell.

Her eyes were closed, her earpods blasting something I couldn’t hear, but the look on her face was the epitome of "don’t care." It wasn’t just her attitude, though—it was the whole package. The combat boots, the hoodie, the messy hair spilling out from under her hood. She had this effortless, dangerous vibe, like she knew things—dark, twisted things—and she didn’t give a damn if the world knew she wasn’t afraid of it.

Then she opened her eyes, as if she’d sensed me watching her. Those eyes—those dark, intense blue eyes that could probably set fire to ice—locked onto mine. And for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped spinning. There was something in her gaze, something dark, almost predatory. It wasn’t the sweet or innocent smile I had seen before. No, this was something much more malicious, much more dangerous.

She smiled. Not the kind of smile that was meant to comfort or greet you. No, this one was dark, filled with something I couldn’t quite place. It was as if she knew something about me, something that no one else did. And damn it, instead of being freaked out like a sane person would be, it turned me on. The darkness in her was like gravity, pulling me in. I wanted to dive headfirst into it, to explore whatever secrets she was hiding, to be consumed by it.

I wanted to sink into that darkness, to lose myself in those eyes that promised things I’d never felt before. My pulse quickened, and for a second, I forgot everything—why I was even here, what I had planned, all of it—lost in that moment with her.

"Jason!" Max’s voice snapped me out of it, breaking the spell those blue eyes had cast over me. I blinked, the world suddenly snapping back into focus.

Damn it, Max. Couldn’t he see I was having a moment? I wanted to curse him for interrupting whatever the hell that had been, but instead, I just turned and nodded at him, trying to act like I hadn’t just been completely mesmerized by the girl who was supposed to be my enemy.

But as I took my seat, I couldn’t shake the feeling. Something had changed, and whatever it was, it wasn’t going to let me walk away easily.

I wondered what was running through that pretty head of hers. Did she think I was involved in this mess? Did she even think of me at all after what happened yesterday? A part of me hoped she was craving me like I was craving her, but another part couldn’t help but picture her plotting my demise.

I could just see it now—Ella, in her hoodie and combat boots, cooking up ways to torture me before finally putting me out of my misery. Maybe she thought that killing me would be letting me off easy, a quick exit from the hell I’d put her through. And then she’d hide my body somewhere, somewhere dark and forgotten, all without a trace.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, but not for the reason you might think. There was something undeniably thrilling about the idea of her being that fierce, that dangerously unpredictable. It was infuriating, yet it ignited something inside me—an urge to challenge her, to push her buttons until she cracked.

What if she was concocting some elaborate revenge plan, complete with a list of ways to ruin my life? Part of me wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, while another part was utterly entranced by the idea. The fire in her eyes, the way she carried herself—it all hinted at a strength I found intoxicating.

Would she make me her target? Or was I just another player in her game, one she was willing to toy with until she got bored? Either way, I was hooked, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a very complicated entanglement.

As I stole another glance her way, she caught me staring again. The corners of her mouth twitched into a smirk that sent my heart racing. Yeah, she definitely had something planned. Whatever it was, I could feel it in the air, thick with tension and unspoken words. I couldn’t tell if it was the excitement of the chase or the dread of what she might have in store for me, but one thing was certain—Ella was anything but predictable.