#EXPOSED

CHAPTER - 09

Flawless façade.

Vaanya

The hum of buzzing murmurs of fellow students in the hallway is disdainful as I traipse to the first floor of the college building. I ignore the mocking glances and condescending laughs as I pass them and catch the girls in one of the corners at the end of the hallway.

Maira is the only one who seems impassive and unmoved by the frenzy of our peers. I wave at them as they spot me and proceed to them.

"Ellakshi Ahuja, Vaanya Mittal, Maira Anthony, and Sambhavna Gupta, please report to the dean's office." I halt in my tracks as the speaker booms with our names and Maira curses under her breath. "I repeat, report to the dean's office immediately."

The roar of mocking laughter in the hallway abashes me to my core, so much I'd crawl out of my skin. I feel my cheeks flush and my throat constricts as unease settles in my gut like a sinking anchor in the ocean.

"Took them long enough," Ella mutters, tossing her blowdried hair before she begins to saunter to the dean's office.

"I've never been called to the dean's office before," I whisper as I catch Maira's hand and she snorts. "Except for the times they had something to congratulate me for."

"You know what they say, it never rains but it pours," Maira draws her phone out of her back pocket and we follow Ella. "I'm gonna make a quick call before we make it to the office, yeah?"

"I don't know why they want to see me though," Sam says as she jogs to me to match my pace and I shrug offhandedly.

Ella pivots to face us and we halt abruptly. Her lips twitch to a snide smirk before she asks, "If they dare to summon me, then where do you think that leaves you S?" She arches her brow disparagingly for her to answer and I purse my lips, looking away. Why am I always stuck in these awkward situations?

My head turns slowly to look at Sam as she giggles and my jaw drops. Did she just manage to dodge Ella's jibe? "Please E, you're nothing more than basic bitch." She rolls her eyes and I'm agape. "I mean-you do sleep around with other men just because your boyfriend's junk isn't enough for you. And I thought I should be ashamed for live camming."

Oh. My. Gosh. I-whoa.

"So your image is in shambles E, at this point..." Sam looks at her pumps and then her gaze wanders to her face slowly, almost derisively. "You're as much a nobody as I am."

"You spineless moronic bitch," Ella seethes, squaring her shoulders rigidly. "How dare you?" Sam shrugs ignorantly and skates to the dean's office, knocking the wind out of me. What the fuck just happened?

"Can you believe her nerve?" Ella snaps at me and I roll my eyes, holding my hand up near her face before she could continue.

"I'm not really in the mood right now," I say point-blank, and glance to check up on Maira only to find her still occupied in her call. I sigh softly and avert my gaze on Ella. "I guess we should get going. It's gonna take her a while."

Dean Roberts is a stout man with a dust of salt and pepper hair. His smiling eyes greet us the moment we step into his office and find him across his ebony desk and ergonomic chair. "Ah, there you are girls, how's it going for you today?"

"Why did you summon us?" Ella asks without a preamble and I smile sweetly at him to offer a silent greeting.

"Oh hey, I completely missed you there." I turn to face Sam, standing at the corner of the room and she scoffs.

"Of course you did. Gee. Thanks," she says in a tone that's rather depricating and I don't know what has gotten into her lately.

"Relax, I didn't call you in to berate you for any reason," Dean Roberts says, snapping my attention onto him.