Love, Loathing, and Limelight

Chapter Twenty-One

I was expecting to go back to school and have my scholarship revoked. I walked into school on Monday. Everybody was staring at me, as expected. Chris found me and walked me to English. Ari joined in when she saw us. I wondered how they knew that I wasn't what people were saying.

"Yeah, we don't believe that media nonsense," Ari said before I could ask the question. "And Megan told us all of it." I wasn't mad. I was relieved Megan had told them so I wouldn't have to. The whole school- no- the entire city thought I was a publicity whore. I had a weight lifted off my chest that had been there for months, but that didn't change anybody else's perception of me.

"Sara Connor, come to the office, please." I had only been called to the office once. I was a freshman and was being personally congratulated by the principal on making the all-state ballet clinic, as I was the first freshman at LTA to do so. I stood up slowly. Everybody was staring at me, and some people were laughing. I stumbled out of the room and into the hall. I made my way through a corridor of students talking about me. I entered the principal's office. The principal, Mrs. Kent, was there with the dance administrator, Mrs. Smith. I took a seat.

"Sara, I'm allowing you to speak first," Mrs. Kent said. I didn't say anything. "So, do you have anything you want to tell us?"

"We are close," I said after taking a breath. "Or, we were. But it's not like what people are saying."

"Sara, I can't let this go unpunished." Oh no. Could she punish me for it? It was my summer, and I was free to do whatever I wanted.

"On what grounds can you punish me for something like this?" I said. I presented my case.

"Because this is a highly respected school, your actions have caused a severe blow to our reputation," she said, getting angry.

Mrs. Smith spoke up.

"Has Sara done more harm or good to the reputation of this school?" she interrupted.

"What?" Mrs. Kent said.

"I mean, for the past three years, she's been a top student, representing us for dance all over the country. And now one mishap is getting her in this much trouble?" Mrs. Kent sighed.

"I will be contacting your parents," she said.

"I live with my aunt," I interrupted.

"Then I will be contacting your aunt," she snapped.

"She already knows," I tried to say.

"I will be informing her of what she needs to know about how this matter concerns the school," she said. "You may go back to class."

I was late getting to freshman ballet, but Mr. Lee was nowhere to be found. The freshmen stared at me when I walked in. I'm the dance captain. It's my job to lead practice when the teachers aren't here.

"Okay, guys, it's time to warm up!" They were blatantly ignoring me. "Hey, guys!" They were all talking about me. Nobody took me seriously anymore. "Hey!" I finally screamed. This got their attention. They all turned and looked at me with annoyed looks. They had all lost their respect for me. Go warm up!" They all hit the bar and started stretching. I led the class.

The first group of cameras appeared at school. As I left one afternoon, a group of people surrounded my bike with cameras. They were waiting for me. That, of course, made a few local headlines. It started there, but then it spread to them being there when I got home. Then they started waiting at the gym and other frequently visited locations. There were a few changes made because of this. I couldn't stick to a routine anymore if I wanted to do things with my friends. We picked at random where we would go. Our school officer was now my escort to get me on campus safely. You'd think I was the famous one instead of Noah, with the way things were. Interestingly, people seemed to be digging up dirt on me, but Noah was nowhere to be found. People knew where I liked to eat and my favorite color, but nobody could know what Noah was up to.

One day I was walking to class when a group of football players stopped me in the hallway.

"Hey, Sara Jane," one of them said.

"Don't call me that," I said as I tried to walk past them, but they followed me.

"I think Cameron called you that," he said.

"Well, many people used to call me that, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't." Almost as if it were planned, Cameron came down the hall at that exact moment.

"Oh, there he is," he said. I closed my eyes. The boys were laughing. "I'll leave you two alone." The boys walked away laughing, leaving Cameron and me staring at each other in the hallway. I wanted so badly to say the words "I'm sorry." I'm so sorry that I led you on because I needed to be distracted. I'm sorry that I used you. I'm sorry that humiliation will continue to follow you. But I couldn't do it. I walked away without saying a word, tears forming in my eyelids. Sara Jane Connor, what a heartbreaker. 

Hello, Lovelies! Hope you are doing well. Did you enjoy this chapter? What do you think Sara's going to do? Let me know in the comments. Or don't. Live your life. Have a good day :)