I see Jake the next day; he's standing by my locker.

'Hey' I say as I open it up and grab my English folder for after lunch.

'Hey' he says in reply. 'So I heard you were with Howell last night'.

'Your point?' I ask him.

'I thought you said you weren't together'.

'We're not' I say, rather defensively. 'What's it to you anyway?'

Jake fidgets. 'Nothing…. I guess…. I thought that we'd agreed that I'd take you out sometime'.

As he says that, the conversation that we'd had in Geography before Dan had interrupted. 'Oh yeah' I say. 'When's good for you?'

Jake slams his palm against the blue door of one of the lockers. 'Just forget it, okay? Just forget I'd ever asked you'.

I look at him in surprise. 'Huh? What's bought this on?'

'Stop messing me about, Sophia'.

'What?'

'Stop flirting with me; then flirting with that Howell kid; then going out with him; then saying you'd go out with me. Stop playing those stupid mind games of yours, okay?'

'I'm not' I snap back. 'I can do what I want, alright?'

'You know what?'

'What?' I retort aggressively. 'Is this going to be some kind dumbass comment about how you've analysed my psyche? And about how you know everything about me? You're becoming as bad as Dan'.

'Dan can have you'.

'Generous. And charming. What a fine gentleman you are, Gardener. I thought you were better than that'.

'No, I'm just letting him take comfort in the fact that when you're fucking with other people; you're really just fucking with yourself'.

'Wow, and you just gathered that from my actions? I'm impressed' I say sarcastically.

'You're a bitch'.

'Thanks for informing me, I would have been completely and utterly unaware without your insightful comment'.

Jake leaves and I slam my locker shut. I see Dan loitering in an alcove. I catch his eye and he begins to make his way over towards me, dodging the students milling about in the centre of the corridor.

'What was that about?' He asks me.

'Nothing' I shrug.

'No, come on. Tell me. I heard my name mentioned numerous times'.

'It doesn't matter' I say forcefully. 'Just drop it'.

'No, come on Soph' he persists. 'Tell me'.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Ava and Isabella walking towards me, Max and Ollie in tow. They reach me and look at Dan before looking back at me.

'I just saw Jake and he looked thoroughly pissed off' Ollie says. 'I asked him what was wrong and he said you. And Dan. But mainly you'.

I glare at him, now was not the time.

'For fuck's sake, can someone tell me what's going on?' Dan snaps impatiently.

'Basically Jake wanted to know whether or not I was dating you' I say.

'And you said…..?'

'No, that we're not'.

'Why?' Dan looks partly confused and partly angry.

'Because we're not' I say simply.

'You kissed me' he says as a way of explanation.

'That doesn't mean we're dating'.

'We went out to the cinema, you kissed me. Before that, we went to a restaurant. You've been round my house and me to yours. I would say that does kind of mean we're together. Plus, you said you liked me'.

'No I didn't'.

Dan's frowns as he replays the conversation in his head and realises I'm right. 'You implied it though. You said it freaks you out so that's basically saying that you do but you don't want to admit it'.

'Does it matter? Me liking you and you liking me still doesn't mean we're official'.

'Hey, hold up' Ava butts in. 'You like Dan?' She asks me.

I shrug, Ollie's, Max's, Isabella's and of course, Dan's, eyes are all on me.

'I didn't think that was meant to happen' she laughs. 'You said you were only going to go out with him because you felt sorry for him; because he'd never had a girlfriend before'.

Dan's glare hardens and a muscle in his cheek twitches. 'What. The. Fuck' he spits.

Ava's eyes widen. 'Shit' she gasps. 'Soph, I'm so sorry'. Her cheeks redden. 'I didn't mean-'

'Whatever' I say, addressing her.

'Is this true?' Dan snaps, moving towards me. I shrink back. 'You only agreed to go out with me because you felt sorry for me?'

Ollie and Max move to my side. I feel slightly safer with two rugby players by my side.

'You felt sorry for me because I've never had a girlfriend before? Because I'm a loser? Because I'm not a rich, popular, pretentious arsehole like you?'

'I didn't mean to hurt you' I say.

By now, there's a circle of people surrounding us.

'So it's true? It's actually fucking true?' Dan's face is red with anger and his hands are clenched into fists. 'You know what, Sophia? You're the rudest, most selfish, two-faced girl I've ever come across and will ever come across. I hope that now everyone', Dan gestures to the crowd, 'can see how horrible you are and why they shouldn't even like you at all. You're a mean girl. You're a bitch'.

'Hey!' Someone cries as they run into our little gathering in the centre of the circle. Their voice sounds oddly familiar. I turn to face them, my face cold and emotionless. I don't want people to know that Dan's words hurt me. It's the guy from the restaurant, PJ?

'Not now, PJ' Dan says, his voice low.

'But you can't attack her when you're in the wrong too' he says.

There's a collective 'oooh' from the crowd and I turn to face PJ.

'What do you mean?' I ask him.

He fidgets, twisting his hands.

'Tell me' I snap. 'Dan'. I look at Dan, who's glaring so fiercely at PJ that it's a miracle that he hasn't turned to stone.

'Dan says he was only asking you out so he could date you and bring down your reputation' PJ rushes. 'He said he wanted you to know what it was like to be an outcast, a loser, someone who was looked down upon. He wanted you to know what it was like to be invisible and unwanted'.

My mouth drops open.

PJ turns to Dan. 'You said you wanted to ruin her life because she ruined yours'.