My eyes locked with Axel’s down the hall. The side of his mouth lifted in that perfect half-smile that he seemed to reserve just for me. It always made my insides melt. Especially when his eyes scanned down my body.

I went to lift my hand to wave at him, but then I was falling. Not falling in love with Axel. I’d already done that.

I was literally falling. On my face. I realized at the last minute that Axel’s eyes weren’t wandering down my body with newfound respect. He’d probably just been looking at Gigi’s foot as she tripped me.

My hands slammed onto the ground just in time to avoid totally busting my face. And I pulled Sophie down with me.

“Ow,” Sophie groaned. She didn’t sound embarrassed at all, just annoyed. But I knew my face was bright red.

Gigi started laughing.

I slowly looked up. Gigi was wearing a pair of heels too, and her skirt was significantly shorter than even my new one. I freaking hated her.

Her arms were folded across her chest and she was staring down at me with her demon eyes. “What a way to start the new year. On your knees begging to be popular.” She laughed. “For the record, walking in heels takes practice. Do yourself a favor and walk around in front of the mirror a bit. Then you won’t trip over your own feet and embarrass yourself in front of the whole student body.”

Gigi snapped her fingers and her minions Georgia and Gemma appeared by her side. The Triple Gs. I hated Gigi the most. But all three of them were evil. Georgia and Gemma started laughing too.

Sophie stood up and brushed her hands off on her skirt. “Great logic, Gigi. There’s only one problem…you tripped her. So apparently it’s you that doesn’t know the proper etiquette of wearing shoes, Neanderthal.”

Gigi glared at her. “Excuse you?”

“Excuse you, you utter simpleton. We have better things to do than listen to you.” Sophie put her hand out for me.

I’d rather just stay down and somehow melt into the floor. But that didn’t seem like an option. So I grabbed Sophie’s hand and let her help me up to my feet.

“Look alive,” Sophie whispered as she pulled me away from the Triple Gs. “Axel’s coming this way. Time for phase two of Operation THTH.”

“But now I’m not ready,” I said and tried to walk in the opposite direction. But Gigi was there, still glaring at us. My feet froze in the middle of the hallway. I wanted to go back in time to five minutes ago when I was on top of the world. And what happened to the very flattering wind in my hair? The air was now stale and I was starting to sweat. Screw high school. I needed to get out of here.