Chapter 2
The air in David’s office was thick with tension as the whole team sat crammed inside. When Josie walked in, the vibe turned frosty, faces souring like they’d bitten into a lemon, except for Natalie. She jumped up, flashing a grin bright enough to blind. "Josie! You showed!"
"I'm here to say sorry," Josie said, sidestepping Natalie's grabby hands. She didn’t have Natalie's gift for playing nice with people she couldn’t stand.
Natalie faltered, as if caught off guard. “Wait, you still think I’m shady, don’t you?” Her voice quivered, eyes glistening as if she was about to bawl. “I didn’t copy your paper, Josie. Take it to the dean if you don’t believe me. Let them figure it out.”
Josie dropped her gaze, looking more pathetic than Natalie’s theatrics. “I’m apologizing, okay? The papers looking so similar threw me, but I wasn’t gonna snitch. I didn’t breathe a word to anyone else.”
The team, who’d been glaring at Josie as if she’d kicked a puppy, started to rethink things. Josie wasn’t a gossip—she barely had friends outside the lab. This drama? She’d only mentioned it to them.
Aiden’s frown eased, his eyes settling on Josie. “I buy that you didn’t mean to stir the pot, but Natalie got burned. If you hadn’t gone all detective, people wouldn’t be whispering about her stealing your work." He added, arms crossed, "An apology's not too much to ask."
Aiden was the team’s golden boy—brains, looks, the whole package. Josie had picked this major partly because it was the med school’s hot ticket, but let’s be real: Aiden was a big reason too. He’d been her hero once. Once. Not anymore.
"Fair point," Kyle Langton, another senior, chimed in. “Josie, I’m with Aiden. You didn’t mean to cause a mess. Natalie’s a softie, so just smooth it over, and we’re all cool.”
Josie nearly laughed. Natalie, a softie? Yeah, right. But she zipped it. “Got it, Kyle. I’ll fix this.” Turning to Natalie, she said, “I’m sorry, Natalie. I messed up, and it hurt you. Honest—can we move past this?” It bit her. Josie had been tight with this crew for years before Natalie rolled in. Breaking that bond? Tougher than she thought.
Natalie flashed a sugary smile. “Josie! I was never mad! Forgive? Psh, nothing to forgive!” She spun to David, plopping down beside him with a flirty grin, her voice all sweet. “Told ya, Professor Lawson, Josie wouldn’t try to screw us over. Cut her some slack, yeah?”
Lawson wasn’t biting. His face was hard as granite, shooting Josie a look that could freeze lava. On purpose or not, she screwed up. And screw-ups have consequences. “So, Josie, how should I deal with you?” David’s face was like stone as he shot Josie a hard stare. He’d always thought she was the good girl—smart, driven, a total overachiever. Now? He wasn’t so sure.
To him, grades were one thing, but a shady character was a dealbreaker. 'She's gotta learn her lesson,' he decided. 'No more badmouthing her classmates.'
Josie had puzzled over why everyone bought Natalie’s act. After some soul-searching, it clicked: Natalie was gorgeous and a master at playing the damsel. Josie couldn’t compete. So she swallowed her pride. “Whatever you say, Professor Lawson.”
“We’re kicking off research soon,” David said, voice sharp. “Your punishment? Sort every scrap of data. Make it so we can grab what we need, no fuss, no muss.” He waved them off.
As they headed out, Josie, stuck in the middle, flashed back to her old life. She’d been slapped with a disciplinary note and kicked off the team. To make things right, she’d buried herself in the archives, sorting documents like a machine. It took a brutal month—one meal a day, late nights, the works. She ended up with a messed-up stomach and flunked classes. And the thanks? Nada. They just griped her work wasn’t good enough.
What a load of crap, she thought. ‘Bust your tail, and they still dump on you.’ Now, here she was again, stuck with the same lousy job.
“Hey, Josie, I’ll help you out,” Natalie said, catching up and linking arms with her. “If I keep my mouth shut, the prof won’t know.”
"She's got this coming," Aiden cut in, pulling Natalie back. "Why cover for her?"
Vincent glanced at Natalie. “Chill about Professor Lawson. Sorting files is nothing compared to a real punishment.”
“Got it, thanks, Vince,” Josie said with a quick smile, hurrying after Natalie. "Hey, Nat, I was so caught up saying sorry earlier, I forgot—I got you a little something." She pulled a sleek box from her bag.
The group stopped cold, crowding around.
“That Aiden’s medal?” Tianna blurted.
Vincent nodded. “Yeah, his first big win in that med competition. He loved that thing—till he gave it to you to cheer you up.”
“Spot on,” Josie said, eyeing the group. “I was new, totally bombed an experiment, and Professor Lawson chewed me out. Aiden gave me this medal, said it was lucky. And you know what? After that, no more screw-ups.” She held the box out to Natalie. “Natalie, I heard this mess really got you down—depression and all. Take this. It’s like a good-luck charm. You’ll be set from now on. Aiden swore by it."
Natalie’s eyes lit up. She wanted that medal. Not just for its shine, but because it was Aiden’s—his first victory, something special. In her eyes, Josie didn’t deserve it. But snagging it right in front of him? That was ballsy.
“Josie, that’s sweet, but it’s Aiden’s gift to you,” Natalie said, pushing the box back. “I can’t take it.”