Why Is He Spreading Rumors about Me?

Mateo is at the center of a wild rumor that is swiftly spreading around school.

He’s freaked out and frustrated. He can’t seem to stop it or shut it down. What’s worse, the rumor is a lie started by someone Mateo thought was a friend.

The whispers began, like they so often do in middle school, during the lunch period. Mateo and his longtime friend Lily were laughing and joking with each other. When Harris saw them together, he didn’t see two friends innocently goofing around. He saw a lovey—...