"Sorry Oliver, we have to walk a bit far to my car," she smiled apologetically at him. "I had to meet someone at the other building so I had my car there," she explained to Oliver who insisted on carrying her things for her.

Luke, who was walking on her left side, rolled his eyes at the back of his head and made sure Jess saw it.

She elbowed Luke and gave him a warning look, she cocked her head to her right, where Oliver was walking.

Luke just scoffed at her.

It seemed like he hadn't forgiven her for dragging him all over the other building this morning.

While they were walking across the building, they saw Alice and her friend in the parking lot. She was expecting her to say her usual jeer when they passed by, but Alice was quiet and just averted her eyes.

She and Oliver grinned at each other while chuckling softly.

"What? Did something happen that I wasn't aware of?" Luke asked, seeing the meaningful glances she and Oliver exchanged.

"Jess just whipped Alice's behind," Oliver beat Jess from answering Luke's question.

"You did? You go, girl! It's about time that you say something to that girl." Luke patted her shoulder like he was a proud father. "You know, Jessica, sometimes not talking is actually making some problems worse. I know...I know," he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"What I'm saying is, with that Alice girl, the issue wasn't with you. That girl is just an insecure biatch. And she likes making up all these ridiculous stories behind you, and you didn't say anything at all."

"Because they aren't worth my time! I know that those shits are nothing but bullshit. So, why would I bother with them," she scoffed at Luke's nagging.

"Yes, yes...they are indeed bullshit." He opened the door at the passenger side and got in the car.

Oliver, who was just listening to Luke's rumbling, said nothing but raised an eyebrow when he saw her expensive SUV.

Jess grinned awkwardly at Oliver and shrugged her shoulders. She forgot that she just got acquainted with Oliver not a long time ago. He never probably saw her drove in her expensive car around campus since she mostly came late at night to the lab and she used to drive around an ugly Honda civic.

It wasn't until Jace and Siena convinced her that driving an ugly car wouldn't conceal her identity. And acting poor doesn't suit her. They told her even if she wore the same clothes as everyone else and drove a Kia, she would still stand out.

They said it was her aura. She let them convince her with the car because she hated the Honda Civic, not because of the other things.

Oliver didn't ask questions and just got in the backseat of her SUV. Luke was still yapping in the passenger seat.

She got behind the wheel and started the car, totally ignoring Luke with his sermon. She was maneuvering the car to get out of the narrow parking space when Luke said something that made her blood boil.

"What do you mean?" she widened her eyes and her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly because if not, her hand would snap and smack Luke.

"Well," he said, shrugging his shoulder, "in some way or another you aren't as blameless as you thought you are —"

"What the —"

"Ah, uh," he stopped her from finishing her sentence. He shook his index finger at her face. "You see, Little Miss Jessie, those strange rumors about you intensified and got totally out of control because you didn't even bother to explain yourself."

"So you are saying it's my fault?" her voice raised a few octaves higher.

Oliver, who was sitting quietly in the back of the car, flinched when Jess raised her voice. He was used to seeing Jess being cold and indifferent. Jess who was raising her voice and about to punch someone in the face was someone he didn't know.

He grinned inwardly, observing Jess and Luke in the front seat of the car. They were arguing like he didn't exist. He wished he had popcorn to munch. These two friends, disagreeing with each other, were interesting to see.

"I'm not saying it's your fault. What I'm saying is you are not faultless." he tightened his seatbelt for Jess stepped on the accelerator. He forgot Jess' temper. He thought it would be okay to talk about this matter since Oliver is with them.

He was assuming that Jess would not show her horn since a stranger is with them. But he was wrong. It seemed like Jess was so comfortable with Oliver to know a side of her that she doesn't usually show to people.

"I don't like explaining myself. Now, if they would make stories behind my back. I don't care. Those people don't matter to me. Why would I listen to their useless opinion about me?"

"I'm not saying you should." he tried to explain himself. But with Jess wanting to always have the last word, he already forgot what was exactly his point. He agreed to most of her opinion anyway.

"So, what is it really? Should I listen or should I not? Should I explain myself or let them be?" She threw her hands up in the air when they stopped at a stoplight.

"To be honest, I already forgot my point." he glanced at the backseat of the car, "Oliver, you were listening to my yapping, what's your opinion about it?"

Oliver, met Jess's eyes in the rearview mirror, "I don't know if I have the right to say something since I don't know the whole story, but Alice was our labmate and she almost always crossed the line. And, I'm a believer of minding my own business."

"And I mind my own business," she sneered at Luke.

"Jessica, all I was saying is that it won't hurt you if you speak up once in a while to defend yourself instead of just ignoring everyone."