Public Enemy

It was the beginning of the new school year and Mark Howler was feeling more anxious than usual. He had always been something of an outsider at school, but this year was different. He had caught the attention of the most popular girl in school, Rose, and now he was the talk of the town.

Mark couldn't believe it when Rose had approached him at the end of the last school year, asking him to meet her on the rooftop. He had assumed that she wanted to talk to him about their mutual interest in literature, but instead, she had revealed a shocking secret. She believed that Mark was a monster, and that they needed to be careful to keep his true nature a secret.

Mark had been stunned by the revelation, but he had promised to keep his secret safe. He had hoped that things would go back to normal once school started again, but it seemed that everyone had heard about Rose's confession. Mark was now the object of envy and hatred from all of the other boys at school, who couldn't believe that their goddess had chosen someone like Mark over them.

As Mark walked through the school's courtyard, he could feel the eyes of his classmates on him. He knew that they were all talking about him behind his back, wondering what he had done to win Rose's affections. He could hear the whispers and snickers as he passed by, and he couldn't help but feel self-conscious.

"Hey Howler, what's the deal with you and Rose?" one of the boys shouted as Mark walked by. "Did you really get a confession from her?"

Mark ignored the taunts and tried to keep his head down, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He had always had a sixth sense about these things, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

As the day went on, the tension in the school only seemed to grow. Mark could feel the hostility in the air, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before things came to a head. He tried to stay out of the way as much as possible, but it seemed that everywhere he went, he was met with angry stares and rude comments.

Finally, at the end of the day, Mark couldn't take it anymore. He was exhausted and drained from the constant stress, and he just wanted to go home and forget about everything. As he walked towards the school's main entrance, he heard a commotion behind him. He turned to see a group of boys closing in on him, their faces contorted with anger and hatred.

"You think you're so special, Howler?" one of the boys snarled. "You think you can just waltz in here and take our goddess away from us?"

Mark tried to back away, but he was surrounded. He could see the hatred in the eyes of the boys around him, and he knew that he was in trouble. He tried to calm them down, but it was no use. They were out for blood, and Mark knew that he was their target.

Just as he was about to be attacked, he heard a loud growl behind him. He turned to see Rose standing there, her face a mask of anger and determination. "Leave him alone," she commanded, her voice dripping with authority.

The boys hesitated for a moment, but then backed off. They knew that they couldn't take on Rose, not with the way she was looking at them. They dispersed, grumbling under their breath, and Mark was left alone with Rose.

"Thanks for the help," he said, still shaking from the encounter.