I'm rattled long after Theo has stormed out, but Danny and Mark seem unperturbed by his abrupt departure. Mark, specifically, looks smug, and I wonder if fucking him in the bathroom had been a bad idea."Faith, are you okay?" Danny asks, pulling my attention back to them. The auditorium looks nice finally, but my heart aches for Theo. Had he seen us? Heard us? With his departure, either one seemed possible."I'm fine." I take a seat on the stage next to Mark, careful not to bump my injured ankle. He scoots closer to me, and a smoldering fire ignites within me. I try to focus on anything else, but Mark's proximity makes it impossible to concentrate. The heat emanating from him warms my body from head to toe, and I can feel the energy between us growing stronger by the second.I steal a glance at Danny, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. He's always been just as attractive, but tonight something is different. Maybe it's the dim lighting, or maybe it's th
Xander and his crew are already waiting for us in the location he texted me, their smug faces making my blood boil. They seem to be anticipating our arrival, eager to see us falter and fail in our attempt to save Theo. Fuck them."Look who finally showed up," Xander sneers, his arms crossed over his chest. His crew follows suit, leering at us as if we're nothing but a joke. My fists clench painfully at my side and my jaw aches from the tension."Let Theo go, Xander. This isn't about him; it's about the competition," I say, trying to maintain some semblance of control over my emotions. I don't see Theo, and that concerns me. What have they done to him?"Ah, yes, the competition," Xander muses. "You know, it's funny how you think you stand a chance against us." A sinister grin spreads across his face. "But sure, go ahead and try to save your precious friend.""Don't fuck with us, dude." Mark steps up beside me. I can feel the anger radiating from his pores. The atmosphere is electric as
I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Faith's departure in the middle of the semester doesn't make any sense, and I can't help but think that she needs someone to find her. She's like a fragile porcelain doll—beautiful on the outside but so easily cracked. And despite her tough exterior, I know that she's desperate for someone to be her knight.The crunching sound of leaves beneath my feet echoes in the empty campus, and it's all I can do not to sprint toward her dorm. There's an urgency bubbling beneath the surface, but I force myself to maintain a steady pace. I have to be strong for Faith—that's what she needs right now. But my thoughts betray me. What if I'm too late? What if she's already gone? I can't help but remember my mom, and how I failed to protect her. The fear of losing someone else I care about grips my chest like a vise, making it difficult to breathe."Keep moving," I mutter under my breath. "You're almost there."As I approach Faith's dormitory, the r
The walls are closing in on me.I pace the length of my childhood bedroom, running my fingers along the faded pink wallpaper. My heartbeat throbs in my ears, nearly drowning out the muffled shouts from downstairs. I press my forehead against the cool glass of the window, peering out at the quiet street below. A gentle breeze ruffles the leaves of the big oak tree in our front yard, its branches stretching toward the open sky. How I wish I could escape out that window, climb down the tree, and run until my legs give out. But the window is locked shut. Just like me.I sink down onto the edge of the bed, the old springs creaking beneath me. I clutch my old, worn teddy bear on my lap, taking comfort in its familiar softness. Its black button eyes stare back at me, void of judgment or condemnation. If only my parents could be so kind. I try to remind myself that this is ridiculous; I'm more than an adult, and Sadie can't just keep me locked in my bedroom for the rest of my life. Yet, here
The weather outside is frigid, matching my mood, as my stepmother Sadie runs a single manicured finger over the windowsill of my dorm room, lifting it to her face a moment later to inspect the dust that has settled on the tip of her perfect finger. She makes a face, shooting a glance over her shoulder at my father who has been standing awkwardly to the side as she tears apart every little thing about my room.“It’s dirty,” she announces to no one in particular. My new roommate isn’t here yet, thank God, and I’m hoping she won’t show up until after my dad and step-monster finally leave me in peace.“I don’t mind,” I say, trying to usher her along faster. “It just needs a little wipe down. I can do that.”Sadie turns in my direction, her nostrils flaring like they do when she thinks I’ve said or done something stupid, which is almost always. “Your father and I aren’t paying for you to be here and clean,” she huffs. “That’s the school staff’s job.”I bite my lip to keep myself from remin
As we finish up the short routine we’ve just done on the lawn, I watch in mild amusement as the girl in the Dancer shirt shakes her head at Danny and folds the flyer in half before cramming it into her back pocket, looking less than enthusiastic about the prospect of trying out for the team. The girl standing next to her with the pixie cut and face jewelry looks embarrassed like she can’t believe her friend is acting so standoffish. Both girls are cute, but the one I have my eye on is the blonde. She’s pretty in a subtle sort of way, the kind of girl that you might not pick out in a lineup, but who probably cleans up well. Humble. Sweet. Quiet. She seems like the type who might want a steady relationship instead of a one-night stand, and that’s exactly the type of woman I am not looking for. I don’t do relationships. Not anymore.Beads of sweat drip from my brow as I grab a towel and a bottle of water and pop the cap, momentarily forgetting about the girls Danny is talking to as I chu
“You’d be crazy not to go to this thing, you know.” Tara is lying on her bed in our dorm, flipping through a grunge fashion magazine as soft music plays from my laptop in the background. I’m cross-legged on my bed, munching on a bag of chips we’d snagged from the dining hall, pondering her words. Since we’d run into Danny and his team earlier, she’s been relentless in reminding me that I’m a big girl now (her words) and that if I want to dance, I can fucking dance. Also her words. And while I know she’s right, it doesn’t make the prospect any less intimidating. I haven’t even started classes yet. If Sadie caught wind of my tryouts before my first homework assignment, shit would hit the fan. “Yeah, you keep saying that,” I remind her, licking Cheeto dust from my fingers. Chips aren’t the only thing we’d snagged from the dining hall. Cookies, pastries, crackers, and an assortment of other junk food currently litter my bed. Sadie never allowed it in the house, so it’s safe to say I’ve be
“Well, that was a shit show.” Theo looks over at me a few hours later and rolls his eyes. We’re still sitting in the auditorium, going through potential dancers that had tried out tonight. And while his words are harsh, I have to silently agree. Aside from a very, very small handful of dancers, Theo is right. Tonight was a shit show.I can't stop thinking about Faith. I don't know her well, but I feel like she could be an asset to our dance troupe. Mark and Theo had been right about her inability to loosen up. She seemed insecure on the stage, wary, like if she messed up it would be the end for her. It was clear to me that Faith had demons, ones that were so severe she took to hiding instead of facing them. But as my friends already knew, we all had demons among us.“I think we should call Faith,” I say as the three of us pack up our bags and make our way out. It’s dark out now, and very few people are still walking around. Home for us is a ramshackle house off-campus. It’s not fancy,
The walls are closing in on me.I pace the length of my childhood bedroom, running my fingers along the faded pink wallpaper. My heartbeat throbs in my ears, nearly drowning out the muffled shouts from downstairs. I press my forehead against the cool glass of the window, peering out at the quiet street below. A gentle breeze ruffles the leaves of the big oak tree in our front yard, its branches stretching toward the open sky. How I wish I could escape out that window, climb down the tree, and run until my legs give out. But the window is locked shut. Just like me.I sink down onto the edge of the bed, the old springs creaking beneath me. I clutch my old, worn teddy bear on my lap, taking comfort in its familiar softness. Its black button eyes stare back at me, void of judgment or condemnation. If only my parents could be so kind. I try to remind myself that this is ridiculous; I'm more than an adult, and Sadie can't just keep me locked in my bedroom for the rest of my life. Yet, here
I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Faith's departure in the middle of the semester doesn't make any sense, and I can't help but think that she needs someone to find her. She's like a fragile porcelain doll—beautiful on the outside but so easily cracked. And despite her tough exterior, I know that she's desperate for someone to be her knight.The crunching sound of leaves beneath my feet echoes in the empty campus, and it's all I can do not to sprint toward her dorm. There's an urgency bubbling beneath the surface, but I force myself to maintain a steady pace. I have to be strong for Faith—that's what she needs right now. But my thoughts betray me. What if I'm too late? What if she's already gone? I can't help but remember my mom, and how I failed to protect her. The fear of losing someone else I care about grips my chest like a vise, making it difficult to breathe."Keep moving," I mutter under my breath. "You're almost there."As I approach Faith's dormitory, the r
Xander and his crew are already waiting for us in the location he texted me, their smug faces making my blood boil. They seem to be anticipating our arrival, eager to see us falter and fail in our attempt to save Theo. Fuck them."Look who finally showed up," Xander sneers, his arms crossed over his chest. His crew follows suit, leering at us as if we're nothing but a joke. My fists clench painfully at my side and my jaw aches from the tension."Let Theo go, Xander. This isn't about him; it's about the competition," I say, trying to maintain some semblance of control over my emotions. I don't see Theo, and that concerns me. What have they done to him?"Ah, yes, the competition," Xander muses. "You know, it's funny how you think you stand a chance against us." A sinister grin spreads across his face. "But sure, go ahead and try to save your precious friend.""Don't fuck with us, dude." Mark steps up beside me. I can feel the anger radiating from his pores. The atmosphere is electric as
I'm rattled long after Theo has stormed out, but Danny and Mark seem unperturbed by his abrupt departure. Mark, specifically, looks smug, and I wonder if fucking him in the bathroom had been a bad idea."Faith, are you okay?" Danny asks, pulling my attention back to them. The auditorium looks nice finally, but my heart aches for Theo. Had he seen us? Heard us? With his departure, either one seemed possible."I'm fine." I take a seat on the stage next to Mark, careful not to bump my injured ankle. He scoots closer to me, and a smoldering fire ignites within me. I try to focus on anything else, but Mark's proximity makes it impossible to concentrate. The heat emanating from him warms my body from head to toe, and I can feel the energy between us growing stronger by the second.I steal a glance at Danny, taking in the sharp lines of his jaw and the intensity in his eyes. He's always been just as attractive, but tonight something is different. Maybe it's the dim lighting, or maybe it's th
I bolt angrily from the auditorium and stride across the campus, my steps fueled by a blend of frustration and determination. I need to clear my head to escape the suffocating weight of these emotions. As I walk, each footfall resonates like a drumbeat, echoing the pounding in my chest. The air is thick with tension, and I find myself running, my legs carrying me faster as if I can outrun my feelings. All I can think about is Faith; how good she must taste, how fucking amazing she probably feels. I want to take her, to ravage her, and show her how I can please her. But what's going on with her and Mark? And it's not just Mark, it's Danny, too. Does she know that they both want her? Does she know that she's become the rare new centerpiece of our little club?Faith is free to make her own choices, I remind myself, clenching my jaw to keep my emotions in check. I don't have any claim on her, not really. We're just friends, acquaintances at best. But the sight of her with someone else—a g
I take a deep breath as I enter the vandalized auditorium, ready to lend a hand in cleaning up the mess left behind. The sight that greets me is both distracting and enticing. The guys are all here, wearing sweatpants and no shirts, their bodies glistening with sweat as they work diligently to repair the damage. I try to focus on the task at hand, but my mind betrays me, conjuring memories of my intimate moments with Danny and the kiss with Mark."This is worse than I thought it would be," I say, and all three guys look up as if surprised to see me there. Without saying a word, I grab a broom and start sweeping up the broken glass, trying to push aside the thoughts of our sexy times together. It's not easy, though, as the memories flood my mind, each one more vivid than the last. Their touch, their lips, the way Mark and Danny made me feel... I can't help but smile to myself, my cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement."Faith, are you okay?" Danny's voice breaks
He's at the bar downtown. Tom's.I sink back into the plush leather seat of Danny's car as we zoom down the familiar streets after receiving Sasha's text, the dim city lights painting streaks of gold across the darkened windows. It's time for a little payback and the anticipation dances within me like an electric current. Tom's Bar is where it'll all go down, where we'll finally confront the tangled mess of emotions that threaten to consume us whole. We're going to take Xander out, a bit of payback for trashing our auditorium. We have one month left until the dance competition, and he's successfully taken away our dance area. Now, we have to find a new one, and we don't fucking have time for that.Momentarily pushing thoughts of Xander aside, jealousy claws at my insides like a feral beast, gnawing on the remnants of my wounded pride. Danny, my so-called friend, has managed to slip into Faith's bed, leaving Theo and me grappling with a torrent of conflicting emotions. I grit my teeth,
I can't believe I'm doing this.I stand outside Faith’s dorm, fidgeting with the flowers in my hand. I’ve already spoken with Tara and arranged to have her gone for a few hours tonight, but I’m nervous, anyway. Will Faith be happy to see me? Annoyed? It’s been two days since the run-in with her parents, and she’s basically been stuck in her dorm nursing a swollen ankle and doing her homework online.Something has to change.Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door, my heart pounding with anticipation. This is a bold move, but I want to show her how much I care. She deserves to be treated like a fucking queen, and I intend to make her feel like royalty tonight.A moment later, before I lose my cool and bolt, Faith answers the door. Her gaze takes me in, her eyes traveling from the smile on my face to the bouquet in my hands.“Danny,” she says softly. “Hi.”“Hi, Faith. Can I come in?”She hesitates, but only briefly, and then steps aside so I can step through the threshold. Just as she
I hobble out of the doctor's office, my right foot encased in a clunky black boot. The sprained ankle is a painful reminder of my clumsiness during dance practice, but I know Theo feels bad. Mark, Danny, and Theo are by my side, their concerned expressions reflecting their genuine care for me. Yesterday, I was sure that not a single one of them even gave a damn."I can't believe I have to wear this thing," I grumble, my voice filled with frustration. "And I won't be able to dance for a few days."Mark's gaze flickers towards me for a brief moment before he averts his eyes, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. I notice the subtle tension between us, remnants of the unexpected kiss shared between us last night. The memory sends a shiver down my spine, but in front of Danny and Theo, I have to keep my emotions in check. What would they think if they found out about the kiss?Danny shoots a glare at Theo, his irritation evident. "You should have been more careful, Theo. You know how im