Chapter 1: The First Day of Senior Year.

“You want to break up with me?” he scoffed, a devilish smile dancing on his lips, amusement flickering within his eyes.

“You promised you'd stay with me… forever,” he continued, his eyes reddening as his anger seemed to escalate, his expression darkening with each passing moment.

“I … I” Lily hesitated. Her heart racing in her chest and her breath quickening. She shut her eyes tightly, mustering up a split-second's worth of confidence.

“I didn’t know! I didn’t know that you were like this!” she finally yelled at the tall figure before her. Her voice trembled with a mixture of fear and anger. “You deceived me. I thought it was all real, I thought we were real.” Her voice softened, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!!” she screamed, her emotions overwhelming her as she looked downwards, her voice reverberating with her pain.

But her outburst was met with an unexpected response. Hysterical laughter suddenly filled the air, and Lily's eyes shot up to him, her expression a mixture of shock and confusion. He was now laughing manically, his shoulders shaking with the force of it, a wide grin on his face, his eyes burning with twisted amusement.

And then, as suddenly as the laughter had started, it stopped. His shoulders ceased their movement, his expression shifted. His laughter faded into nothing, replaced by a cold intensity.

He turned around and walked casually to his desk, his movements calculated and deliberate. He pulled open a drawer. “I never imagined it would come to this,” he uttered, his voice carrying an unsettling weight. From the drawer, he retrieved something, concealing it behind his back.

“You leave me no choice.”

His words sent a shiver down Lily's spine. She remained frozen in terror, unable to tear her gaze away from him. He slowly advanced towards her, their proximity closing to just inches apart. With a sinister smirk, he revealed his arm, raising it in the air and then swinging it in front of Lily, revealing a roll of duct tape.

But before Lily's mind could fully process what was happening, he took action. In a blur of motion, he charged at her, throwing her onto the bed. Panic surged within her, and she began to struggle, fighting against his hold. But his movements were swift and practiced. In mere moments, her hands and legs were secured, bound together by the unforgiving grip of the duct tape.

“No!” Lily screamed, her voice breaking with desperation as she writhed and strained against the restraints. “Stop this, please! This isn't who you are!”

“You see Lily, that’s where you’re wrong. You don’t know who I am.”

He sat down on the bed beside her, his hands reaching out. Lily froze in terror, her body trembling uncontrollably. His fingers dug into her hair, slowly it ran along its golden locks, satisfying his fiery longing. “Now Lily, will always be by my side,” he whispered, his voice carrying a maniacal edge as a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

When had all of this begun? The answer echoed within Lily’s thoughts: The first day of senior year.

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Internal curses swirled in Lily's mind as her gaze fixated on the massive sign atop the school building, boldly proclaiming, "Willow Brook High School." She questioned the world's cruel design, forcing every teenager to endure this hell. Nevertheless, she felt relieved to have reached her final year, graduating smoothly with no issues as her sole remaining task. Not knowing that this was merely the beginning of a life-altering series of unforeseen events.

“Lily! Lily!”

“Y- yes, what’s up?”

“Are you even listening to me?” Sarah, who was next to Lily asked. She had been lecturing Lily and Emily on why they needed boyfriends, but they didn’t even care, not paying attention to whatever she was saying.

"Isn't it obvious? I don't like anyone here, Sarah!" Lily said, as they finally passed through the entrance of the school, entering a hallway crowded with students sporting different expressions. Some wore broad grins as they caught up with their friends, while others had gloomy faces like they didn't want to be there.

Lily, on the other hand, didn't exactly want to be there either. She hated school and studying, but at least she had her friends to make her school life a bit more enjoyable.

"No, it's not, Lily!" Sarah shook her head from side to side aggressively. "You and Emily have been single for too long…and I seem to be joining you guys," her last sentence barely above a whisper.

"But why did you break up with him? I don't get it," Lily asked Sarah.

"Because I hate long-distance relationships! He's literally in another province."

"But he loves you," Emily chimed in.

"Okay… okay! Let’s stop talking about him, okay? It was better when he was in the same school, but now he's in college... that's what you get for dating a senior."

"Sarah, are you sure you're okay, or is there something more?" Lily asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Whatever it may be, this is not the right time, Lily," Sarah let out a sigh. "This is senior year. We finally made it, and we have to make the most of it!"

"But we don't need boyfriends for that," Lily said.

"That is true Lily, very true, but just imagine all the drama we would experience if we did."

"..."

Conflicting ideas on Sarah's comment raced through Lily's mind. Her life had zero drama with absolutely nothing special about it. She always remained the good daughter, obeying her parents' strict rules, making her teenage years be spent in solitude, doing her own thing. Though she found it peaceful, sometimes she felt she was missing out.

"Aren't you two sick and tired of your boring life?" With her black coily hair bouncing on her shoulders, Sarah exclaimed as she spun around in front of Lily and Emily.

“Before I met you two at this school, my life was boring, but now I'm happy,” Emily added.

"Oh, shut up, Emily," Sarah said as she eyed her up and down, then facepalmed. "You know what? I'll go find new friends. Y’all can go to hell," Sarah spat before storming off.

"Wait, Sarah!" Lily said, chuckling as she reached for Sarah's hands. "Having a boyfriend happens naturally. It's not some kind of mission. Plus, Emily and I are not like you, who can talk to anybody anytime."

"But we—" The sound of the bell interrupted Sarah. The number of students in the hallway started to reduce.

"Here we go again," Lily let out a sigh. "Bye, guys."

"Bye!"

Lily and her friends went their separate ways—she had art classes while they had science classes. The school was great until she had to part ways with her friends as she wasn't as close to anyone in the art class. With a sigh, she hurried through the gradually emptying hallway until she reached the front door of her classroom.

"Okay, Lily, you can do… this," she whispered to herself before entering the class.

Stepping in, the classroom was filled with students' smiles and laughter. A few eyes briefly glanced her way before returning to their business. "Miss Davis?" the teacher, Mr. Chuck, greeted her with a smile as she stood at the door.

"Uh, good morning, Mr. Chuck," she quickly replied.

"Good morning to you. Please take your seat."

Lily nodded and made her way to an empty seat in the middle of the second row.

Nervously, she sat at her desk, her eyes glued on the clock. The seconds ticked by, and although the class was filled with chatting and conversations in the teacher's presence, Lily remained quiet, not engaged like the others.

She glanced around the classroom, recognizing the familiar faces of her classmates—some she had known since she enrolled, while others had become acquaintances over the years. Just then, the classroom door swung open, revealing a boy she had never seen before.

He entered with an aura of confidence, instantly commanding everyone's attention. The once bustling room grew quiet as all eyes turned towards him. With his height, he would probably tower over most students. Broad shoulders emphasized his lean frame, creating a captivating presence. His long, dirty blonde hair fell in casually tousled waves, adding to his effortless charm.

"Ethan Landry," was all he said when the teacher, Mr. Chuck asked him to introduce himself. His voice lacking emotion.

"Uh, okay, Mr. Landry, take your seat," Mr. Chuck said, laughing away his unease.

Not just Lily, but the entire class was amused as they observed Ethan making his way to his seat. Though it was his first day, he exuded confidence and calmness, giving off the impression that he never needed to worry about anything.

Lily continued to watch him throughout the lesson but got nothing out of it, as his expression and aura remained the same. She wondered what sort of person he would turn out to be. Friendly, aloof, or perhaps even cold? She couldn't wait to find out.

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The bell finally rang, ending the class. Lily packed her books into her backpack and headed out of class into the already crowded hallway. She caught a glimpse of Ethan's long, blonde hair among the students. He stood out because of his tall and trim build and was obvious from a distance.

In an effort to catch up with him, Lily started to walk faster. She hoped he would speak to her first because she was too nervous to strike up a conversation. But just as she was about to reach him, her friends blocked her path.

Sarah, Lily's best friend, a stunning dark-skinned beauty with long, black coily hair that framed her face elegantly. And Emily, who wore glasses over her dark brown eyes with her long straight black hair cascading down her back.

Since sophomore year, Lily, Sarah, and Emily had formed a close-knit trio, supporting each other through life's ups and downs.

"Woah, woah!" Sarah exclaimed. "Where are you rushing to?"

"To you!" Lily's face brightened as she saw her friends. But she still scanned the hallway with her eyes but couldn't find Ethan, like he had disappeared into thin air.

"Hey, Lily!" Emily said. "How was your class?"

Lily shrugged. "It was fine, I guess. But there's this new guy in class—his name is Ethan. He looks...different."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

"I don't know," Lily admitted. "He just seems...normal in a weird kind of way."

Sarah grinned mischievously. "Ooh, sounds exciting! Maybe he'll turn out to be your sweetheart." Her smirk hinted at playful teasing as she poked Lily with her fingers. "Aaahh, finally!"

“Stop it” Rolling her eyes but smiling at the thought, Lily replied, "Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen. He's definitely out of my league."

Ethan had certainly caught Lily's attention. For the first time in a while, she found herself genuinely interested … in a boy!

"Girl, don't say that. Have you seen yourself?" Sarah exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Nah, you haven't."

Lily wasn't the average shy girl or nerd. In fact, she wasn’t even a nerd; though she studied a lot—a task she despised—she never achieved exceptional grades that would earn her praise. Instead, she was known for her shyness and introverted nature, despite her beauty attracting unwanted attention.

She possessed a slim figure with subtle curves that had only recently developed, which made her more self-conscious, as the eyes on her doubled. Her light hazel eyes complemented her long and wavy blonde hair that gracefully framed her face.

Lily's appearance drew the attention of those around her. However, she avoided it as she hoped to graduate her senior year without any unnecessary drama—the kind that had followed her since 11th grade, all because of that one person.

Lily, Sarah, and Emily made their way to the cafeteria. This had been their routine since sophomore year, when it was just Lily and Sarah until Emily joined them in junior year.

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The three girls entered the already bustling cafeteria, filled with boisterous laughter echoing from every corner. They grabbed their lunches and scanned the room for an empty table to sit at.

Sarah's eyes lit up as she pointed to a table at the far end. "There, next to MJ's table," she exclaimed with excitement.

"Seriously, guys, we're starting to look like stalkers," Emily teased.

"We better hurry before someone else snatches it," Sarah said, grabbing Emily's hand and leading the way. Lily followed closely behind as they made their way to the table.

As they settled down, ready to enjoy their lunch, Sarah suddenly gasped. "Guys, they're coming this way," she whispered, pointing at three boys walking towards a table right next to them.

Lily looked up to see the trio of gorgeous and handsome faces that never left each others side.

There was Mark, the boy lily had a crush on at the beginning of her freshman year. He had always been tall, but he seemed to have gained an extra two inches. He had a bulky physique and strong facial features that made girls swoon over him, alongside his dark brown eyes and hair that appeared different every day. As if he would simply roll out of bed and showed up at school the way he was.

Walking with Mark was Jace, a brown-skinned boy with stylish short light brown locks. And Justin, the tallest among them, had striking black hair and piercing green eyes, which contrasted with his white skin tone. The three of them were often seen together, and while others assumed Mark was the leader, they were actually just a close group of friends.

Lily noticed that Mark never seemed to officially date any girl, at least not publicly. He would often be seen with different girls each week, but they were always older than him. In sophomore year, he hung out with junior girls, and in junior year, he was often seen with senior girls. Now that he was a senior, who would he be with?

However, Lily realized that Mark wasn't the ideal crush. His cold and arrogant personality became obvious, overshadowing his looks and charisma. Her admiration for him quickly fizzled out, spending her sophomore and junior years without a romantic interest.

As Mark, Jace, and Justin made their way past the tables, their laughter filled the room.

Mark carelessly held his smoothie cup, sloshing the contents around. And just then, Jace's foot caught on something, causing him to stumble and bump into Mark, his cold smoothie splattering all over Lily's blonde hair, which was right next to Mark, leaving it drenched and sticky.

“WHAT THE!!!” she screamed with widened eyes.