Mark held a straight face as he placed his hands on Lily's shoulders, gently pulling her away from his chest."How was your night in Ethan’s room?" he asked, his voice carrying an undercurrent of curiosity and possessiveness.“Nothing happened between us, Ethan said he left me in his room," Lily immediately admitted, feeling the need to explain herself to Mark, like she owed him an explanation or something.He nodded silently as if he was relieved by her response."You danced so hot yesterday," Mark remarked. "Thank God you left. I don’t know what I would have done to you," he said, his eyes trailing over her body with concern. But his words seemed to hold a different meaning.‘Of course, you just wanted my body.’He regained his composure, locking eyes with Lily with a smirk playing on his lips. “You
Lily stood in front of Mark's car with him by her side, watching her mom run towards her. The thoughts of her being alive to see the next day immediately vanished as she saw her dad walking out of the door, glaring not at Lily but at Mark!“Lily!” Mrs. Davis wailed as she ran over to Lily, pulling her into an embrace, her hands wrapping tightly around Lily's body.“Mom-” Lily's voice snapped her mom out of her worry as Mrs. Davis pushed her away, giving her a stern look.“Where have you been? I thought something bad happened to you! I thought you were kidnapped! I called and called, but nothing! You-“ she stopped, her eyes slowly narrowing as she trailed Lily's body from top to bottom. “What are you wearing?” Mrs. Davis grimaced her face at the sight of what she would call indecent dressing. Then her eyes swiftly turned to Mark, who was about to enter his car, finally noticing his presence.“Hey!” Mr. Davis roared, “who the hell are you, and why are you with my daughter!” he blared as
After taking a long, soothing shower, Lily lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, replaying the events of the night. The one time she decided to let loose and have some fun, she got caught instantly, and to make matters worse, she had lost her phone. But that wasn't the worst of it.Her hand absentmindedly went to her neck, and panic surged through her when she realized that it was missing. The necklace, the precious heirloom her grandmother had given her, was gone. Lily immediately jumped up from her bed, frantically searching her room, tossing clothes and belongings aside in desperation. She checked her purse, her laundry basket, and even the bathroom, but the necklace was nowhere to be found."What the actual fuck!" she screamed in frustration, feeling like the world was crumbling around her.Lily stormed out of her room and darted downstairs, her mother calling after her, but desperation consumed her, which made her not to respond. She followed the path she took when she came
On Monday, a shiver of nervous anticipation coursed through Lily’s veins as she crossed the imposing gates with the school's name, "Willow Brook High," etched above it. The building with red-brick walls stood tall and proud, flanked by windows that seemed to whisper vows of internal suffering. As Lily walked along the covered walkway leading to the entrance. She noticed a few senior students turning their heads to look at her, but she quickly brushed it off. Stepping into the bustling hallway filled with lockers and chattering students. More eyes lingered on Lily longer than usual. Whispers and hushed conversations buzzed around her, accompanied by sidelong glances, pointed fingers, and suppressed giggles that seemed to follow her every step. Feeling overwhelmed, Lily cast her gaze downward, locking her eyes on the patterned tiles of the floor, escaping the sea of faces. Her fingers anxiously twisted the strap of her black bag as she fought the urge to lift her head and confront the
“Eth- Ethan…” Lily's voice trailed off, her nervousness palpable as she met his gaze. He arched a brow, his lips twitching into a somewhat questioning smile. With a graceful gesture, he indicated the vacant chair beside her. “Uhmm, yes, sit,” Lily stammered, her fingers subconsciously finding refuge by scratching the back of her hair. She quickly averted her gaze from his, her cheeks flushing as she felt her body respond to his presence. Her stomach was a flutter of butterflies, and her thoughts were a whirlwind. As Ethan settled into the chair, Lily's fidgeting intensified. She tried to find something to focus on, anything to distract her from the magnetic pull of his presence. Her gaze roving restlessly, searching for a place to land—until... "Oh, wow," Ethan’s voice cooed, and Lily's attention snapped back to him, her curiosity piqued. To her surprise, her sketchbook was now in his hands, and his blue eyes dance
Gently opening the door to his bedroom, Ethan's gaze fell upon Lily, who was meticulously searching through his room. "Seen anything like it?" he asked, "No," Lily replied with a gloomy expression, frustration evident in her voice. "Maybe you kept it where you keep your jewelry." Ethan nodded, proceeding to open his closet, while Lily rushed in to examine its contents. They both scoured through the items, hoping to find the missing necklace. Lily raised her head, and Ethan met her gaze, a silent exchange passing between them. She shook her head, indicating that she hadn't found it yet. "What about my bathroom? Your friend changed you in there," Ethan suggested. “I checked and there’s nothing ….” she trailed off. “Wait the restroom downstairs.” she suddenly recalled, and Ethan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the idea. They both headed downstairs, with Lily leading the way to the bathroom. Ethan followed closely, his attention fixed on her every movement. As she entered the bathroo
Eleven-year-old Mark, wearing a red shirt and jeans, squatted in the elementary school backyard just in front of the playground. His legs drawn close to his chest, he watched other kids with dark circles around his eyes play around and have fun, the smiles on their faces contrasting with his somber expression. Why were they so happy? Why did they always seem so bright? Why did they always have smiles on their faces, while he didn't? Instead, he bore scars, reminders of the abuse he endured from his elder Halfbrother. And he carried pain in his lower body. It wasn't that he didn't want to join in and play. He simply couldn't, the pain wouldn't allow him. What was worse was that he had no one to tell, no one to trust. After all, he was just the son of a dead prostitute, and his politician father was forced to take care of him to maintain a good public image. Mark's stepmother despised him, treating him like absolute trash. His father hated him; he never wanted him in his house. The h
Lily finally reached her house after the failed attempt to obtain her necklace. Standing in front of the modern duplex, she sees her mother's grey car parked outside on the driveway.“Oh God!”She was too late. Her mom was already around and now she had to face her again.Slowly lily turned the front door knob, opening it. She walked inside and her eyes landed on the structure of her mother sitting down on the ash couch in the living. But her attention was focused on her phone. Lily took that as a chance. She took a deep breath and began to tiptoe her way to the stairs. But her mom did in fact notice her presence."Lily Davis" Mrs. Davis' stern voice cut through the air, freezing Lily in her tracks. Lily's heart sank; she had been caught. "Why are you home late? Where were you?” she said with her eyes still fixed on her phone.“Hey Mom" lily tried to play it cool but her voice obviously sounded suspicious. Her mother abruptly whipped her head around and her eyes widened at the sight o