The movie is playing, but I’m not really watching. The images blur together, the dialogue is just a low hum in the background. My mind is racing, replaying every second of last night, every touch, every whisper. I feel like I’m on the edge of something dangerously close to falling apart.Then, suddenly, Presley grabs the remote and pauses the movie. The screen freezes, and the room goes quiet.“Okay, hold up,” Presley says, turning to me with a playful grin, but there’s something sharp in her eyes. “Celeste, you’re still in your regular clothes. Come on, girl, you need to change into your pajamas. This is a sleepover, not a business meeting.”Tamrin laughs, and Sadie giggles along, but there’s a slight tension in the room that wasn’t there before. I feel everyone’s eyes on me, and my cheeks start to burn.“I, uh… didn’t bring matching pajamas,” I mumble, shifting un
The movie ends, and the room falls into a comfortable silence for a moment. I’m trying to relax, to just breathe and get through this night without falling apart. Tamrin is leaning back against the armrest, her eyes half-closed like she’s about to fall asleep. Sadie is scrolling through her phone, humming to herself.But Presley… Presley’s eyes are darting around the room, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She’s up to something; I know it.Then she claps her hands together, the sou
Sadie and I are sharing a room because Presley insisted that she and Tamrin are going to share. She thinks she’s hurting my feelings by doing this, but I couldn’t care less. Honestly, I’d rather be home anyway. Presley and Tamrin can be best friends and talk about me in private all night if they want..I climb into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin, hoping for some peace. Sadie watches me from the other side of the bed. Her gaze is knowing, sympathetic, and a little amused.“You’re pissed,” she says, a small smile playing on her lips as she sits at the edge of the bed, legs crossed.“I’m not,” I reply quickly, but even I can hear the tightness in my voice. Sadie just shakes her head.“Come on, Celeste,” she says softly. “You can’t let Presley get to you. She says things just to make people mad.”I exhale sharply, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on me
The next morning couldn’t have come any quicker.By 7 am, I’m in the living room, packing my bag, ready to get out of here. The house is quiet—everyone else is still asleep. The air feels heavy, and every sound I make seems amplified in the silence. I shove my pajamas into the bag, feeling my hands tremble slightly.“Celeste,” Tamrin’s voice breaks through the silence. I turn around, startled, as she walks into the living room, her hair tousled from sleep. She looks at me with confusion and worry as I zip up my bag, fixing to leave. “Why are you leaving so early?” she asks, coming to stand in front of me, blocking my path to the door.“Because I want to go home,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. I swallow hard, trying to keep it together, but there’s a burning pain rising in my chest, threatening to spill over. I didn’t think what happened last night had affected me this much, but s
Monday morning. The campus is buzzing with activity, but I feel like I’m moving through a haze. I arrived early, desperate for the quiet before everyone else shows up, before the day’s noise and chaos can drown me out. My eyes are heavy, and my head aches—a dull throb that’s been there since yesterday. The weekend was a blur of tears and exhaustion. I cried until I felt hollow, curled up in my bed, avoiding my mother’s concerned looks and my friends’ texts. I couldn’t face them, not after everything.
The day After the sleepoverPresley’s been talking non-stop, her voice cutting through the quiet like nails on a chalkboard. I’m barely paying attention, my patience wearing thin. But then I catch a few words that make my ears perk up.“You should’ve seen Celeste’s face,” she says with a smug smile. “When I told her to change into pajamas that didn’t match with ours, it was priceless. She looked so out of place.”My jaw tightens. “Why would you do that?”Presley blinks, thrown off by my tone. “What do you mean? It was just a bit of fun. You know how she is.”“No, I don’t,” I say, my voice steady but edged with anger. “And I don’t see what’s so fun about humiliating someone who’s supposed to be a friend.”Presley frowns, her confusion turning into annoyance. “Come on, Liam. It’s j
I push through the double doors, feeling the afternoon sun hit my face like a warm embrace. I close my eyes for a moment, soaking in the light, letting it melt away the exhaustion that clings to my bones. I did it. I submitted every last assignment, every bit of work that had been weighing me down. I feel like I can finally breathe again, like a giant weight has been lifted off my chest.I start to walk across the school yard, my steps lighter than they’ve been in weeks. I glance around, taking in the familiar sights — stu
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I’m walking into the house, but I don’t bother to check it right away. I’m still buzzing with the satisfaction of finishing all my assignments. I feel lighter than I have in weeks, like a huge burden has finally been lifted.I finally glance at my phone when I sit on my bed, my stomach tightens. It’s a text from Tamrin.Hey… I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Can we meet up to talk?-TamrinI stare at the screen, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. For a moment, I’m tempted to respond. To give her the benefit of the doubt, to hear whatever excuse she’s ready to throw my way. But then I remember how she sat there, next to Presley, watching as she humiliated me in front of everyone.I don’t want to go through that again. I don’t want to hear another apology or listen to her try and justify herself. I deserve more than that. I know I do.
The night started off perfectly. Trevor showed up with a dozen roses—deep red, the kind that makes you feel like you’re the most special girl in the world. He even brought my favorite iced coffee, the way I like it—extra caramel, extra cream.I was glowing. Floating. Five dates in, and Trevor had been everything I could’ve asked for. Sweet, thoughtful, affectionate. It was almost enough to make me forget the disaster of our first date. Almost.We’re sitting
Nathan is sitting across from me, his brows knitted together in that way they always are when he’s worried about me. His concern feels like a weight pressing against my chest, adding to the suffocating anxiety that’s been building since I found out about Tamrin and Trevor.I’m trying to act normal, like everything is fine, but I can feel my hands trembling in my lap. I don’t think Nathan buys it. He’s been watching me too closely for the past twenty minutes while I pr
I can’t believe how different tonight feels. From the moment I step out of the car, Trevor is standing there, waiting, looking sharp and giving me this heart-melting smile. He opens the car door for me like some scene out of a romance movie, and for a second, I can’t help but wonder if this is the same guy from our first date.“You look stunning,” he says, his voice soft but sincere, and I can feel my cheeks heat up.The restaurant he’s chosen this time is
The second Sadie says his name—Trevor—I feel my stomach drop, like I’ve been yanked into some icy abyss. My blood feels like it’s turned to sludge, my feet rooted to the floor, frozen in place. I know who she’s talking about. I know. And I also know I can’t let her see even a flicker of recognition on my face.I take a deep, quiet breath, trying to calm the panic threatening to bubble over. Sadie is sitting across from me, her face etched with concern, and she k
I wake up with a heaviness in my chest that I can’t shake. Last night, I couldn’t stop replaying Trevor’s smug face and the way Tamrin laughed off his disgusting comment. Every instinct in me is screaming that this guy isn’t just bad news—he’s dangerous.And then there’s Tamrin. How do I even begin to help someone who doesn’t want to see the truth? It’s not like she’d listen to me. Not now. But someone has to know, someone who might have a
I pace back and forth in my room, phone pressed tightly to my ear. The ringing feels endless, but I keep waiting. Sadie always takes forever to answer, but I need her right now. My heart is buzzing, and I’m practically bursting with excitement. Finally, the ringing stops, and her voice comes through, flat and uninterested."Hello?""Sadie!" I say, trying to keep my voice from sounding too desperate. "I have a date. I need your help. Please, can you come over?"There’s a pause, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes on the other end. "A date, huh?" she says. "And you want my help?""Yes!" I say, ignoring the edge in her tone. "I need your magic touch. You’re the best at this kind of thing, Sadie. Please."Another long pause. Then she sighs. "Fine. I’ll be there in an hour."By the time she arrives, I’m practically vibrating with energy. The second I see her walk through the door, I let out an excited squ
I lean back in my chair, phone still in hand, letting the faint hum of the television fill the silence. Tamrin’s reply is still fresh on the screen, her cheerful acceptance of another date. It didn’t take much to get her to agree—just a few words crafted with care and a touch of desperation.The key to manipulating people like Tamrin is understanding their hunger. She’s starving for attention, validation, anything to make her feel less invisible. I gave her just enough on our first date to plant the seed. Sure, I acted aloof, even dismissive, but I knew that would keep her chasing. And now? Now she’s hooked.I scroll through our conversation from earlier tonight.Trevor: Hey, Tamrin. I’ve been thinking about our date, and I feel terrible about how I acted. I was nervous, and I handled things badly. You didn’t deserve that.I imagine her face when she read it, the little
I’m practically skipping up the steps to Presley’s house, the excitement bubbling in my chest. It’s not like the date with Trevor was amazing—in fact, it was the opposite—but it doesn’t matter. For once, I have something to talk about, something that feels like it belongs to me.I knock on her door, and when she opens it, she’s wearing her usual bored expression. Presley always looks like she has somewhere better to be.“Hey,” I say, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “You won’t believe what happened last night.”She raises an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe as I flop onto her couch.“Let me guess,” she says, voice dripping with sarcasm. “You found a stray dog and decided to adopt it.”I roll my eyes. “No, Presley. I went on a date.”That gets her attention. She straightens up, her eyes narrowing just slightly. It’s subtle, but I catch it, and it fuels me in a way I didn’t expect.“Oh?” she says, crossing her ar