The minute I step into the school, my stomach is in knots. The second I reach my locker, one of the admin staff approaches me, asking me to come to the principal's office. My heart sinks.
Of course, this is how the day starts.
Walking down the hallway, I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is waiting for me behind that door. The last time I was called to the principal’s office, I left with academic probation hanging over my head like a dark cloud. Now, I’m dreading a repeat.
I sit in math class, still trying to process what just happened in the principal’s office. It feels surreal. The dean’s list. I’ve never been on any list except for the ones that remind me I’m falling behind. I’m so lost in my own thoughts that I don’t notice when someone slides into the seat next to me.It’s Sadie.She sits down without a word, but I can feel her eyes on me. I don’t even have to look to know something’s off. Her presence is heavier than usual, more deliberate. When I finally glance at her, she’s staring at me with this expression I can’t quite place. It’s almost… accusatory.I shift uncomfortably in my seat, trying to focus on the numbers and formulas in front of me, but the tension between us makes it impossible to concentrate. I tap my pencil against the edge of my notebook, pretending to be busy.Sadie doesn’t say anything for a long time, and I start
I’m still reeling from my awkward encounter with Sadie when I step out into the hallway. The buzz of students moving between classes fills the air, but I feel like I’m in my own little bubble, trying to figure out how everything got so complicated.And then I see him—Nathan, Liam’s brother. He’s leaning casually against a locker, talking to a couple of guys from his class. My feet move before I can stop myself, my mood lifting almost instantly. Nathan always has this way of lightening the air, of making things seem less serious.“Nathan!” I call out, weaving through the crowd toward him. He looks up and grins when he sees me, pushing off the locker to meet me halfway.“Celeste! What’s up?” he asks, his easy smile making me feel like, just for a moment, things are normal again.“I did it!” I blurt out, unable to contain the excitement bubbling up inside me. “I’m on the dean
I can't believe what I'm seeing.Celeste, standing there in the hallway, laughing and talking like nothing’s wrong—like she didn't just ignore me in m ath class. She’s talking to Nathan, of all people. Liam’s brother.I glance at Tamrin beside me, her eyes glued to the scene, and my stomach twists. She looks devastated. It’s like everything we’ve been trying to figure out, all the texts, all the times we reached out to Celeste, didn’t matter at all. She’s moved on.But the worst part? It’s not with us.Before I can say anything, Presley’s already fuming. I can practically feel the heat radiating off her. She’s pacing, her arms crossed, her face a mask of frustration.“Do you see that?” Presley hisses, her voice sharp and cutting. “She’s over there, acting like you don’t even exist. Talking to some random boy like we’re nothing.”Tamrin
When I get home, I already feel the weight of the day settling into my shoulders. Between the weird energy at school and seeing Sadie and Tamrin, I just want to disappear into my room and be alone for a while. But as I step into the house and drop my bag by the door, my phone buzzes in my pocket.It’s Liam.Come to the backyard.-LiamI stare at the message, my heart speeding up for no good reason. It’s Liam, so of course I shouldn’t be surprised by whatever this is. I glance out the kitchen window and see him standing there, hands shoved into his pockets, rocking on the balls of his feet like he’s waiting for something.A tiny smile tugs at the corner of my mouth despite myself. What’s he up to now?I step outside, and as soon as Liam spots me, his face breaks into this massive, excited grin. The kind of smile that lights up his entire face, making him look like a little kid who just got
Text to Celeste,I’ve been sitting here for what feels like forever, trying to find the right words, and honestly, I don’t even know if there are any that can fully explain how I feel right now. I’m hurt, Celeste. Really hurt. I keep thinking about everything that’s happened, and I just can’t shake it. You didn’t tell me about Nathan. Your first boyfriend, and I had to hear it from someone else? How is that fair? How am I supposed to feel?We’ve been through everything together, and now you’re shutting me out when it matters the most. It feels like I’ve been replaced, like you don’t need me anymore. And I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s the truth. You’re my best friend — or at least, I thought I was yours, too. We’re supposed to share these moments, right? We’re supposed to be there for each other, but now it feels like I’m on the outside looking in, and I h
The moment I step into Liam's car, a rush of excitement mixed with anxiety hits me. He flashes that trademark grin of his—the one that always makes my heart race—and before I know it, we’re on the road. The engine purrs beneath us as we pull away from my house, and I feel like I’m diving headfirst into something thrilling yet unnervingly unpredictable.The sun is setting, casting a golden light across the horizon. Outside the window, the world blurs into streaks of amber and pink as Liam speeds down the highway. The radio plays softly, a mix of hip-hop beats that make the moment feel even more surreal.“So?” he asks, glancing at me with a smirk that both reassures and rattles me.“So? ,” I say, though my stomach twists at the thought of being away from familiar places, especially with him.I feel, his eyes focused on the road ahead. “You look like you're ready to jumpout of this moving car” He sa
We step out of the car, and the atmosphere immediately hits me. The scent of gasoline mingles with the buzz of excitement, and the low hum of engines fills the air. A few go-karts sit lined up in the distance, their sleek frames gleaming under the lights.Liam leads me through the crowd, and I can feel the mix of exhilaration and anxiety building again. I catch sounds of laughter, teasing remarks about who’ll win tonight. It’s lively, and there’s so much energy here that’s impossible to ignore, but I can’t hel
I storm into the restaurant, my heart racing and anger boiling beneath. I can’t shake the feeling that something is seriously wrong. Celeste has been different lately, distant and I just know Nathan has something to do with it. It’s all his fault.As I walk through the doors, my eyes scan the room until they land on him, sitting at a small table by the window. He’s lost in his phone, looking so relaxed, so casual, as if nothing in the world could bother him. I can’t take it anymore. My feet move on their own, pushing me toward him, and before I know it, I’m standing right in front of him, fire in my eyes.“Nathan!” I shout, my voice cutting through the soft chatter of the restaurant. He looks up, startled, and his casual demeanor falters.“Yeah?” His confusion is written all over his face, but I’m beyond caring.“You!” I point a finger at him, my voice rising with each word. “I
I wake up with a feeling of something being… off.Then I see him.Trevor.Sitting at the edge of the bed, watching me.A wave of disgust rolls through me so fast I nearly gag. My entire body tenses, my muscles locking in place. I don't move. I don't speak. I just stare at him, waiting, daring him to say something. If he thinks I’m going to cower, he has another thing coming.His lips curl into a slow, unsettling smile. "You're very beautiful when you're asleep."I frown at him, and his smile widens. The kind of smile that says he’s enjoying this—enjoying getting under my skin.I don’t react. I refuse to give him that satisfaction.
I should not be here.As soon as Nathan pulls up to the house and I see
I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.Maybe it’s the look on Nathan’s face—tight jaw, unreadable eyes, the kind of expression that makes it clear he knows something the rest of us don’t. Maybe it’s the way Tamrin has been acting, the way she flinches at everything and refuses to answer when I ask about Celeste.Or maybe it’s just the fact that Celeste isn’t here, and no one seems to have a real answer for why.So yeah, I might be crazy for chasing down Nathan Miller in the middle of a crowded hallway, calling his name like I’ve lost my damn mind. But I don’t care.He looks back at me when I call him, but he doesn’t stop walking. He just slows down slightly, like he’s debating whether I’m worth his tim
Trevor thinks he’s won.He leans against the desk, arms crossed, his mouth curled into that smug smile that makes my skin crawl. He thinks he has me right where he wants me. Weak. Hopeless. Dependent on his mercy.But he doesn’t know me at all.I keep my breathing steady, my expression blank, as I listen to Liam’s voice crackle through the phone. He knows. He knows I’m missing. And if Nathan spoke to Tamrin, it means they’re looking for me.That thought should terrify me—Trevor will hurt them if they get too close—but instead, it gives me hope.I knew Liam would come for me.The question
The second I step onto my front lawn, I see it.Another damn box.
I know something is wrong with Tamrin.She hasn’t said a word all period, hasn’t even pretended to listen when Presley started complaining about her nails breaking during warm-ups. And when I asked her about Trevor—just casually, just to see her reaction—she practically bit my head off before storming off.That’s not normal.Tamrin was obsessed with Trevor. Just last week, she couldn’t shut up about him. And now she won’t even say his name.And then there’s Celeste.She’s not here.Celeste hasn't missed school in a long time and I didn't think she would. And if she was sick, our homeroom teacher would have announced in the morning.
I lean against the fence, hands in my pockets, watching as Tamrin walks into the schoolyard. She moves like a ghost, like she’s here, but not really. She’s trying to act normal—shoulders squared, head up—but I see the cracks in the performance.Her fingers grip the straps of her book bag so tight her knuckles turn white. Every time someone brushes past her, she flinches, catches herself, then forces that mask back on.Guilt. Fear.I recognize it. I’ve seen it in men who know they’ve done something they can’t undo.She knows.And that means I know.Trevor has her wrapped around his finger. Maybe he threatened her, maybe he promised her safety if she stayed quiet. Either way, she’s playing along.I clench my jaw and force myself to breathe through my nose. I want to grab her right now, demand answers, shake her until she tells me where Celeste is.But Trevor is counting on that.
I wake up gasping. My sheets are drenched in sweat, my body shaking so hard my teeth chatter. The room is dark, but I swear I can still see it—the blood, the bodies, Celeste’s terrified eyes disappearing into that box.I squeeze my eyes shut, but it doesn’t help. The images are burned into my mind, playing on repeat, a nightmare that won’t end just because I’ve woken up.Celeste is gone.And I helped make it happen.My stomach twists violently, and I barely make it to the bathroom before I’m throwing up. My whole body convulses as if trying to rid itself of the horror, but it’s useless. No amount of dry heaving will erase what I did.I kneel there on the cold tile, breathing heavily, gripping the s
I stare at Tamrin, my throat tightening, my stomach twisting into knots so painful I feel like I might be sick. She won&rs