~ANDREW.Blinking my eyes open to a gentle tap on my arm rousing me from sleep, I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. Squinting against the sudden brightness, I finally noticed Allison standing before me."Hey?" I croaked, still feeling a bit sleepy. I must have looked like a mess because she chuckled softly."Good morning," she greeted, smiling brightly. I mustered a tired smile in return and attempted to sit up, only to be met with a stabbing ache in my neck. "Are you okay?" she asked, noticing my discomfort."Not too great, but I'll manage," I replied, taking in her appearance. "You're all set for school?""Yeah, it's almost nine, and I'm running late for my first class as usual," she replied, rolling her eyes playfully."Why didn't you wake me when you got up?" I inquired as I watched her gather her things.With her back to me as she blow-dried her hair, she answered, "I figured you needed more rest... I mean, you were up watching me sleep past midnight.
~ANDREWI've had it up to here with his rudeness. Does he really think he can just waltz over and lay a hand on me whenever he feels like it? Does he take me for one of those spineless college boys he can push around without consequence?He just smirked at me like my question was straight out of a comic book."The next time you pull a stunt like this, you'll regret it," I warned, letting him go roughly."Go get dressed—"He interrupted me, meeting my stern gaze head-on. "You won this round with your cheap tricks, and I'll give you that."He closed the distance between us in a single stride, making me realize he was just as tall as I am. It made me wonder how the little baby I held in my arms not too long ago grew up to be this fearless and challenging.He placed his hands on my shoulders, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "I knew you kept me locked in here all night to ruin my plans with her. Let me ask you something, Andrew. Do you love Allison?"His disrespect stirred anger withi
~ALLISONPainting has always been my go-to activity whenever my day starts off dull or when everything seems to bore me.I can't really put into words what painting makes me feel. It's like the moment I sit before my board and pick up my brush, my boredom fades bit by bit as I let my brush roam freely, reflecting whatever is on my mind.Sometimes, I have nothing in mind and just move my brush absentmindedly on the board.Surprisingly, these paintings I create out of sheer boredom often gain more admiration than the ones I make when I'm in high spirits.Mrs. Ann, my art tutor, often calls them my masterpieces, but I totally disagree. They're just candid paintings without any clear or relatable meaning in each stroke of the pencil or touch of color.Nonetheless, everyone appreciates art differently. I guess Mrs. Ann's perspective on creativity is a bit odd.As much as I get really creative when bored, I can't say the same for this moment.Right now, I'm sitting before my board, making a
~ALLISON The sight of Landon filled me with relief, not just because he had fed off Jason's grip, but because I had finally laid eyes on him after four long days!"Jeez, Allison. Why are you so excited about something as lame as seeing him?"I'd never loved the sight of him before… something was definitely wrong with me… this is not me. I could feel it.I toned down the smile that threatened to break out on my face and shifted my gaze to Jason. He was still on the floor, unmoving, causing fear to grip me as I stared back at Landon.“I only gave him a temporary sleep. He will be up on his feet within minutes if he's strong enough.”Strong enough?My brows arched in confusion as I eyed him suspiciously. “Please tell me he is fine and stop with your taunts.”He flashed a grin, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. “Maybe, maybe not—”I cut him off, feeling scared to the core. “What do you mean, maybe? If anything happens to Jason, you’ll be to blame. I bet some cameras caught y
~ALLISONThe cafeteria wasn't too crowded, thankfully, so finding a seat was a breeze. Otherwise, we might've been left standing or even skipped lunch altogether. But let's be real, who could survive the day without munching on the school's delicious hotdogs?Personally, I'd love to have a bucket of Crestview's hotdogs in my grave when I die. It's that good.As we settled into our seats after ordering, Lydia casually mentioned, "Just a short vacation to France."But her flushed cheeks and the excitement sparkling in her blue eyes hinted at something more. Definitely not as simple as she claimed.I shot her a look, silently urging her to spill every detail, just as the waiter brought our orders to the table.As the waiter finished settling our orders, I gave her a nod of thanks and dug into my hotdog, taking a generous bite while Lydia started talking.With a wide grin, she blurted out, "I hooked up with a few French guys..."Her words caught me off guard, and I ended up coughing out m
~ALLISONApproaching the steps from inside the room snapped me out of my thoughts, and I quickly dashed behind a nearby pillar, shielding myself as a group of boys poured out.Peering around, I couldn't spot Landon among them, making me wonder if he was even in the locker room. Maybe he had gone home or somewhere else.Well, checking it out wouldn't hurt, as long as I didn't get caught.I moved away from the pillar towards the door, took a deep breath, then pushed it slightly. Making sure no one was in sight, I peeked in first before pushing the door wider.The large room was deserted as I stepped in. My nose wrinkled in disgust as I took in the sight of dirty jerseys and boots strewn across the floor.Jeez,"Is that undies?!""Boys can be really dirty sometimes..." A crack sounded from behind, snapping me out of my thoughts. I spun on my heels, my face instantly flushing red as I beheld Landon's half-naked form—he was only wearing shorts."What are you doing here?" he asked, not both
~ALLISONYeah.I'm screwed again.Here I am, in the disciplinarian's office, sitting in front of the old snitch who won't stop glaring at me.Putting my offense aside, Mr. Jacob rarely has a smile on his face. From my first year, he's always had this grim look that scares the students. Definitely not me, but especially the humans among us.I wonder if he still looks this way at home with his family. That's if he has one. I can't see why any woman would settle for a man who never smiles. It’s weird and would be scary for their future kids.“So you think you can do whatever pleases you because you're part of the Smith family, Miss West?” he finally speaks up, and I frown at his words.“With all due respect, sir, this has nothing to do with the Smith family, actually,” I say, giving a tight smile even though I feel offended and want nothing more than to curse him out.“Then why were you found in the boys' locker room? I bet you know that's against the school's law.”Uhm.If I could turn
~ALLISONI froze, unsure of what to say as he looked me straight in the eyes, searching for answers.Sure, I panicked when I saw him. But wouldn’t it be adding fuel to the fire if I honestly told him why my heart skipped a beat?“Allison?" he snapped me out of my thoughts, his brows furrowed.“Because I wasn’t expecting you. I mean, you came quite early." I chose my words carefully, trying not to stir up more suspicion.I guess that didn’t work as I hoped. His brows furrowed even more. “You weren’t expecting me?”Now it was my turn to be confused. I arched an eyebrow and slowly replied, “Yes... I wasn’t.”"But Landon called me. He said you were trying to reach me to come take you home,” he said, and I blankly stared at him, my confusion doubling.Okay. Get a grip, Allison.What kind of trick did that jerk pull on us?“He said you weren’t feeling well and wanted to go home,” he added, and I quickly put on a fake surprised expression.“That’s right. You weren’t picking up your calls, so
~ALLISONI froze, unsure of what to say as he looked me straight in the eyes, searching for answers.Sure, I panicked when I saw him. But wouldn’t it be adding fuel to the fire if I honestly told him why my heart skipped a beat?“Allison?" he snapped me out of my thoughts, his brows furrowed.“Because I wasn’t expecting you. I mean, you came quite early." I chose my words carefully, trying not to stir up more suspicion.I guess that didn’t work as I hoped. His brows furrowed even more. “You weren’t expecting me?”Now it was my turn to be confused. I arched an eyebrow and slowly replied, “Yes... I wasn’t.”"But Landon called me. He said you were trying to reach me to come take you home,” he said, and I blankly stared at him, my confusion doubling.Okay. Get a grip, Allison.What kind of trick did that jerk pull on us?“He said you weren’t feeling well and wanted to go home,” he added, and I quickly put on a fake surprised expression.“That’s right. You weren’t picking up your calls, so
~ALLISONYeah.I'm screwed again.Here I am, in the disciplinarian's office, sitting in front of the old snitch who won't stop glaring at me.Putting my offense aside, Mr. Jacob rarely has a smile on his face. From my first year, he's always had this grim look that scares the students. Definitely not me, but especially the humans among us.I wonder if he still looks this way at home with his family. That's if he has one. I can't see why any woman would settle for a man who never smiles. It’s weird and would be scary for their future kids.“So you think you can do whatever pleases you because you're part of the Smith family, Miss West?” he finally speaks up, and I frown at his words.“With all due respect, sir, this has nothing to do with the Smith family, actually,” I say, giving a tight smile even though I feel offended and want nothing more than to curse him out.“Then why were you found in the boys' locker room? I bet you know that's against the school's law.”Uhm.If I could turn
~ALLISONApproaching the steps from inside the room snapped me out of my thoughts, and I quickly dashed behind a nearby pillar, shielding myself as a group of boys poured out.Peering around, I couldn't spot Landon among them, making me wonder if he was even in the locker room. Maybe he had gone home or somewhere else.Well, checking it out wouldn't hurt, as long as I didn't get caught.I moved away from the pillar towards the door, took a deep breath, then pushed it slightly. Making sure no one was in sight, I peeked in first before pushing the door wider.The large room was deserted as I stepped in. My nose wrinkled in disgust as I took in the sight of dirty jerseys and boots strewn across the floor.Jeez,"Is that undies?!""Boys can be really dirty sometimes..." A crack sounded from behind, snapping me out of my thoughts. I spun on my heels, my face instantly flushing red as I beheld Landon's half-naked form—he was only wearing shorts."What are you doing here?" he asked, not both
~ALLISONThe cafeteria wasn't too crowded, thankfully, so finding a seat was a breeze. Otherwise, we might've been left standing or even skipped lunch altogether. But let's be real, who could survive the day without munching on the school's delicious hotdogs?Personally, I'd love to have a bucket of Crestview's hotdogs in my grave when I die. It's that good.As we settled into our seats after ordering, Lydia casually mentioned, "Just a short vacation to France."But her flushed cheeks and the excitement sparkling in her blue eyes hinted at something more. Definitely not as simple as she claimed.I shot her a look, silently urging her to spill every detail, just as the waiter brought our orders to the table.As the waiter finished settling our orders, I gave her a nod of thanks and dug into my hotdog, taking a generous bite while Lydia started talking.With a wide grin, she blurted out, "I hooked up with a few French guys..."Her words caught me off guard, and I ended up coughing out m
~ALLISON The sight of Landon filled me with relief, not just because he had fed off Jason's grip, but because I had finally laid eyes on him after four long days!"Jeez, Allison. Why are you so excited about something as lame as seeing him?"I'd never loved the sight of him before… something was definitely wrong with me… this is not me. I could feel it.I toned down the smile that threatened to break out on my face and shifted my gaze to Jason. He was still on the floor, unmoving, causing fear to grip me as I stared back at Landon.“I only gave him a temporary sleep. He will be up on his feet within minutes if he's strong enough.”Strong enough?My brows arched in confusion as I eyed him suspiciously. “Please tell me he is fine and stop with your taunts.”He flashed a grin, adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder. “Maybe, maybe not—”I cut him off, feeling scared to the core. “What do you mean, maybe? If anything happens to Jason, you’ll be to blame. I bet some cameras caught y
~ALLISONPainting has always been my go-to activity whenever my day starts off dull or when everything seems to bore me.I can't really put into words what painting makes me feel. It's like the moment I sit before my board and pick up my brush, my boredom fades bit by bit as I let my brush roam freely, reflecting whatever is on my mind.Sometimes, I have nothing in mind and just move my brush absentmindedly on the board.Surprisingly, these paintings I create out of sheer boredom often gain more admiration than the ones I make when I'm in high spirits.Mrs. Ann, my art tutor, often calls them my masterpieces, but I totally disagree. They're just candid paintings without any clear or relatable meaning in each stroke of the pencil or touch of color.Nonetheless, everyone appreciates art differently. I guess Mrs. Ann's perspective on creativity is a bit odd.As much as I get really creative when bored, I can't say the same for this moment.Right now, I'm sitting before my board, making a
~ANDREWI've had it up to here with his rudeness. Does he really think he can just waltz over and lay a hand on me whenever he feels like it? Does he take me for one of those spineless college boys he can push around without consequence?He just smirked at me like my question was straight out of a comic book."The next time you pull a stunt like this, you'll regret it," I warned, letting him go roughly."Go get dressed—"He interrupted me, meeting my stern gaze head-on. "You won this round with your cheap tricks, and I'll give you that."He closed the distance between us in a single stride, making me realize he was just as tall as I am. It made me wonder how the little baby I held in my arms not too long ago grew up to be this fearless and challenging.He placed his hands on my shoulders, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "I knew you kept me locked in here all night to ruin my plans with her. Let me ask you something, Andrew. Do you love Allison?"His disrespect stirred anger withi
~ANDREW.Blinking my eyes open to a gentle tap on my arm rousing me from sleep, I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering dizziness. Squinting against the sudden brightness, I finally noticed Allison standing before me."Hey?" I croaked, still feeling a bit sleepy. I must have looked like a mess because she chuckled softly."Good morning," she greeted, smiling brightly. I mustered a tired smile in return and attempted to sit up, only to be met with a stabbing ache in my neck. "Are you okay?" she asked, noticing my discomfort."Not too great, but I'll manage," I replied, taking in her appearance. "You're all set for school?""Yeah, it's almost nine, and I'm running late for my first class as usual," she replied, rolling her eyes playfully."Why didn't you wake me when you got up?" I inquired as I watched her gather her things.With her back to me as she blow-dried her hair, she answered, "I figured you needed more rest... I mean, you were up watching me sleep past midnight.
~ANDREWJust then, I pulled back, resisting the urge to go any further, and her eyes lost their gleam, looking disappointed."Your dinner. You forgot it," I said, dropping the pack into her hands."I'm allergic to oats. I'll just go to sleep now," she mumbled, handing back the pack to me and then headed for her closet.Gary didn't mention she had any food allergies, and I can't watch her sleep on an empty stomach. I have to fix something for her, but then again, that would mean letting Landon out of the kitchen. He'd probably be fuming I'd locked him up.I pinched my brows, realizing my initial plan had boomeranged on me.While I waited in the room for her to come out and decide what she wanted to eat, I scanned my surroundings. Her headboard was covered with captivating paintings, while at the far end, a long mirror half-covered in little cardboard pencil drawings caught my eye—quite ugly ones, which made me chuckle.I ambled towards the mirror, taking a closer look at the drawings.