I woke up with a dull ache behind my eyes, the kind that came from thinking too hard for too long. I’d barely slept. The memory of yesterday, my outburst at Theo, replayed in her head on a loop. My heart clenched every time I remembered how I’d opened up—raw and exposed—before retreating as fast as I could.Now, sitting at the breakfast table, I picked at my cereal, barely registering the clink of my spoon against the bowl. How the hell was I supposed to face him today? Would things be awkward? I already knew the answer to that. Ugh. I pushed away the bowl of cereal. Would he even mention what happened, or would he act like nothing had changed?Part of me hoped for the latter. Part of me hated how much I cared.---I made my way into school with my head down, eyes focused on the cracks in the sidewalk. The usual hustle and bustle of the morning crowd buzzed around me, but my mind was miles away. I didn’t even notice Theo leaning against the school gate (why was he doing that anyway?
I felt sick. Not as in a cold, sick. No, this was something else. A sickness that started somewhere deeper, gnawing at my stomach, tightening my chest. Something more... emotional. No. I couldn’t even call it that because I didn’t–couldn't admit that I felt anything.I wasn’t supposed to care. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything about Catty flirting with Theo. He wasn’t ‘mine’ to feel anything about. But the look on his face, the way he didn’t push her away, didn’t tell her to stop, made something inside me twist in a way I didn’t want to acknowledge.It's sort of frustrating because Theo isn’t even..I'm not even supposed to be having thoughts this way relating to him. Right now, he’s just doing his part of the plan.And Catty? She’s my sister. She’s family. I should want to protect her, even when she’s awful to me, even when she lies. Isn’t that what sisters are supposed to do? So why do I feel this... sharpness in my chest, this burning under my skin every time I think about how clos
Chapter 1I walk into school and the hallway is even more crowded than usual. My boisterous school mates all seem to be whispering excitedly to the other making it seem like I'm the only one not in on some inside joke. Where are my manners? My name is Cora Kinsley and I'm a high school senior at Crestview Academy. I live with my parents and two siblings; an older brother and a younger one. Yep. I'm the middle child. Aaanyway. I make my way over to my locker to get the books I'll need for homeroom when I feel someone pull my bag from behind me, until my back is flush against them. "Good morning Cora!" A deep but cheerful voice greets me. "Would that if it were, Tony. And let go of my bag please.""No can do!" Tony replied, his voice still cheerful. I sigh. Seriously, how can anyone be so cheerful on a Monday morning? And I tell him so.Although out of sight, I imagine Tony's grinning. "Well, the thought of seeing you fuels me with energy, you know. That and a lot of coffee."I s
The thing about me is that I've never had a lot of interest in boys my age. Not that I don't swing that way, I do, but I just feel like they're too much of a hassle to actively pursue. I couldn't tell if I was more surprised by his looks or how I reacted to it.I try as much as possible to not make eye contact with him, even though I could see him from my peripheral vision, instead I try to focus on what Principal Mathews was saying. "...and after a month, I think Mr Thorsen would be capable enough to get through school by himself," Principal Mathews finished. "Alright then..sir. Just a month.""So, I do believe your first period class has already started. Please take a note from Mrs Givens to explain where you've been…and I believe Mr Thorsen is also headed the same way, so please show him to class."I nod at the principal respectfully before exiting the office and going to the secretary's desk. I don't even look back to see if 'Mr Thorsen' is following. He wasn't. I take the no
I walk into the class first, and I see a stern cross on Mr Rogers' face. Theo walks in behind me and stops. At his entrance, the students murmur in the background fades to a hush and everyone's eyes are on us. Well, I suppose he does look…striking. Mr Rogers was not amused though. "Do you care to explain why you were late for class, Miss Kinsley?" "Yes sir, well..I was called to the principal's office just before I got to class," I answered, offering up the note. Mr Rogers takes the note and scans through it. "So who's your friend?""We're not friends," Theo and I say at the same time. Theo clears his throat before explaining. "I'm Theodore Thorsen and I just transferred here. Cora was sent to the principal's office to fetch me."Mr Rogers looked confused. "Fetch you..?" "Yeah. I was having trouble with my class schedule too, so.."Mr Rogers looked like he was still confused but decided not to push the matter. "Right. Welcome to Crestview, Theodore. I hope you enjoy it here."The
I hopped down the base of the pillar when the crowd had begun to thin out. I don't think I can assume he went home, can I? Okay Cora, calm down. I can't just keep searching blindly..I have to have some kind of a plan. But then again, he never said where he was going when he left the cafeteria. Should I go back to search the cafeteria..?"Cora." A deep voice called behind me. I looked back and there he was. Relief flooded through me, though it was soon replaced with my pent up frustration."Where have you been?" I asked through gritted teeth. Theo looked back, towards the driveway. He wasn't wearing the grey hoodie anymore, and the blue tee shirt looked tighter without it. "I went to the car after I left the cafeteria. I guessed I slept off."I pinched the bridge of my nose. Of course he was sleeping! While I was worrying and looking for him..he was sleeping! I don't know why I bothered looking for him anyway. I can't believe I was actually worried. I managed to control my express
I was woken up by the sound of an incessant, annoying buzzing the next morning, a.k.a my alarm clock. Without bothering to stand up, I reached for the desk, my hand searching for the alarm clock and putting it off when I found it. I stretched, stifling a yawn with the back of my hand while climbing out of bed. I looked out the window and saw a blanket of white filling the driveway and the streets. Seems like it snowed overnight. If only it were heavy enough to cancel school..but that's just wishful thinking. I head to the bathroom to brush and change out of my sleep wear and after, I walk downstairs to get myself some breakfast before I go to school. When I got downstairs though, it was as deserted as it was yesterday. Maybe mom and dad didn't eventually come back last night. My mom's a nurse and my dad's a lawyer, so them pulling all nighters isn't really uncommon. As much as I liked being alone, the quietness was a stark contrast to what I was used to. Wonder if Catty came
I was trapped between him and the wall of the (very cramped) closet. Even though it was sorta dark (the lights were on but were flickering), I didn't miss the dangerous gleam in his eyes flicking from my eyes to my lips, or what it meant…and even if I didn't, the way he was leaning towards me made it pretty clear what was going to happen next. The whole situation might have been exciting, if he wasn't my friend Hailey's boyfriend. How did I get into this? Good question. And to answer it, we have to go back a few days earlier: It turned out my little stunt or prank (or whatever you wanted to call it) with Theo had made it's way around the school, surrounding me with unwanted attention. It really was annoying. Especially when you factor in the fact that Theo started it first. Yes, I know how petulant that sounds. But still. I'm probably just going to keep my head down for a while, before his fan girls decide to tear me into shreds. Speaking of which..A couple of girls were standi