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CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
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UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER 40The next morning, as students filed into Willow Creek High for the first period, there was a tangible sensation of expectation in the air. Following yesterday's terrifying announcements, it felt like the entire school was holding its collective breath, ready for whatever new chaos Mrs. Wilkins planned to unleash next.Lila kept her head down as she walked through the throngs of people, attempting to avoid drawing unwanted attention. She could practically feel the weight of furtive eyes and badly hidden whispers coming at her from all sides. No doubt, knowledge of her "elite" group assignment with Caleb Matthews had already spread like wildfire through the painfully incisive social circles.As she approached her first-period English lesson, Lila couldn't help but look around for her newly designated colleagues. Part of her was morbidly fascinated about how they would react in the harsh light of day. Had the dust calmed sufficiently for Caleb to resume his customary rude arro
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CHAPTER 41*** AFTER MID-DAY BREAK ***The classroom was alive with restless energy as students trickled in and took their normal seats. But the air felt thicker than usual, more charged as if the entire place was a powder keg ready to detonate at the least spark. And, as expected, the room fell silent when Mrs. Wilkins walked through the door with her usual glower. Nobody dared to budge in their creaking seats as the dour teacher approached the lectern, appearing like a puritanical hanging judge about to sentence them all.Lila kept her gaze front and her back straight. She could feel the weight of Mia's watchful sidelong glances from her left, no doubt aimed at Caleb's imposing figure on the opposite periphery. Even without looking, Lila could see the disdainful scowl distorting the cocky jock's features as he awaited Wilkins' new edicts.For a long beat, the wise teacher merely stood there, raking the assembled students with her distinctive basilisk gaze. When she eventually spoke
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CHAPTER 42The house was swathed in stillness when Lila finally trudged through the front door that evening. Despite the warmth of the setting sun filtering through the curtains, an inescapable chill seemed to permeate every nook and cranny. She raised her hands and signed, _"Dad?"_ more out of rote instinct than any real expectation of response. The lack of an answer only confirmed her suspicions - Ethan must have been pulling another graveyard shift down at the cannery to make ends meet.Lila sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly as the silence pressed in all around her. While she tried not to dwell on it too often, there was always an undercurrent of melancholy that came with being home alone these days. Almost like the walls themselves were haunted by specters of better times when her mother had still been around to imbue their humble dwelling with warmth and levity.Shuffling towards the kitchen, Lila's eyes were immediately drawn to the collage of old family photos Blu-Tacked
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CHAPTER 43Caleb's alarm pierced the early morning calm like a scorching knife. He grumbled and swiped at his bedroom table until his fingers found the snooze button, which temporarily silenced the unpleasant sounds. Caleb allowed himself a few indulgent seconds to lay amidst his rumpled sheets and silk pajamas, squinting against the hazy streams of dawn that filtered through his bedroom window. The advantage of coming from a wealthy family was that he could enjoy leisurely mornings like these while the rest of Willow Creek's peasantry was already racing off to whatever menial task occupied their sad existences.Of course, such leisurely respites seldom lasted long in the Matthews home. Not when their illustrious family lineage necessitated the ongoing cultivation and upholding of the highest standards in every possible field.Caleb's eyes rolled up in disgust as he heard a loud tapping on his door. "Yeah, yeah—I'm decent. Julia, you are welcome to come in.The door flew open, reveal
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CHAPTER 44By the time Julia and Caleb made their way downstairs, their usual squabbling had subsided into an uneasy truce. Caleb marched ahead in sullen silence, while Julia trailed slightly behind, giving her brother tense back furtive glances every few steps.She couldn't resist the nagging suspicion that Caleb's obvious animosity towards this scholarship competition originated from more than just his normal rebellious behavior. There was an apparent undercurrent of worry and dread in his statements, which felt out of character for her generally calm sibling.Of course, making such observations openly would only invite Caleb's scorn. He had little regard for any hints that he was straining under the tremendous expectations that weighed heavily on their privileged family. Julia knew better than to poke that particularly territorial bear without a verifiable reason.Instead, she merely let the tense silence to stretch between them as they approached the huge circular driveway where C
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CHAPTER 45Julia gazed owlishly down at Lila's sloppy scrawl for a moment, assimilating this unexpected discovery. Caleb had been assigned to the same competitive group as Lila for the upcoming scholarship challenges. Julia's gaze softened into a slight smile, as opposed to the disgust Lila had expected. While the grouping appeared unusual, she saw the judges' objective to produce a group with different abilities and backgrounds. "Well, this certainly explains Caleb's bad mood lately," Julia observed aloud. "Though I'd hoped he'd have outgrown preemptively writing things off just because they don't align with his narrow expectations."She shook her head and gave Lila a kind gaze. Despite their separate social circles at school, the two sisters had developed a strong friendship over time, an unbreakable backbone formed by the same hardships they'd faced.Julia admired Lila's tenacity and sympathetic demeanour, which made the disabilities she faced every day all the more impressive. S
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CHAPTER 46As the first class finished, a commotion of voices and banging lockers reverberated through Willow Creek High's hallways. Lila clasped her books securely to her chest, her gaze fixed on the rough linoleum floor. She flinched when a bunch of noisy boys swept by her, their loud laughing grating on her ears.Caleb swaggered down the corridor, accompanied by his ever-present sidekicks Maddie and Trent. Miranda, his lover, trailed behind them, her painted lips curved in a continuous scowl."Can you believe I got stuck with that mute freak for the group project?" Caleb spat, his voice full of scorn.Maddie snickered. "Dude, it is rough. How are you expected to work with someone unable to speak?Trent interjected with a mocking tone. "Maybe she'll just sit there and stare at you the whole time, like the creep she is."Caleb's face broke into a nasty grin. "Nah, I've got a better idea."His gaze focused on Lila's hunched posture, and a vicious glint appeared in his eyes. He walked
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CHAPTER 47The harsh ring of the bell announced the start of the midday break, and Lila lingered behind, her shoulders bent as she grabbed her bags, hoping to dodge the chaotic rush of students.As she made her way to the cafeteria, she noticed a familiar figure - Julia, who was resting against the lockers, her forehead furrowed as she wrote in her notebook.Lila paused for a time, her heart still heavy from the morning fight with Caleb and his companions. But Julia had always been an ally, a shining beacon of kindness among the sea of hatred that frequently surrounded her.Lila mustered her bravery and approached her buddy, gently patting her on the shoulder. Julia looked up, her expression softening into a loving smile as she recognized Lila."Hey, Lila," she said, her voice full of real compassion. "How's your day going?"Lila's shoulders slumped as she grabbed for the tattered notebook tucked safely within her rucksack. Her fingers flew across the pages as she quickly scribbled he
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The library had settled into its usual afternoon lull, the air thick with the musty scent of aging paper and the soft rustle of turning pages. Lila sat hunched over her laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as she transcribed her latest research notes. So engrossed was she in her work that she failed to notice the looming presence approaching her table until a shadow fell across her screen.Glancing up with a start, Lila found herself face to face with Caleb's towering bulk. Her muscles tensed instinctively, body coiling as if readying for fight or flight. The last encounter with this lumbering bully still burned fresh in her memory - his sneering disdain, the casual cruelty as he'd snatched away her notebook filled with painstaking calculations and schematics.But something was... off. Instead of the usual sneer twisting his features, Caleb's expression seemed almost sheepish. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his varsity jacket as he r
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The echoing silence stretched unbearably as Caleb's hulking form loomed over Lila. She remained frozen, muscles coiled tightly, awaiting the inevitable belittling remark or physical intimidation tactic from the lumbering brute.Instead of lashing out verbally, Caleb simply stared her down, pale eyes drilling into her with an intense, unblinking glare. The seconds ticked by agonizingly until Lila had to fight the urge to squirm under his domineering scrutiny. Finally, he broke the oppressive silence by jutting his thick neck forward, the cords of muscle straining beneath his skin as he fixed her with a callous sneer."Give it here," he growled, the gravelly timbre of his voice reverberating through the stillness.Lila's brow furrowed slightly as she met his imperious glare, refusing to be cowed so easily despite her growing trepidation. She tilted her head in an exaggerated questioning expression.Caleb responded by leaning down until his meaty face filled her field of vision, hot bur
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The library had settled into an industrious hush, the only sounds the occasional creak of chair legs against tile or the muffled clacking of Lila's fingers flying across her laptop's keyboard. Dylan pored over a sheaf of printouts, lips pursing in concentration as he made notations in the margins with a stubby pencil.Mia broke the silence with a jaw-cracking yawn, slumping back in her chair as she stretched her arms overhead. "Well, I don't know about you two, but my brain feels like an overstuffed piñata about to burst after cramming in all those thermospheric equilibrium models."Lila shot her a sidelong glance, the ghost of a smirk playing about her lips as her hands articulated a response. Dylan watched the deft weaving of her fingers with a hint of envy, wishing he could fully grasp the nuanced expressiveness of that rich, silent language.Mia snorted, translating Lila's gestures with a rakish grin. "She says no one ever claimed saving the world would be easy, especially when th
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CHAPTER 73Mia studied a stack of printouts and sketchy diagrams, her brow wrinkled with concentration. Lila's fingers flew across the screen of her laptop with fluid ease, signing a complicated stream of gestures interspersed by brief bursts of typing. Dylan watched the spectacle with a genuine sense of pleasure and satisfaction. Just a short time ago, this ragged company was on the verge of implosion, split between petty power battles and pointless outbursts of ideological grandstanding. However, once their focus moved to actual, concrete goals in pursuit of the Scholsemann Sustainability Scholarship, a perceptible rebirth of synergy emerged.Dylan felt the same explosive spark that had first attracted them together rekindle as he assessed his co-conspirators' single-minded focus on the mission at hand. He cleared his throat, the gravelly rasp cutting through the charged silence like a tuning fork vibration. "Alright, people - I think it's time we regroup and see what kind of big-
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CHAPTER 72***NEXT DAY AT SCHOOL ***The library's hushed ambiance felt like a taut wire, barely containing the simmering tensions that crackled between them. Lila swept her gaze across the secluded study nook, taking stock of her unlikely crew bound together by shared trauma and a singular purpose.Mia radiated tightly-coiled fury, her lithe frame tensed like a spring awaiting release. Though defiant fire still burned in those dark eyes, the mottled bruises marring her skin served as a visceral reminder of the price they'd paid for resistance. Beside her, Dylan settled into his chair with measured movements, as if afraid any sudden gestures might rekindle the powderkeg hostilities. His jaw was clenched, eyes tracking the others with a wariness born of recent betrayals.The heavy tread of boots against tile announced Caleb's arrival. The towering jock swaggered in exuding nonchalant arrogance, but the corded muscles bunching along his thick neck betrayed the menacing undercurrent sim
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CHAPTER 71The front door let out a deep, familiar groan of protest as Lila shouldered it open and stepped across the threshold into the Hawthorne home. The entrance stretched out in front of her, tiny but neat, a true reflection of her father's practical principles and workmanlike pride.She scuffed her trainers against the bristly welcome mat, releasing the grit and debris that had gathered throughout the day on their rubber soles. The regular shucking noises resonated hollowly along the front hall, as Lila went about her daily practice of making herself at home.Her backpack thudded on the floor with a muffled whump, spreading its contents in a tangled sprawl of notebooks, textbooks and stray pens. She'd worry about resolving that issue later; for now, the enticing draw of escape into the digital ether called with its siren song of consequence-free distraction.Lila retrieved her smartphone from the chaos, flicking her thumb across the lockscreen in a single practiced flick. The sc
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CHAPTER 70The bell, which thankfully signaled the conclusion of another academic assignment, rang out in a strong dismissal tone that cut through the noise of the packed corridor. Students rush out of classrooms, eager to get away from academic duties for a few hours.Lila stayed there for a few lingering seconds, watching the storm swell and fall before getting up. She gathered her belongings with deliberate, precise care, her actions honed over years of discreetly traversing a world practically devoid of noise disruptions.As she lifted her bag and turned towards the exit, a familiar figure appeared at her side. Mia fell into step, her face a mix of affectionate irritation and lingering uncertainty."You sure you're okay heading out alone?" She asked, narrowing one eye as she examined Lila. "After this morning's...events, I wouldn't blame you for wanting someone to walk with."Lila's hands moved in a flurry of familiar gestures, her agile fingers articulating the response with prac
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER SIXTY NINE
CHAPTER 69Miranda and Yuria paused in mid-torment, their savage sneers temporarily easing as the sound of an adjacent classroom door smashing open reached their ears."What in the name of blessed reason is going on out here?"The authoritative scream of a male faculty member pierced through the tense atmosphere like a hot knife as Mr. Levinson's towering form approached the corner. The hefty, barrel-chested History teacher stopped short, his already florid cheeks purpling even more as he took in the chaotic sight."Miss Miranda!" "Miss Yuria!" His blustering tones cracked like a whip as he focused on the perpetrators. "Release those young ladies this instant and explain yourselves!"For a brief time, it appeared that Miranda might dig in her heels and refuse the teacher's intervention. Her clean features distorted into an ugly grimace, and her grasp on Lila's hair tightened violently until the mute girl wailed. Then, just as swiftly, the mutinous fury subsided into calm, lazy apathy
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CHAPTER 68The heavy wooden door bashed shut behind Caleb with a resounding finality that echoed along the empty hallway. His footsteps sounded like sledgehammers, propelled by a spinning whirlwind of embarrassment, rage, and disbelief.How dare they? How can those small little insects defy him so shamelessly, removing his legitimate claim to power with their pathetic insurrection? As the images repeated in his mind's eye, he let out a low growl from deep within.Those losers and the freak raised their betraying hands in arrogant, coordinated rejection. Dylan, the overhype little b*tch who had fooled himself into thinking he could steal Caleb's natural leadership. A strong shudder shot through the jock's titanium-hewn frame as he pictured wrapping his hands around that thin throat and squeezing until those mutinous lights went out for good.His fists squeezed till the knuckles turned white, tendons cording against the skin like high-tension cables. The abrupt jarring blast of his ring
