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CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
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UNSPOKEN BOND CHANGE TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER 26The sunlight had given way to dusk by the time Caleb and Miranda emerged from Sally's Restaurant, hands clasped and matching grins on their cheeks. Despite the emotional turmoil that lingered beneath the surface, Caleb felt significantly lighter after dumping his troubles on Miranda's sympathetic presence."So," she lilted, gently bumping his shoulder, "now that you've successfully reunited with your smile, what's next on the agenda for us?"Caleb's spine tingled with fire as a husky undertone ran through her tone. He angled his body towards her, their hands resting on the strong plane of his abdomen."Well, if my incredibly wise, insightful girlfriend will recall..." He mimicked her sly tone, telegraphing his intentions with the smolder of his stare. "It's been over one week since we last had any, ah...quality time together.""One week, and..." Miranda's smokey giggle cut right through his core. "Approximately eleven hours, if my calculations are correct."God, the sound o
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER 27*** MONDAY MORNING ***Julia Matthews stroked her hands over the silky cotton of her sundress, her palms moist from nervous perspiration. She took a fortifying breath, taking in her new surroundings with a mix of fear and morbid interest.Willow Creek High's main door loomed ahead, a faded relic of red brick and institutional dreariness. Students surged through the ancient double doors in chattering gangs, jockeying and roughhousing with the unrestrained energy of wild beasts. A big difference from Brookfield Academy's polished formality.Julia gulped hard, fighting the knot of anxiety in her throat. The entire world, with its foreign sights and sounds, felt so...gritty. Unpolished. Dangerous even in its sheer sincerity.She was startled when a solid hand came to rest on her shoulder. Caleb's craggy features softened into a reassuring smile. "You've got this, Julia," he said softly, giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "Just breathe and go with the flow, alright? "I'll be
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER 28JULIA POV:Julia wiped her hands over her sundress, hoping to get rid of the damp sweat. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to enter Caleb's classroom after the lunch break.Her first day at Willow Creek High was already unsettling, a stark contrast to the elegant decorum of Brookfield Academy. The raucous energy, graffitied lockers, and shameless honesty created a raw, unrefined image that was utterly unlike her privileged upbringing. But Julia was determined to have an open mind and immerse herself in this new atmosphere, no matter how chaotic. She simply hoped that speaking with her brother would help her stay grounded in the face of an overwhelming tide.Julia squared her shoulders and pushed through the classroom door, her gaze immediately drawn to Caleb's recognizable presence among the rows of full desks. He sat with Miranda draped over him in a proprietary manner, both of them accompanied by boys she recognized as Trent and Maddie from earlier encounters.
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
CHAPTER 29JULIA POV:Julia couldn't get the unsettling pictures out of her mind in the hours following the altercation with Caleb and his friends. Lila's stubborn yet resigned emerald stare was burnt onto the backs of her eyelids, mocking her with its quiet resolve in the face of such obvious brutality.Julia's mind kept going back to the enigmatic, selectively mute girl as she worked on her algebra homework that night. What underlying past could generate such hostility and scorn among Caleb's circle, to the point where they felt justified in harassing Lila merely for being in their presence?The entire situation smelled of ugliness and cruelty, which turned Julia off. Perhaps because it reflected an insidious kernel of ugliness she'd always suspected lurked beneath Caleb's charming exterior but had chosen to ignore in favor of sibling loyalty.Julia felt her blinkers had been destroyed after seeing his explosive, aggressive side firsthand. The sibling she idolized as a child had an
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY
Chapter 30The rusty groan of her locker door signalled the beginning of another torturous day at Willow Creek High. Lila took a deep breath and began transferring textbooks with mechanical efficiency, the familiar ritual grounding her in the cacophonous cacophony ringing through the crowded hallway.Halfway through the transfer, her fingers remained motionless against the cool metal as her sight fell on an unexpected object nestled near the top shelf. A folded sheet of paper appeared benign enough, yet its presence made the hairs at Lila's nape bristle with innate uneasiness.Lila carefully withdrew the paper and twisted it over in her grasp, as if it would catch fire. No taunting scribbling or wicked emblem disfigured the outside surface, heightening her sense of doom tenfold. Dark curiosity gnawed at her resolve, and she eventually pried open the crumpled folds to expose a neat wall of letters written in looping script.Lila's breath stuttered in her chest when she heard the top sal
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
CHAPTER 31 The next morning, Lila found herself moving through the crowded halls towards Julia's locker, her jaw set with grim purpose. The skeptical voices in her head attempted to drown out the delicate spark of optimism in Julia's letter, but she pushed them away.Lila approached the corner and saw Julia at her locker, her blonde hair falling in glossy curls. Lila took a fortifying breath and lightly tapped Julia's shoulder. Julia gasped slightly before her eyes focused on Lila, widening in amazement."Lila! "I wasn't expecting you here," Julia said cautiously.Lila reached into her bag and pulled out a worn notebook, quickly scrawling a response. “I got your letter. Even after Trent crumpled it, I read every word.”Julia's expression crumpled with remorse and anger as she took in the implication of Lila's words. "That vile piece of trash dared defile my letter?" she said through gritted teeth. "Lila, I am so sorry. But please know I meant every sentiment wholeheartedly."Lila fe
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
CHAPTER 32*** Willow Creek Art Gallery ***As Lila entered the dimly lit painting studio, she was greeted by the musty perfume of oil paints and turpentine, almost like an old acquaintance. A haven among the swamp of Willow Creek's institutional harshness, where she might escape, if only for little periods of isolation. Lila took her normal stool before an eager easel, deposited her damaged messenger bag, and withdrew her supplies with practiced speed. The weight of the brushes in her calloused palm stabilized her erratic thoughts as she methodically prepped her palette with a subtle symphony of color.Soon, the repetitive rasp of bristles against canvas absorbed her attention. Lila found peace in immersing herself in these hazy realms of color and shape. The caustic jeers and cruel slights that plagued her daily life could never detract from the intense poetry she channeled through each deftly laden brushstroke.Lila was so focused on transferring the swirling discordance of her ps
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
CHAPTER 33Lila's chest expanded with a deep, fortifying breath as she finished the last tubes of paint and looked over her latest masterpiece. The canvas vibrated with a boldly dissonant symphony of shapes and hues, an unashamed expression of her volatile emotions in the aftermath of Yuria's brutal assault.Yet, beneath the seething maelstrom of color, there was something profound...something steadfast and unwavering in the face of the chaotic tempest. A single figure emanating peaceful defiance, exalted within its eye as if illuminated by an inner brilliance that no outer turbulence could destroy.Lila felt her lips curve slightly as her gaze traced the familiar yet subtly empowered contours of her self-portrait, which stared back with quiet determination. Julia's energy appeared to vibrate through each iconic brushstroke, strengthening Lila's essence against the caustic voices begging for her to submit once more._Never again_, she promised with a somber lowering of her chin. Yuria
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UNSPOKEN BOND 76
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
UNSPOKEN BOND 75
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
UNSPOKEN BOND 74
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
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER 73
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-
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER 72
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
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER 71
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
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER 70
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
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT
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
