TatianaAs soon as I heard Hasan’s car pull up in the driveway, I staggered downstairs. Emily had sent me a message sometime in the morning, where she detailed how Hasan had accused her of being the mastermind behind the video and the photos.I had been raging with anger, which subsided after a while, but with Hasan back, the anger came spiralling back a thousandfold.Emily was my best friend. My soul sister. We were moulded from the same clay, and I knew she would never do something like that, despite me having hurt her in the most despicable way. So, having Hasan accuse her of something so ruthless; when she has been nothing but understanding, is something I could not tolerate.I was already downstairs, and as soon as Hasan walked through the doors with his backpack thrown over his shoulder, I marched toward him. Standing close to him, I used all the strength I could muster and pushed him against his chest, but the asshole was too strong and too huge to even budge.“What the hell ar
HASANAt school, I am wary of everyone who smiles at me. Tatiana might have said that the blackmailer who came to her while she was in the toilet had the voice of a woman, but I was still suspicious of everyone. I mean, anyone could fake a voice these days.While classes drag on, I shift my gaze from everyone in class, analyzing why they would want to hurt us. I started with the most obvious ones.Dave and Emily.Although Dave and I haven’t really spoken in a while—and by "a while," I mean since the retreat—he still had reason to hurt Taty. I mean, I did publicly humiliate him for kissing her, and although he swore never to, I couldn’t entirely rule him out.And Emily, she was her best friend. She has been by her side since the video went public, and Tatiana had already confirmed that I was the boy in the video. She was understanding. Too understanding, if you ask me.I mean, you find out your best friend has been lying to your face and fucking your boyfriend—well, supposed boyfriend—
Tatiana“Hasan! Where are you running off t—”The words blur out as I stop at the balcony, a few feet away from the stairs, watching Hasan’s interaction with Mom. His shoulders look tense—more tense than they had been when he was freaking out over whatever he saw on his phone.Mom’s gaze meets mine, and I feel goosebumps all over me. Her stare is cold and full of disappointment, like they have been since the video leaked.She pulls her gaze away from me, and I watch her lips move before she walks past Hasan. Hasan turns, his gaze following Mom’s behind as she mounts the stairs, and when they finally collide with mine, he shrugs. I squint my eyes in a bid to communicate with him but quickly square my shoulders when Mom meets me at the balcony.“Why are you here?” she questions in a tone that would make even the toughest soldier vomit all war secrets.“Nothing. I saw your car pull up in the driveway, and I thought I’d come help with your bag,” I lie, unable to meet her gaze.Mom stares
Hasan“What do you mean ‘gone’?” she asked, sitting up straighter. The panic on her face made it difficult to continue, but now that she was starting to feel comfortable with me around, I decided being entirely honest – no matter how bad the situation was – was so much better than lying to her.“I had them stored in a secure folder,” I explained. “Password protected. I checked the day the video leaked… and the folder was empty.”Her breath caught. “How is that even possible?”“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “No one knew about it. I labeled the folder where the videos were in such a way that if I ever lost my drive, no one would access it. But I was wrong.”Tatiana’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So what? You think someone hacked you?”The panic I’d been bottling up burst open then. My voice came out louder than I meant it to—sharper.“I’m being blackmailed, Tatiana!”She flinched, and I hated that. I hated the way my voice made her recoil, like I was another thing she had to brace herself
HasanI dreaded going back home. The very instant I walked through the doors, the air felt different, in a way I couldn’t quiet describe. I dropped my bag by the door, kicked off my shoes, and hesitated by the stairs. I knew Tatiana was home, perhaps it was her presence in the house that made the air feel different? I wasn’t quite sure.When I finally forced my feet to drag me upstairs, I noticed the door to Tatiana’s door creaked open. I stood by the stairs for a beat, just listening for a movement or anything. Nothing came, but I knew she was inside. After everything that happened at school today, the last thing I expected was to come home and find her here.I walked quietly to toward the door and although it was open, I knocked gently on her door, once the twice. When there was no response, I called out her name.“Tati,” I said softly, just loud enough to carry through the opening.There was a pause, then her voice. “Come in.”I walk through the open door slowly, unsure whether m
HasanWhen you burn down a house, no one cares if your hands come out covered in ash. They just assume you’re the arsonist. That’s what it felt like walking through the hallway today. Like I was wearing guilt like a jacket no one could see but everyone assumed fit me perfectly.At school, Tatiana’s face haunted every wall I walked by. Not literally, but in the way people turned to whisper when I walked past. Like they were rerunning the video in their heads. Like they were comparing what they thought they knew to what they’d seen.Tatiana had been suspended and it made coming to school feel like willingly walking into hell. I didn’t want to be here. Everyone condemned her, here, when it should be me on the receiving end of their backlash. Scratch that, none of us should be receiving backlash from anyone. We were in love.The bell rang and I was the first to leave the classroom, not caring in the least if the lecturer was still rambling on. When I step into the hallway, it was empty an