Novel-novel oleh Starline

Omniscient POVSenior year had begun for the two complicated, secretly-bound lovers: Trish Carpenter and Joseph Roland.All of Mthland High’s students were gathered in the main hall for the traditional Hall of Fame walk and celebratory program, a ritual held before the final-year students ever sat at their desks as official seniors.The tall, slim, blonde-haired Principal, Mrs. Dante, stood at the podium. "Dear students of Mthland," she spoke, her voice ringing with pride and gravity. "These are our most respected seniors. Every year, we come together—teachers and students, to give our respect to those who will soon depart. Because after a short while, we won't see them anymore." She paused, letting the weight of her proclamation settle over the hushed hall.Mrs. Dante always had that personality; no matter how playful the atmosphere, her entrance demanded dead seriousness. Having taught at Mthland for so long, she had seen countless students come and go, a philosophical reality that

Joseph's POVRING! RING! RING!I slammed my hand down on the alarm, cursing the damn thing. Today. It had to be today. The first day of senior year. Just as I was finally enjoying the summer—spending time with Mom and, unexpectedly, Mom’s new daughter, Trish. The girl I hoped would be my girlfriend someday. Now, I had to go back to pervy Mthland High, put the mask back on, and fight for my big dream all over again.“JOSEPHHHHH! Get up! Senior year has started, you don’t want to be late!” Mom’s annoying morning scream drifted from the kitchen. “You know it’s easier to be a football player if you graduate neatly out of high school, blah blah blah!”I turned off the alarm, nearly smashing it. I just wanted to go back to sleep. Who cared about school, anyway?Just then, Trish came storming into my messy room. She was wearing a completely different look; Mom had bought her clothes in her style, and Trish looked undeniably hot.“Hey! Joseph, we’re going to be late. What happened to working

Trish's POVMy life used to be quiet, centered only on my mother and our small flat. We were closer than sisters, and with my father gone since I was young, she was my entire world. I was the quiet type, comfortable with my books, content to be the girl people called "creepy" as long as I had her smile. But that peaceful life was shattered when I needed it most. Just months before my senior year, as I stood on the edge of growing into a woman, life took her away. I desperately tried to push back the sight of her lying there, motionless, the oxygen mask unable to give back the breath that was life itself. Her death is the single reason I ended up here, in Miss Britney Roland's home.Miss Britney became my immediate anchor. Her words – "Your mom trusted me to take care of you... you're all she had"—were a lifeline. The beautiful, single mother instantly treated me not as a guest, but as a daughter she longed to have. Because Mom was an only child, Miss Britney was more than a best frien

Trish's POV“WHATT?” The word exploded out of me, burning away the pain in my ankle.Joseph was still kneeling beside me, but his expression had shifted from concern back to a familiar, toxic arrogance. He was responding to my desperate, clumsy suggestion that we do something “together.”"First you slapped me when I kissed you, and rejected every approach I made. Now, you’re suddenly asking me for—for a little fun?" He stood up, towering over me. "Wow. Did the good, moral girl finally drop the act? You see? I told you you’d want every bit of me when Mom's gone. Ha! I was right after all."My cheeks were on fire. The sheer injustice of his assumption made me snap.“Shut up, Joseph! I… I didn’t mean it like that. I just wanted to be productive with my day! I got the words wrong, you know it!”“You want to be productive having fun? When my mom’s gone? Yeah, right.” He crossed his arms. “You cheap cunt! I don't want to have fun, and definitely not with Miss Britney’s son. Eww. What would

Trish's POV The relief of having a pact, a defined structure to navigate the chaos of being alone with Joseph was immediately shattered by the reality of implementation. I had barely slept, haunted by the image of Joseph's weeping confession and the calculated glint in his eyes as he shared his horrific past with me, leading to a fragile pact we both made.The sun had just barely begun to brighten the guest room windows when the quiet was brutally violated.I was jolted from my shallow sleep by a booming sound, followed by a fierce voice.“Rise and shine, Author! It's time!”My eyes snapped open. Joseph had stormed in. He hadn't just knocked; he had thrown the door wide open, violating my privacy, and leaving me in frenzy – Yes we were getting close, and on friendly terms now… but distance should be maintained!“What are you doing in my room, and you didn't even knock!” I yelled, scrambling to pull the thin sheet higher. “Ohhh, Joseph, I’m trying to get some sleep, what is this again

Trish's POV It was past midnight. The quiet night had settled around the house like a thick blanket, insulating us from the world. Yet, somehow, Joseph and I were still perched on the living room couch, watching some old rerun of Fantasy Island. Two hormonal teenagers left completely unsupervised. Miss Britney, despite her kindness, had been outrageously careless. I was immensely grateful for her generosity – taking me in, treating me like a daughter, covering Mom's funeral expenses… but her judgment in leaving me alone with her son was baffling.The silence was charged, heavy with unspoken things. My eyes kept flicking to him, a curious, panicked urge overriding my hatred. The hormonal pull was a frantic, terrifying thing. What if, when Miss Britney comes back in the next two days… I’m already… pregnant? I thought, horrified. Hell no. I didn't care if he was the prettiest boy on earth; my life and my author dreams were non-negotiable.“Hey, Trish,” Joseph finally broke the silence,