LOGINBy the time PE ends, my bones feel like jelly.
The exhaustion isn’t from Mr. Daniels’ merciless drills alone, but from Tyler, Noah, and constantly holding the attention of everyone who seems to think Tyler and I are nothing but entertainment.
Once everyone starts to troop out of the gym, I notice Tyler striding towards me. I say a quick goodbye to Noah before
I barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Tyler’s father standing on my porch again, completely certain he could destroy my future with a phone call.Getting into an Ivy League school may not be my dream, but they’re my parents and I can’t afford to disappoint them.My hands tremble as I tie my hair back, and I keep replaying his words in my head while I get ready for school.The bags under my eyes look gruesome and my skin looks sickly pale, but I refuse to cower.“You ready?” Maya appears behind me, both of us staring into the mirror. When she came last night, it was with an overnight bag, and she held me all night as I wept.I plaster a sm
I didn’t think it was possible for me to hate anyone this much.Tyler’s father is dressed in a crisp suit, looking like the older version of his first son. Except, Tyler radiates warmth sometimes. This man before me doesn’t.I don’t miss the way his eyes take in my house with disdain, and the late afternoon sun casting shadows on his face makes his expression look even colder.My hand grips the edge of the door for stability. “Can I help you?”I don’t bother masking the venom in my voice. He lays his hands on Tyler; he deserves worse.His lips curve faintly, though there’s no real kindness in the gesture. “I’m sure you can.” He glances past me briefly into the house before returning his gaze to me. “You’re L
Tyler is the first person I look for after the bell rings. Except, he’s nowhere to be found.Students flood the hallway, rushing toward the exits like they’ve just been released from captivity.Maya was pulled into a last-minute rehearsal, so I’m left standing awkwardly in the parking lot with my bag half-zipped, looking for a boy who seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.His car isn’t here either.Sighing, I zip my back fully and sling it over my shoulder. Just when I’m about to start walking home, Noah jogs up to me, smiling.“Need a ride?” He asks.“Oh, you don’t have to,” I mutter.
By the time PE ends, my bones feel like jelly.The exhaustion isn’t from Mr. Daniels’ merciless drills alone, but from Tyler, Noah, and constantly holding the attention of everyone who seems to think Tyler and I are nothing but entertainment.Once everyone starts to troop out of the gym, I notice Tyler striding towards me. I say a quick goodbye to Noah before grabbing my bag and heading to the girls’ bathroom.He can’t follow me there, and at this point if I can get five minutes alone, I’ll take it.Just as I get closer to the end of the corridor, near the lockers, I hear voices around the corner.“I’m serious, Alex.”Immediate
Avoid Tyler at all costs.That’s the mantra I keep repeating in my head as I head to PE with Maya. Considering the gym is huge and Mr. Daniels likes to split the class into groups, it shouldn’t be such a hard task.I just have to remain on the opposite side of the gym from Tyler at all times and pretend that he doesn’t exist. Easy peasy.However, my plan is quickly foiled when I feel Tyler’s eyes on me as soon as I step into the gym.Ignoring the feeling, my sneakers squeak faintly against the polished floor as I head toward the far bleachers where Maya is already sitting.“Hey,” she says, concern on her face as she looks me over. “How did your talk go?”
The second the words leave my mouth, I know everyone heard them.A hush ripples across the nearby tables.Maya’s eyes dart around nervously. “Okay… maybe this conversation shouldn’t happen in the cafeteria.”I’m already standing. “Come with me,” I tell Tyler.His brows knit together. “Lila…”“Now.”Something in my tone must convince him, because after a brief hesitation, he pushes his chair back and follows me.The whispers start immediately, but I keep my head down as chairs scrape and phones lift, and walk faster.
I walk into the warm diner, and the sight of the paintings displayed all over the wall makes me gasp.Noah had texted me an hour ago about the new jazz diner that just opened downtown, saying I’d love the art here. So, I didn’t hesitate.“No way,” I murmur, my gaze sweeping across the sketches and
The house feels the way it used to before her… wrong.I have no idea how Lila managed to entertain my chaotic siblings every evening. My eyes keep glancing at the clock, counting down the hours until our parents finally arrive.“Lila said she’d show me how to draw a horse today,” Sophie says halfwa
Lila's POVI bolt out the door the second the bell rings, my cheek burning.The look on Noah’s face when he saw my drawing makes me clutch my sketchbook tighter against my chest. Why did he have to flip that page open?No, why did I draw Tyler and his stupid jawline and messy hair and that sharp, f
TYLER’S POV“You’re pathetic…”I grit my teeth as those words keep replaying in my head, staring through narrowed eyes at her hand in his as they walk out of the cafeteria together.The part that pisses me off the most is that I shouldn’t even care. But it feels like she’s walking away from me for







