로그인I 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.
The following evening, Tyler doesn’t look at me when he walks in through the door. His duffel bag hangs gingerly on his shoulder, his hoodie is darkened with sweat at the collar, there’s dirt smeared along one of his sleeves, and his hair is flattened unevenly.He looks exhausted.“Hey,” I say care
As soon as I push open the door, the smell of onions and garlic wafts through my nose.I smile at the sight of my mother standing at the stove with a wooden spoon in hand as steam curls around her like a halo. Dad is seated at the small dining table, peering down at the stack of papers before him th
Sophie plants her hands on her hips as she stares both Tyler and I down. She’s trying her best to look intimidating, so I think twice about mentioning how adorable she is.“You both have to help,” she says, then drags a shoe box overflowing with glitter, colored pencils and different types of glue a
CHAPTER SEVEN“Ugh, I don’t want to be here,” I whine as Maya drags me along to the bleachers.The last thing I want to do, after Tyler all but threatened me, is watch him practice. But my best friend doesn’t take no for an answer.“You’re always holed up in the art studio; you need exposure to sun







