ANONYMOUS: IN LOVE WITH MY BULLY

THE BULLYAsher’s POVI woke up to the unpleasant sound of my alarm, reminding me of the possibility of another hectic day in my new school. I rushed through my shower, grabbed a quick breakfast, and dashed out to catch the bus. Our house was quite a distance.My Dad, who was a Baptist Reverend, had just been transferred to Tennessee, Mum had to get a new job, and I had to transfer to a new school. My first weeks in Oakdale High were pleasant; everything seemed to fall into place until everything changed, thanks to a certain someone. Okay, maybe I caused it, but it wasn’t entirely my fault.He was hot, with sharp jawlines, dyed golden blonde hair, and foxlike brown eyes that were hazel. Speaking of the devil, I saw his tall muscular figure from the hallway. Accompanied by his friends…the so-called popular guys in Oakdale, he had this teasing smirk on his face. I turned to my locker, wishing I could disappear as they approached.“Yo! High priest!” he called out, and the others burst in

THE SPOTLIGHTThe next morning, I got up feeling a mix of joy and anxiousness. Today wasn’t going to be like my normal quiet school mornings.As I guessed, when I arrived at school, the principal rang the bells, signaling all the students to gather in the school hall.“Most of us might be wondering why I called everyone together here, since it’s not something we normally do,” Principal Dan started. He was a very tall, strict man… His sharp pointed nose made me think of Michael Jackson after he got plastic surgery.“In the last state school quiz, our students made us proud, making Oakdale High emerge as the winner in the quiz competition.”What followed was a thunderous series of claps from the crowd. I forced myself to clap… but was caught up by the principal yelling.“Please welcome our champions to the stage… Asher Miguel, Brian Miller and Flora Patti.”I dragged my legs, which suddenly felt heavy, to the stage and stood alongside my so-called buddies, with my head dropped shyly.Fr

HOVERING SINSI paced around my room, still holding on to my phone with sweaty palms. The photo on the screen felt unreal… It was a picture of me and my ex sitting on the couch shirtless, with his hands inside my shorts.I recognised the scene. It was at the Sterling’s house party back when we were in Tennessee. I had lied to Dad that we had a group assignment, and Mum had permitted me to sleep over. For real, past sins do haunt.“Who could have taken this picture?” I thought aloud. And Why?I was very cool with everyone in my old school, and the Sterling triplets were either gay or bi… They’d never permit or allow photos like this to be aired, let alone taken…“Cariño, our visitors are here, come join us at the table,” Mum called out.“Coming, Mum,” I answered, tossing my phone on the bed. I snatched my glasses, arranging my curly hair briefly before walking into the dining room.As I stepped in, I froze as my eyes met a very familiar pair of brown-hazel eyes. Tyler sat beside Dad. O

OLD WOUNDS.“Woah! Wait, let me get this straight… Someone sent you this email this morning, and you thought it was me?” Tyler asked. I collapsed on the nearest chair weakly… thoughts running through my head.“Yes” I groaned Weakly. I didn’t need a psychologist to know he wasn’t the one. Besides he isn’t that smart to pretend.“Why would you think that ?” He rolled his eyes, but I wasn’t in my mood for our exchange of words.“because of Eleanor, You said you had dirt on me… I thought it was you” I answered weakly.“Oh” He said suddenly.“So What are you going to do about it, I don’t think that picture will help your reputation at all, worse I don’t think your Dad would be pleased” Tyler added.“I don’t know “ I said shuffling my hair in confusion, where do I even start from?.“Well, not my problem” Tyler said nonchalantly tossing the book back to me. Selfish motherfucker.“It will Tarnish Oakdale high too, it could ruin your teams chance in the league “ I revealed, “and my scholarship

Revisiting the Past My grip on my phone tightened impulsively. The device felt heavier than usual, and my heart pounded so loudly I swore Sean could hear it through the line. “Hello.” Sean’s deep, velvet voice came again. “H-hey, Sean… it’s Asher,” I stammered nervously. “I know,” he replied nonchalantly, as if irritated by the mere sound of my voice. I wasn’t spared the sting either; hearing the voice that once called out to me lovingly and teasingly now sound so cold and emotionless hurt more than I expected. I was the reason we broke up. It had been messy—so messy it left me in a terrible state. I even got a C for the first time in my life. Sean was my first love and my first heartbreak. I had been too ashamed to admit our relationship and denied him countless times. The straw that broke the camel’s back came when one of my church members asked if I was friends with Sean—knowing his nature—and I replied, “I don’t move around with such people.” Unfortunately, Sean heard i