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Blunt Pain
Last Updated : 2026-04-16
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Four teenagers embark on a journey and face a harsh world of adulthood, only to realize that despite differing backgrounds, their experiences bear notable parallels. Their journeys are marked by deception, hidden family secrets and trials that could jeopardize everything they stand for. Axl is from the wrong side of the tracks, living a less privileged life. He has an unshakable bond with North, who is at the top of the elite ladder. Aspen befriends Merit and pulls her into their circle, both girls coming from a wealthy background. When Axl becomes an unwavering source of support and comfort, the roles are reversed and the decisions made by each of them will shape their futures. The only difference between them is that Axl has nothing to lose. Their lives are impacted by the actions and choices of their parents. It’s a slippery slope as they try to navigate the precarious position of importance and try to avoid the enemies they never knew they had.
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Part 1
Merit
The small town of Esperton had the best and worst of both worlds. It was small enough to feel safe, had quaint little boutique stores uptown, and was big enough to avoid the slums of downtown, where the trailer park was. The area was neatly divided by the railway, giving new meaning to the phrase, “from the wrong side of the tracks.” Merit had spent the last week of her summer holidays getting acquainted with her new surroundings, having moved to the quieter, safer town after her parents’ divorce.
Her father, Maximilian, was busy chasing his newest secretary, an almost identical replica of her mother, albeit much younger. Her mother, Tiffany, on the other hand, hadn’t mourned her divorce for long, and the move to Esperton was so she could remarry.Merit had learned early that endings in her family were rarely mourned. They were replaced, upgraded, polished over like scratches on expensive furniture.Senior year was right around the corner, but Merit only focused on one thing, a scholarship. It was her ticket out of there, her salvation, and her fight for freedom. Her mother had already spoken about a nice suitable match, but she was not going to play the nice, obedient, trophy wife to some asshole. In the super wealthy circles, like the one she came from, things were much more sinister than people actually thought they were. They traded sons and daughters in marriage to keep the circle close-knit and the wealth where they wanted it. Contracts came disguised as engagement rings, and loyalty was measured in bank accounts and bloodlines, not affection. Her bedroom was overly large and exquisitely decorated. She had a walk-in dressing room and an attached bathroom, not that she would have minded not having them. Money was something used as a weapon; it didn’t often bring comfort, and Merit hated it.Her new stepbrother, Jackson Cathwell, had his room across the hall from hers. She’d already seen the way he looked at her, as something new to play with. If only he knew she wasn’t the toying kind, but he’d learn sooner or later. His gaze lingered too long, drifting instead of landing, and it made her skin crawl in a way no locked door ever truly fixed.She’d driven to school in her brand-new Mercedes-Benz CLE convertible. The white car didn’t stand out in the parking lot among the other flashy cars of wealthy kids attending the school. Much like the town, the school had its elite wealthy clique, then there were the rest of their peers. Even that little clique had its own divisions of super wealthy, wealthy, and well-off.Rows of polished paint and tinted windows glittered beneath the late summer sun, luxury lined up like trophies on display. Everyone was looking down on someone. Merit hated the school immediately; she only had to suck it up for one year, though. People gawked at her, but she held her head high and hoisted her book bag over her shoulder.A familiar pressure settled between her shoulder blades—the silent expectation to perform perfection, to belong without ever needing anyone.“Are you Merit Rossini Cathwell?”Merit blinked and looked at the girl standing in front of her. “Minus the Cathwell. I’m not related to that douche bag.”The girl laughed, and Merit could see genuine amusement in her eyes. “Don’t let Lord Cathwell hear you say that, but yeah, he is a douche. I’m Aspen Michaels, and your official tour guide. Welcome to Esperton. I’d say be careful, but I think you’ll do just fine.”Aspen Michaels had wavy, dark brown hair, which fell down to the middle of her back. It was the kind of flowy, perfectly styled hair Merit had always dreamed of having. Instead, she’d inherited her great-grandmother’s strawberry-blond hair that she either had to curl or straighten to make it somewhat presentable. There was no in-between with her hair, but the fact that it was thick and glossy was overlooked by her.“So, Aspen, to which elite clique do you belong?”Aspen blinked her eyes in surprise, then she grinned. “The top of the food chain. Not even your wannabe stepbrother can reach that altitude.”Merit decided she liked Aspen. For a rich girl, she was a breath of fresh air. “I think we’re going to get along great.”They were nearly at the large front doors leading inside the school when the roar of engines had both of them turning around. The sleek steely silver car sped through the rows of parked vehicles, with a Jaguar F-Pace speeding down the other lane, looking like they were racing each other.The two vehicles, one brand new and the other, definitely vintage American muscle, turned, missing each other by mere inches, and finally pulled into their respective parking spots. It seemed like the whole school was staring at them.Excited murmurs rippled outward like shockwaves, reverence and curiosity tangled together in the collective inhale of an audience that already knew a spectacle when it saw one.The door of the silver car opened, and Merit’s breath hitched in her throat. The boy, who looked nothing like a boy, dragged a hand through his dark hair. He was tall, the T-shirt spanning tightly across his shoulders and chest. He pulled a scuffed leather jacket on and grabbed a backpack from his car. He looked effortlessly like trouble.Something sharp flickered in his posture, a restless edge that didn’t belong in a place so carefully groomed and well behaved.The one in the Jaguar crossed the lot, equally tall, dressed in designer jeans and a baseball jacket. The two boys met halfway, bumped their fists together, and kept walking. Merit couldn’t tear her eyes away from the one she knew would ruin a girl’s reputation, given half the chance.“That’s Axl Reynolds,” Aspen said, and Merit turned to look at her. She’d forgotten she wasn’t alone, but thankfully, everyone else was staring as well. Aspen chuckled as the two boys headed toward them. “Come on, let me take you to your locker before the bell rings. We have similar schedules, so I can show you to your classes as well.”“Thanks,” Merit said.Axl Reynolds walked past her, and for a moment, it felt like he was looking directly at her, but he only nodded his head at Aspen. He was taller than she’d initially thought, broader, too. His knuckles were bruised, a faint yellowish tint on his cheekbone, but man, what was in Esperton’s water? He was hot, bad boy personified, scuffed boots and all.The moment he walked past her, it felt like she could breathe again. She followed Aspen through the school halls to the seniors’ lockers and studied her schedule. She got her books out for first period and entered the class just as the bell rang.The only open seat was in the back, right next to the brooding, scowling Axl Reynolds.“Hey,” she whispered, as she sat down.Axl didn’t even acknowledge her, hadn’t even turned his head to look at her. She was used to being noticed, and the fact that he couldn’t even be bothered to greet her stung.Latest chapter
Blunt Pain Part 59
Blunt PainThe first venue was worse than Calum had promised. The stage was barely raised. The monitors crackled. The lighting rig flickered like it might die at any moment. The crowd didn’t care. Not yet. They wore their own clothes, because the label wasn’t spending a cent more on them than they had to. It was just how it worked. Axl didn’t care. He preferred being comfortable.The room smelled faintly of stale beer and hot dust, the kind of place where the sound bounced instead of settled. It wasn’t the best venue, but Axl also knew it wasn’t the worst.Axl stood just behind the curtain, guitar already strapped over his shoulder. He emptied the water bottle in his hand and cleared his throat. Jack paced in a tight line behind the drum kit, muttering to himself about the shitty venue. Rihon rolled his shoulders, loosening his hands. Leon leaned against the wall. His violin was in his hands.They’d argued about it. Rihon and Jack had voted against Leon adding his own flair. Axl loved
Last Updated : 2026-04-16Blunt Pain Part 58
NorthNorth stood at the back of the venue, half-hidden in the shadow. He’d seen a small write-up in the newspaper. Axl’s name had jumped out at him immediately. He’d driven hours to be here and he was glad he’d left Charlotte at home. This was no place for a woman.The lights cut across the stage in hard white lines, and for a split second, Axl stood alone in the glow before the first note even hit. The crowd around him exploded. Something in his chest tightened. It was so intense that he lifted a hand to his chest. The noise was overwhelming, but it wasn’t the sound that unsettled him. It was the certainty that this was exactly where Axl belonged.Axl sat down at the piano first. Not the guitar. There was no swagger on stage, no rehearsed moves. North smiled at that. Axl would never change. His fingers touched the keys and the noise in the room softened into anticipation. When he started singing, it wasn’t for the audience. It was for himself. North could tell the difference. He’d w
Last Updated : 2026-04-15Blunt Pain Part 57
Blunt PainThe rehearsal room smelled like sawdust, sweat, and old cables. The air felt heavy and stale, thick with heat trapped between concrete walls and humming amplifiers, the kind of room that swallowed sound and nerves in equal measure.Axl stood in the centre of the studio. It wasn’t lavish, just practical. Bare bulbs buzzed faintly overhead, casting dull shadows over scuffed floors and taped-down cables that crisscrossed like battle lines. His guitar hung low against his hip while Leon adjusted the height of his violin stand near the wall.Jack was already behind the drum kit, spinning a stick through his fingers like he needed something to do with his hands before his nerves swallowed him whole. He tried to look relaxed, but his eyes betrayed him. They darted toward the door once, then to Axl, then back to the snare.Rihon sat on the edge of an amp, bass balanced across his knees, quietly plucking a slow line. Nobody spoke. The silence pressed against Axl’s ears harder than a
Last Updated : 2026-04-14Blunt Pain Part 56
AspenThe house was large, comfortably furnished, and beautiful. Warm afternoon light spilled through tall windows, softening the clean lines of the furniture and catching in the polished wood floors. She was nervous since Axl told her the whole band would be living there so they could record their songs in the basement studio. Axl carried their luggage inside, and three guys got to their feet in the living room as she stood there, uncertain of what to do. The low hum of voices and faint music drifting from somewhere deeper in the house made it feel lived-in already.“Hey, I’m Rihon, I play bass guitar and do back-up vocals.” He was a head shorter than Axl, with unruly light brown hair and brown eyes. He looked like a guitarist—tattoos on his arms and a stud through his eyebrow.“I’m the resident drummer, Jack, and dare I say the hot one of the band.” His grin had her smiling; his confidence wasn’t overbearing, and he wasn’t lying. He was good-looking, not like Axl, but then again, no
Last Updated : 2026-04-13Blunt Pain Part 28
AspenIt was late when her phone buzzed on her nightstand. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at North’s name displayed on the screen. The quiet of the house pressed down on her chest, thick and unfamiliar, as if the walls themselves were listening.“Hey, is everything okay?” Something h
Blunt Pain Part 26
AxlHe sat at the small table between the living room and kitchen and finished his homework. He didn’t like what Merit did, but if she hadn’t, he’d still be in a cell waiting to appear in front of a judge. Peyton was crawling on the floor, playing with her teething ring. The soft scrape of plastic
Blunt Pain Part 25
MeritShe was filled with trepidation as she walked into the house. The polished marble floor felt colder than it ever had beneath her shoes, every step echoing too loudly in the silent hallway. She could hear voices talking in the sitting room, and her heart started beating faster. She had no idea
Blunt Pain Part 24
AspenThey were sitting in the cafeteria, their food mainly untouched. The smell of fried food and coffee hung heavy in the air, turning her stomach instead of making it growl. The day had certainly taken a turn for the worse, and the whispers wouldn’t stop. Aspen glared at one girl, and she quickl
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