LOGINCatherine’s POVI keep looking over my shoulder at the two giant men walking behind me.Not just normal big.These men look like they eat dumbbells for breakfast and wrestle lions for fun.My heart is pounding so loudly I’m honestly surprised the entire school can’t hear it.Is this… a kidnapping?In broad daylight?At school?Students pass by us in the hallway and outside the courtyard like nothing is happening.Meanwhile, I have two walking mountains following me like I’m a criminal being escorted to prison.Nobody is asking questions.Nobody is saying, “Hey Catherine, why are two bodybuilders escorting you like a VIP hostage?”Nope.Nothing.My stomach twists.Okay.This is not suspicious at all.Totally normal.I turn another corner and immediately realize something.Hold on.I stop walking.Slowly.My eyebrows scrunch together.I look around.Trees.A weird stone pathway.An old building I swear I’ve never seen before."Uh…"My brain makes a record-scratch noise.I've been in thi
Clinton's POV My veins are still burning when Catherine grabs my hand.Her fingers are warm. They tremble a little.Her eyes search my face like she is trying to calm a storm."Why are you attacking my friend?" Her voice is gentle.I slowly pull my hand from hers. Not rough. Not gentle either. Just enough to create distance."Open your eyes."I point at Amy, but my eyes never leave Catherine’s face."She is not who she says she is. They planted her beside…""Clinton."The voice cuts through the air like a blade.Richard.I feel him before I see him.He walks toward us. Slow. Calm. Face hard like stone. Like he already knows how this ends.My fists clench automatically. The air feels thick. Heavy with secrets.Richard stops in front of us. His expression softens into a fake, polite smile."Hello, ladies."Then his eyes shift to me."Can I speak to you for a sec?"I already know what he wants.I don’t wait for him to repeat himself. I turn on my heels and walk away."Wait up, man."His
Catherine's POV My stomach twists the second I hear his voice."Catherine."I keep walking.The morning sun is hot, pouring gold over the school parking lot."Catherine. Do not make me chase after you."I almost snort.Oh, now he wants to chase.Not today, sir.I swing my bag higher on my shoulder and walk fasterLast night, he walked out on me at my convenience store job. No call. No text. No apology. But he had enough time to smile at that girl and hand out his number like free candy.Mr. Play Boy is done flirting and now he wants my attention?Na hah.Not getting it.“Catherine, I repeat, do not make me chase after you.”I roll my eyes so hard I almost see my brainFootsteps quicken behind me.Before I can escape, a hand grabs mine from behind and spins me around.Everything happens in one second.My other hand lifts on instinct.My fist swings.THUD.It lands straight on his jaw."Oh!"His head jerks sideways. He stumbles back, trips over his own feet.For a split second, I panic
Catherine's POV I almost smash my face into the wall because I am rushing too fast.My hand slams against the wall to steady myself. My heart is beating like I just ran a marathon. I grab the door handle, yank it open, and storm out of the house like I am escaping prison.The morning air hits my face.Fresh.Cool.Free.I inhale deeply.And then I see her.Amy.Standing outside like she never left.I let out the biggest breath of relief in the world and run straight into her arms.She laughs as I crash into her, wrapping her arms around me tightly. I squeeze her like she might disappear again if I don’t hold her hard enough.God, I have not been this happy in a while.Amy is back.What more could I possibly ask for?I pull back and grab her arm, locking mine with hers."God, I miss this so much."She grins at me, her eyes shining."Well, I miss you too. And I miss going to school together."We start walking down the street like old times. The sun is bright but not too harsh. Birds ar
Jack's POV I haven’t even been asleep for thirty minutes when a scream slices through the room like metal tearing through fabric.My eyes snap open.For a moment, I don’t recognize the ceiling above me. It’s grey, stained at the corners, blurred by exhaustion. My head feels stuffed with cotton and gravel. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. Every muscle in my body protests against the thin mattress beneath me.Morning light leaks through the half-drawn curtains, pale and weak, as if it’s reluctant to witness the state of this room.Then I hear it again.A frustrated groan.I push myself up slowly, palms dragging over my face, trying to peel sleep from my eyes.Cody stands in the center of the room like a man surveying a crime scene.His face twists in disgust.My heart sinks before I even look around.Papers litter the floor in crumpled islands. Empty water bottles roll lazily near the wall. Food wrappers cling to the carpet. My laptop lies open and abandoned like it collapsed
Catherine's POV Clinton suddenly pulls away from the hug. He wipes his face with his hands, sniffing hard. “I’m sorry.”Sorry for crying.My heart aches.I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder. “There’s no need to be sorry." My fingers press lightly, but my heart aches seeing him like this, wet and vulnerable, so unlike the confident boy he usually pretends to be.He nods once, then turns as if he’s about to leave. I step in front of him, blocking his way. “Where are you going?”The rain is still pouring outside, drenching everything.Typical Clinton. Always hiding his pain. Always pretending he’s fine when he’s not. I roll my eyes. My gaze catches the uniform and towel lying on the ground. I walk over, pick them up, return to him, and hold them out. “Here. You need to change into this.”His expression shifts, like I just told him to die. He lifts the uniform between two fingers, looking at it like it’s a foreign object. “This? You want me to wear this?”“Yes,” I say firmly. “







