I didn't want to be seen. That was the only thought running through my mind as I dragged my feet along the school corridor. I kept my eyes on the floor tiles as if they held the answers to my problem. My throat still hurt like hell, like I swallowed a fireball and Derek's words last night kept swirling in my head like a bad lullaby.It's not love. Not for us.I bit my lip so hard that it almost bled. Maybe if I hurt outside, my insides would be calmed. But somehow, I felt nothing. I felt nothing other than the pain Derek's words cause me. I kept walking down the hallway, trying my best stay a ghost, to become invisible and fit into the crowd of noisy students rushing out of the classrooms like bees bursting out from a hive. Yet even amidst the chaos, I felt something was wrong. Like someone was following me.I looked up for a second and saw no one. Chloe and Alexa stood beside their lockers, whispering to each other and shooting me side glances. Emily was not with them, and that made
I stood in the classroom long after Tania left. My knees kept shaking and my breathing came out in short, ragged breathes. My fists tightly clenched hard around the edge of the desk, eased gradually. I was stared blankly at the door waiting for Derek to burst through it and tell me that it was all a bad joke. That Tania was lying. That everything she had said to me wasn't true.But he didn't. I was alone.The silence enveloped me. It forced itself against my chest, ripping its way into my lungs so that I couldn't breathe. My legs suddenly functioned and I sank slowly into the chair behind me, cupping my face in my hands.And then, I broke.Tears poured out of my eyes like a river waiting to burst open. My lips trembled and my chest heaved heavily with every sob I couldn't hold back. My shoulders shook uncontrollably. I didn't even care if anyone walked in and saw me this way. The Lydia that had been held in check was dead for good. That Lydia shattered the instant Tania called Derek h
Emily's POVIf I had to sit through one more boring class, I was going to lose my mind.I glanced at the clock in chemistry class and rolled my eyes. An hour more to go. Phew! I've never been the class lover type and today's class won't make a difference.The chemistry teacher up front was rambling on and on about chemical bonds and oxidation. Who the hell cares?I raised my hand, just so I could leave."Bathroom" I said bluntly.The teacher tried to protest. I didn't even hear what he said. I was already up, flicking my hair and storming out like I was a queen. And I was. This school belonged to me. Every hallway. Every locker. Every whisper. I did not ask my dad to make donations to the school for nothing.I passed by the lockers, my heels clicking on the floor. The hallway was empty, just the way I love it. I took the turn around the old music room, about to sneak to my favorite place to smoke when something made me stop.Voices. A girl's shaky voice. Lydia. She sounds nervous.I l
The school felt colder than usual. I dragged my feet down the nearly empty hallway holding my books tightly to my chest. My shoes squeaked faintly on the marble floor and my eyes flickered sideways looking for any sign of danger. Who knows? Tania might have changed her mind and leaked my secret.But fate had something else in store for me and honestly, I'm not sure which is better. A figure stood in my path, blocking my way. I stood still at once, my heart thudding violently against my ribs as I lift my eyes slowly to see who it was.Emily stood in front of me with her arms folded over her chest and a smirk on her glossed lips. Her short blonde hair was neatly tucked behind her ears, and her blue eyes sparkled not with happiness, but wicked intent."Going somewhere, teacher's pet?" she asked, smiling.I stiffened, shifting my weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Move, Emily," I muttered as I tried to walk past her.She caught my arm and dug her nails deeply into my skin. I s
The days went by slowly after thatEvery morning, I will wake up with a knot in my stomach, trying to dodge school. I dread what Emily would have me do next. I soon learned that resisting only made things worse. If I'm absent in school, my workload will be doubled by the time I show up in school. Following her commands, no matter how painful it is made life easier for me.Most days started the same."Pet!" Emily would shout on the top of her voice the moment she saw me standing across the hall. Her voice was always bubbly and loud like we were best friends playing some ridiculous game that only she liked.I forced my legs to move, kicking them reluctantly forward against the tile until I could stand before her and her group. "Carry this" Chloe would command, throwing her jacket over my shoulder."Carry my books" Alexa would interrupt, offloading all her books into my arms before I could even say a word.By the time the first bell rang, I will be buried under their stuff with my own b
Derek's POVI stood against the doorframe with my arms folded behind me. As I watched the students walk past me in the hallway, I searched for one person in the crowd.Lydia Martins.I finally found her near the lockers, dragging her feet like she was carrying the whole world on her fragile shoulders. Her backpack hung loosely over her left shoulder, her uniform was in disarray, and her hair was a mess as if she didn't even take the time to brush it.But that was not all. She walked after Emily, Chloe, and Alexa, carrying their bags. Not one, not two but three backpacks.I found myself raising an eyebrow.They laughed and walked ahead of her, tossing their hair back not minding Lydia who was struggling to carry the bags. She looked like some kind of personal maid.Something pulled taut in my chest and I left my position and struggled through the crowd to catch up with her."Lydia" I shouted when I reached her. She heard but refused to slow down. "Lydia" I shouted again, this time loud
Derek's POVI watched as the parking lot emptied out. Students ran towards the gates as if their lives depended on it, laughing and screaming at one another.Lydia came out of the building. Her eyes was swollen like she had been crying and her usually pink lips looked pale. I saw how she tightened her grip on the books in her hands and how she flinched whenever someone walked past her.Emily walked behind her with her head held up high and Chloe and Alexa bringing up the rear like loyal soldiers.I clenched my teeth in anger. They don't even try to hide that they're using Lydia anymore. Lydia was carrying Chloe's gym bag, Alexa's schoolbooks, and Emily's annoying designer bag. All at once. Like a damn luggage carrier.And nobody seem to care. Nobody. They all stared at her without utter a word. The rumor that Emily has the whole school in her palm all made sense now. 
Derek's POVThe moment I found out about the truth from Chloe, guilt weighed heavily on me.This is all my fault. Lydia is going through all this because of me.I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and started pacing the hallway waiting for Emily–the queen bee. The devil wearing a designer blazer and a short skirt.I took a quick glance at my watch. Classes were almost over. If I'm lucky, I would find her alone. I stepped away from the wall and took long strides down the corridor, my shoes echoing on the marble floor.***I did not have to search hard. I saw her outside, leaning against the science block, with a cigarette in her hand.She was giggling at something on her phone screen and I clenched my fists. She looked so innocent from a distance. If only the world knew what venom she had behind that perfect smile. I walked towards her, keeping my expression blank."Emily" I called out.She looked up sharply, her blue eyes lighting up in an instant. She tilted her head and smiled i
Lydia's POVI stared at the cold, untouched plate of food on the table in front of me, paying little attention to the loud noise coming from the students in the cafeteria. My hunger was long gone. In fact, it has been for days now.In the corner of the room behind me, I heard Emily laughing at something Chloe whispered into her ear. Alexa flipped her hair and did the same.I kept my head down wishing I could dissapear. It is not the laughing. It is not just that. It was their glance that lingered at my back wherever I went.I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text. The sender is Chloe. I didn't bother to open it. I knew better. They probably took funny pictures of me again.I drew my lips into a thin line and looked away, returning my phone back into my pocket. "Just breathe, Lydia. Just breathe." I tried telling myself."Hey," A soft voice sounded behind me jolting me back to the present.I lifted my chin and looked up. Jess stood in front of my table, wav
Derek's POVThe moment I found out about the truth from Chloe, guilt weighed heavily on me.This is all my fault. Lydia is going through all this because of me.I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and started pacing the hallway waiting for Emily–the queen bee. The devil wearing a designer blazer and a short skirt.I took a quick glance at my watch. Classes were almost over. If I'm lucky, I would find her alone. I stepped away from the wall and took long strides down the corridor, my shoes echoing on the marble floor.***I did not have to search hard. I saw her outside, leaning against the science block, with a cigarette in her hand.She was giggling at something on her phone screen and I clenched my fists. She looked so innocent from a distance. If only the world knew what venom she had behind that perfect smile. I walked towards her, keeping my expression blank."Emily" I called out.She looked up sharply, her blue eyes lighting up in an instant. She tilted her head and smiled i
Derek's POVI watched as the parking lot emptied out. Students ran towards the gates as if their lives depended on it, laughing and screaming at one another.Lydia came out of the building. Her eyes was swollen like she had been crying and her usually pink lips looked pale. I saw how she tightened her grip on the books in her hands and how she flinched whenever someone walked past her.Emily walked behind her with her head held up high and Chloe and Alexa bringing up the rear like loyal soldiers.I clenched my teeth in anger. They don't even try to hide that they're using Lydia anymore. Lydia was carrying Chloe's gym bag, Alexa's schoolbooks, and Emily's annoying designer bag. All at once. Like a damn luggage carrier.And nobody seem to care. Nobody. They all stared at her without utter a word. The rumor that Emily has the whole school in her palm all made sense now. 
Derek's POVI stood against the doorframe with my arms folded behind me. As I watched the students walk past me in the hallway, I searched for one person in the crowd.Lydia Martins.I finally found her near the lockers, dragging her feet like she was carrying the whole world on her fragile shoulders. Her backpack hung loosely over her left shoulder, her uniform was in disarray, and her hair was a mess as if she didn't even take the time to brush it.But that was not all. She walked after Emily, Chloe, and Alexa, carrying their bags. Not one, not two but three backpacks.I found myself raising an eyebrow.They laughed and walked ahead of her, tossing their hair back not minding Lydia who was struggling to carry the bags. She looked like some kind of personal maid.Something pulled taut in my chest and I left my position and struggled through the crowd to catch up with her."Lydia" I shouted when I reached her. She heard but refused to slow down. "Lydia" I shouted again, this time loud
The days went by slowly after thatEvery morning, I will wake up with a knot in my stomach, trying to dodge school. I dread what Emily would have me do next. I soon learned that resisting only made things worse. If I'm absent in school, my workload will be doubled by the time I show up in school. Following her commands, no matter how painful it is made life easier for me.Most days started the same."Pet!" Emily would shout on the top of her voice the moment she saw me standing across the hall. Her voice was always bubbly and loud like we were best friends playing some ridiculous game that only she liked.I forced my legs to move, kicking them reluctantly forward against the tile until I could stand before her and her group. "Carry this" Chloe would command, throwing her jacket over my shoulder."Carry my books" Alexa would interrupt, offloading all her books into my arms before I could even say a word.By the time the first bell rang, I will be buried under their stuff with my own b
The school felt colder than usual. I dragged my feet down the nearly empty hallway holding my books tightly to my chest. My shoes squeaked faintly on the marble floor and my eyes flickered sideways looking for any sign of danger. Who knows? Tania might have changed her mind and leaked my secret.But fate had something else in store for me and honestly, I'm not sure which is better. A figure stood in my path, blocking my way. I stood still at once, my heart thudding violently against my ribs as I lift my eyes slowly to see who it was.Emily stood in front of me with her arms folded over her chest and a smirk on her glossed lips. Her short blonde hair was neatly tucked behind her ears, and her blue eyes sparkled not with happiness, but wicked intent."Going somewhere, teacher's pet?" she asked, smiling.I stiffened, shifting my weight awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Move, Emily," I muttered as I tried to walk past her.She caught my arm and dug her nails deeply into my skin. I s
Emily's POVIf I had to sit through one more boring class, I was going to lose my mind.I glanced at the clock in chemistry class and rolled my eyes. An hour more to go. Phew! I've never been the class lover type and today's class won't make a difference.The chemistry teacher up front was rambling on and on about chemical bonds and oxidation. Who the hell cares?I raised my hand, just so I could leave."Bathroom" I said bluntly.The teacher tried to protest. I didn't even hear what he said. I was already up, flicking my hair and storming out like I was a queen. And I was. This school belonged to me. Every hallway. Every locker. Every whisper. I did not ask my dad to make donations to the school for nothing.I passed by the lockers, my heels clicking on the floor. The hallway was empty, just the way I love it. I took the turn around the old music room, about to sneak to my favorite place to smoke when something made me stop.Voices. A girl's shaky voice. Lydia. She sounds nervous.I l
I stood in the classroom long after Tania left. My knees kept shaking and my breathing came out in short, ragged breathes. My fists tightly clenched hard around the edge of the desk, eased gradually. I was stared blankly at the door waiting for Derek to burst through it and tell me that it was all a bad joke. That Tania was lying. That everything she had said to me wasn't true.But he didn't. I was alone.The silence enveloped me. It forced itself against my chest, ripping its way into my lungs so that I couldn't breathe. My legs suddenly functioned and I sank slowly into the chair behind me, cupping my face in my hands.And then, I broke.Tears poured out of my eyes like a river waiting to burst open. My lips trembled and my chest heaved heavily with every sob I couldn't hold back. My shoulders shook uncontrollably. I didn't even care if anyone walked in and saw me this way. The Lydia that had been held in check was dead for good. That Lydia shattered the instant Tania called Derek h
I didn't want to be seen. That was the only thought running through my mind as I dragged my feet along the school corridor. I kept my eyes on the floor tiles as if they held the answers to my problem. My throat still hurt like hell, like I swallowed a fireball and Derek's words last night kept swirling in my head like a bad lullaby.It's not love. Not for us.I bit my lip so hard that it almost bled. Maybe if I hurt outside, my insides would be calmed. But somehow, I felt nothing. I felt nothing other than the pain Derek's words cause me. I kept walking down the hallway, trying my best stay a ghost, to become invisible and fit into the crowd of noisy students rushing out of the classrooms like bees bursting out from a hive. Yet even amidst the chaos, I felt something was wrong. Like someone was following me.I looked up for a second and saw no one. Chloe and Alexa stood beside their lockers, whispering to each other and shooting me side glances. Emily was not with them, and that made