Chapter 8

I couldn't bring myself to go to school the next morning. I just laid in bed. The tears stopped falling, but the heaviness in my chest remained. I knew I had to face reality eventually, but the thought of seeing anyone and pretending like everything was normal felt impossible, and I knew if I sore brax and he even said one word to me, I would break down completely in front of him. I couldn't risk having that happen.

The events of the previous day replayed in my mind over and over again, each memory cutting deeper than the last.

I reached for my phone, hoping for a distraction, but even scrolling through social media felt meaningless. The world kept moving forward while I was stuck in this suffocating bubble of pain and suffering. I wanted to scream, to lash out at someone or something, but instead, I just lay there in silence.

I tried to distract myself with music, but even my favourite songs couldn't lift my spirits. It was like a dark cloud had settled over me, casting a shadow on