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TWENTY- THREE

Author: Cherish
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-12 19:06:33

I didn’t sleep much after the message.

I kept checking my phone, like maybe the message would disappear. But it didn’t. It was still there.

No name.

Just: “Didn’t know you were in the psycho ward. Thought you were normal. Guess not. Should I tell everyone?”

I couldn’t breathe when I first read it. My whole body locked up. I wanted to scream. It wasn’t fair.

I hadn’t even wanted to go to that group meeting. I only went because Aunt Linda kept nudging me. And now someone had seen me there.

And they wanted to use it against me.

I stared at the ceiling all night. Couldn’t cry. Couldn’t sleep. It was like my body forgot how to feel okay.

I waited days to see what was going to happen. The next therapy session was fast approaching. I literally felt like hiding.

But I had promised Aunt Linda. I tried starting a few conversations to explain why I needed to stop going to the sessions, but I stopped before I could even begin.

There was so much happiness on her face, how proud she looke
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  • SECRETS & SCANDALS   CHAPTER THIRTY- ONE

    Ivy’s POV I hadn’t even made it past the gate when I felt that weird feeling that something wasn’t right. People were looking. Again. Oh Lord! What was the problem? No one was laughing though, or whispering. They were just staring. Like they were waiting for something. I hated it. I walked faster, head down. I turned the corner to my locker and saw him standing there. Liam. Of course he’d be leaning on my locker. Like he owned the place. Arms folded, eyes shut, like he didn’t care who was watching. People were giving him space, but not in a scared way. Just… respectful. Like even teachers wouldn’t tell him to move. I almost turned around. I almost panicked and left. But I didn’t. I kept walking. As I got close, his eyes opened like he already knew I was coming. He didn’t say anything right away. Just looked at me. “Hey,” he said. “Hi,” I whispered back. It was quiet for a second. I was trying to get my science book out without dropping everything else. My hands sho

  • SECRETS & SCANDALS   CHAPTER THIRTY

    IVY Coming back this time didn’t feel like before. The first time I returned after the funeral hadn’t gone quite well. This time? It was different. I couldn’t explain it. It just felt wrong somehow. And weirdly, nobody was even staring. They were avoiding me. Like, actually making space when I walked down the hallway. Turning away like I had something they didn’t want to catch. I tried not to overthink it until it started happening in every class. No side talks. No snickering. Just distance. At lunch, I finally asked. “Okay, did something happen?” I asked Nola as we sat down. “Everyone’s acting weird. Like, extra weird.” “People are acting like I’m radioactive.” Nola and Diane exchanged a look. Sophia was picking at her salad. Gary shrugged, stealing food from Diane as usual. “You seriously don’t know?” Diane asked. “Know what?” Nola leaned in, lowering her voice. “Zane told people to leave you alone. Like… seriously warned them.” My mouth fell open. “Why would he do t

  • SECRETS & SCANDALS   TWENTY NINE

    Liam’s POV I was in the A-listers’ room, slouched in my chair, the one everybody knew not to touch. Hoodie over my head, phone in my hand. Just scrolling. Not really seeing anything. Just muscle memory at that point I wasn’t thinking about much until Zane came in and sat across from me. Something was off with him. I could tell right away. “You good?” I asked. He went quiet. Tapped the table with his fingers a few times. Like he was thinking hard or stalling. Then he looked at me. “I saw Ivy.” I blinked. “Wait, what?” “She came back. I saw her walking by the main hall.” I didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Just sat there. Ivy? Back? Like she was actually back? “She looked okay?” I asked, trying to sound casual. Zane shrugged. “Didn’t get close. Just saw her. She looked kinda small. Quiet.” That word hit weird. I knew what he meant. Not short. Not size. Just… small. Like the air around her was too big. Like she was shrinking into herself. I tried not to picture it. I really did

  • SECRETS & SCANDALS   TWENTY EIGHT

    Zane’s POV After I told Liam about liking Ivy, I don’t know… it felt weird. Like something inside me just changed. I kept glancing around for her. Even when I didn’t mean to. In the hallway, on the field, in the cafeteria, I just found myself searching. And when I finally saw her back in school… it hit me. Relief. She was really here. I didn’t even think. My chest just eased up, like I’d been holding something heavy for days and it dropped off all at once. I wanted to talk to her, but my feet didn’t move. She looked tired. Smaller than I remembered. Like she’d been through something that none of us could even understand. I didn’t want to say the wrong thing. Later, in our A-listers’ room, our hangout space. Liam was sitting in his usual chair, scrolling on his phone, legs up like he owned the whole place. I sat across from him, tapping my fingers, trying to act normal. “I saw Ivy today,” I said. Liam didn’t look up at first. Then he did. Slow. “Yeah?” “She looked… I don’t

  • SECRETS & SCANDALS   TWENTY-SEVEN

    IVY Aunt Linda didn’t say much on the way home. She just kept her hand on my back as we walked to the car. I didn’t talk either. I didn’t have it in me. My head was a mess. Nothing made sense. Everything felt off. The second we walked in, I just went to my room. I didn’t change. Didn’t eat. I just collapsed into bed, pulled the covers over my head, and shut everything out. Or tried to. I must’ve fallen asleep, but later that night I woke up crying. My heart was racing. My face was soaked. So was my pillow. It took me a minute to even sit up. In the dream, I was in the hallway again. Kids were laughing at me. They yelled things like, “It’s your fault they died.” “You’re bad luck.” “Go cry to your dead parents.” I was yelling that it wasn’t me, but they didn’t care. Someone pushed me. My knees hit the ground. My throat hurt from yelling. In the dream, I reached out, hoping someone, anyone would help me. But no one did. Then I woke up, still crying. I hugged my knees and tried

  • SECRETS & SCANDALS   CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

    Diane didn’t shout. She never does. Even when she was angry. But she ran straight to me anyway. Her face looked terrified. Like she didn’t know what to do, just that she had to get to me before they did something worse. She knelt next to me. “Ivy?” You’re okay. Look at me, alright?” Her voice was soft, a little unsteady. I barely moved. Behind her, one of the girls still laughed like this was some kind of joke. The other one, I think her name was Rosa, held up her phone again. “Are you serious right now?” Diane snapped, turning around. “She’s having a panic attack.” They didn’t stop. Sophia and Nola stormed in right after. They must’ve heard Diane yelling, or maybe just heard the mess from the hallway. “Back off,” Sophia said, stepping in between the girls and Diane. Her face was red. She looked very angry, her eyes weren’t even blinking. Nola saw Rosa still recording, she didn’t even wait. She snatched the phone out of her hand and threw it on the floor. It cracked. Piec

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