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Chapter 7
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Stop Using My Fear as Your Game Chapter 7
The hurricane passed.When daylight came, the rain stopped.The sun slipped out from behind the clouds, and the sea grew calm again.It was as if nothing had ever happened.The search and rescue team found Oliver in the mudflats after the tide receded.He had been swept 650 feet downstream into a stretch of reef rock, his body wedged into a crevice between the stones. Most of his clothes had been torn away, and his face was covered in silt and fine scratches.I knelt down beside him.Sage tried to hold me back, but I pushed her away.Bit by bit, I wiped the sand from Oliver's face.His eyes were closed. Not only were his lips purple, but his skin was also already cold.Even though I felt something inside me shatter so completely, I didn't cry.His right hand was curled against his chest. I tried to pry his fingers open, but they were stiff and ice-cold.I loosened his fingers one by one, only to find there was nothing in his palm. But there were deep curved imprints pressed
Stop Using My Fear as Your Game Chapter 6
Oliver really stayed.He lived in the storage room at David Sterling's place at the edge of the village.He rose before dawn every day to help Mr. Whitmore patch the waterproof tarp on the roof. After that, he would help the fishermen tidy their net-drying racks. Once that was done, he would chop firewood and carry water for Caspian's grandmother, Emily Ashby.Each day, he left something outside the door of my dormitory.Sometimes it was a bottle of mineral water, other times a packet of the only cookie the island shop carried. On occasion, it was simply a note that read, "The wind is strong today. Bring a jacket with you when you go out."Not once did I open the door to take them. Instead, Sage collected them on my behalf.I didn't speak to Oliver either. On the rare occasions we crossed paths at the school, he would simply watch me from a distance.The kids called him "Mr. Wilde" and dragged him into games of hacky sack.When Oliver smiled now, it was different from before. G
Stop Using My Fear as Your Game Chapter 5
Mom was the first to speak, her eyes sweeping from my sun-tanned face down to my old T-shirt and flip-flops."Look at you. What a disgrace. Why are you hiding out on this godforsaken island playing teacher to a bunch of kids? Is this how you repay me for all the money I spent raising you?"Oliver was holding a paper bag. He hesitated, then held it out to me."Aria, I brought you sunscreen and the skincare you always used. Let's go back. The conditions here are terrible.""I don't need those anymore. The aloe vera gel here works just fine," I said. My voice was so calm that it even surprised me.Vivian let out a laugh from behind them."Aria, you're really putting on quite the act. Who'd actually believe someone as terrified of water as you could actually live on an island?"Caspian had run up behind me at some point. He clutched the hem of my shirt and peeked out, half his face showing.Oliver looked down at him, his expression complicated."And this is…""My student."Mom's
Stop Using My Fear as Your Game Chapter 4
Oliver grabbed his phone and dialed frantically, only to find that my phone was turned off. He tried calling again, but it was still off.He went through his entire contact list. A colleague told him I hadn't shown up for work that day, and he couldn't get through to Sage's phone either.He sped back to my place.The complex security guard said he'd seen me wheeling a suitcase into a cab early that morning, that I'd even smiled at him.Mom arrived by cab, her face ashen.The two of them found a letter on the desk in my room, tucked under a glass tumbler."Mom, Oliver, Vivian—I don't want to be your courage-building prop anymore. Spare me and yourselves too. Without a waste of space like me around, you should all be happier."After reading it, Mom went pale, then red, and lastly purple in the face. She snatched up her phone to send a voice message, howling so hard her voice cracked."Aria, you think you're all grown up now? Get back here! If you don't come back this instant, don
Stop Using My Fear as Your Game Chapter 3
Mom jumped up from the couch to hit me.I shut my bedroom door. She stood outside, cursing me out for over an hour.I put on my headphones and packed my things—sunscreen, motion sickness pills, and band-aids.The next afternoon, I went out to pick up the last few supplies. When I came back, I heard laughter coming from the living room as I stood in the hallway."For this segment of the engagement party, how about we put in a few live little loaches in Aria's champagne glass? The moment she takes a sip, she'll see them swimming right by her mouth," Vivian said, then laughed.Oliver was silent for a long moment."What's gotten into you now?" she asked, slightly annoyed.He sighed and finally replied, "Fine. But this really is the last time."Mom was laughing along beside them."It's just a little prank to teach Aria a lesson. After all, she's been running her mouth too much lately."To them, my engagement party was just a set-up for a prank.I stood at the door without moving,
Stop Using My Fear as Your Game Chapter 2
The next evening, the doorbell rang.Vivian and Oliver were standing at the door, holding takeout bags. They said they'd come to make amends.Mom welcomed them in warmly, a complete change from the way she'd torn into me the day before.They unpacked the containers. There was grilled steak, baked cheesy shrimp, and tiramisu—all Vivian's favorite food.They set down a plate of ceviche in front of me. The raw fish slices still glistened with moisture, the stench of it wafting up from the plate.I pushed the plate away on reflex.Back in sophomore year, Vivian took me to a Tovanese restaurant and deliberately ordered a spread of raw fish. The fish had been sliced open but was still flopping on the cutting board. When its blood splattered onto my face, I threw up on the spot until my stomach cramped.Vivian filmed the whole thing on her phone, laughing so hard that tears came out of her eyes.When Oliver found out, he just patted her on the head and called her cheeky.Ever since
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