All Chapters of SECRETS & SCANDALS: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I stayed quiet throughout the ride home. I saw Aunt Linda keep looking at me in the mirror - like, every few seconds, like she was checking if I was okay. I wasn’t. I just stared out the window and hoped the road would stretch longer so we wouldn’t get there too fast. When we got there, the building looked normal. Clean walls. But nothing about it made me feel at ease. I didn’t want to go in, or sit, or even talk to anyone. But that wasn’t an option at that point. We walked into the building and signed in. They made me sit in this office room with Aunt Linda and the therapist. I didn’t say a word. Just kept picking at a thread on my sleeve and wishing I was anywhere else. My whole body felt heavy. Like I was dragging myself just to stay upright. The therapist lady, Carla, I think - was nice. She didn’t talk too fast. She turned to look at me and asked. “Ivy, right?” I nodded. Then she smiled at me, like she was trying to ease my mind. She asked questions. Aunt Linda d

Then came Monday. School. The first day back was harder than I expected. I kept telling myself it’d be fine. I thought I could just slide in, keep my head down, and make it through. But deep down, I knew I was kidding myself. Nothing felt normal. The hallway was loud and noisy as usual, but I felt completely out of it. I felt separate. I adjusted my bag. My fingers fumbled with the strap. I hated how fast my heart was going. I kept my eyes on the floor, hoping no one would notice me. But they did. Some people gave these quick, polite smiles like they didn’t know what to say. Others just looked away like eye contact might make things worse. While some whispered behind their hands. I didn’t need to hear what they were saying. I knew. Honestly, I’d probably be staring too, if it were to be someone else, but not in a bad way. It still sucked. Everything was too loud. Too bright. But inside me felt very quiet. Heavy. Like something was pressing down on me from the

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

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

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