جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

She finally said it."I have a crush on you, Victor," Anne told me, plain as anything, like it didn't carry the weight of the entire universe in her voice. "This was important, so I wanted to tell you."And just like that—my entire world cracked open and let the sun in.What was she thinking? How could she say something so beautiful so casually? I couldn't even answer."I was really worried that whatever this was might be harmful to me, but if it's like this, it's okay, right?" Anne added, fidgeting slightly. "You still like me, right? Well, act like it."How was I supposed to act when my brain was short-circuiting?Anne. Likes. Me.I felt lightheaded, like I could float right out of my body and straight into the sky. Everything I'd done up to now—everything—had worked."W-wait, why do you like me all of a sudden?" I blurted, stupidly, my face heating up. My heart was galloping. I think I was about to take flight from sheer joy."Well, it's not like I've read in books or anything," sh

"I've been looking forward to doing something like this," Victor said, smiling like a kid on Christmas morning. "I've been thinking about asking you on a date non-stop. Could barely concentrate in class." Date. Right. That's what this was, wasn't it? I mean, I'd suggested the movies, but not in a dress-up, breath-mint, nervous-laughter kind of way. Still... it wasn't the worst thing to hear. "Oh?" I raised a brow. "Are you implying I'm damaging your academic performance? That's a harsh accusation to throw at your girlfriend. Should I break up with you on moral grounds?" "H-hey! No way," he said, frowning like I'd genuinely threatened him. "I don't care about any of that. I just care about being with you, Anne." God. I had to look away. The stupid smile creeping up my face had no business existing. "...Still," I mumbled, "you should probably keep your head in the books. Midterms are around the corner." He shrugged. "Let's not think about that. We're here to see a movie. Let's j

Back in middle school, I was on top of the world. No exaggeration—the world. At least, the only world that mattered: the hallways of Riverside Middle. Every time I walked through them, heads turned. People whispered like I was royalty. "Wow! It's Lara! She's as fucking hot as always," boys would murmur when I passed by. I didn't need to do anything special—just exist. Popularity came naturally. Like breathing. Like blinking. "She's like a princess!" they'd say. "Look at how beautiful she is! Did she get that from her mother?" "She should be a model." Compliments like those were my daily breakfast. They were my validation. They were my armor. And yeah, I could be a little harsh. Maybe I dismissed people. Maybe I treated friends like accessories. But who cared? I thought they loved it. Loved me. Why wouldn't they? I was someone to admire. Someone to chase. Someone to want. But all of that—all of it—was just a mask I wore to cover up how empty everything else was. Because at ho

Only a few days left until midterms, and for once, I'd finally gotten used to the silence in my head. The quiet wasn't peaceful—just dull, numbing, like being underwater for too long—but I'd finally adapted. At some point, I even stopped checking for thoughts. The silence became the new normal. I even forgot the ridiculous bet I made with Victor. All I cared about was winning. I had never studied so hard in my life. That psycho had nothing on me. Katy was the one who had to physically drag me away from my books and force me to take a break. We stood in the school courtyard just watching the chaos of other students unraveling. Everyone looked miserable—clutching textbooks like lifelines, muttering formulas to themselves, caffeine-fueled and sleep-deprived. "Good thing we got a head start," Katy nudged me, smug. "Tell me about it," I exhaled. "Good old Victor." "Don't give that guy the credit," Katy rolled her eyes instantly, and I flinched. Lately, just bringing Victor up put h

The room was quiet except for the scratch of pencils and the occasional cough. Someone behind me was breathing too loud—labored, panicked. Midterm energy. I ignored it. My test was almost done. Last essay question. I capped it off with a flourish and sat back. I could've kept writing, but there was no need. I already knew I'd crushed it. One row over, Victor was hunched over his desk like he was physically trying to will the words into place. His pencil moved fast—erratic. His hand shook slightly as he underlined something with way too much force. If he kept that up, he was going to tear through the paper. He didn't usually look like that. Victor was annoying, smug, and competitive, but he wasn't sloppy. Today, though, he looked like a marionette with broken strings. Jittery. Overclocked. The final bell rang. A wave of relief washed over the room with a collective exhale. I slid my test forward with a certain finality—like a checkmate. Victor, beside me now, nearly dropped his exa