School Ties

While shopping, I spotted a good-looking men's tie. I bought it as a birthday gift for my son. I was paying when the clerk suddenly muttered under her breath, "Disgusting!" I was furious. When I got home, I told my husband what happened. He was ready to file a complaint, but the moment he saw the tie, his face took on a strange expression. "Did you really buy this? If you did, we're getting divorced right now!" My mother heard the commotion and came to see what was wrong. When she saw the tie in my hands, the color drained from her face. She pointed at me and screamed, "How did I raise such a monster?!" I stood rooted to the spot, completely lost.

Lydia Martins, the smart kid at school, is the constant target of bullies like Emily, the wealthy businessman's daughter, who torments Lydia for getting perfect grades. After Lydia aces another test, Emily and her friends confront Lydia in the bathroom, calling her "Teacher's Pet" and accusing her of only succeeding because of the handsome, young Mr. Derek—the new English teacher. The girls tease and bully Lydia, claiming she's sleeping with Mr. Derek for good grades, before dumping a bucket of water over her head. Humiliated, Lydia soon finds photos from the incident circulating online with vile captions calling her a ‘Slut’ and the ‘Teacher’s Pet’. Enraged, she hatches a plan not to get back at her bullying classmates but to target Mr. Derek instead. She decides that if she can get him fired, the torment over her grades might finally stop.

“Do you want me to show you?” he asked. I nodded, unable to find my voice. He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, and before I could react, I was lifted off my feet and placed onto the bed. His gaze lingered on me—dark, unreadable, dangerous in a way I didn’t fully understand. I should have stopped this. I should have walked away. But I didn’t. He leaned in slowly, his voice low near my ear. “You sure about this?” My breath caught. Then, just as quickly as the tension built, he pulled back. “Think carefully,” he said coldly. “Before you decide what you want.” And then he left me there—breathless, confused, and completely undone. From an unnoticed calculus nerd to the sudden focus of the school’s most dangerous distraction—the principal’s son—everything in her life begins to change. He’s the kind of boy everyone warns you about. And now, he’s the only one paying attention to her.

Sometimes the strongest promises are the ones we’re afraid to say out loud. Tae Min and Haru have always been inseparable — top students, childhood best friends, and the quiet center of each other’s world. But as their shared birthday approaches, small misunderstandings begin to reveal something deeper beneath their easy laughter. A jealous glance. A stolen phone. A secret rooftop meeting. What starts as playful teasing slowly turns into a confrontation neither of them is prepared for. Tae Min hides his feelings behind irritation, while Haru struggles to understand why his heart races whenever Tae Min looks at him a little too long. As rumors stir at school and emotions grow harder to ignore, both boys must face a difficult question: Is their bond strong enough to survive the truth? Tender, emotional, and filled with slow-burning tension, Unbreakable Bonds is a coming-of-age story about friendship, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to risk everything for someone who already means everything.

He trailed his hand down her face as it flushed instantly, emotions that seemed uncontrolled blooming out. "I love you. You know that right?", he asked, his eyes looking as convincing as ever, as he stared at the naive and lovesick teenage girl in front of him. " I...," she could not make out her words as her legs turned into jelly, making her lean gently on him. "I love you too," she managed to say, and those were the words he needed. It was the final year for the 12th graders in GGIS High School. While happy at the approaching conclusion of their Highschool lives, there was also the fact that they may never see one another again. Now, more than ever was the perfect time to express all the feelings or bury them. For Rachael, it was the perfect time to get rid of her feelings for Zack, her crush and high school bad boy. For Kevin, it was now or never to tell Rachael how he felt about her. Things got complicated as Rachael's best friend developed a crush on Zack, while Kevin is hopelessly waiting for Rachael to reciprocate the feelings he had for her That wasn't easy to do when surrounded by post-puberty bodies nearly bursting with raging hormones with a liking for unwholesome entertainment in their various lives and secrets of their own. Some more than others. Andrew, their friend, in particular, seems to be hiding a secret. With a rift torn between friends, a locked closet full of skeletons, and choices that could either mend their relationships or rip them apart for the rest of their lives. Will they submit to their urges? Will they come to understand their feelings? And work together to find out what the probable skeletons in the closet are?

At the ceremony where my mother, Helena Marlow, received the Best Homeroom Teacher award, the parents wept with gratitude. They praised her for nurturing the students successfully without ever resorting to harsh discipline, and for helping them all to excellent results. But no one knew that the path to their children’s success had been paved by Mom, using me as a warning to others. When someone in the class stole money, cheated on an exam, or got into a romantic relationship, I was the one punished. During the ceremony, the principal, Ms. Wanda Ambrose, stepped onto the stage to present her award. She asked, “Ms. Marlow, you have so many outstanding students in your class. Which student are you most proud of?” Mom smiled with quiet pride. “They are all like my own children. I love every one of them.” Then she let out a small sigh. “Except for my daughter. She alone fails to live up to expectations and disappoints me every time.” Laughter and applause rose from the audience below the stage. They nodded in understanding and praised her for being so modest. I drifted to her side and looked at the satisfied curve of her lips before speaking softly. “Don’t worry, Mom. From now on, I won’t disappoint you anymore.”