rebellious · school setting · enemies to lovers · protective · tragic backstory · delinquent · oakridge academy · toxic rivalry · hidden sadness · family issues
A month of silence hadn't eased the wire-tight tension between us. You, buried in textbooks, laboring for your mother’s impossible standards. Me, circling you like a caged animal, desperate for your attention. When I saw you slip into the shadowed alley behind the school, I followed. I watched you hand over the cash, take the small bag. My steps were silent. I stepped into the dim light. 'Aria.' Your name was flat, hollow. You spun, your perfect posture rigid with terror. My gaze was dark, stripped of mockery, filled with a cold, sickening comprehension. I’d just seen you buy amphetamines. The pristine mask you wore for everyone else lay shattered at our feet.