SA'S

is fork hovered mid-air, his smile frozen. Then, slowl

nguage changed, from casu

said with a small,

was wrong, but my feet wouldn't move. My mouth had g

friends, voice rising

es me. Bro, tell

st out aroun

Cruel

chair. "Dude, isn't she the weird g

someone else chimed in.

nned, wide,

had this creepy little crush on me

mouth. Nothi

ircles like I was something o

ho confesses and wins the guy." He chuckled. "Except this isn't a

struck lik

ere pathetic and stupid. That's all. You were shaking and dirty a

cut throug

ntasy, every warm dream I'd spun about him, th

t their phone.

her say it again. Le

a scene from a

rd. "Go on, Alessa. Say it again. Say how muc

ria. The sound filled my ears like thunder. Everything bl

speak. Coul

I promised myself I wouldn't cry. My knees buckled. My heart screamed for

I whispered,

chael asked, holdin

n't recognize him. The boy who once saved me from Vane

stranger with a cruel

choked. "For ever th

ed, just for

n I

I used to daydream about walking beside him. Past t

g the door shut, locking the s

br

ent. Helpless. My throat bur

could rip the ache out of m

hated him so much

re tha

r ever thinking I

felt lik

oor, the cold biting into my s

en gasps. Every breath I took felt

dn't breathe without hearing that lau

s voice.

d of the boy

th cruelty I never im

e wors

ow deeply I believed in him. He could've let me down gently...

s to stop the scream cla

d to di

m floor until my phone buzzed inside my bag. I wiped m

ed calls f

mess

Everyone saw what h

ara right now, not when the entire school

hurt lighter. She would have put Michael in his p

chest ached like I'd j

I couldn't stay h

ody woul

ng to find something,

y mind. That warm, reassuring tone he

lessa... you call me, okay

fingers hovered

ably working. He's bus

roat betrayed me. It broke fre

essed the c

e. Then his deep v

prin

one

oke

iolently. I forced myself not to speak

instantly alert. "Sweetheart,

my throat. Tried to so

oice barely steady. "I just.

knew. My father always

What ha

gain. I turned away from the stall door lik

anymore," I whispered. "Plea

n his tone changed

on my

anything els

ust

and wait for me. I'll

ared at the phone sc

this time. Into my palms. Not

having one person left in this