Dear Diary

21. BROTHERLY LOVE

G I O V A N N I

"Why are you staying after school again?" I ask.

"Study session in the library. I need time to focus on school," Samara says.

"Want a study buddy?"

We come to a stop by the school library. She shakes her head. "I prefer to be alone today. Thanks, though. See you tomorrow?"

"Bet."

She waves goodbye and goes inside. Part of me wishes she would've accepted my invitation to study with her so we could spend more time together. My plan coming back from Brazil was to finally ask her out on a date, but that was uprooted the moment I heard about Sid.

That was a different kind of hurt. Nothing more came out of our relationship and I accepted that, but there's always a special place in your heart for the first person you fall for.

For me, Sid has that place.

Someone behind me places an aggressive hand on my shoulder and forces me to turn around. I'm met with Cassie's leering face, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"Who'd you tell?" she snaps.

I shrug her hand off, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Or did you do it yourself?"

"Cass, I don't know what—"

"Don't call me Cass!" The tears stream down her face now. "A note shows up in my locker mocking me after you find out about my past, and you expect me not to think you're responsible?"

"You got a note?"

"Cassie!" Chace rounds the corner just then and comes over to us, Raya in tow.

"Are you okay?" Raya asks her.

"I was confronting him about the note," Cassie says through a sniffle.

Chace looks at me. "Did you really do that? 'Cause that's hella low."

"I didn't," I say, growing defensive. "And you're the last person who should have anything to say."

"At least I'm honest about what I've done," he contests.

"Are you? Would you have said anything if Rome didn't come to you? Did you even tell him everything?"

He folds his arms, standing tall, which is different in comparison to what I'm used to from him, but building up his physique had to come with a little bit more gall. "Are you trying to get at something?"

"You and your leech mother, that's what I'm getting at." I look at Cassie. "You wanna find out who left that note? Ask your friend here."

"Everyone needs to calm down," Raya says, stepping in.

Rome approaches and stands next to me, eyes locked with Chace's. "What's happening?"

I open my mouth but stop short when I see the look on Cassie's face. I've never seen her so . . . broken. "Cassie—"

She barges past me, wiping at tears as she walks away. Raya shoots me a glare before going to catch up with her, leaving Chace with me and Rome.

"Why don't you go check on your friend?" I jeer at him.

"If this is some kind of scheme, knock it off," says Chace. "Coming for my friends to get back at me—"

I laugh dryly. "Don't flatter yourself. If I wanted to come for you, I'd do exactly that, straight to your face. I'm not a pussyfooting little bitch who needs to leave a note."