𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟗

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀
RUSSEL

Guys are like dogs, always trailing behind you, waiting for the slightest flicker of attention. It's pathetic, really. Every guy in our classroom is the same—eyes glued to me, lurking in the periphery, hoping for some kind of invitation, some sign that their presence is wanted. They don't get it, do they? They think they can just follow, act like they belong, but they're nothing more than pests, clinging to whatever scraps of attention I might toss their way. If only they could understand that I'm not interested, that their constant hovering only makes them look weaker, like desperate puppies seeking a handout.

But they don't see it. They don't see how suffocating it is, how their every move, their every look, makes the air thicker with expectation. It's like they believe they can wear you down, thinking that with enough persistence, they'll break through whatever walls you've built. It's laughable, really, how little they understand. But I'm not here to play their game. I don't need their attention, and I don't need them following me around like lost little creatures hoping for a bone. I just want peace. But it seems peace is something they can't offer. Not when they refuse to take a hint.

I hated everyone. Sometimes, even my friends. Hell, I hated myself most of the time. I just get so bored of everyone.

I sat through the Physics lecture, my mind only half on the words about university as my eyes drifted to the front of the classroom, where a few boys were trying, with all the subtlety of a freight train, to wink and smile at us. It was pathetic. I rolled my eyes at them, my gaze flickering to Lily sitting next to me, her focus clearly not on the lesson either.

"I still can't believe Damon did that to you," I whispered, my voice barely a hiss. "And Grayson didn't care? I thought he'd be mad."

Lily shrugged, her face an unreadable mask, though I could see the slight tightness around her eyes. "I don't care about them," she muttered, the indifference in her tone making it clear that the boys were beneath her attention. "I'm just happy Marci didn't mind."

"Marci's loyal," I said with a small smirk, "She loves you and thinks Damon's an asshole. Honestly, I don't get how she even likes him. He's the scariest one."

Liliana's voice dropped to a murmur, her words tinged with an edge of disbelief. "It's true. Damon's an ass. And every part of him is just... sickening. I don't know how Marci can stand him." She paused, glancing around the room, her expression turning momentarily distant. "Avery's not here today, she has a busy day. And Marci... she couldn't come either. Cramps."

The words hung in the air between us, the absence of our two other friends heavy, and for a moment I felt the weight of it—like the only people who understood the strangeness of the world we were living in were the four of us.

"You hang out with them, though," I said, almost hissing in disbelief. "How do you do it?" My eyes narrowed, my tone sharp with a mix of curiosity and confusion. I knew Liliana had her reasons, but I couldn't understand how she could stomach it.

Lily shot me a sharp, almost amused look, like she was used to this question. Her lips twitched, and it was almost a smile, though it wasn't one of pure amusement. "I don't care about them," she said slowly, "But Jaxon... he's different." Her eyes seemed to soften at the mention of his name, and I couldn't help but catch the spark in her gaze. "He's epic to be around. He's the meanest in front of you guys, but sometimes... he switches to a different person. I wish you guys could see it, the way he is when it's just us."

I arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "I don't know, Lil. You saw him beat up those guys that time. I hated it. But he saved us, so I can't complain." I shuddered, remembering the cruelty in his actions. "He seemed so... cruel."