Sub Rosa Ties ( A High School Dark Romance)

Zera

There eventually comes a moment in life when a person endures a string of difficulties-sometimes for months, if they're fortunate, but often stretching out over years.

During this time, everything feels heavy, like you're trudging through mud with no end in sight. Then, out of the blue, someone comes along who flips the script.

This person makes everything seem right, as if all your struggles were just a buildup to this one life-altering encounter.

It's like the clouds part and you can finally breathe.

But then, in the blink of an eye, everything shifts back into a downward spiral. Like a cruel twist of fate, you're plunged into chaos once again, as if the universe is laughing at your happiness.

This is what I'm experiencing right now, or should I say the moment I stepped foot into my school's compound.

Gerard is the person who turned my life around; he made it sweeter, more enjoyable, filled with lighthearted teasing.

All the hardships I'd endured over the past three years seemed to vanish in an instant because of him. But now, it feels like the universe is conspiring against me again, almost like it couldn't stand my happiness.

The moment I stepped onto Meadow High, all I could feel were eyes on me-eyes full of disdain, disgust, and envy.

The guys looked at me with pure contempt, while the girls' stares were laced with jealousy. These were emotions I'd never experienced before, especially not directed at me.

I never imagined I'd attract this kind of negative attention in my final months before graduation, but here I am, feeling their cold judgment.

Just earlier today, I had been cheerful and full of excitement after leaving Gerard's house. He had insisted I wake him before I left, but I wanted to surprise him, so I slipped out quietly.

I was curious about what kind of playful punishment he might have in store for me, but now, all that eagerness has drained away.

With the way everyone is glaring at me, it's as if I've become a pariah, an outcast among my own peers. The happy buzz I had earlier has been replaced with a sense of dread, and all I can think about is what I could have done to earn this.

It was like I could already sense what caused this hostile reaction from everyone around me.

As I walked down the hallway, I saw Sarah running towards me, her eyes a mix of anger and concern. That look on her face confirmed my suspicions.

'Zera...' she panted, struggling to catch her breath. She kept glancing around, as if she could feel the eyes boring into me. 'Did... you see it? The video?'

She held out her phone, and I took it without a word. There it was, the video that Austin had used to manipulate me, the one that had earned me an assault and so much pain.

The same video Gerard had promised to recover before it got leaked.

But now, it was right there, playing on Sarah's phone. The screen showed everything-the moans, the grunts, the shame. The noise filled the space between us, and I felt my stomach drop.

The last thing I needed was for this to get out, and yet, here it was, staring me in the face. A viral bombshell in the middle of my high school, and I was ground zero.

I wanted to vanish, to just disappear from the face of the earth. No, I wanted to explain to everyone that it wasn't what they thought, that it was just a video of me getting fucked by my boyfriend-but I couldn't.

I was completely frozen. No words, not a single one, would come out of my mouth. All I could do was stand there, eyes wide, and watch as Sarah's lips moved rapidly in front of me, her words flowing out like a waterfall.