I KNOW THE END

⒐

August 19th, 2023

LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL

ALEX
Everywhere I went, I felt eyes on me, whispers following in my wake. It feels like everyone knew about me and Grace now. I was at my locker, grabbing my books for first period, when I heard footsteps approaching. I turned to see Jason striding toward me, his face set in a hard, unforgiving expression. My stomach tightened. There was no way to avoid this.

"Jason," I started, but before I could say anything else, he slammed his fist into the locker next to mine, making me flinch.

"Shut up, Alex," he snapped, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say, I know what your doing your trying to still my girlfriend."

"Jason, I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Well, you are," he spat, stepping closer, his eyes blazing with fury.

I didn't know what to say. I had no excuses, no way to make this right.

Jason didn't let me finish. His fist connected with my jaw before I could react, the impact sending me stumbling back against the lockers. Pain exploded in my face, but I barely registered it over the shock of what had just happened.

"Shut up!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the hallway.

Students started to gather, forming a circle around us, their eyes wide with anticipation. Some of them had their phones out, recording the scene. I knew I should walk away, but something in Jason's words, in the betrayal in his eyes, made it impossible to back down.

I pushed myself off the lockers, rubbing my jaw. "Hitting me isn't going to fix anything."

Jason's face twisted with anger. "You don't get it, do you? You ruined everything.My relationship with Grace—everything!"

Before I could respond, he swung again, but this time I was ready. I dodged to the side and grabbed his arm, shoving him back. "I'm not going to let you beat the crap out of me because of it!"

Jason glared at me, his chest heaving with anger. For a moment, it looked like he might lunge at me again, but then he hesitated. He glanced around at the crowd of students watching us, and something in his expression changed. The anger was still there, but it was mingled with something else—hurt, and a deep sadness.

My heart clenched at the pain in his voice, and I took a step toward him. "Jason..."

He shook his head, his eyes hardening again. "Stay away from Grace, Alex."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, the crowd slowly dispersing as the bell rang for class. I stood there for a moment, feeling the weight of everything I'd lost pressing down on me. The fight hadn't lasted long, but the damage it caused felt permanent.

AFTER SCHOOL

ALEX

I was still reeling from the confrontation with Jason when I got home that afternoon. My jaw ached where he'd punched me, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional toll. I couldn't stop replaying his words in my head, the look on his face when he walked away.

As I walked into the house, I heard Lila's voice coming from the kitchen. She was talking to someone on the phone, her tone frustrated.

"Yeah, I know it's been crazy," she was saying. "But I need a distraction. Something fun, you know?"

I paused in the doorway, watching her as she hung up the phone. When she noticed me, her expression softened. "Hey, Alex. You okay?"

"Not really," I admitted, leaning against the counter. "Jason and I... we fought."

Lila frowned, concern filling her eyes. "I'm sorry, Alex."

"Yeah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I don't know how to fix this."

She was quiet for a moment, then she gave me a small smile. "Maybe you can't fix it right now. Maybe you just need to let things cool off for a bit. In the meantime... why don't we throw a party?"

I raised an eyebrow at her, surprised by the suggestion. "A party? After everything that's happened?"

"Exactly," she said, her eyes lighting up with the idea. "We need something to take our minds off all this drama. Besides, everyone's been so tense lately. It could be fun, just to let loose and forget about everything for a night."

I hesitated, but then I thought about how I'd felt at school earlier, how suffocating the tension had been. A party could be a way to break free from all that, even if just for a little while. "Yeah," I said slowly, nodding. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Let's do it."

Lila grinned, her excitement infectious. "Awesome! I'll start planning, and you can help with the guest list."

As we started brainstorming ideas for the party, I felt a small spark of hope. Maybe this was what we needed—a night to escape, to forget about all the messes we'd made. Maybe it wouldn't fix everything, but at least it would give us a break from the weight of it all.

dianeverse•24