Welcome back to Seacrest, Are you ready for more?
Volume 2 of the Heartbreak High series.
***
Lucas is back in business, picking up to shattered pieces of his life as a new year dawn's on Seacrest bringing about new challenges, new romance and even...
Alec didn't show up to school the next day. Or the day after that.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Each time I walked down the hallways with my friends, the absence of his familiar presence weighed heavier on my chest-it was all my fault.
Jazz and the others tried to make me feel better, cracking jokes or talking about random things, but their words felt distant, muted by the hundreds of eyes that seemed fixed on me. Every glance, every whisper felt like it was cutting into me, their disgust almost palpable.
We were almost to my math class when I spotted Casey, Maya, and Nick by the lockers. Their conversation faltered when they saw me. Casey's eyes met mine for a brief moment before she looked away, her face blank, as if I was someone she didn't even recognize.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Nick, always the protector-or at least he pretended to be, placed a hand on her back, his expression hardening as he threw me a glare. I knew it was just for show, but it didn't make it hurt any less. They turned away, and I kept walking, the space between us growing wider, more impossible to bridge.
Finally, we reached my classroom. Jazz stopped outside the door, her smile wavering as she turned to me. "Well, this is it," she said softly.
I looked at her, the anxiety churning in my stomach. "Do I have to? He's in this class, Jazz..." My voice trailed off, my words thick with dread.
She sighed, placing a comforting hand on my arm. "Lucas, you were going to have to see him eventually."
"I can't look at him, Jazz. I can't look at anyone. Everyone hates me," I whispered, the truth of it weighing me down.
"No one hates you, Lucas," she insisted, pulling me into a hug. But the warmth of her embrace didn't reach the cold pit inside me.
She pulled back, giving me a warm smile that I couldn't quite return. "I have to get to class, but if you need me, just text, okay?"
I nodded, forcing a smile as she turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing down the hall. I stared at the door to my math class, the anxiety creeping back in. With a deep breath, I reached for the handle, hesitating for just a moment before pushing it open.
