Heartbreak High: New Season

15

The officer's voice cut through the fog in my mind, pulling me back to the harsh reality of the present. I blinked, trying to focus on his words, but the weight of everything that had happened made it hard to think straight.

"How did the fighting start, Casey?" the officer asked, his tone steady but probing.

I opened my mouth, but the words felt stuck in my throat. How did it start? The memories swirled in my head, chaotic and disjointed, until they settled on that night-four months ago.

"It started when..." I began, my voice barely above a whisper. And then, like a tidal wave, the memory crashed over me, pulling me back to that sleepover at Maya's house.

***

Maya's room was warm and inviting, the kind of space where you could forget about the world outside. We were wrapped up in the glow of fairy lights, laughing and talking about boys, life, and everything in between. I was sitting on the floor, and Maya was perched on her bed, her fingers skillfully braiding my hair.

"So, why are you still with him?" Maya asked, her voice light but with that familiar hint of curiosity.

I smiled, trying to ignore the uncertainty that bubbled up inside me. "I don't know... He's sweet."

"Yeah, but he barely even acknowledges you," Maya countered, her tone gentle but probing.

"Maybe he's just shy," I said, though even to my ears, it didn't sound convincing.

Maya gave a small, knowing smile. "Okay, girl." She finished braiding my hair and patted me on the shoulder. "All done."

I got up and walked over to the mirror, admiring Maya's handiwork. I ran my fingers over the neat braid, a smile tugging at my lips.

"You're amazing!" I turned around, my smile widening as I hopped back onto the bed beside her.
"I know," She grinned, as the mood shifted.

"I don't know," I began, my voice more thoughtful now. "It's just that every guy I've ever been with... it's like, you know, they've been with me for the wrong reasons. But with Lucas, he hasn't made me feel pressured to do anything."

Maya raised an eyebrow, a hint of mischief in her expression. "Are you sure he's not pressuring you because he doesn't want you to do anything you don't want to do, or because he doesn't want to?"

I frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Maya just smiled teasingly. "I don't know..."

I grabbed a pillow and playfully tossed it at her, making her laugh.

"I'm just saying, it's kind of weird. You've been dating for like, weeks now, and you've never even kissed?"

My cheeks flushed. "Yes, we have! A couple of times."

Maya's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Wow, only a couple, huh?"

"I'm sure he probably just doesn't want me to be uncomfortable," I defended, though a small doubt nagged at me.

Maya opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, both our phones buzzed simultaneously. We reached for them, curiosity piqued, only to be bombarded by a flurry of notifications.

My phone lit up with messages from friends, all asking the same thing: "Have you seen this? Did you know? Isn't this your boyfriend?"

"What the hell..." I muttered, my heart rate picking up as I clicked on the link attached to one of the messages.

It took me to an anonymous Instagram page, and as the image loaded, my eyes widened in shock. The phone nearly slipped from my fingers as the truth stared back at me.
"Oh my God..."
I gasped, my voice trembling.

Maya, who had clicked on the same link, looked up from her phone, her expression mirroring mine. "What the fuck..." she echoed, both of us saying it at the same time, disbelief and horror washing over us as the gravity of what we were seeing sank in.

We looked at each other, the disbelief mirrored in both our eyes. Maya was the first to speak, her voice shaking with uncertainty.

"This can't be real," she murmured, shaking her head. "Tyler's not... He's not..."

"It has to be a joke, right?" I whispered, my fingers gripping my phone so tightly they hurt. "Someone's just messing with us..."

But neither of us really believed that. The photos, the captions, the comments-they were all too real, too detailed to be some kind of prank.

Maya suddenly jumped up, panic flashing across her face as she started dialing Tyler's number. The phone rang and rang, but each time it went to voicemail. She stared at the screen, her anxiety growing with every unanswered ring.

"He's not answering," she said, her voice rising with a mix of frustration and fear. "Why isn't he answering?"

I tried to keep calm, but my heart was racing. I quickly typed out a message to Lucas, hoping, praying that he'd reply and tell me this was all some kind of misunderstanding. But seconds turned into minutes, and still, nothing.

"Lucas isn't answering either," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I looked up at Maya, feeling more lost than I ever had. "Maya... what the hell is going on?"

But Maya just looked at me, just as confused, just as scared. The reality of it all was sinking in, the confusion tightening around us like a noose.

We were both staring at our phones, the silence between us heavy with questions that had no answers. The world as we knew it was spinning out of control, and neither of us had any idea how to stop it.

15