♥︎ATHALIA♥︎
When I walked into the house, exhaustion weighed me down. I headed straight to my room and collapsed onto my bed, falling into a deep sleep almost instantly.
Hours later, I woke up feeling ravenous. My stomach growled as I dragged myself to the kitchen.
To my surprise, my mom was there, busy with some cooking. She didn't seem too pleased, her brows knitted together in a concerned frown.
"Hey, Mom." I said, trying to sound cheerful despite my hunger.
She looked up from the stove, her gaze sharp. "Athalia, I heard about the fight at school. What happened?"
I hesitated, not sure how to start. "It was just... some people talking badly about Brandon. I tried to stand up for him, and it got out of hand."
Her expression softened slightly, but she still looked troubled. "I know you care about him a lot, but you need to be careful. Sometimes, standing up for someone, especially violently, can have unintended consequences."
I nodded, feeling a mix of guilt and frustration. "I know, Mom. I just wanted to protect him."
My mom sighed and set down her spatula. "I understand that, but it's important to pick your battles wisely. Just remember to take care of yourself, too."
I appreciated her advice, even if it was hard to hear. We continued talking as she finished preparing dinner, and despite the earlier tension, the conversation helped clear my mind.
I knew she was looking out for me, even if it sometimes felt like she was being overly cautious.
~~~~~~~
A week has passed since the fight. Those girls still give me dirty looks.
Like girls, I also don't like you.
Right now, I am in the library with Alex, who was helping me catch up.
We are surrounded by the quiet hum of the library, and for a while, it felt like a normal study session.
Until the comments started.
"I like you, Athalia and you're definitely my type. You got everything I look for in a girl. You know fat ass, big boobs and a pretty face." He does a double take.
I gave him a weird look and continued with what I was going.
"Now imagine my disappointment when I heard you're dating Brandon. I was like, 'why would she go for him when she could have all this'?" he said, gesturing to himself.
I rolled my eyes.
"You're giving small dick energy right now." I said, grabbing my stuff.
This session was clearly over.
He chuckles. "Why don't we find out?" He stands up.
"No, thank you. I don't want to lose my lunch all over the floor." I sling my bag over one shoulder.
"I'm going now. Bye."
He pulls me back using my bag, and I fall to the floor.
"What the heck, Alex?" I quickly got up.
He grabs my arms tightly and pushes me against the wall.
"Why the rush? Let's have some fun." he's breath hits my face.
Yuck.
"No thanks. And your breath stinks, so if you don't mind, I'm gonna go." I say, trying to remove my arms from his tight grip.
He tightens his grip, hurting me in the process.
I'm very sure it's going to be bruised.
"Let me go, Alex." I say through clenched teeth.
He brings his face to my neck and bites my skin. I wince.
"I think I'll have some fun with you before I let go." He murmurs against my skin.
He then strangles my neck, almost cutting off circulation. I try to claw at his hands, but he doesn't budge.
His other hand trailes up my skirt. I shut my legs together.
Where are the freaking teachers when you need them?
He then roughly kisses me.
I felt trapped, the fear and disgust overwhelming. I bite his lip hard.
Acting on instinct, I bring my knee up sharply and hard.
The impact was intense and immediate, Alex recoiled, clutching himself and staggering back with a pained groan.
I pulled away, my breathing coming in frantic gasps. Tears of fear and anger blurred my vision.
"Don't you ever fucking touch me!" I grabbed the thick history book and hit him with it.
I grabbed my bag and ran out of there.
I made my way out of school and started running home.
I know that I should have at least informed Brandon, and I didn't think of it at the time.
~~~~~~
When I got home, I was completely drained, both emotionally and physically.
The encounter with Alex had left me feeling vulnerable and shaken. I just wanted to curl up in my bed and forget everything.
As soon as I walked in, my phone rang. It was Brandon. I hesitated for a moment before answering, trying to steady my voice.
"Hey, Brandon," I said, trying to sound as normal as possible.
"Hey, Athalia," he replied, concern evident in his voice. "I've been looking for you. Where are you? I was expecting to see you after school."
I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to stay steady. "I went home early. I wasn't feeling well. I just needed to rest."
There was a pause on the other end. "Why didn't you let me know? I would have dropped you off or something. "
I hesitated again, my stomach churning with guilt. "I just didn't want to bother you. I thought I could handle it on my own."
He sounded a bit hurt but tried to mask it. "Alright, but if you're not feeling well, you let me know, Athalia."
"I know, and I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I'll be okay. I just need some time to rest."
"Okay," he said, though his voice still carried a trace of worry. "I'm coming over."
"No! I mean, it's okay. It’s fine."
"Um... okay. Bye, I guess."
"Bye." I ended the call. I set my phone down, feeling a pang of guilt. I hated lying to him, especially when he was so concerned about me.
I'm such a hypocrite.
I was the one preaching about being open with each other, yet here I am, lying to him.
I'll tell him soon.
I just need a moment to myself right now.
♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎

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Cold Water
Romance[BWWM] I was only twelve years old when the world turned cold. The day my mom died in that car accident, I felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my heart. My dad, who had always been my hero, suddenly became a stranger, filled...
