The Imperfect Girl

Chp 5- Out of Sight, Out of Mind

(Adeline)

College was like that predictable trashy reality show everyone watched but pretended not to care about. 

The drama of last week had faded faster than my enthusiasm for early-morning lectures. 

The girl—whoever she was—was now part of the campus ghost stories.

No one really talked about her, except for the occasional "Remember that one girl?" whispered in the cafeteria between bites of mystery meat.

Everyone moved on. I knew they would. It's easier to forget when it's not your life in shambles. But something about it stuck with me—like an unfinished story that refused to leave my mind.

I sat in the library, pretending to read while scribbling down notes for my latest novel idea. The irony of it all? 

I was living through a twisted version of one of my own plots. And no, I didn't enjoy it.

(Damon)

A week was all it took for the entire campus to forget the nerdy girl- what was her name- Brielle? Brianna? Bianca? Who cares, to be honest.

People have short memories, and I wasn't exactly 'losing sleep' over it. 

Tyler was already on the lookout for his next project, and I—well, I was just cruising. 

Everything had settled back into the usual routine of half-hearted lectures and pointless conversations.

But sometimes, when things are too quiet, that's when the thoughts creep in. Was I feeling guilty? Nah. It wasn't that deep. It's just... strange how easy it is to ruin someone's life and walk away untouched.

Tyler shot me a look across the table during lunch, smirking like the whole world was still ours for the taking. Maybe it was, but something felt off. And I couldn't shake it, no matter how many times I told myself it didn't matter.

"New girl in our class. Heard she's a transfer," Tyler said, leaning back with that cocky grin he'd perfected.

Another transfer? Interesting. But, for once, I didn't feel like diving headfirst into the chaos. I let the thought slide by, just another thing I didn't care about today.

(Adeline)

I walked past them on my way out of the library, Damon and his crew, laughing like kings of the universe. They probably didn't even remember what they'd done. Maybe they didn't care. But their victim—she was still invisible to them, a ghost that haunted the corners of the school in whispers.

The halls were quieter without her. 

Too quiet. 

Something about that silence made my skin itch, like a warning of something waiting just out of view.

It's funny, really—how people can vanish from existence when no one needs them anymore. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

(Damon)

Tyler's words echoed in my head, but I brushed them off, focusing on the here and now. People always say you should live in the moment, right? 

Well, I was doing just that. No regrets. No looking back.

Still, I couldn't help but notice the way the mood had shifted. The campus felt different, like something was waiting to happen. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew we couldn't get away with this forever.

I laughed along with the guys, pushing that thought down again. Life was easier when you didn't think too much.

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