Last Semester

Chapter 1: Two Months to Go

The halls of St. Vincent High School were a maze of noise, laughter, and echoes of teenage drama, but all Dean could hear was the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat thudding in his ears. There were days where this place felt like a living nightmare-each corner hiding another ghost of betrayal, each smile concealing malice. Dean tugged his hoodie tighter, trying to shrink into himself as he walked past the clusters of students chatting away, oblivious to his presence.

Just get through the day, he reminded himself. Two months left. You can survive two more months.

But could he?

As he approached his locker, the usual voices rang out. He braced himself for what was coming next.

"Yo, Dean!" Alex's voice cut through the chaos like a knife. Dean didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. Alex-the golden boy, the king of this high school jungle. Confident, popular, everything Dean wasn't. "Seen any aliens lately, or are you still stuck in those fucked-up horror shows?"

Dean's shoulders tensed. Of course it's Alex. It was always Alex. The guy who everyone wanted to be, but no one really knew. Dean could see through him, though. The way he clung to popularity, the way he made sure everyone laughed at his jokes, even if they weren't funny. It was all an act, a way to hide how terrified Alex really was. He couldn't bear the thought of being ordinary, of fading into the background like Dean did every single day.

Dean swallowed the sharp retort that sat on the tip of his tongue. He'd learned the hard way that responding only made it worse. He kept his head down, ignored the snickers from Alex's crew, and kept walking.

Ravi stood nearby, leaning against his locker, his nose deep in a textbook. He didn't look up, didn't even acknowledge Dean. That was Ravi's thing-staying invisible. He wasn't part of Alex's crowd, but he sure as hell wasn't going to stand up to them either. Not that Dean expected him to. Ravi never got involved. He wasn't a bully, but his indifference felt like another brick on the weight already crushing Dean's chest.

He could say something, Dean thought bitterly, glancing at Ravi. He could just... say something. But he won't.

He never did.

A sharp slap against the metal of Dean's locker made him flinch, snapping him out of his thoughts. Harris, the self-proclaimed class clown, grinned like he'd just told the funniest joke in the world. "Whoa, didn't mean to scare ya, buddy!" Harris barked, his laugh obnoxious and loud. He loved an audience, and today, Dean was the unfortunate target. "Let me guess, you were up all night watching more of that weird shit, huh? Evil clowns? Killer dolls? What's it this time?"

Dean forced a smile, the kind that barely touched his lips. "Something like that."

He didn't hate Harris-not really, maybe a bit. The guy wasn't malicious, but his constant need to turn everything into a joke was exhausting. And somehow, Dean always ended up as the punchline. Harris thrived off attention, off people laughing at whatever came out of his mouth, even if it meant poking fun at someone else's misery.

At least he doesn't mean to hurt me but his jokes just ... hmm, what could go wrong?, Dean thought, trying to remind himself that Harris was just being Harris. It still stung, though.

As Harris moved on, still chuckling to himself, Dean finally got his locker open. His hands shook slightly as he grabbed his books, trying to steady his breathing. It's just another day. Just another fucking day.

He was about to close the locker when Danial appeared next to him. Danial, the school's golden athlete, the star of every sports team. Dean didn't hate him either, but the way Danial coasted through life without a care in the world was... infuriating. He had everything-popularity, charm, success. And what did he do with it? Nothing. He never stood up for anyone. He never got involved.