Fractured Echoes

chapter two

" the girl i use to know "

The bell rang, and I barely heard it over the rush of blood in my ears. Second period had been a blur. Mr. Abrams might as well have been speaking in a foreign language for all I cared. I spent the entire class staring at the back of someone's head, replaying that brief, paralyzing encounter in the hallway over and over again. Violet Eloise.

The name made my stomach twist in a way I didn't know it could. It'd been two years, and she was acting like nothing had ever happened. Like she hadn't looked me in the eye and—

Forget it.

I needed answers, or at least some kind of closure for that cold, empty stare she'd given me. As soon as the bell rang, I shoved my stuff into my bag and made a beeline for the door, eyes locked on the girl who had occupied my thoughts for the past hour.

She was walking ahead of me, her hair catching the light as she weaved through the students crowding the hallway. I quickened my pace, dodging backpacks and couples who couldn't get enough of each other. Before I knew it, I was right behind her.

"Violet," I said, breathless, reaching out to lightly grab her shoulder. She turned around slowly, her face completely neutral.

"What do you want, Iris?" she asked, her tone colder than I expected. The sound of her voice made something in my chest tighten.

"I—" I swallowed hard. This was harder than I thought it would be. The words tangled up in my throat. What the hell was I even going to say? "I just... I wanted to talk. It's been a while."

Violet's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Talk? About what? You don't know me, Iris. You haven't for a long time. Now get out of my way."

I blinked, my heart sinking like a stone. "I don't know you? What the hell are you talking about?" My voice cracked slightly, and I hated how vulnerable it sounded. "You're acting like we didn't—like we didn't have—"

Violet cut me off, her voice sharp. "Whatever you think we had doesn't exist anymore, okay? So stop pretending like we're still in each other's lives. You need to leave me alone." She turned on her heel, making it painfully clear that she was done with the conversation.

I stood there, stunned, a bitter taste rising in the back of my throat. What the hell was that? I couldn't tell if I was more confused or hurt.

But before I could process the situation any further, I heard footsteps approaching, and the air shifted. I turned my head to see none other than Aiden Parker—Captain of the Football Team, Class A asshole—strolling up to us with that stupid smug grin plastered across his face. His blond hair was tousled just right, and his letterman jacket hung loosely on his broad shoulders like he was modeling for some high school movie poster. He immediately draped an arm around Violet's frame, pulling her close like she was a trophy he'd just won.

I felt a surge of irritation shoot through me as his eyes flicked over me with clear disdain.

"What the hell do you think you're doing talking to my girlfriend, McKenzie?" Aiden's voice was dripping with condescension, like I was a cockroach that had somehow wandered into his perfect little world.

I glared at him. "This doesn't concern you, Parker."

He let out a mocking laugh, glancing down at Violet, who just stood there, looking amused. "Oh, it doesn't, huh? Talking to my girl absolutely concerns me. So why don't you fuck off before I make you."

I bit my tongue, feeling the anger build in the pit of my stomach. "This isn't about you. I was talking to Violet."

But Violet—Violet didn't say a word. She just looked at Aiden with that soft smile, her eyes almost laughing along with him. I felt my chest tighten. She wasn't going to defend me, wasn't going to tell him to back off. Instead, she tilted her head, a small, almost apologetic laugh slipping from her lips as she looked between us.

"Seriously, Iris," she said, her voice flat, "just leave it."

I stood there, frozen, staring at the two of them. Violet Eloise and Aiden fucking Parker. I didn't know whether to feel angry or stupid, but the mix of emotions swirling inside me was almost too much to handle.

"I don't know what happened to you," I muttered, shaking my head, unable to stop the words from slipping out, "but you're not the same girl I knew."

Violet's face remained unreadable. Aiden just sneered.

"Well, maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought," he said with a mocking smile. "Now do yourself a favor and walk away, McKenzie. Before you embarrass yourself any more."

I clenched my fists, every muscle in my body screaming to lash out at him. But the look in Violet's eyes stopped me cold. There was no recognition, no spark, just indifference.

Without saying another word, I turned and walked away.

But I knew that something in me had just shattered, and there was no walking away from that.