Fractured Echoes

chapter 14

" The Fallout "

School was a fucking blur. Everything passed by in this hazy, sluggish wave of meaningless lessons, dull teachers, and classmates who didn't even look my way. It was as if I'd turned invisible overnight. Normally, I wouldn't care. But today? Today, it felt different. Something was wrong.

It started first thing in the morning. Violet didn't say a single word to me. No glance, no smile, nothing. We usually sat together in homeroom, whispering or passing notes to avoid the boredom, but today? She sat on the opposite side of the room, hunched over her desk, like I wasn't even there. My stomach twisted.

Was it because of the kiss? I could still feel it—the way her lips had pressed against mine, soft but urgent, leaving me breathless. That kiss wasn't nothing. But now, she was acting like it hadn't happened at all, or like it was the last thing she ever wanted.

I tried to push the thoughts away as the day dragged on, but it was impossible. Violet's silence was deafening, her avoidance stung more than I expected. By lunch, I was a wreck. I kept catching glimpses of her in the hall, but she always walked past me like I didn't exist.

Then I saw them. Violet wasn't the only thing off today—Aiden Parker and Charlotte were walking together. Laughing together.

Aiden, with his stupid grin, towering over Charlotte like they were some kind of fucking couple. They were so absorbed in their conversation they didn't even notice me standing there, frozen, watching them like some creep. My stomach clenched. Aiden and Charlotte? Since when?

Aiden was Violet's boyfriend—or, well, he was as far as I knew. But the way they were walking, talking, like they didn't have a care in the world... what the hell was happening? And why hadn't Violet said anything about it?

My thoughts raced. What was going on with Violet? And why the fuck were Aiden and Charlotte suddenly so close? It didn't make sense.

By the time the final bell rang, I was done. I needed answers, but there was no chance to talk to Violet. She bolted out of school like her life depended on it, leaving me with a thousand questions and no way to get them answered.

I dragged myself home, feeling the weight of everything crashing down on me. My mind was a mess. I couldn't make sense of anything. Violet ignoring me, Aiden and Charlotte acting like best friends—nothing felt real anymore.

Once I got to my room, I threw my bag on the floor, kicked off my shoes, and collapsed onto my bed. The second my head hit the pillow, I felt the exhaustion sink in. I just wanted to sleep, to bury myself in the blankets and forget everything, at least for a while.

But of course, nothing goes that easily.

The door to my room slammed open, and I jerked awake, heart pounding. I sat up just as Violet stormed in, her face bright red, eyes wild with rage. She looked like she was about to explode.

"That fucking bitch Charlotte!" Violet screamed, pacing the room like she needed to hit something.

"What... the fuck, Vi?" I mumbled, still groggy from nearly falling asleep. "What happened?"

"She told Aiden!" Violet stopped in the middle of the room, her hands clenched into fists. Her voice was trembling with fury. "She fucking told Aiden about the kiss. And now he's dumped me!"

I blinked, the words sinking in slow like I was still waking up. "Wait, what?"

Violet climbed onto my bed, sitting at the edge like she needed to be closer to me. Her eyes were blazing with anger, almost frantic. "Charlotte told him. She told Aiden that we kissed, and now he's fucking broken up with me. What the fuck, Iris?"

I stared at her, my mind spinning. "That... that doesn't make sense. Charlotte wouldn't do that. Why would she?"

"Oh, she did," Violet snapped, her voice dripping with venom. "She told him, and now he won't even look at me. He dumped me like that." She snapped her fingers, her face flushed. "And now I'm the one looking like a fucking idiot because I didn't even get to explain!"

I shook my head, still trying to process. Charlotte? Telling Aiden about the kiss? Why? It didn't fit. Charlotte wasn't like that. She wasn't the type to go around starting drama for no reason. She barely cared about what other people did, let alone getting involved in something this personal.

"That doesn't make sense," I muttered, more to myself than to Violet. "Why would she tell him? It's none of her business."

Violet let out a bitter laugh. "Because she's always had a thing for him, Iris! Don't you get it? She's been waiting for this—waiting for a chance to swoop in and make her move, and now she's fucking done it."

I frowned, my brain struggling to keep up with her rage. "You really think Charlotte's into Aiden? She's never said anything about him before."

"Doesn't matter," Violet said, her voice low and hard. "She saw an opportunity and she took it. And now I'm fucking screwed because of her."

I sat back against the headboard, my head swimming. It didn't make sense, none of it. Charlotte and Aiden? Violet and I kissing? Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control, faster than I could handle. "I don't get it," I whispered. "Why would she even care?"

Violet's eyes narrowed. "Because she's a fucking snake, Iris. And now she's got Aiden, and I've got nothing. All because of that kiss."

I felt the guilt settle in, heavy and sharp. I hadn't meant for any of this to happen. The kiss had felt right in the moment, but now? Now it was tearing everything apart. And Charlotte... if Violet was right, if she really had told Aiden... then things were about to get even messier.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to fix it. But one thing was clear—nothing was going to be the same after this.