Broken homes

Heated argument

The next day at school, the tension between Shawn and Lily hit its boiling point.

Lily was standing by her locker, carefully adjusting her headband and pretending to be unbothered, but her jaw tightened every time she saw Shawn across the hallway. She had avoided him long enough. The rumors, the stares, the tension—it all had to stop.

Shawn finally made his way over, his face unreadable but his eyes stormy.

"Lily," he said firmly, his voice cutting through the noise.

She didn't look at him, focusing instead on organizing her books. "What do you want, Shawn?"

He exhaled sharply. "We need to talk."

Lily slammed her locker shut and crossed her arms. "Really? Because last time we talked, you accused me of being just like my mom and called my entire family messed up. So, forgive me if I'm not exactly thrilled for another chat."

Shawn clenched his fists at his sides. "Yeah, well, maybe if you'd stop acting like you have it all together when you're clearly falling apart, we wouldn't be here!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? You're one to talk! You're the one drinking every time life gets hard, Shawn! Don't you dare lecture me about falling apart."

His face flushed. "At least I don't run around acting like I'm better than everyone else, Lily! You've changed, and not in a good way. The clothes, the attitude—it's like you're trying to be someone you're not."

Lily's voice dropped, venom lacing her words. "Oh, so now I'm not good enough for you, either? That's rich coming from you, Shawn. You're the same guy who hops from girl to girl because you can't handle getting close to anyone!"

Shawn's expression darkened. "You think you know me, huh? Maybe I did mess around, but you're the one who made it clear I wasn't 'boyfriend material,' remember? So don't turn this on me."

Lily's voice cracked, despite her best efforts. "I didn't say that to hurt you... I said it because you prove it every time you do stuff like this! Drinking, fighting, running from everything that scares you!"

Silence.

They stood there, breathing heavily, the anger giving way to something heavier. Something more painful.

Shawn's voice softened, raw now. "You know why I run, Lily? Because the people I care about either leave... or push me away. And I guess you're just proving me right."

Lily's expression faltered, but she quickly masked it. "You don't get to play the victim, Shawn. Not after what you said to me."

Shawn shook his head, his voice breaking. "And you don't get to shut everyone out just because you're scared of being hurt. I know you, Lily. The real you. And she's worth fighting for... but you won't even let me try."

Lily swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as her vision blurred. But before she could respond, the warning bell rang.

She turned away.

"I can't do this right now, Shawn."

And with that, she walked away, leaving him standing alone in the crowded hallway, watching her go—again.