atelophobia | justin huang

seven

justin huang

we walk together, laughing and talking. this is happiness, true happiness.

and it's nice. because even though zhengting, and everyone else's been nice to me, it's not the same.

xuefeng and i have this unexplainable bond. but, i guess, it makes us friends.

xuefeng is different. she doesn't crave my attention like everyone else at school. she doesn't swarm me like all my 'fangirls'. but i know it.

she's grateful.

i don't know why. i've been nice.

but she seemed so surprised i even talked to her.

she's hiding something.

something happened before i came.

that's why zhengting hates her.

zhengting truly hates her. i don't know why. he won't tell me.

he wants to get rid of her, and it's working.

she's breaking down.

some days i want to yell at him.

ask him why he's doing this.

why he's destroying her.

but i don't.

it's not my place to say.

xuefeng has a story.

and i intend to find out what it is.

because,

now,

whether she accepts it or not,

we're friends.

and friends stick together.

i've been at this school long enough to know there's a system of some sort.

a hierarchy.

zhengting's at the top.

the one everyone looks up to,

and admires.

and xuefeng's at the bottom.

the one no one talks to.

and i don't understand why.

because,

if someone asked me to choose,

between xuefeng and zhengting,

i'd pick xuefeng.

any day.

people here feed off of rumors. i suppose it makes themself feel better. and i know i was lucky, that on my first day, zhengting chose me.

and it automatically put me at the top.

but i don't like it. i don't like the way everyone watches you.

they wait for your every mistake. because,

my downfall means someone else gets my place.

it means someone else gets to be at the top.

and when you're a nobody,

that's all you'd want.

but they don't understand,

that being here comes with a great price. everyone expects perfection. anything short of that is a failure.

the same thing happened at my old school.

i transferred here hoping for a change. but i didn't get that.

i got an intense hierarchy school system and 'fangirls'.

zhengting doesn't like my friendship with xuefeng. he hasn't said anything yet. and honestly, i don't care.

i'm so sick of this.

if people'd take a closer look, they'd find that the people at the top have flaws too. we aren't the perfect monsters you believe us to be.

•••

how'd i do? votes and comments are appreciated too~

i'm sorry i don't have time to thank everyone individually for supporting this story (i'll try to as soon as school gets a little less intense) but i want you guys to know that your support is what motivates me to keep writing, so thank you so much <3 everyone one of you means so much to me, and i love you guys so much~~

please look forward to the next chapter!