| torn up

'A scared little girl, that's you, Willow. That's all you've ever been and all you ever will be, do you understand?' He spits venomously, getting so close to me that all I can see and hear is him, all I can feel is him and I hate it.

I try my hardest to swallow the lump in my throat and ignore the tears threatening to spill over as his hurtful words echo in my head. Shaking my head feebly, I try and take a step back but he clamps his hands tightly onto my shoulders, forcing me to meet his dark eyes. I can't even find it in me to feel embarrassed anymore when a traitorous tear escapes my eye, prompting a scoff from Eli.

I just need to get away from him, even if it's just a few steps, I need to put some distance between us so I can escape his painful words.

But despite my struggle, his grip on my shoulders only tighten and soon the corners of his lips are lifting in malice when he sees how desperate I become to get out of his hold.

'So stop trying to play the hero when you're such a coward yourself. Because that's all you are- just a weak, pathetic, littl-'

And that's when I slap him.

And I regret it instantly- because no-one, and I mean no-one, slaps Eli Walters and gets away with it.

---

I was only thirteen when my best friend was taken from me. Up until that point, we had practically been inseparable. And then she was gone, and overnight I had to learn to adapt to a life without the light of Ciara Walters in it. Doing even the simplest of things suddenly became a hundred times harder and walking into school that following fall without her by my side felt like one of the worst things I had ever had to face. Especially since I knew who was waiting for me inside, because the day I lost my best friend was also the day I gained an enemy in the form of a boy called Eli Walters, Ciara's twin brother.

• TW: mentions of death.
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