shared secrets

disclaimer: I only own my, OCS, their lines and anything else not originally in the movies. everything else belongs to the creators.

Thalia had always been the light in Billy and Stu's dark world-a calm balance to their chaos. Growing up together, they'd been nearly inseparable, each knowing the other's secrets, hopes, and fears. But recently, things had shifted. Billy and Stu, once just the mischievous boys she laughed with, had become... different. Intense.

It started subtly. Billy would linger a little too long after study sessions, his dark eyes tracing her face like he was memorizing every detail. Stu became unusually protective, steering her away from certain people and acting coldly when others got too close. Thalia, loyal and trusting, chalked it up to their shared history-boys who were just fiercely protective of her.

Until the notes started.

A single sheet of notebook paper tucked into her locker, with the words: "Some friends keep secrets. Others bury them." She felt a chill but brushed it off-probably a joke. But as the days wore on, the messages grew bolder, more desperate. "I've watched you for years, and I'd do anything to keep you safe." The handwriting, strangely familiar, felt like a twisted love letter.

At a party, she confronted Billy about it. He only smirked, eyes alight with something dark. "Why would anyone want to scare you, Thalia?" he whispered, his voice a dangerous purr. She felt Stu close behind her, his grin wide, but his eyes serious. "You know we'd protect you, Thal. From anyone." The way he said it sounded like a promise, one she wasn't sure she wanted kept.

And that night, as Thalia lay in bed, a message appeared on her phone: "It's us, Thalia. Always us."