If We Survive This

At their old school, Avery and Matthew were everything people noticed. The kind of siblings everyone knew, watched, and thought had perfect lives.
Matthew was the quiet, intimidating older brother no one fully understood. Avery was the bright, outgoing girl who could light up any room. To everyone else, they looked perfect.
But behind closed doors, their lives were something else entirely.
Their parents were abusive in ways no one saw-words that cut deep, physical punishments without warning, control that never loosened. And afterward, they were forced to act normal like nothing happened.
Then one night, everything changed. No discussion. No choice. Their parents decided they were moving.
Within days, Avery and Matthew were dragged into a massive mansion in a new town. Same parents, same fear, just a new place to hide everything wrong.
And they were forced to start over.
Only this time, they were not the same.
Matthew was still Avery's anchor, but even he was breaking. Anger came too fast, silence lasted too long, and cracks he couldn't hide were showing.
Avery was trying to survive in her own way-smiling when she shouldn't have to, hiding panic, pretending she was fine. Long sleeves covered what no one was supposed to see.
Then came the new school.
And Them.
A group of boys with reputations sharp enough to make people look away. At first, just another danger.
But nothing stayed simple.
Because they noticed Matthew and Avery.
Stares in hallways. Words like weapons. Moments that lingered too long. Slowly, it became something heavier, something confusing.
But for now, they had each other.
No matter how much they were breaking, they were still each other's only constant.
And deeper they were pulled into this new life, something began building beneath the surface.
Something no one was ready for.
And one moment would be enough for everything to shift.
Everything to connect.
And everything to break.