The hallway felt different today. Not just because it was Monday, or because I was late again — but because of the looks. The whispers.
I could hear them before I even opened my locker.
> "She was holding hands with Rylan after class…"
"I heard they were spotted alone in the music room."
"Didn't she just break up with Damien?"
My hands froze on the locker handle.
I turned. A group of girls at the end of the hallway quickly looked away. But not before I caught the way they were glaring.
And then… I saw Damien.
He was standing just a few feet away, staring right at me. His eyes weren't angry. Just… unreadable. Like a storm that hadn't formed yet.
"Damien—" I started, stepping toward him.
But he turned and walked the other way.
---
Damien's POV
It felt like my whole body was on fire.
I knew Ava. I trusted Ava. But hearing that Rylan had been "seen" with her behind the theater room? That they were getting closer again?
I didn't want to believe it.
But the image of her laughing at Rylan's joke yesterday… it haunted me.
I opened my locker and slammed it shut again.
"Dude, easy," Ezra said, appearing next to me. "You'll break the hinge."
I didn't respond.
He lowered his voice. "Is this about Ava?"
I nodded, jaw tight.
Ezra sighed. "You know rumors in this place are faster than wildfire. Half of them are planted anyway. Probably by Serena."
His voice dropped further. "You okay?"
I hesitated. "I just… I can't go through it again."
He looked at me carefully. "You mean… like last time? With your—"
"Don't," I said sharply.
But it was too late. The memory was already pushing its way up.
My father. The legacy. The expectations. The endless rules. The name I left behind.
Damien Lockwood.
I hadn't spoken it out loud in over a year.
---
Rylan's POV
When I entered the hallway and saw Ava staring down the corridor after Damien… it hurt.
She didn't even notice me walk past.
But it wasn't her fault. She didn't know what I was going through.
I looked over and caught Chloe watching me.
She quickly turned away, pretending to fix her hair.
Interesting.
---
Chloe's POV
Why was I looking at him like that?
Rylan. Of all people.
But there was something about him lately. The way his smile didn't always reach his eyes. The way he helped Ava without ever expecting credit. The quiet pain.
I bit my lip.
No. He liked Ava.
And I was her best friend.
Still… I couldn't stop watching him.
---