Violet's POV
"I already fucked him," Ivy said as we stepped out of class, flipping her curls. "Three times in my head and it's back to back."
Maya rolled her eyes. "Girl, you need therapy."
"I need him," Ivy groaned. "You saw those veins? That man is a walking temptation."
"The lecturer is hot," I admitted, "but my boyfriend's hotter."
They both groaned, "Here comes the loyal girlfriend speech," Maya mumbled.
"You and that chapstick-wearing man," Ivy sighed. "This one undresses people with eye contact."
"Still clear your fantasy," I smirked.
"Delusional." Ivy snapped her gum.
I was still trying to defend my man's honor when my phone buzzed in my bag, picking it up, I saw unknown number, I almost didn't pick up, but curiosity killed the cat and apparently also tortured girlfriends.
"Hello?"
"Is this Miss Violet Black?"
"Yes?" I answered slowly.
"This is Officer Hale from the Central Police Department. Your father has been brought in again. Robbery. He attempted to steal a pack of cigarettes from a grocery store and fought with the owner. You're listed as his emergency contact."
There was a long pause, I didn't say anything, I just closed my eyes and let the familiar wave of disappointment wash over me. Again? Seriously?
My father was the kind of man who could find trouble in a church. Drunk, reckless, and loud-mouthed and, for some reason, allergic to jobs. I took in a deep breath, thanked the officer dryly, and ended the call.
"Let me guess," Ivy said, watching my expression fall.
"Yep," I muttered. "He's back at it."
"Again?"
"For a pack of cigarettes this time. Can you imagine?" I rolled my eyes. "I'm going to the station."
"Alone?" Maya blinked. "Where's Sasha? Shouldn't she go too?"
"Exactly," I said, tightening my ponytail. "She's not escaping this one. That man might be a walking dumpster fire, but he's still our dumpster fire."
Ivy snorted. "Please, where will you even find her? She wasn't in class all day."
I just grinned and pulled out my phone, unlocking it with a few quick taps. They all leaned in.
"What's that?"
"A tracker."
They blinked.
"I installed a tracking app on Sasha's phone," I said sweetly, "because our dear Sasha has too many bad habits, like vanishing for days, getting drunk in club toilets, or hooking up with dudes who look like walking hepatitis."
Maya burst out laughing. "You didn't."
"She's a copy-paste version of our dad," I muttered. "At least the app gives me peace of mind or what's left of it."
"You need to move out already," Ivy groaned. "You work two part-time jobs, cook, clean, keep your grades, and still babysit your criminal relatives. Girl, be for real."
I shrugged and offered them a small smile. "They may be a mess, but they're still mine, and someone has to love the mess."
The silence that followed was heavy and loud, Maya gave me a look that said you're too good for this world, while Ivy just shook her head in defeat.
"Good luck, Mother Teresa," Maya muttered.
"Happy rescuing," Ivy added, giving me a mock salute.
They turned and walked off, still mumbling, but I just smiled and watched them go because no matter how heavy the burden, I'd carry it, even if it wasn't mine to carry.
The tracking app said Storage Room C4, I should've known, that's Sasha's favourite hiding place when she's skipping classes to do shit or ghosting reality, which is always.
I made my way toward the hallway and slowed down when I got close to the door. At first, I thought I heard faint thuds, then... moans, my brows pulled together.
No. Please, no.
Then came the unmistakable sound of skin on skin and someone panting like they were in an Olympic sprint.
"Oh my God," I muttered under my breath, jaw tightening. "Even in school? Really?"
I should've walked away, honestly, I planned to, last time I interrupted one of Sasha's live shows, she nearly slit my throat with a nail file, screaming about how I ruined her rhythm. Whatever that means. She's always been dramatic.
I rolled my eyes and started to turn, but then I froze.
"Liam… ohh Liam...yes, don't stop…"
I blinked.
No.
No.
No.
Maybe I heard wrong.
I mean, there are like ten guys named Liam in this school, right? Could be anyone.
Then I heard the grunt.
His grunt.
The one I knew too well because I once had to listen to it through the phone when he was playing video games and thought breathing into the mic was flirting.
Another moan.
Another "Liam."
This time, it hit different, it was my Liam.
My chest constricted, and my legs moved before my brain did.
I stomped to the door and tried to yank it open, it was locked. Of course, it was locked, Sasha never fails to secure the stage when she's performing her greatest hits.
So I banged repeatedly and then clicked, the door cracked open, and I didn't even hesitate.
I pushed it wide, ready to unleash hell, and there he was, my boyfriend.
My sweet, nerdy, straight-A, glasses-wearing, loyal, "I love you forever" boyfriend.
Balls deep in my sister, time slowed, his eyes widened like someone just turned the lights on during a crime.
Sasha looked back over her shoulder and smirked like she was proud of it, she was the one that opened the door, God, I've never seen someone so shameless.
My chest twisted painfully, I didn't scream, didn't cry, or faint like some poor heartbroken rom-com lead.
I just stood there, taking a deep breath and smiling bitterly, Liam scrambled up, fumbling for words. "V-Vi, wait...I can explain..."
I raised a hand and cut him off, voice calm, flat, completely detached from the mess in my chest.
"You," I said, staring straight at Sasha, "when you're done having your orgasm, meet me outside, dad's in jail. Again, and we're going to get him."
Sasha rolled her eyes, still breathless, and scoffed. "Ugh. You're such a buzzkill, can't even let me finish in peace, bitch."
I didn't flinch, I just turned and walked out but of course, the rat followed me.
Liam was behind me in seconds, pulling his jeans up like a clumsy ghost, already spewing nonsense.
"It wasn't what it looked like! She seduced me! I swear, she walked in here naked, naked, Vi! I was just fixing something and she… she grabbed me!"
I kept walking and he kept talking.
"She literally pushed me down and sat on me. What was I supposed to do?! Push her off? You know she's crazy!"
By now we were in the open hallway, students were everywhere, and people had started to slow down and watch, some paused mid-step and whispered, great, the gossip economy was about to boom.
And Liam? Oh, he just kept going.
"You know, it's always so hard with you, always serious, always trying to be perfect. It's exhausting dating you, Violet!"
That stopped me but he wasn't done.
"She told me you're not even real family, that they found you in a trash bin or some shit and honestly? Makes sense, this is no big deal."
I turned around slowly, people gasped, not at the insult but at the look on my face.
"You think you're so much better than everyone," Sasha added from the side, now fully dressed but still smug. "When really? You're just a broken little bitch pretending to be perfect."
I looked at her, then at him and the pain I felt threatened to choke me but I swallowed it back and asked, "can we go get father now?"
Sasha laughed bitterly, loud enough for the entire hallway to hear. "Forget father, let's talk your man, just look at the man you bragged about every damn day?" she sneered, tossing her hair like she hadn't just ruined someone's life. "He was so easy to fuck. I barely even had to try and for the record? He wasn't even that good."
Gasps erupted and my heart dropped.
Liam flinched, his face twisting with embarrassment as whispers spread around.
Someone from the crowd mumbled, "Damn, she really said that?"
Another whispered, "That's Violet's perfect boyfriend, right?"
"How could she even fuck a whore like Sasha? Leaving a girl like Violet for that pig is a huge mistake but good to know Vi is single now, the men will rush her."
Suddenly desperate, Liam stepped toward me, arm outstretched, guilt all over his stupid face. "Vi, please. I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"Don't," I growled, yanking my hand away before he could touch me. "Don't you ever fucking touch me again."
He froze.
"I was loyal to you, I defended you. I cleaned up after your dumb ass every time you embarrassed yourself, I literally give you my all and this, this is what I get? My sister? In a storage room?!" I laughed bitterly. "You are nothing, absolutely nothing. You and Sasha deserve each other. Trash attracts trash."
The burn must've been too much, because his fake guilt flipped into anger and before I could even blink, Liam surged forward and slapped me hard.
The sound cracked through the hall and the world tilted, everything slowed.
I blinked, head still turned to the side, my skin burned where his hand landed, but it wasn't pain that took over, it wasn't even heartbreak anymore.
It was rage, pure, hot and boundless.
And something else… something not human, my veins pulsed and the air around me thickened.
Heat crept up my spine and settled under my skin like a beast stretching to full height after being chained for too long.
Liam stepped back, maybe sensing something was wrong but it was too late.
I turned my head slowly, raised my hand and without thinking, without caring, I slapped him back.
Only this time, he didn't just stumble, he flew and hit the floor with a sickening thud and I stared daggers at him.
Blood poured from his nose, from his ears.
From a deep, gashing wound on his cheek like claws had ripped through flesh.
He twitched once, then went completely still.
Screams tore through the hall, students scattered, someone called for help, another started filming.
But I just stood there, breathing, burning, broken and feeling my inside burn.