Oakridge High had many dangers—gangs, egos, fights, and reputations sharp enough to cut.
But none of them spread fear as fast as rumors.
By the next morning, Aarvin realized something terrifying:
Everyone knew his name now.
Not because he was smart.
Not because he was talented.
Not because he wanted attention.
But because he was the boy who made Liam stumble…
…and the brother of Riyan Hale, a name heavy enough to bend the school's atmosphere.
Eyes Everywhere
When Aarvin stepped into the hallway, dozens of eyes snapped toward him.
Some curious.
Some impressed.
Some calculating.
And a few… frightened.
He kept walking, shoulders tight, hands clenched, trying to drown out the whispers.
"That's him…"
"The Hale kid…"
"Looks harmless, but—"
"Don't mess. Riyan will kill you."
Every word stabbed deeper than the last.
Aarvin wasn't dangerous.
He wasn't fearless.
He wasn't anything close to strong.
Yet here he was—caught in a storm he never wanted.
Naomi Watching
As he reached his locker, he noticed someone leaning against the wall a few feet away—
Naomi Lane.
Quiet. Observant.
Someone who saw more than she spoke.
She wasn't staring at him.
But she wasn't ignoring him either.
It was almost worse—like she was studying a puzzle piece that didn't fit anywhere.
Aarvin quickly looked away.
The last thing he needed was Riyan's closest confidante analyzing him too.
Wolves in the Hallway
The Iron Wolves arrived next.
Six figures moving through the hall like a silent threat. Students parted automatically.
At the front—Zane Lockhart, their calm, unreadable leader.
He glanced at Aarvin once.
Not hostility.
Not approval.
Something else.
Something like interest.
Aarvin's stomach tightened.
Liam wasn't with them today.
His jaw was probably still swollen.
But the rest?
Their eyes followed Aarvin like they were trying to figure out what Riyan Hale's little brother really was.
An Unwanted Confrontation
Aarvin hurried toward class, but someone blocked his way.
Not a Wolf.
Not a bully.
A regular student.
A boy he didn't even know.
"Hey… Aarvin, right?" the boy asked quietly.
Aarvin nodded, uneasy.
The boy swallowed nervously.
"Can I ask something? Is it… true? Did you really hit Liam?"
Aarvin froze.
People around them slowed down to listen.
He felt the pressure suffocate him.
"I didn't mean to," Aarvin muttered. "He… cornered me and—"
"So you fought back," the boy said.
Aarvin blinked.
"No, I panicked."
But the hallway had already twisted his words into something else.
"He admitted it."
"He actually fought."
"Riyan's brother isn't weak after all—"
Aarvin wanted to scream.
He didn't fight.
He didn't win.
He didn't want any of this.
But Oakridge didn't care about the truth.
Oakridge only cared about the version of the story that made the most noise.
Riyan Arrives
Suddenly the hallway fell silent.
Completely silent.
Riyan Hale was walking through the corridor like a shadow you couldn't escape.
His eyes found Aarvin instantly.
Aarvin's chest squeezed painfully.
Not again.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
Riyan stopped right in front of him.
"Told you to stay close," he said quietly.
Aarvin whispered, "I… didn't think—"
"You never think."
Riyan's tone wasn't angry.
It was frustrated.
Protective.
Afraid of something only he understood.
He placed a hand on Aarvin's shoulder—not gently, not harshly, but firmly enough for the whole hallway to see.
"If anyone touches him," Riyan announced, voice low and deadly, "I'll handle it."
A ripple of fear moved through the students.
Zane raised an eyebrow from a distance, observing everything like a strategist studying a chessboard.
Naomi watched too.
Expression unreadable.
A Name That Isn't Yours
When the crowd finally dispersed, Aarvin whispered:
"Why are you doing this?"
Riyan looked down at him.
"Because you're my brother."
Aarvin's throat tightened.
"I don't want this reputation."
"You don't get to choose," Riyan replied.
"Your name chooses for you."
Aarvin felt a chill run down his spine.
Because for the first time, he realized:
Being a Hale wasn't protection.
It was a burden.
A chain.
A curse.
And no matter how much he wished…
He couldn't escape it.