y to sneak out. She didn't want to say anything to anyone. She wanted to leave like

ly, and she hated that her face sh

her room, fearing she might meet one

through the window – she wasn't ready to get a broken leg. She sighed, pushing

ed toward the door, hoping

cheerful chatter filli

humming a tune while preparing breakfast. Adria

arly? Didn't she know

lled, her voice bright and eager

stead, she poured herself a glass of water,

kindness felt suffocating, like a

relief when she noticed that her stepbrother wasn't up yet. She wanted to take it as an

ad thinking she was t

e to school," Clair

hard to get in her good grace

hed she cou

called out gingerly from t

morning. Aren't yo

week's leave for me, so I'll be home ti

quite understood; when she was youn

home and help her mo

e wanted to study hard and become the doc

said, almost get

ard the sound of whistlin

ake and comin

ickly, desperate to avoid crossing path

, she picked up her bag

having jogged downstairs. Their eyes locked when she

t her, then at her ba

avoiding him, having heard

ria opened the doo

the glass door as she m

e said t

************

too early. Only a few studen

back at strangers who just wanted to talk to her or

to pick up some books

e and rose. It said: "A rose f

a si

om notes and roses since the day

ust didn't understand why the person hadn

e would reciprocate their feeling

ongst the stacked on

dan leaning against one of the loc

end. He was nice, very inter

ght smile as he looke

y. "Why would you scare me like that?" s

it's not my fault you didn't notice

back for it," she said, glaring

for missing you?" He fei

In fact, you d

eared on us? You didn't pick up any of our calls.

w she had ignored thei

on "Do Not Disturb" because she didn'

said with a sigh. "But, dang, y

, tell us before you go missing," Jordan said w

et this go, was he? "Can we talk a

Tiffany knowing, it would be totally unf

d it would definitely hurt him

He asked with

slight smile. "Ye

around her shoulders to wh

urned to look at he

tiful, and that made her the subje

whenever he was around her, but he

is back," he said afte

nearly beaten because someone thought I was dating their

lone and threatened to beat her up if s

t the one receiving random notes

hook her head. Wel

at the door. "Thank you for walking me," sh

-yous now?" He joke

nd walked in

bject, so she was glad that

She would have run away immediately after, but Ti

she

ed from the other side of the hall as she r

ine smile since she heard a

back. "I've missed you too.

ne time to get th

u really? Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. Of course

hat kept her going through those har

ain of feeling like tha

to watch her dad loving a w

ll be," Adria said wi

, if you want to rant about anything c

d-mouth them even better,

say there was no need for that, J

er?" He said with confusion as he wa

n in school. My dad remarried." Saying it wa

dmit that to other people, and that'

rry etched on his face. "I

mfortable it would be to watch him m

I'm already doing better," s

he knew he couldn't force

e still the favorite, I'm sure," Tiffany said, locking he

friend's attempt

," she said e

er now? Brother?" Tiffany went on,

But the brother? He is just annoying

e in Adria's facade of bein

other?" Jordan voi

d. "And he is the worst h

ne's house and behaves lik

eady," Tiffany said as the

e him," Ad

he feels ugly," Tif

an form. I mean, who wears a ring in their br

as she caught a glimpse of someon

fixed on the frame leaning on a car

y asked as the

aze to see what she wa

fectly chiseled facial structure, sculpted physi

anding, and Tiffany h

t?" she said, eyes wid

ed hard. "My