By the time I made it to class that morning, I could feel the weight of the Cross brothers’ relentless bullying pressing down on me. I kept my head low, praying for an uneventful day. But, of course, they had other plans.
I walked into English and spotted an empty chair near the middle of the room. Carefully, I set my books down and pulled the chair out. Before I could sit, Aiden’s voice rang out behind me.
“Morning, sunshine,” he said, his tone laced with mischief.
I ignored him, which was my first mistake. The second mistake was not checking the chair.
As I sat down, the legs wobbled for a split second before completely giving out. The chair collapsed under me, and I hit the ground with a thud, my books and papers scattering everywhere.
The room erupted in laughter.
“Oh no, what happened?” Aiden said, feigning concern. His smirk told me everything I needed to know. He’d switched the chair.
I scrambled to my feet, my face burning. “You’re such a child,” I hissed at him.
“Don’t be mad,” he said, leaning back in his seat, completely unbothered. “I was just trying to help you relax. You looked tense.”
The teacher finally stepped in, telling everyone to quiet down. I picked up my things, my humiliation growing with every second.
I thought gym might be safe, but it turned out to be worse. We were playing basketball, and I did my best to stay out of the way. I didn’t want any attention on me, especially after the morning’s disaster.
But Asher, apparently, had other ideas.
“Lila, heads up!” he called.
Before I could even process his words, the basketball came hurtling toward me. I barely managed to duck in time as it zipped past my ear and slammed into the bleachers behind me.
The coach turned to Asher, frowning. “Cross, watch where you’re throwing.”
“Sorry, Coach,” Asher said smoothly, flashing his signature golden-boy smile. “Didn’t see her there.”
I glared at him, my heart pounding. He met my gaze, his eyes dancing with amusement.
“Next time, try catching it,” he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “It’s a game, not dodgeball.”
As if Aiden and Asher weren’t enough, Grayson had his own way of making my life miserable. He didn’t actively torment me like his brothers, but his presence was just as bad. Anytime we crossed paths, he’d throw in a quiet, cutting remark that left me more frustrated than anything.
Like today in the hallway. I was gathering my books from my locker when he passed by. He didn’t even stop, just glanced at me with that cold, unreadable expression.
“Still here?” he said flatly. “You must be a glutton for punishment.”
I slammed my locker shut and turned to face him. “Why do you even care?”
He shrugged, not breaking stride. “I don’t.”
By lunchtime, I was at my breaking point. The laughter, the comments, the constant feeling that I was the butt of every joke—it was too much. I just wanted to eat my lunch in peace, but apparently, that was asking for too much.
I had barely taken a bite of my sandwich when Aiden and Asher slid into the seats across from me. Aiden was grinning, as usual, while Asher looked at me like I was some kind of science experiment.
“Not much of an appetite today, sunshine?” Aiden asked.
“Maybe she’s on a diet,” Asher said, smirking. “You know, trying to fit in.”
I clenched my jaw, refusing to give them the reaction they wanted. But then Aiden leaned forward, his grin widening.
“Relax,” he said. “We’re just having fun. You should try it sometime.”
Something inside me snapped. Without thinking, I grabbed my soda and dumped it over Aiden’s head. The cafeteria went silent for a moment before erupting into cheers and applause.
Aiden froze, his hair and shirt drenched, but instead of being angry, he started laughing.
“You’ve got fire, sunshine,” he said, shaking his head as soda dripped onto the table. “I like that.”
I didn’t say a word. I just grabbed my tray and walked away, ignoring the laughter and cheers that followed me out.
I thought that was the end of it, but I should have known better. The Cross brothers didn’t let anything slide.
After the last bell, I went to my locker to grab my things. As soon as I opened it, I realized something was wrong. My bag was gone. Panic set in as I searched the area, but it was nowhere to be found.
Then I heard it—the laughter. Turning around, I saw a group of students gathered in the hallway, snickering and whispering. Aiden and Asher stood at the center of the crowd, holding something I instantly recognized: my diary.
My stomach dropped.
Aiden flipped through the pages, his voice loud and mocking. “‘Dear Diary, I wish I could go back to my old school. At least people there didn’t treat me like garbage.’”
The crowd laughed as Asher took the diary from him. “Oh, here’s a good one,” he said, smirking. “‘I hate how perfect the Cross brothers think they are. They’re not even that attractive.’ Harsh, Lila. Really harsh.”
I rushed forward, trying to snatch it back, but Aiden held it out of reach. “What’s the rush, sunshine? We’re just getting to the good stuff.”
My cheeks burned as I looked around, realizing the entire hallway was watching. Whispers and laughter surrounded me, and I felt my throat tighten.
Grayson stood at the edge of the crowd, his arms crossed. His expression was unreadable, but his jaw was tight. He didn’t say anything, didn’t move to stop them—he just watched. Like he always did.
***
Date: September 5th
Time: 11:20 PM
Dear Diary,
Today wasn’t just cruel—it was calculated. Aiden and Asher turned my diary, my private thoughts, into their latest weapon. They read it aloud for everyone to hear, laughing at things I never wanted anyone to know.
And then there was Grayson. He didn’t laugh, didn’t mock me. But he didn’t stop them either. He just stood there, watching like always. That almost hurt more.
-Lila