Jared

The highlight of my day had become as predictable as my morning coffee—waiting for that moment when I'd see Silvia. She was my anchor, the one thing that pulled me out of the darkest chapter of my life. I could still remember the day she walked into my world and flipped it upside down—for the better.

Years ago, I was standing by the mall fountain, staring at my distorted reflection in the water. My face was a mess, a patchwork of bruises thanks to Silus and his crew. People walked past without even a glance. And why would they? I wasn't anyone worth noticing. But then, fate decided to intervene in the weirdest way imaginable.

Enter Rabbit-o, Twinkle Toys' giant mascot, waddling towards me with a box of band-aids. At first, I thought I was hallucinating. I mean, what kind of mascot carried first aid? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the absurdity, so I just took the band-aids and shrugged.

"I don't think these will help much, but...thanks," I mumbled, wincing as even talking hurt.

I slumped on the edge of the fountain, every breath reminding me of how broken I felt. But Rabbit-o didn't leave. She just stood there, watching me like she was waiting for something. For a second, I wondered if she was a therapist disguised in fluff.

Then she finally spoke. Her voice, muffled by the oversized head, was unexpectedly warm. "When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade stand and charge double on rainy days."

It was ridiculous. Completely out of nowhere. But it cracked something in me. All the walls I'd been holding up just crumbled. Before I knew it, I was crying—really crying. The kind of tears that came when years of pent-up anger, frustration, and exhaustion finally spilled over.

If that wasn't surreal enough, Rabbit-o hugged me. Not one of those awkward pats on the back either. No, this was the kind of hug that made me cling to her like my life depended on it. And in that moment, it did. I didn't care how stupid I looked—a broken kid being consoled by a giant bunny.

That was Silvia. My hero. My saviour. And, as it turned out, my unlicenced therapist in a rabbit suit.

I walked into the mall like I had a purpose, until Twinkle Toys caught my eye. It pulled me in the way candy pulled in a kid. And there she was—Silvia. Through the window, I could see her stacking shelves with this focus, like she was locked in a high-stakes game of Tetris. I couldn't look away, drawn to her like some idiot moth to a flame.

Then I saw it. The bandage on her lip, the faint bruise on her cheek hiding beneath her makeup. I knew those marks. They were way too familiar—eerily similar to the ones Silus had after that school brawl.

I stood there, watching her, and the pieces started falling into place. I thought about the scraped knees she'd had the other day, like she'd gotten into a fight with the pavement—and lost. And now this?

It didn't sit right. These weren't just clumsy accidents. Something about it all felt...off. The dots weren't connecting yet, but they were definitely pointing somewhere I didn't want to go.

My heart was racing now, this heavy knot twisting in my chest. Whatever I'd planned to say to her vanished from my mind completely. I couldn't go in. Couldn't face her. Instead, I turned on my heel and walked out of there—fast. Like I needed to escape. Like I wasn't ready to face whatever truth was hiding behind those bruises—and what it might mean.

***

The next day at school, my mind couldn't stop circling the puzzle that was Silvia and Silus. I walked down the crowded hallway, dodging students like they were potholes. I've always had a thing about personal space—being touched by strangers made my skin crawl, and I guarded mine like it was some rare treasure.

Then I saw him. Silus, standing near his locker. The second our eyes met, his widened like he'd realised he left the stove on back at home. In a panic, he yanked open his locker door and dove behind it, using it like a shield to block me out.

Normally, I wouldn't have thought twice about shoving him into the lockers—just a little payback for everything he'd done to me. But today? I didn't. My head was too full of tangled-up questions and doubts to bother.

I walked right past him, not saying a word. But I couldn't help noticing how much he'd changed. This was the same guy who used to feed off being the tough one, always ready to throw a punch or kick a fight. Now? He shrank back whenever I was close, hiding behind anything he could find.

By the time I'd made it halfway through the day, concentrating on anything felt impossible. My thoughts were still a mess, looping back to the same questions over and over. Finally, I decided to head to the office. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, casting this harsh glow on the bulletin board—flyers slapped across it in a chaotic patchwork. It looked exactly like my head—messy, scattered, and in serious need of sorting out.

One of the staff, Mrs Thompson, spotted me the second I walked in. She gave me the same look she always did, like I was some lost puppy that needed rescuing. "Need to see the principal again, Jared?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

She knew my situation. She'd seen me limp in more times than I cared to count, sporting enough bruises to fill a tragic memoir. Her eyes always seemed to read me, like she could see every scar—both the ones people could spot, and the ones buried deeper. And today, I must've been wearing all of it on my face.

I just nodded.

"He's busy with someone right now, Jared. Just sit tight; it won't be long," she said, offering one of those small, sympathetic smiles that always made me feel about two inches tall.

I dropped onto the couch in the waiting room, directly across from Principal Cronin's office. Faint voices filtered through the door—he was talking to someone. A girl, from the sound of it.

Something about that voice caught me. It was familiar. Too familiar. My curiosity kicked in, and I leaned in a little, trying not to look obvious.

Cronin's voice came through clearer. "You're in the same homeroom as Silus, aren't you, Camila?"

I froze. Of course, it was her—Silvia's best friend. That grabbed my attention immediately. Why were they talking about Silus?

"Um, yeah, I am," Camila replied. Her voice was shaky like she was trying to explain why her homework got eaten by a wild animal.

"How is he in class?" Cronin asked.

"What do you mean?" she replied, her voice cautious.

"I mean..." He paused, like he was about to ask something that could change the course of history. "Is he acing his tests, or is he struggling to remember how to spell his own name?"

There was a beat of silence, like Camila was weighing just how much honesty to dish out. "I don't really talk to him, but, uh, far as I know, he hasn't summoned any demons by mistake, so...that's something, right?"

Their conversation faded into muffled tones after that, but my curiosity was officially on high alert. What was going on with Silus that had Cronin digging for intel about him?

A moment later, the door creaked open, and Camila walked out. Her eyes locked onto mine the second she spotted me—and what I saw there threw me. Anger. Contempt. The kind of glare that could cut through whatever shred of innocence I still had left. It felt like I'd wandered into a wrestling ring, and she was gearing up to body-slam me for a crime I didn't even know I'd committed.

I couldn't make sense of it. We'd barely talked—our interactions were about as frequent as a solar eclipse on a rainy day. So why was she looking at me like I'd ruined her life?

Before I could even think of saying something, she was gone. My eyes flicked to Cronin, now leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His expression was as stern as ever, the kind that dried my throat faster than a walk through the desert.

"What's wrong, Jared?" he asked, his voice calm, but his presence alone had me gulping.

"I...uh, I'd like permission to leave school early," I managed, trying to sound more composed than I felt.

His eyebrow arched, unimpressed. "And why is that?"

"My...anxiety's acting up again."

"Very well," he said, unfolding his arms before turning back into his office. "Mrs Thompson will get you an early leave note." And just like that, he disappeared behind his door.

I headed back to Mrs Thompson, who already had the note waiting. She gave me another one of her sympathetic smiles. "Take care of yourself, Jared," she said softly as she handed it over.

In truth, I was shamelessly playing the anxiety card to get out. Cronin knew my history, so I figured it was the easiest way to secure an early exit.

Stepping outside into the summer air felt like breaking out of a stuffy prison. The boredom, the hallways, the fluorescent lighting—it all fell away. I didn't waste time. My feet carried me straight to the nearby private school, Rosecrest College for the Gifted—Silvia's turf.

As I reached the gates, I couldn't ignore how over-the-top the place was. The sign, bold and elegant, practically screamed prestige with its polished gold letters catching the sunlight like they were showing off. The whole school had this vibe, like every student inside was destined for greatness—or backed by a trust fund big enough to fake it.

I hovered near the entrance, soaking it all in. Rosecrest practically oozed perfection, from the manicured hedges to the polished walkways. Even the air smelled different—cleaner, like money had bought them better oxygen.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day. My heart kicked into high gear as students began streaming out—a flood of uniforms, chatter, and way too much confidence. I scanned every face, hoping fate would cut me a break and bring Silvia to the front of the crowd.

As the minutes dragged on, impatience started gnawing at me. Standing still felt impossible. My eyes landed on a nearby student glued to her phone. Before I even thought it through, I lunged forward and grabbed her shoulder.

She nearly jumped out of her skin, her phone flailing in her hand. "W-who are you?!" she stammered, her eyes wide.

I didn't bother with pleasantries. "Do you know anyone named Silvia? She goes to this school."

"Silvia? Silvia Arias?" Her hesitation barely lasted a second before she blurted out, "S-she left a while ago. She's studying abroad."

Her words hit me like a wrecking ball, knocking every coherent thought out of my head. I stood there, frozen, trying—and failing—to make sense of it. Silvia? Studying abroad? How was that even possible when I'd seen her at work?

The girl, clearly done with my brain short-circuiting in front of her, bolted from the conversation without a backwards glance.

I staggered away from Rosecrest, my thoughts spinning in every direction, none of them leading anywhere useful. I didn't even notice the person in front of me until I walked straight into them. Their phone went flying, landing with a loud crack on the pavement. The screen shattered into a spiderweb of broken glass.

"What the duck?!" they snapped, their voice cutting through the fog in my head. Sharp. Angry. Confused. Pretty much a mirror of how I felt inside.

I stared blankly at some distant point, my mind still too tangled to engage. The world around me was a blur until I finally looked up—and realised I'd bumped into Camila.

Even then, the realisation barely registered. My brain was still too numb, too caught up in the whirlwind of everything I'd just learned—or thought I'd learned.

She, on the other hand, was absolutely not in the mood. Her glare could've burned holes through concrete as she held up her phone like it was a piece of evidence in a courtroom. "Watch where you're going! Look what you did to my phone! It's as cracked as my sanity dealing with you!"

I barely reacted. Honestly, I had no idea how to react. I was a mess, barely holding myself together.

"Hello? Earth to Jared?!" she yelled, waving a hand in front of my face. "Did you leave your brain on airplane mode?"

I just shrugged her off and walked away without a word.

"What the duck is wrong with you?!" she shouted after me, but I didn't stop. Didn't even look back. I just kept walking, like her words couldn't penetrate the fog in my head.

By the time I got home, I was still in that dazed state, dragging my feet like I had anvils strapped to them. Inside, my family was scattered around the living room, but the second I shuffled past, all their attention locked onto me. My face must've said it all—confused, lost, barely functioning. Their exchanged looks practically screamed, "What's wrong with him now? Should we send him back?"

I didn't acknowledge any of them. Talking was the last thing I wanted to do. I headed straight to my room and slammed the door behind me, hard enough to rattle the frames on the wall. Maybe it was dramatic, but I didn't care.

I collapsed onto the floor, letting the dim light in my room match the mess swirling in my head. I replayed everything—every single moment, every stupid action. And that's when the weight hit me, crushing and suffocating.

If Silvia had been Silus at school this whole time...

I gripped my hair, my head dropping into my lap as guilt slammed into me. A low, broken sound escaped from my throat. The realisation hit harder than anything I'd been prepared for.

I'd been hurting her. The entire time. And I hadn't even known.

Fuck.