There was something different in the air lately.Something heavy.Unspoken.
Alea walked through the school hallway, her books clutched tightly to her chest.She could feel eyes on her.Whispers behind her.Laughter that didn't quite sound like laughter.
"Sweater girl's back," a voice murmured from the corner.
"She must think that shy thing is cute," another giggled.
Alea didn't look. She kept walking.Faster.Quieter.
In the bathroom mirror, she caught the reflection of Selia and her three friends—Mireya, Sasha, and Nina.Perfect hair.Perfect smiles.Perfect poison.
They didn't say a word.Just stared.
And smirked.
"Don't let them get to you," she whispered to herself.
But the cracks had started to show.
A locker "accidentally" slammed into her arm that day.Her notes were found drenched in water.One of her notebooks went missing.
And when she found it again?The pages were filled with cruel doodles and one sentence scratched over and over:
"You don't belong here."
She didn't tell anyone.Not her classmates.Not her teachers.Not even her brother, Levan.
Especially not him.
Because if she told Levan,She knew things would explode.
And she didn't want any more war.
But the war was coming.And this time, it didn't wear leather jackets or carry knives.
This time,It wore eyeliner and faked smiles.
To be continued...