LOGINSydney “And Sydney looked really happy too. Right Sydney?”I nearly choked.I coughed once and abandoned my fork, reaching for water immediately.Luckily, it was enough to shove down the rest of Brooklyn’s words clogging my throat. But not enough to pull Mom’s attention away.She had this look in her eyes when I placed the glass down. Like she was some teenager waiting for gossip at some slumber party.I looked away quickly, suddenly interested in my roasted asparagus.“Sydney,” Mom called slowly. “Brooklyn said you enjoyed at the party. Is that true?”I chewed slowly, trying to pretend I was still interested in the food. But my appetite had left me long ago. I tried to breathe, finally lifting my eyes to Brooklyn.She wasn’t looking at me again. She just kept her eyes on the food, a smile on her face, like she hadn’t just dug out something I desperately wanted buried.In front of Mom.I looked back at Mom and forced a smile. “Y…yeah.” I stammered slightly. “It was…different. But it
SydneyI ran my fingers through my hair as I walked through the empty hallway. Telling myself I was fine.That everything was okay, and none of this was my fault. And I honestly didn’t want to sit back and let Tyler hurt me again.And I genuinely believed that I was good until I walked down the stairs and got to the dining room.Then I remembered there was no way Mom would have dinner with only me.And even better…Brooklyn was already there, helping set the table like it was something she’d do on a normal day.I swallowed, my eyes watching as she lit the candles in one of her tiny pink pyjamas, her hair tied in that neat bun that made her look so much like Mom.But that wasn’t what made something crawl down my spine.Because Brooklyn was…smiling.I stopped. Didn’t blink. Didn’t move.Like if I took one more step, she’d look up and finally say everything she’d probably been holding back since that party.And honestly…I might take it all without too much tears.Either way, I—“Sydney.”
SydneyMaeve nearly lost it when I walked out of class looking like I’d chopped a sack of onions.And I didn’t even notice how red my cheeks were until she pointed it out, threatening to throw hands the next time Tracy tried “talking shit.” But the moment I mentioned Tyler being the main reason she walked halfway to class searching for me…She stopped.“He said he’s sorry. Why can’t he just show it?” she’d asked, sounding more confused than I was. “And leaving you in silence for four days? What did he say about that?”I just shrugged, my body still trembling slightly. “Nothing.”“Oh my god,” she sighed, rubbing her forehead.I just hugged my bag to my chest, stopping my stupid brain from replaying that look in his eyes.That terrified look I’d never imagined I’d see on Tyler Sinclair.Like there was something he was holding back.Something he couldn’t bring himself to say.And despite the ache I’d carried all the way home, trying not to let another tear fall…Part of me held on to th
Tyler Scrolling through the team’s group chat or bouncing a basketball against the wall on my back, or even trying to perfectly memorize how many kinds of fungus there are, should have been enough to keep my head straight. Because I mean, I’d somehow gone from getting mad at myself for making Sydney Walker cry again… To wanting to walk back into Coach’s office and flip his god-damned table. “I tried to cover for you, but Coach wasn’t having any of it.” Micheal explained when I hopped into his car after leaving Coach’s office. His face looking like he’d been punched once, then left to figure out why. “You good?” I asked automatically. He didn’t even look at me. “Brooklyn.” “Ouch.” “Yeah,” he said flatly, reversing out of the parking lot. “She’ll come around.” I could hear the uncertainty in his voice, and I wasn’t going to nurse it. Because whatever goes on between them usually burned out in a day or two. It’d be useless taking the conversation further from ther
BrooklynThe gym doors slammed shut behind me, the sound echoing loudly off the walls.But I didn’t stop walking.A second later, I heard the door push open again, another pair of legs following mine across the polished floor. “Brooklyn.”I ignored him. “Brooklyn, stop.”“No,” my voice came out flat.“Come on. You’ve been doing this all day.” “I am fine, Micheal.” I reached the locker room doors. But I already knew he wouldn’t stop until he caught up with me.He always did.“You’ve said that like twenty times already.” His footsteps slowed behind me. “But you won’t even look at me when you say it.”That did it.I spun around before I could stop myself.“I said I’m fine!” I snapped, my voice bouncing loudly off the gym walls. “Can’t you just let it go for once?”Silence. Ringing loudly in my ears.“Oh…” Micheal’s shoulders dropped almost immediately. That thing I knew all too well, flashing across his face.Shock first. Then something softer.Disappointment.I tucked a loose strand
Tyler “You’re just going to talk to her. Explain everything. Tell her the truth. Just…don’t be an asshole, Tyler.” That was me. Thirty-six minutes past two that Monday morning, standing in front of my bathroom mirror after those stupid pills finally wore off. Because honestly, that was the only thing that kept me sane those four days between Monday. Believe me, I didn’t plan to go completely mute on Sydney. But what exactly was I supposed to do when the entire school was still talking shit about the party and I’d done absolutely nothing to stop it? I’d just watched everything happen. Ignored it like a complete coward. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to text her. But sending a text in the middle of all that noise felt…wrong. I wanted to see her. Talk to her. Explain the parts she couldn’t see. Tell her what I desperately wanted Sydney Walker to know. ‘Should have gone to her house, Tyler,’ my mind whispered mercilessly. ‘Mom wasn’t home for almost the entire week.’
Tyler“You okay?” I stared at the words. Too little. Delete.“About earlier…” I stopped, then frowned. Too much. Too straightforward.“Fuck.”I dragged a hand through my hair and tossed the phone onto the bed beside me. Only to grab it again three seconds later and just stare.My fingers hovered
SydneyYes, Tyler Sinclair kissed me.A sharp breath escaped me, my eyes fluttering shut on their own as I stumbled back, my spine meeting the sink softly.‘Oh, my god!’ something roared in my head.Then everything else faded. The buzzing lights, the distant bass from the party, every fear I’d car
“Okay, rule number one,” Maeve said over the noise in the cafeteria. “Don’t challenge Tyler Sinclair in algebra.” I tried my best not to look around. "Why? He was wrong.” Maeve picked up a food tray and stopped in front of me. "I'm not blind, Sydney. And no one else in that class was. We all saw
Sydney Being Sydney Walker had never been easy. Not when I was little. Not now, as you’re reading this. At first, I was just that antisocial, nerdy girl who never put up her hand in class even when she knew an answer, who never looked anyone in the eye in the hallway, the girl who ran home the s







