The line I crossed
1579 Words
AIDEN CROWL
I honestly don’t know what surprised me more… the fact that I actually did something bad enough to drag me in front of the school council, or the fact that I stood there like an i***t with absolutely nothing to say for myself.
I mean, it’s me. Aiden Crowl. I’ve always talked my way out of things. Always. If there was one thing I was born with, it was the ability to pull words out of thin air. But that day? My brain just… froze. Completely.
I sat in the middle of that stupid circular room, with the council staring at me like they were judging whether to kill me or hug me, and every question they asked felt like a punch to my chest.
“Aiden Crowl,” one of them said, “state your defense.”
And what did I do?
Nothing.
Not even a small lie. Not even a sarcastic comment. I just stared at them like the world’s most confused wolf.
Because deep down, I knew I was guilty.
I knew exactly what I had done.
And worse? I didn’t even regret it.
So yeah, the suspension wasn’t a shock. When they said it—“You are hereby suspended from BlackRidge Academy for one year”, I just nodded like they’d told me my shoelace was open.
A whole year.
A whole year away from the only place that ever felt like something close to freedom.
A whole year to sit in my father’s house, pretending everything was fine.
Perfect.
By the time I walked out of the council hall, my chest felt like rocks. I didn’t even wait for the guards escorting me. I just kept moving. I got on the bike, drove through the woods, and didn’t stop until I got to my father’s compound.
The moment I stepped in, I knew I was in trouble.
My father was waiting for me at the entrance like a storm in human form. His jaw was clenched, and I could swear the air around him was shaking.
“Aiden.”
The way he said my name made my heart skip, not one, but several beats.
“Dad,” I muttered.
“What did you do?”
There was no use lying. When he’s like that, he smells lies like fresh meat.
“I broke a rule,” I said simply.
His eyes widened in that terrifying way he does when he’s trying not to shift. “A rule? A rule?” His voice deepened. “You broke a rule so big the school suspended you for a year? Aiden, are you out of your mind?”
“Apparently, yes,” I said because apparently I like dying.
He let out this long breath that sounded like he wanted to strangle me. Then he paced. Then he turned back suddenly.
“Who snitched?” he asked. “Someone must have. You’re careful, too careful. Someone betrayed you.”
Hearing that word “betrayed” made something inside my chest twist.
Because I had already suspected it.
Jace.
If betrayal had a face, it would be his. Something about the way he looked at me the day before… the weird fake smile… the way he avoided my eyes… everything made sense.
“It was him,” I whispered. “It was Jace.”
My father paused. “You’re sure?”
“Oh, I’m sure.”
It tasted like metal in my mouth.
And the anger… the anger wasn’t a spark. It was a wildfire.
I didn’t wait for permission. I didn’t wait for sense. I just left. My father yelled after me, but his voice felt like it was underwater. All I saw was red.
All I heard was the echo of the council saying SUSPENDED.
And all I thought about was Jace’s stupid face.
I found him near the old shed behind the east fence. He always went there to smoke when he thought no one was watching.
He looked up when he heard my footsteps. “Aiden? Hey, man—”
“Don’t ‘hey man’ me,” I spat. “I trusted you! I f*****g trusted you!”
His eyes widened. “Let me explain—”
Explain? Explain what? That he opened his mouth and threw me under the bus? That he stood before the council and pretended like he cared about rules?
“Oh, I’d love to hear your explanation,” I said, my voice calm in the most terrifying way possible.
He swallowed. “I didn’t mean for it to get this bad. They asked me questions, okay? They already knew something. I just—”
“You just what?” I asked. “You just sold me out? Because it was easy? Because you were scared? Because you’re a coward who thinks loyalty is optional?”
He backed away, hands raised. “Aiden, listen—”
“No.”
Something snapped inside me. I shifted halfway, claws sliding out before I even made a conscious decision. He tried to run… of course he did… but I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and threw him against the wall.
He hit with a sickening thud.
“You ruined my life,” I said. “And for what? To save your own skin?”
“A-Aiden—please—”
I didn’t want to hear another word.
One second I was staring at him.
The next second…
It was done.
Just like that.
Silence filled the air. Heavy. Thick. Almost choking.
I stared at the lifeless body on the floor, breathing hard, my claws still dripping. I waited to feel guilt. Or regret. Or remorse. Something human. But all I felt was this cold, numb emptiness.
He deserved it.
I wiped my hands on my clothes and turned back home. My father was waiting, and the moment he saw my face, he froze.
“What did you do?” he asked, voice dangerously low.
I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. He knew.
“You killed him,” he whispered. “Aiden, you killed Jace?”
“I did,” I said plainly. “He betrayed me.”
My father stepped closer until he was just inches from my face. “You i***t. You reckless, stubborn boy. Do you know what you’ve done? Do you know what this means? The council—”
“He betrayed me,” I repeated, “and I did what wolves do.”
“That is not an excuse!” he snapped. “You think this is about pride? Or vengeance? You have no idea what you’ve brought upon us.”
He shoved me against the wall and forced my head up by my chin, his eyes burning into mine.
“Look at me,” he growled. “Look.”
I did.
And that’s when everything changed.
His eyes widened—not in anger this time, but in horror.
“Aiden…”
He tilted my head slightly, staring at my neck.
“Aiden, what is this?”
I frowned. “What is what?”
“There’s a mark,” he said slowly. “A dark mark. A contamination.”
His voice was shaking now.
“Tell me the truth, Aiden. Did a vampire touch you?”
My heart dropped so hard I felt dizzy.
I didn’t say a word.
I didn’t have to.
His expression changed—anger, confusion, fear, disappointment—like a storm passing through his eyes.
“You did,” he whispered. “You let one of them near you. Aiden, do you know what they do to us? Do you know what this could mean?”
“I’m not turning,” I snapped. “I’m fine.”
“You are not fine!” he thundered. “You’ve been contaminated, boy! Do you even understand the danger you’re in? The danger you’ve put this family in?”
I stepped back. “Dad, it isn’t what you think—”
“Then what is it?” he demanded. “Tell me. Explain why a vampire’s mark is on your skin.”
But I couldn’t explain.
Because explaining meant saying her name.
And saying her name meant exposing her.
And I couldn’t do that.
Not even to save myself.
My father stared at me for a long time, breathing hard. “I don’t know what you’ve become,” he said finally, “but you’re not the son I thought I raised.”
That one cut deeper than claws.
I wanted to say something—anything—but the words just didn’t come. So I walked away. I went to my room, shut the door, and refused to come out.
For hours, I sat there. Doing nothing. Feeling nothing. Thinking too much.
Everything I knew… everything I was… everything I believed about loyalty and rules and right and wrong… it all felt like it was falling apart.
Night came slowly.
The house was quiet. Too quiet. Unnaturally quiet.
I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, still half-dressed, still half-mad, when suddenly…
A whisper.
Soft.
Faint.
Right beside me.
“Aiden…”
I sat up immediately. “Who’s there?”
Silence reigned.
I swallowed and tried again, louder this time. “Who is it?”
And then I heard it… clear this time.
A voice I knew far too well.
A voice I hadn’t heard since everything shattered.
“It's me,” the voice said.
I froze.
“Liora.”
- Writer
