TAMING MY SECRET BULLIES

The First Warning

TAMING MY SECRET BULLIES

Episode 2 — The First Warning

I didn't sleep well that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the picture from the dining hall.

Me.

Scarlett.

And whoever had taken the picture.

I checked my phone at least ten times before finally forcing myself to sleep.

When my alarm went off the next morning, I almost threw it across the room.

“Five more minutes.”

I pulled the blanket over my head.

Then I remembered where I was.

Westbridge.

New school.

New life.

I sat up.

“Right.”

I got dressed quickly and headed downstairs.

Mia was already waiting.

“You look tired.”

“I am tired.”

“Why?”

“Bad sleep.”

She looked at me suspiciously.

“Still thinking about yesterday?”

I grabbed a piece of toast.

“Maybe.”

She didn't push it.

We walked toward the main building together.

For a few minutes, everything felt normal.

Then we entered the hallway.

The surrounding conversations suddenly became quieter.

I frowned.

“What?”

Mia looked around.

“Nothing.”

“No. Something happened.”

She sighed.

“Just keep walking.”

I did.

Then I saw it.

A piece of paper was taped to my locker.

I stopped.

Mia stopped beside me.

“What is that?”

I slowly pulled it off.

There were only three words written on it.

GO HOME, AVERY.

My stomach dropped.

Mia's face changed.

“Okay…”

I looked around.

Students were pretending not to stare.

Someone laughed from the other side of the hallway.

I crumpled the paper.

“Who did this?”

Nobody answered.

Then Scarlett walked past.

She glanced at the paper in my hand.

Her eyes widened for half a second.

Then she kept walking.

I watched her.

“Mia.”

“What?”

“Did you see that?”

“See what?”

“Scarlett.”

Mia sighed.

“Avery, don't.”

“She looked surprised.”

“So?”

“So maybe she knows something.”

Before Mia could answer, the bell rang.

We headed to class.

But I couldn't stop thinking about that note.

Our first lesson was mathematics.

I sat beside Mia.

The teacher started explaining something about equations, but I barely listened.

My phone vibrated.

I looked down.

Unknown number.

You should have listened.

I stared at the message.

Then another appeared.

This is your last warning.

My heart started beating faster.

I quickly locked my phone.

Mia noticed.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it's nothing.”

She looked at me.

“You're a terrible liar.”

I almost smiled.

Then something hit my desk.

A folded piece of paper.

I looked around.

Nobody seemed to be paying attention.

I opened it.

Meet me after class. Behind the library. Come alone.

No name.

No explanation.

I folded it again.

I wasn't going.

Obviously.

I wasn't stupid.

But when the lesson ended, I found myself walking toward the library anyway.

The area behind the library was quiet.

Too quiet.

I looked around.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

I waited.

Five minutes.

Nobody came.

I turned around.

“Seriously?”

Then I heard footsteps.

I froze.

Someone stepped around the corner.

It was Ethan.

I relaxed.

“You scared me.”

“Sorry.”

“Did you send the note?”

He frowned.

“What note?”

I pulled it from my pocket.

He read it.

His expression changed.

“Where did you get this?”

“Someone left it on my desk.”

He looked around.

“Avery, you shouldn't be here.”

“Why?”

“Because whoever sent this wanted you alone.”

“I figured that out.”

“No, you don't understand.”

“Then explain.”

He hesitated.

“West Bridge isn't as harmless as you think.”

I laughed nervously.

“Everyone keeps saying that.”

“Because it's true.”

“What does that mean?”

Ethan looked at me.

“It means you need to be careful.”

“Of who?”

He didn't answer.

“Ethan.”

He looked toward the library.

Then back at me.

“Go back inside.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me.”

I stared at him.

“You barely know me.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you care?”

He didn't answer.

Instead, he walked away.

I stood there watching him.

“What is wrong with everyone?”

By lunch, the whole school seemed to be talking.

I had no idea what they were saying until Mia showed me her phone.

There was a picture.

It was me.

Standing behind the library with Ethan.

Someone had taken it from a distance.

The caption underneath read:

NEW GIRL MOVES FAST.

My face burned.

“You've got to be kidding me.”

Mia looked embarrassed.

“I'm sorry.”

“Who posted it?”

She showed me.

Anonymous account.

Again.

I looked across the cafeteria.

Scarlett was sitting with her friends.

Madison was looking at her phone.

Chloe was whispering something.

Scarlett suddenly looked at me.

Our eyes met.

She looked away.

I stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“To talk to her.”

“Avery—”

I walked across the cafeteria.

Scarlett looked up when I reached her table.

“We need to talk.”

Her friends went silent.

Scarlett leaned back.

“About?”

“The picture.”

She looked confused.

“What picture?”

I showed her.

She stared at it.

Then looked at me.

“I didn't post that.”

“I didn't say you did.”

“But you thought it.”

“I think you know more than you're telling me.”

Her expression hardened.

“You've known me for two days.”

“And you've been watching me since I arrived.”

“So?”

“So why?”

Scarlett looked at her friends.

“Can you give us a minute?”

They got up.

Once they were gone, Scarlett lowered her voice.

“Listen to me carefully.”

I waited.

“Whatever you think is happening, you need to stop looking for answers.”

“Why?”

“Because some answers aren't worth finding.”

I stared at her.

“That doesn't make sense.”

“It will.”

She stood.

“Stay away from me.”

Then she walked away.

I watched her leave.

For the first time, I wasn't convinced Scarlett was my enemy.

I was starting to think she was scared too.

After school, I went back to my room.

I opened my laptop.

I typed the anonymous account's username into the search bar.

Nothing.

I searched again.

Still nothing.

Then I noticed something.

The account had exactly three followers.

I clicked on them.

One was a random account.

The second was private.

The third belonged to someone I recognized.

I stared at the screen.

My heart dropped.

It was Ethan Carter.

I sat back.

“No.”

Maybe it was a coincidence.

Maybe Ethan followed the account without knowing who owned it.

Maybe—

My phone buzzed.

I looked down.

Unknown number.

One final message.

I told you to stop looking.

Then another.

Now you're going to regret it.

I stared at the screen.

For the first time since arriving at West Bridge, I wasn't just curious anymore.

I was scared.

And somewhere across campus, someone was smiling.

Because they knew something I didn't.

TO BE CONTINUED …