Chapter 9: Bonds Formed in Shadows
1200 Words
LILY
It was the first day of her second year in high school.
Lily had been lost in thought, clutching her worn backpack, crossing the field when it happened. A blur of motion, a sharp cry, and she was on the ground, grass-stained and breathless.
“s**t! I’m so sorry!”
A tall boy hovered over her, his dark dreamlike eyes wide with concern. His hands were warm and firm as he helped her sit up, his expression twisted with guilt.
“I wasn’t looking. I—God, are you okay?”
Lily winced, brushing dirt off her skirt. “I’m fine. Just… winded.”
“I wasn’t supposed to tackle anyone, I swear,” he said, offering her an apologetic smile. “I’m Zain. Quarterback. Clearly a terrible one today.” He smiled revealing beautiful white teeth.
Despite the sting in her ribs, Lily laughed. “I’m Lily. And clearly not great at dodging.”
He chuckled, his relief obvious. “Let me make it up to you. Lunch? My treat.”
She hesitated. New school, new faces. And yet, something about him felt genuine.
“Okay,” she agreed softly.
And that was the beginning.
Zain became her anchor in a storm she hadn’t even realized she was drowning in.
He was popular—handsome, confident, with an easy charm that made him the centre of every room. But he wasn’t just the quarterback.
He was kind. Attentive. He noticed the little things, like how she hesitated in the cafeteria line, calculating every coin before she bought her meal.
He saw the way her eyes shadowed when the conversation turned to parents and family.
And he never judged.
When other kids teased her about her thrift-store clothes or whispered about her family, Zain stood by her. Always.
One afternoon, after a particularly cruel comment from a classmate, Lily found herself hiding behind the gym.
She pressed her back to the cool wall, willing the tears to stay hidden.
Zain found her there.
“They don’t know you,” he said quietly, sliding down to sit beside her. “And they don’t deserve to.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
“You shouldn’t have to be.” His voice was low, angry on her behalf.
Then he smiled gently. “You know what? Screw them. You’re smarter than all of them. One day, they’ll be reading about you and wishing they hadn’t been assholes.”
Lily smiled, the weight in her chest easing just a little.
From that day, Zain became more than a friend. He was her shield.
---
Their friendship deepened over the years.
When her mother struggled to keep the lights on, Zain would bring her meals, pretending they were leftovers. When her siblings needed help, he was there—fixing bikes, helping with homework, making them laugh when things felt too heavy.
When her sister Clara lashed out, Zain would listen as Lily poured out her frustrations.
“She hates me,” Lily said once, after Clara stormed out of the house. “She hates that I try so hard. That I care.”
Zain shook his head. “She’s angry at life, not you. But you? You’re stronger than all of it. And you’ll get out, Lil. I know it.”
His belief in her became a lifeline.
Even in medical school, Zain remained her constant.
He was still the golden boy, charming professors and winning over classmates with ease. But for Lily, he was just Zain. The boy who saw her. The friend who stayed.
They studied together late into the night, their laughter filling empty libraries.
He quizzed her on anatomy, made her coffee during finals, and held her hand when exhaustion brought her to tears.
He became her home, her safe place.
And yet, there were moments when his eyes lingered too long, when his laughter softened into something tender.
Moments when silence stretched between them, filled with words neither dared to say.
But Lily couldn’t risk it. She couldn’t lose the one person who had always been there.
Still, when Stanley came into her life, something shifted.
Zain noticed. He noticed the way her eyes lit up when Stanley entered a room, the way her laughter changed—softer, sweeter.
And though he smiled, though he stood by her side, something in his gaze grew shadowed.
But he said nothing. Because he loved her enough to let her go.
And Lily? She was torn.
She loved Stanley. The fire, the passion, the way he made her feel alive. But Zain… Zain was her soul’s companion. The one who knew her deepest scars, who had walked beside her through every storm.
She didn’t see the way his eyes lingered.
She didn’t hear the words he kept buried.
Because some truths were too dangerous to voice.
By the time Lily reached university, she carried those scars with her. They shaped her, strengthened her. She wasn’t like the other students who joked about their weekend plans or complained about bad grades while sipping overpriced coffee.
She was the girl who studied until her eyes burned, who lived on instant noodles, who wore the same jeans until the fabric thinned.
She was the girl who couldn’t afford mistakes.
And maybe that’s why Stanley scared her.
Because he made her feel like it was okay to hope. To believe in softness, in love, in something more than survival.
But love felt dangerous. It was easier to hold people at a distance. Easier to pretend that she didn’t need anyone. That she was strong enough alone.
And yet, with Stanley, her walls kept cracking.
She thought of him as she walked home one evening, the sky bruised with twilight.
She thought about his smile, the warmth in his eyes, the way he made her feel less like a burden and more like a person who deserved happiness.
But she also thought about the secrets.
Stanley kept parts of himself hidden, and it reminded her too much of Clara. Of loss. Of abandonment.
Lily didn’t know if she could survive another loss.
When she reached the apartment, her mother was at the kitchen table, folding worn clothes. Her face was older than her years, lines etched deep from years of worry and sacrifice.
“You’re home late,” Ruth said softly.
“Studying,” Lily replied, dropping her bag.
Ruth looked at her, and for a moment, the silence stretched. Then, “You should be careful with that boy.”
Lily’s heart tightened. “Why?”
“Because love is... heavy. It pulls you in, and when it breaks, it leaves scars that don’t fade.”
Lily swallowed hard. “I know.”
But did she? Did anyone truly know the cost of love until it was too late?
---
Later, in the quiet of her room, Lily stared at the jar beneath her bed. Her savings. Her future.
But was it enough?
Was strength enough to protect her from heartbreak? From disappointment? From another person walking away?
She didn’t know. But she did know one thing—she couldn’t let history repeat itself.
She couldn’t be left behind again.
- Writer
