24 : Fallout
544 Words
Chelsea didn’t strike back right away.
That was what made it worse.
If she’d shouted, fought, or retaliated immediately, maybe I could’ve braced myself. But instead, she went quiet. And when Chelsea was quiet, it meant she was planning.
By Tuesday, the whispers had shifted again. They weren’t about the photo anymore—they were about Jason’s showdown in the hallway.
“He cornered her like he was in some movie,” someone said in the cafeteria.
“Chelsea actually looked scared,” another whispered.
“Guess the golden boy isn’t so golden anymore.”
Jason didn’t seem fazed. He sat across from me, calm, almost smug, like he’d already won.
But I couldn’t shake the dread curling in my stomach. Chelsea never lost gracefully.
⸻
Her retaliation came later that week.
It started with a rumor. Not about us—not directly. But about me.
By Thursday morning, the halls were buzzing. People whispered as I passed, some smirking, others looking at me with pity.
At my locker, Maya rushed over, her face pale. “Liv—you need to see this.”
She handed me her phone, and my heart dropped.
On the school gossip page, a new post had surfaced.
Poor Olivia. No wonder she clings to Jason. Guess Mommy dearest couldn’t keep a man, and now her daughter is desperate for attention.
The words blurred as tears filled my eyes. It wasn’t just about Jason anymore—it was about my family, my mom, our entire messy history dragged into the spotlight.
“She’s attacking my mom,” I whispered, my voice shaking.
Maya’s expression was grim. “It’s Chelsea. Who else?”
⸻
Jason found me later, his face dark with fury.
“She crossed a line,” he said, his voice low, dangerous. “Dragging your mom into this? That’s not just petty—it’s cruel.”
I hugged my books to my chest, trying to hold myself together. “That’s what she does, Jason. She doesn’t fight fair. She’ll keep twisting the knife until she gets what she wants.”
His jaw tightened. “Then we twist back harder.”
I stared at him, wide-eyed. “What are you planning?”
He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me with that fiery determination that both terrified and comforted me. Finally, he muttered, “It’s time Chelsea learns she’s not untouchable.”
⸻
That night, another message hit my phone.
Tell Jason to back down, or your mom’s secrets won’t stay buried either.
I read it over and over, my hands trembling. Chelsea wasn’t bluffing. She was threatening to drag my family’s past into her game.
Jason saw my expression when I walked into the living room, and he stood immediately. “What did she say now?”
I shook my head quickly. “Nothing. It’s fine.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t lie to me.”
I bit my lip, torn between protecting him and protecting my mom. Finally, I whispered, “She’s threatening to go after my family.”
Jason’s eyes hardened. “Then she just made her biggest mistake yet.”
And the way he said it made me realize—Jason wasn’t going to let this go. Not now. Not ever.
- Writer
