Unwritten Lines

Chapter 5: Lia - Not invisible

Lia

I remind myself that I only have senior year left, and then I’ll never have to see them again. The thought should bring comfort, but it doesn’t. We’re only a month in, and every day already feels like an uphill battle.

Mom tries to make things feel normal. Dinner is quiet, just silverware clinking and the dishwasher running in the background. She asks about rehearsal. I lie and say it was fine. I say I’m not tired and that nothing unusual happened. I don’t tell her Caden pulled me into a janitor’s closet and kissed me. She’d have a cow.

~ * ~ * ~ After Dinner ~ * ~ * ~

I take a hot shower and try to finish my homework. I sigh, tapping my pencil against the paper. My mind is still racing from everything. I keep replaying what happened. I can still feel his hands and mouth on me, as if he thought I was his. I reach over and grab my brush, pulling my hair into a ponytail. I force my way through the rest of my homework, shove everything back into my bag, and shut off the light. I climb into bed and try to quiet my thoughts, but all I can think about is Caden.

What the hell was that?

He kissed me. No... he grabbed me, dragged me, shoved me into a janitor’s closet and kissed me. It was almost as if he hated it and hated me. Something seemed off though, maybe desperation buried just beneath the surface. I cover my eyes with my hand, sinking further down onto my bed. I kissed him back.

I shouldn’t have. I know... but I did.

I roll onto my side and pull the blanket up to my chin. Supernatural plays softly in the background, but I’m not really watching. My hands still feel shaky, and no matter how many times I shift positions, I can’t get comfortable. My mind keeps circling back to him. To his mouth and eyes. The way he looked at me afterward, like he wanted to forget the entire thing. He’s always been cruel, but today felt different. Worse, almost. The satisfaction in his voice. The way he stared at me right before he pulled me in.

Why can’t I just forget it? Forget him?

Maybe if I just sleep, I’ll wake up and this whole day will feel like a bad memory. I close my eyes and try to block him out, but it doesn’t work. His voice is stuck in my head, his laugh, the way his mouth felt on mine, the weight of him against me. My eyes flutter once, then again, and finally I drift off.

It’s dark, not just the normal kind. It’s the kind of darkness that feels alive. Soft yellow light seeps in from under my bedroom door, casting shadows on the walls. My eyes flick back and forth as anxiety suffocates me.

The silence makes the hairs on my arms stand up. My sheet clings to my skin, damp with sweat. I don’t remember falling asleep at all. My eyes scan the room again, searching through the darkness. I don’t see anything, but I can’t shake the eerie feeling that someone is watching me.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears. I try to move, but I can't. It's like I'm glued to the mattress. A heavy weight presses down on my legs, and the springs creak beneath the pressure. Suddenly, a hand slaps over my mouth. My throat tightens, trapping my scream. My arms won’t move, and my legs refuse to either, no matter how hard I try. I'm trapped. Frozen in time.

“Lia.”

A voice breaks through the silence. I freeze, pure panic kicking in.

Caden.

His voice sounds off, deeper than usual.

His hand stays flush against my lips, my breath warm against his palm. I exhale hard through my nose as he leans down. His breath brushes my cheek as he speaks.

“Don't scream.”

I nod under his touch, my eyes flicking back and forth. His hand hesitates at first, but he slowly lifts it away from my mouth. My lips part slightly, but the words don’t come right away. It’s buried somewhere deep, as if my voice is hiding. He shifts on the bed, and it dips even further underneath his weight.

“You just keep making it so easy.”

His words send a chill down my spine.

“What are you doing here?” I gasp, my body trembling.

He leans closer, his lips brushing my cheek. “You’re nothing more than a joke I’ve never stopped laughing at.”

He grabs my wrists, his nails digging in. Pain shoots up my arm and I whimper. I try to pull away, but his grip tightens. It hurts...bad.

“What do you want?” I ask, my voice strained and broken.

His laugh is cold and taunting. I flinch when his fingers brush a strand of hair from my face.

“To watch you break.”

His voice pierces through me, and I gasp. The words echo loudly as the darkness collapses in around me. The last thing I see before everything fades is his smile. It’s dark, cruel, and relentless.

I shoot upright in bed, my chest heaving, sweat dripping from every inch of my body.

A nightmare.

I press my hand over my chest as I suck in a breath. My wrists ache, the phantom pain still clinging to me. His voice lingers, ringing in my ears. I can’t shake the look in his eyes. They were full of cruelty and hate.

Why am I dreaming about him? Why can’t I just make him disappear?

I sit here frozen in my bed, the nightmare still fresh on my mind. I know it wasn’t real, but it felt like it was. I remember every breath, every word, and every ounce of pain.

Why him? Why now?

I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. It helps a little, but I still can't wrap my mind around any of this. I lean over and grab the nearly empty water bottle from my nightstand, twist the cap off, and take a sip. I let the water sit in my mouth before I swallow. I screw the cap back on and sit it back down.

My phone is staring back at me, and I pick it up. I swipe open the group chat with Jenna and Sutton. My thumb hovers over the keyboard. I want to tell them what happened and about the nightmare too. I can't though. I know I can't. I just wish I could tell someone.

I can't tell anyone about this, not Jenna or Sutton even. At least not right now. I sigh, lying back against my pillows and opening t****k. I doom scroll for a bit and a new notification pops up. Someone viewed my profile page.

Caden.

My stomach drops. I haven’t posted anything recently.

Why is he viewing my profile?

I exit the app fast and toss my phone face-down onto my bed. My heart’s still racing as I scoot off of it and stand.

Water. I need water, or maybe I just need to move. I don’t know.

I crack my door open and step into the hall. It’s dark, the only light coming from the TV in the living room. I walk softly down the hall and smile faintly when I see Mom asleep on the couch. Her reading glasses are right where she left them. The book she was reading is still in her hand, open against the cushion.

I stand here for a second, watching her breathe. I finally pull my eyes away and walk toward the kitchen. I open the fridge, and cold air hits my face as I grab a bottle of water. I close the door quietly and start pacing. The house is quiet, aside from the occasional creak of the pipes and the low hum of the TV.

I should feel proud for getting through rehearsal, but all I can think about is the way Caden watched me. Not with amusement or cruelty, but something deeper. I lean against the counter and close my eyes.

What if this isn’t about me at all? What if I’m just a move on someone else’s board, and I won’t even see the checkmate coming?

I clench my eyes tighter and take a deep breath as I push off the counter. I head back down the hall to my bedroom and set the bottle of water next to the empty one on my nightstand. I crawl back into bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. I can already tell it’s going to be a restless night, but I have to try. I close my eyes, waiting and hoping.

Mr. Sandman, sprinkle me with some of your magical dust, please.

I roll my eyes at the stupidity of the thought.

~ * ~ * ~ The Next Morning ~ * ~ * ~

I jerk slightly as my alarm clock blares, an annoying reminder that I have school this morning. I sigh, pulling the pillow from under my head and covering my face.

“Lia,” Mom says, lightly knocking on the door.

My lips are crusted from sleep, and my throat is drier than the Mojave Desert as I reply, “I’m awake,” I murmur.

“Okay, honey. I’ll see you in a bit.”

I nod, not thinking about the fact that she can't see me.

Would you shut up, please? I think to myself, leaning over and turning my alarm off.

I know I look like a crackhead as I roll out of bed, one eye popped open, the other still heavy from sleep. I walk over to my closet, stubbing my big toe on the side of the bedframe. I suddenly know how to cuss in fourteen different languages.

Why me?

I grab an oversized hoodie, black jeans, high-top tennis shoes, and panties. I walk out of my bedroom and into the bathroom. I feel like I’m floating on autopilot as I brush my teeth, put on a little eyeliner, and pull my hair up into a ponytail. I quickly head back to my bedroom and grab my backpack and cell phone.

“Ready?” Mom asks, a warm smile on her face.

I nod, returning the smile. She makes me lunch like she always does, and she hands it to me. The ride over to school is quiet. Mom listens to her favorite country station, singing under her breath. The sun is warm against my face as I lean into the passenger window. We reach the school parking lot, and I unbuckle my seatbelt.

“Have a good day, honey. Love you.”

“Thanks, Mom. You too. Love ya,” I reply, stepping out of the car and closing the door.

I slowly make my way up the stairs and into the lobby. No one is staring or laughing. It's quiet… unusually quiet.

Sutton rushes up to me, her face full of concern. “Hey. You okay? You didn’t text last night.”

“I was tired,” I lie, adjusting the strap on my backpack. “I just needed some sleep.”

“You sure? You seemed… off after rehearsal.”

I force a smile. “It was a lot, but I’m fine. I promise.”

She doesn’t believe me, I can see it in her eyes, but still she lets it go. We walk into our first class, and my eyes automatically find Caden, even though I’m not looking for him. He’s leaning back in his chair, twirling a pen between his fingers. Josh’s eyes drift toward Jenna, Sutton, and me. Caden looks up too, his eyes narrowing on me.

He doesn’t smirk or say a word. He just watches…

I manage to dodge him for the most part, thankfully. The bell rings, and I grab my bag, bolting out of the room. I don’t wait for Jenna or Sutton, not because I don’t want to, but because I’m sick of being stared at.

I walk over to the water fountain, pull my tumbler out of my bag, and fill it. I sigh and head toward my second class, dragging my feet. Fifth period comes slowly, but I finally make it. I sit through the lecture, counting down the minutes until lunch. I didn’t eat breakfast this morning, and my stomach keeps yelling at me.

I’m hungry. Feed me.

Yes, I’m hungry. I can feel the pangs.

The bell rings and I swear the entire class tries to pile out at once. I sigh, throwing my head back, waiting.

Sutton nudges my arm, pulling me back. “You okay?”

I nod, but I don’t speak. There’s no way to explain how the guy who’s made my life hell for years kissed me without hesitation.

~ * ~ * ~ Later in the day ~ * ~ * ~

The final bell rings, and I grab my stuff before heading toward the auditorium for the second day of rehearsal.

I’m halfway there when I hear a voice echo from the stairwell, bouncing through the tight hallway.

It’s Josh.

“You remember freshman year?” Josh laughs. “When we invited her, Jenna, and Sutton to that fake party in Buckners?”

My stomach knots, and I slow down.

“They showed up in the middle of nowhere,” he goes on. “God, that was hilarious. I swear, if we did that again now, with the school play and everything, it’d destroy her.”

There’s a pause.

A second voice cuts in, amused.

“Maybe she needs the reminder.”

Caden.

I swallow hard, my breath catching.

“So what, we plan another rager and invite her?” Josh laughs. “Would she really be that dumb to show up?”

“Wouldn’t take much. She’s desperate for attention,” Caden replies, his answer heartless.

I’m not desperate for attention.

I shake my head, unable to process what I’m hearing.

It hurts.

Josh laughs again, louder this time. “You’re not wrong, man.”

If Caden says anything, I can’t hear it over the sound of my heart racing. I take a shaky step back, sucking in a deep breath. They don’t know I’m here, but I heard everything.

They’re planning something, and it’ll be at my expense.