CHAPTER TWO – Just Another Monday-Third Person POV
1770 Words
“Some wounds don’t bleed. They simply learn how to smile.”
The morning bell had not yet rung, but the school corridors were already alive with chatter. Students gathered in small circles, exchanging stories about their weekends, while others hurried toward their lockers with books tucked beneath their arms.
Lily stepped through the front entrance, adjusting the strap of her backpack as she made her way down the familiar hallway. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, reflecting off the polished floors and bathing the corridor in a warm golden glow.
It was one of the things she loved most about Monday mornings.
For a little while…
Everything felt normal.
“I still don’t understand how you’re always early.”
Lily smiled without turning around.
“You say that every Monday.”
“And every Monday I mean it.”
Sophia finally caught up with her, slightly out of breath.
“I blame my alarm.”
“You blamed your alarm yesterday too.”
“My alarm deserved it.”
A soft laugh escaped Lily.
It felt good to laugh.
School had always been her escape.
Here, she wasn’t the girl wondering why her mother was always away.
She wasn’t the girl trying to understand why the attic remained locked.
She was simply Lily.
A student.
A friend.
Nothing more.
She had barely opened her locker when a familiar laugh echoed through the hallway.
Her fingers froze.
Here comes the devil.
Vanessa Hart.
If confidence had a face, it would be hers.
She walked through the hallway as though the entire school belonged to her. Her perfectly curled honey-blonde hair framed a flawless face, and every graceful step demanded attention. Even in the school’s navy-blue uniform, she somehow managed to look as though she had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine.
Students greeted her as she passed.
Some admired her.
Others wisely stayed out of her way.
Three girls followed closely behind, laughing much harder than the jokes deserved.
Walking beside her was Ethan Brooks.
Tall, athletic, and effortlessly handsome, Ethan was the captain of the school’s basketball team. His easy smile and friendly personality had made him one of the most popular boys in school.
His family was wealthy—though nowhere near as wealthy as Vanessa’s—but they belonged to the same privileged social circle, making them the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes.
There had once been a time when Lily admired him from afar.
Nothing serious.
Nothing more than the harmless schoolgirl crush she’d had when she was sixteen.
That ended the day Ethan started dating Vanessa.
And somehow…
That was the day Vanessa decided Lily had become a problem.
Sophia noticed them too.
“Please tell me they’re not coming over here.”
Lily sighed.
“When have they ever walked past me?”
Right on cue, Vanessa stopped in front of Lily’s locker.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
“Well… if it isn’t our little bookworm.”
“Morning, Vanessa,” Lily replied politely.
Vanessa tilted her head, studying her as though she were an exhibit.
“You know… I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Lily frowned slightly.
“You’ve become so… quiet.”
One of Vanessa’s friends giggled.
“Maybe she’s writing another romance novel.”
The comment earned another round of laughter.
Vanessa folded her arms.
“Oh, don’t be embarrassed.”
Her smile widened.
“Or should I ask if you’ve started another diary?”
Lily’s smile faded.
Sophia stepped forward immediately.
“Enough, Vanessa.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Did I say something wrong?”
“You know exactly what you said.”
Vanessa shrugged innocently.
“I was only asking.”
Lily knew the question wasn’t innocent.
When Lily was sixteen, she’d made the mistake of leaving a small notebook behind in the library.
It wasn’t a diary.
It wasn’t filled with secrets.
It was simply where she poured out her thoughts whenever inspiration struck—short stories, little poems, dreams about the future, and the occasional silly daydream.
Some of those pages happened to mention Ethan.
Not because they knew each other.
Not because they were friends.
Simply because she’d once had the harmless schoolgirl crush that so many teenagers experience.
Vanessa had found the notebook before Lily returned.
Instead of handing it back…
She’d waited until lunchtime.
Standing in the middle of the cafeteria, she’d opened the notebook and read its pages aloud while nearly the entire school watched.
Every innocent sentence became a joke.
Every dream became entertainment.
Lily could still remember wishing the floor would open beneath her feet and swallow her whole.
The worst part wasn’t the laughter.
It was Ethan.
For one hopeful second, she’d expected him to tell Vanessa to stop.
Instead…
He’d looked uncomfortable.
Lowered his eyes.
And quietly walked away without saying a word.
He hadn’t humiliated her.
But he hadn’t protected her either.
Sometimes…
Silence hurts just as much as cruelty.
Vanessa smiled sweetly.
“You’ve been awfully boring since then.”
“I just came here to study,” Lily answered quietly.
“Really?”
Vanessa leaned closer.
“I thought you came here looking for someone.”
Ethan finally spoke.
“Vanessa…”
His voice remained calm.
“That’s enough.”
Vanessa glanced at him before rolling her eyes.
“Relax.”
She looked back at Lily.
“You should thank me.”
Lily blinked.
“For what?”
“I taught you not to leave your little fantasies lying around.”
Vanessa laughed before turning on her heel.
“Come on.”
Her friends followed immediately.
Ethan lingered for a brief moment. His gaze met Lily’s, as though he wanted to say something.
An apology.
An explanation.
Anything.
But just like before…
He said nothing.
With a quiet sigh, he turned and walked away after Vanessa.
Lily watched them disappear down the hallway before letting out a slow breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Sophia nudged her shoulder gently.
“One day,” she muttered, “someone’s going to put Vanessa in her place.”
Lily closed her locker and forced a small smile.
“Maybe.”
But deep down…
She wasn’t so sure.
Sophia waited until Vanessa and her group disappeared around the corner before turning back to Lily.
“You know,” she muttered, “one day she’s going to run out of people to bully.”
Lily closed her locker with a soft click.
“I don’t think people like Vanessa ever run out of targets.”
Sophia frowned.
“They only keep getting away with it because everyone lets them.”
Lily adjusted the books in her arms and offered her friend a reassuring smile.
“It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t.”
Sophia crossed her arms.
“You always say it’s okay, but it isn’t.”
Lily knew she was right.
It wasn’t okay.
It hadn’t been okay for the past two years.
But carrying resentment around felt heavier than simply letting it go.
“I’d rather spend my energy on things that actually matter.”
Sophia shook her head.
“You’re too nice.”
“And you’re nice enough for both of us.”
That earned a reluctant laugh.
“There you are.”
The tension eased as they started walking toward their first classroom.
Students streamed through the corridors around them, conversations filling every corner of the building.
Some complained about unfinished homework.
Others argued over last night’s football match.
Someone somewhere had already dropped a stack of books, earning a chorus of laughter from nearby students.
For a brief moment…
Everything felt ordinary again.
“I almost forgot,” Sophia said suddenly.
“The principal is making an announcement during third period.”
“About what?”
“The Cultural Carnival.”
Lily’s eyes brightened.
“Oh.”
“Our homeroom teacher mentioned it last week.”
Sophia nodded excitedly.
“Apparently every class has to represent a different Italian region this year.”
“That sounds fun.”
“It gets better.”
Sophia leaned closer, lowering her voice dramatically.
“There’s a baking competition.”
Lily couldn’t help smiling.
“You know exactly how to convince me.”
“I know.”
Sophia grinned proudly.
“Because you’re incapable of saying no to desserts.”
“I am not.”
“You once baked cinnamon biscuits at midnight because you couldn’t sleep.”
Lily laughed.
“That happened once.”
“It happened three times.”
“Twice.”
“Three.”
“Fine.”
Sophia raised both hands triumphantly.
“I win.”
Lily rolled her eyes, unable to stop smiling.
Her father always joked that the quickest way to make Lily happy was to hand her an apron and let her loose in the kitchen.
Baking had become more than a hobby.
It was comfort.
Whenever life became confusing…
Whenever the silence in the house felt too loud…
She baked.
The simple rhythm of measuring flour, whisking eggs, and watching batter rise in the oven had a way of calming her thoughts.
Even her father admitted her pastries were better than those from their favorite bakery.
“I think you should enter.”
Sophia interrupted her thoughts.
“The competition?”
“Obviously.”
“I don’t know…”
“Oh, come on.”
“You’ve tasted my baking because you’re my best friend.”
“And?”
“So you’re biased.”
Sophia stopped walking altogether.
“Lily.”
“What?”
“If you don’t enter, it’ll be a crime against pastries.”
Lily laughed again.
“You are unbelievable.”
“I know.”
The warning bell rang through the building.
Students immediately picked up their pace.
“We should hurry,” Lily said.
“Our history teacher won’t be happy if we’re late.”
“When is he ever happy?”
The girls exchanged another laugh before slipping into the classroom just seconds before the final bell echoed through the hall.
Mr. Romano was already standing at the front, arranging papers neatly across his desk.
He glanced up as the last students hurried inside.
“Good.”
He folded his hands behind his back.
“It seems everyone has remembered how to tell time today.”
A few students chuckled.
Lily settled into her seat beside Sophia and opened her notebook.
Outside the classroom windows, sunlight poured across the campus, making everything appear peaceful.
She had no way of knowing…
That somewhere beyond those school gates…
Someone was still watching.
And the countdown to the day their worlds would collide had already begun.
- Writer
