Don't Trust Him
1335 Words
My room is quiet.
Too quiet.
I call Sofia.
She answers almost immediately.
“This is bad.”
“Very.”
“Do you think Lena is telling the truth?”
“I don't know.”
Sofia sighs.
“Amara.”
“What?”
“You have to tell Leon tomorrow.”
I look at Lena's words.
Don't trust him.
“I will.”
“Everything.”
“Yes.”
“No keeping secrets because you think you're protecting someone.”
“I said yes.”
“Good.”
We go quiet.
I stare at the screenshot.
“Why would Lena be scared of Elias?”
“I don't know.”
“He's her brother.”
“I know.”
“Wouldn't she trust him?”
“Not if something happened.”
I swallow.
“Something definitely happened.”
“Obviously.”
I look toward my window.
The glass reflects my room back at me.
For a moment, I wonder if someone could be standing outside.
I immediately close the curtain.
“Nope.”
Sofia laughs.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“Unfortunately.”
We hang up.
I put my phone beside me.
But I don't sleep.
I keep thinking about Lena.
Her messages.
Her fear.
Elias standing near the stairs.
The way Leon stepped in front of me yesterday.
Leave her out of this.
I close my eyes.
Then open them again.
Why is Lena afraid of her own brother?
And why does Leon look like he already knows the answer?
The next morning, König Academy is loud enough to destroy whatever peace I managed to get from approximately zero hours of sleep.
The cafeteria is packed.
Students are talking over each other.
Chairs scrape across the floor.
Someone drops a tray.
Someone else cheers for absolutely no reason.
Normal school chaos.
I stand in the lunch line with Sofia.
My stomach isn't interested in food.
Sofia holds her phone.
“You ready?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“That wasn't the answer I wanted.”
“It's the honest one.”
We spot Leon a few places ahead.
He turns.
His eyes find mine.
Then Sofia's.
Then the phone in her hand.
He already knows.
Of course he does.
He steps out of the line.
“What's wrong?”
Sofia shows him the screenshot.
Leon reads it.
His face changes.
The noise around us seems to disappear.
Not actually.
Unfortunately, someone is still arguing about fries behind me.
But Leon doesn't seem to hear any of it.
“Where did you get this?”
“Sofia got it from Lena.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
He looks at me.
“You didn't tell me.”
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“Today.”
He looks at the screenshot again.
Elias doesn't know I'm talking to you.
Don't trust him.
Please believe me.
Leon takes a slow breath.
“Elias was like a brother to me.”
Sofia raises an eyebrow.
“Was?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Leon looks around the cafeteria.
Too many people.
Too many ears.
But he doesn't move.
“Lena.”
I swallow.
“What about her?”
“We were all close.”
“All?”
“Me. Elias. Lena.”
“And then?”
“The incident.”
His jaw tightens.
“I told you I was there.”
“Yes.”
“Elias was there too.”
Sofia looks at me.
I don't need to explain.
She already knows.
“What did Elias see?” I ask.
Leon looks down.
“Enough.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“I know.”
I give him a look.
He sighs.
“After Lena got hurt, everything changed.”
“Between you and Elias?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He blamed me.”
“For what?”
“For not stopping it.”
I stare at him.
“And now he's lying about Lena.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Do you think he hurt her?”
Leon immediately shakes his head.
“No.”
The certainty in his voice surprises me.
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because I know him.”
I look at the screenshot.
“Do you?”
Leon goes quiet.
That hurts more than I expect.
The lunch line moves.
None of us move with it.
A student behind us says, “Are you guys ordering or writing a novel?”
I turn around.
“Both.”
He rolls his eyes and walks around us.
Sofia whispers, “Focus.”
Right.
Mystery.
Danger.
Potential stalker.
Lunch later.
Maybe.
We move toward a crowded table near the courtyard doors.
There are enough students around us that nobody should be able to hear everything.
At least that's what we hope.
Sofia opens her laptop.
“Plan.”
Leon nods.
“First, save every message.”
“Already did,” I say.
“Second, tell a teacher.”
I sigh.
“Mr. Weber?”
“Mr. Weber.”
“Fine.”
“Third,” Sofia says, “we contact Lena.”
Leon nods.
“Video call?”
“Maybe.”
I look between them.
“And Elias?”
Leon shakes his head.
“Not yet.”
“Agreed,” Sofia says.
I raise my hand.
“Can I vote for never?”
“No,” Leon says.
“Democracy is dead.”
He almost smiles.
Then his eyes move toward the courtyard.
I follow his gaze.
Elias is outside.
Standing with a group of Year 13 students.
He's laughing.
Actually laughing.
Like he's just another student.
Like he didn't threaten us yesterday.
Like Lena didn't just tell us not to trust him.
My stomach twists.
Leon notices.
“Don't look at him.”
“Too late.”
“Amara.”
I look back at Leon.
His voice is quiet.
“Stay close to us.”
My heart gives an annoying little jump.
“Bossy.”
“Careful.”
I smile.
“Was that another threat?”
“No.”
“What was it?”
His eyes stay on mine.
“A warning.”
I look away.
Because apparently my heart has decided this is a romantic moment.
It isn't.
We finish making the plan.
Then we go home.
That night, I'm alone again.
The house is quiet.
I'm sitting on my bed, scrolling through my phone.
No messages.
No new threats.
Nothing.
Maybe that's good.
Maybe things are finally calming down.
Then my phone rings.
Unknown number.
I freeze.
The ringing continues.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
I stare at the screen.
Don't answer.
Obviously.
The phone rings again.
I answer.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Then I hear breathing.
A girl's breathing.
My heart stops.
“Who is this?”
A whisper comes through the phone.
“Amara?”
I sit upright.
I know that voice.
I don't know how.
But I do.
“Lena?”
“Yes.”
My grip tightens around the phone.
“Where are you?”
“I can't tell you.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“Because I need you to listen.”
Her voice is shaking.
“Amara, don't let Elias find out I talked to you.”
My stomach drops.
“Lena, what happened?”
“I can't explain.”
“Then tell me something.”
Silence.
“Anything.”
Her breathing catches.
“Meet me tomorrow.”
“Where?”
“I'll tell you.”
“When?”
“After school.”
I swallow.
“Okay.”
Then she whispers,
“Alone.”
The call ends.
I stare at my phone.
Alone.
Absolutely not.
My brain is screaming no.
My heart is screaming questions.
And somewhere between the two, I realize tomorrow might be the first time I finally meet the girl who started all of this.
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