Whispers at School
1008 Words
Monday morning came faster than I wanted.
I stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the hem of my uniform skirt. It wasn’t new. My mother had ironed it carefully the night before, but no amount of smoothing could hide that it was older, worn compared to the expensive blazers and pressed skirts I knew the other students would be wearing.
A knock on the door startled me.
“Ready?” Adrian’s voice carried through, low and casual.
I froze. “I can walk by myself.”
“Relax, stepsis,” he drawled. “Dad asked me to drive you. Don’t make me look bad.”
My chest tightened. The last thing I wanted was to show up at school with him. He was the most popular boy in the academy. I was… nobody. Worse—I was his new stepsister.
But refusing him would only make it worse. So I grabbed my bag and followed him downstairs.
His car waited in the driveway, sleek and black, gleaming under the morning sun. The kind of car people turned their heads to stare at.
I climbed into the passenger seat, every nerve in me screaming.
The ride was silent at first. The city passed by in a blur, and I prayed no one would notice me in his car. But Adrian had other plans.
“Relax,” he said suddenly, smirking as he leaned back against the leather seat. “You look like you’re being kidnapped.”
“I don’t want people to… misunderstand,” I muttered.
“People always misunderstand,” he replied smoothly. “That’s what makes it fun.”
---
The academy gates loomed ahead, buzzing with students.
The moment Adrian parked, whispers began. Heads turned. Girls nudged each other, eyes wide. Boys gave knowing smirks.
I wanted the ground to swallow me whole.
Adrian stepped out first, walking with the kind of careless confidence that made everyone stare. I followed quickly, trying to keep space between us.
“Adrian!” A chorus of voices rang out. Girls in perfectly pressed uniforms flocked toward him, their eyes shining.
But instead of his usual charming response, Adrian simply draped an arm over my shoulder.
The world froze.
My body stiffened, and I tried to step away, but his grip tightened.
“She’s with me,” he announced, smirk playing on his lips.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“Who is she?”
“Since when does Adrian bring a girl to school?”
“Don’t tell me…”
Their eyes drilled into me, some full of curiosity, others burning with jealousy.
I shoved his arm off, my face flaming. “Stop it!” I hissed.
Adrian only chuckled, leaning close enough for only me to hear. “Get used to it, stepsis. You can’t hide from me.”
---
Classes were no better.
Everywhere I went, whispers followed me. In the hallways, in the cafeteria, even in the girls’ restroom.
“That’s her? She came with Adrian this morning.”
“She’s pretty, but not his type.”
“Do you think she’s his new fling?”
My hands trembled as I held my tray in the cafeteria. I searched desperately for an empty table, but the room was crowded.
A group of girls blocked my path. Their uniforms were perfectly fitted, their makeup flawless. The one in the middle, a tall brunette with a sharp smile, crossed her arms.
“So,” she said, her voice dripping with disdain. “You’re the girl Adrian brought today.”
I swallowed. “I—I’m new here.”
Her eyes narrowed. “New or not, stay away from him. Adrian’s ours.”
Laughter erupted from her friends.
“I don’t even—” I began, but my words stuck in my throat.
Before I could finish, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
“She sits with me.”
Adrian appeared at my side, taking my tray from my hands and setting it down on his table as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His friends—boys just as good-looking and untouchable as him—looked on with interest.
The brunette’s smile faltered. “Adrian—”
He raised a brow, dismissive. “Problem?”
Her face flushed, and she turned sharply, dragging her friends with her.
I sat down hesitantly, my pulse racing. The stares of the entire cafeteria burned into my back.
“Why did you do that?” I whispered harshly.
Adrian leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear. “Because you’re mine to protect. Whether you like it or not.”
My heart lurched.
---
The rest of the day blurred, but one thing was certain: my life at this academy would never be the same.
By the final bell, I was exhausted. I wanted nothing more than to slip away unnoticed. But Adrian was waiting by his car, leaning casually against it, his smirk firmly in place.
“You survived,” he said as I approached.
I crossed my arms. “You made it worse. Everyone’s talking about me.”
“They were going to talk anyway,” he replied smoothly. “Might as well give them something interesting.”
I glared. “You don’t understand. I don’t want attention.”
His eyes darkened, and for a moment, the smirk vanished. He stepped closer, his voice low and serious.
“Too late, stepsis. The moment you walked into my life, you got it. And I don’t share.”
The air between us thickened. His gaze locked on mine, and for a split second, the world around us disappeared.
Something tugged deep in my chest, strange and powerful. My skin tingled, my heart pounded, and I knew—whatever this was, it wasn’t normal.
I stepped back quickly, breaking the spell. “Stay away from me, Adrian.”
But his smirk returned, slow and dangerous.
“Can’t,” he whispered. “You’re mine.”
And the terrifying thing was… a part of me believed him.
To be continued...
- Writer
