Lines We Crossed

Chapter 10 — The Corner of the Hall

By the next week, Lena had begun to notice a pattern.

The cheerleaders weren’t just casually unkind; they were organized.

It was the little things. Her locker would be mysteriously jammed one morning, only for Jessica to stroll by later, offer a sly, “Need help?” and then walk off before Lena could answer. At lunch, the table she usually sat at suddenly filled up with Jessica’s friends, leaving her standing awkwardly with her tray until she found somewhere else to sit.

They didn’t confront her outright. No, that would’ve been too obvious, too easy for someone maybe even Nate to notice.

Instead, they chipped away at her slowly, quietly, making sure no one but Lena felt the sting.

And she hadn’t told Nate. She didn’t want to seem like she couldn’t handle herself, not when he already treated her like a burden.

But she could feel the pressure building.

---

That Thursday, practice ran late. Lena had been helping Jessica carry some banners back from the gym Jessica had smiled just a little too sweetly when she asked. “You’re such a good friend, Lena. Could you run these to the storage room for me? I have to talk to Coach.”

At the time, it hadn’t seemed like much. But now, walking the long, dimly lit hallway past the locker rooms, Lena couldn’t shake the feeling she’d been led there on purpose.

The banners slipped in her sweaty palms. She tried to shake off the unease.

Then she heard him.

“Well, well. Look who’s wandering around after dark.”

Her stomach dropped. Riley.

He was leaning against the lockers, arms crossed, as though he’d been waiting for her. His dark hoodie shadowed his face, but his grin was sharp, confident.

Lena’s first instinct was to keep walking, to ignore him completely, but Riley pushed off the lockers and stepped directly into her path.

“Hey,” he said, his voice smooth, mocking. “Don’t be rude.”

“I’m busy.” She tightened her grip on the banners. “Move.”

He didn’t. Instead, he took a deliberate step closer.

“You know, I’ve seen you watching Nate,” Riley murmured. “Thinking you’re special, because he lets you hang around.” He leaned down slightly, his eyes glinting. “But you’re not special. You’re just… convenient.”

Her throat tightened. She tried to sidestep him, but he shifted, blocking her again, amusement flickering across his face.

“Relax. I’m not gonna hurt you,” he said. The casual tone made it worse, as though she was nothing more than a toy for him to play with. “I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Why do the girls keep talking about you.”

Her pulse jumped. “The girls?”

He smirked. “You really think Jessica sent you down here for banners?”

The realization hit her hard. The cheerleaders hadn’t just been tormenting her on their own; they'd delivered her straight into Riley’s hands.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said quickly. “Now let me through.”

He planted one hand against the wall beside her head, boxing her in. The heat of his presence made her skin crawl.

“You’re feisty. I like that,” he said, his gaze flicking down her figure with deliberate slowness. “But don’t pretend you don’t like the attention.”

Her breath came short. “Back off, Riley. Or I’ll scream.”

His grin widened. “And who’s going to hear you? The gym’s empty. Everyone’s gone.” He leaned closer, his lips just inches from her ear. “Scream all you want. It’ll just make it more fun.”

She shoved at his chest, panic surging. To her surprise, he let her push him back a step but the smile didn’t fade. He wanted her scared. He liked it.

“Go ahead,” he said softly, menace beneath the calm. “Run back to Nate. See if he believes you. See if anyone believes you.”

Her eyes stung, but she blinked hard, refusing to let the tears fall.

Without another word, she bolted down the hallway, her sneakers pounding against the floor. Riley’s low chuckle followed her, echoing in the empty corridor until she burst through the gym doors and into the night air.

---

She didn’t stop running until she was outside, the cool evening wind hitting her face like a slap.

Her chest heaved as she bent over, gripping her knees, trying to steady her breathing. She glanced back at the darkened hallway, half-expecting him to still be there, smirking in the doorway.

But the doors stayed shut.

She wanted to tell Nate. A part of her wanted to run straight to him, to unload everything about the cheerleaders, about Riley, about the sick setup she’d been caught in.

But she didn’t.

Because Nate didn’t care. Not really. To him, she was still just the unwanted tagalong, the stray he’d been saddled with. And what if Riley was right? What if no one did believe her?

No. She would handle this herself. She had to.

But as she walked home alone, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, one truth sank deep and cold into her chest.

Riley wasn’t done.

And neither were the girls.