Bound By Scars

CHAPTER 15: "The Rules Nobody Talks About"

The next morning, I already knew something was wrong.

Not because anything bad had happened.

Not because someone had confronted me.

But because the moment I stepped into Apex Academy...

Everyone looked at me.

Again.

I stopped for a second near the entrance, holding onto my bag strap while students moved around me.

The feeling was becoming familiar.

The whispers.

The curious looks.

The people who suddenly became quiet when I walked past.

At first, I thought it would eventually stop.

But somehow...

It only seemed to get worse.

"That is her."

"The new girl?"

"Yes."

"The one who beat Bianca yesterday."

I tried not to react.

I continued walking as if I had heard nothing.

Because the more attention I gave it, the more noticeable it became.

And honestly...

I was tired of being noticeable.

When I first arrived at Apex Academy, my biggest fear was not fitting in.

Now my problem was the complete opposite.

I was fitting in too much.

At least...

That was what it felt like.

"Ariana!"

I turned at the familiar voice.

Sally was walking toward me with Toby beside her.

The moment I saw them, I immediately felt more relaxed.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," Sally replied.

But unlike usual, she was staring at me with a strange expression.

I narrowed my eyes.

"What?"

She smiled.

"You really do not notice, do you?"

I sighed.

"Notice what?"

She pointed around us.

"That everyone is still talking about you."

I looked away.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Toby adjusted his glasses.

"It is actually impressive."

"How is that impressive?"

He thought for a moment.

"Because most students spend years trying to become known here."

"And you managed it in a few days."

I gave him a look.

"I do not think that was a compliment."

"It was not completely a compliment."

Sally laughed.

I shook my head.

"I still do not understand why everyone cares so much."

Sally and Toby exchanged a look.

That look again.

I immediately became suspicious.

"What?"

Sally sighed.

"Okay."

"What?"

"I think we need to talk."

I stopped walking.

"That sounds serious."

"It is."

Toby nodded.

"Very serious."

I looked between them.

"What did I do now?"

Sally laughed.

"You always assume you did something."

"Because every time you two say that, it means I probably did."

They smiled.

And unfortunately...

They could not argue with that.

We continued walking toward our classroom.

The hallway was still busy.

Students moved around us, but I could not ignore the strange feeling that came with knowing so many people were watching.

Finally, Sally spoke.

"Ariana."

"Yes?"

"There are things about Apex Academy that we never told you."

I looked at her.

"What things?"

"The things you actually need to know."

Toby nodded.

"When you first came here, we only explained the basic stuff."

"The normal rules."

"The things every student knows."

I frowned.

"Then what are the other things?"

Sally became quieter.

"The rules nobody writes down."

That caught my attention.

"Rules nobody writes down?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

I looked at Toby.

"And you both know these rules?"

"We learned them the hard way."

That answer immediately made me curious.

"What does that mean?"

Sally smiled slightly.

"It means we made mistakes before."

I laughed softly.

"Of course you did."

"Everyone does."

She pointed at me.

"Exactly."

"Which is why we are trying to save you from making more."

I raised an eyebrow.

"More?"

Toby cleared his throat.

"Let's start with the ones you already broke."

I stopped.

"Wait."

"The ones I already broke?"

Sally nodded.

"Yes."

I stared at them.

"How many?"

They stayed silent.

That was not a good sign.

"Guys."

Sally held up three fingers.

"At least three."

I covered my face with my hand.

"You are telling me there are hidden rules and I already broke three?"

"Yes."

"Without knowing?"

"Yes."

I looked at the ceiling.

"Great."

"That is exactly what I wanted."

Sally laughed.

"Relax."

"It is not as bad as it sounds."

"It sounds pretty bad."

Toby looked serious.

"The first rule."

He held up one finger.

"Never challenge the two most powerful groups in Apex Academy."

I frowned.

"Two groups?"

Sally nodded.

"Axel Vanguard's group."

"And Bianca Valentina's group."

I immediately remembered everything.

The cafeteria.

The history challenge.

The PE competition.

I slowly looked at them.

"Okay."

"I think I understand why you are telling me this."

Toby nodded.

"You have already crossed paths with both."

I sighed.

"I did not know."

"We know."

Sally smiled.

"That is why we are not angry."

"We just think you need to understand what kind of school this is."

I looked around the hallway.

Students passing by.

Groups standing together.

The invisible lines everyone seemed to understand except me.

For the first time...

I wondered how much I still did not know about Apex Academy.

Sally continued.

"The second rule."

She looked at me.

"Never sit at certain cafeteria tables."

I immediately froze.

"Oh."

Toby nodded.

"Yes."

"The table."

I looked embarrassed.

"I honestly thought it was empty."

"We know."

Sally laughed.

"That is probably the only reason people did not completely lose their minds."

I shook my head.

"So everyone knew except me?"

"Pretty much."

I groaned.

"Fantastic."

Toby smiled slightly.

"The third rule is probably the biggest one."

I looked at him.

"What?"

He became serious.

"Never embarrass someone powerful in front of the entire school."

I already knew where this was going.

"Bianca."

Sally nodded.

"Exactly."

I sighed.

"I did not try to embarrass her."

"We know."

"But everyone else saw it differently."

I became quiet.

Because that was the problem.

Intentions did not always matter.

Sometimes people only saw the result.

And at Apex Academy...

The result seemed to be everything.

We reached our classroom.

Before entering, Sally looked at me.

"Now you understand why we need to tell you these things."

I nodded slowly.

"Yeah."

I looked inside the classroom.

A place that was supposed to be normal.

But somehow...

Nothing about Apex Academy felt normal anymore.

I turned back to them.

"So..."

"What other rules do I need to know?"

Sally smiled.

"Trust me."

"You are going to want to sit down for this."

I looked at Sally.

Then at Toby.

Then back at Sally.

The expression on their faces told me one thing.

Whatever they were about to explain...

I probably was not going to like it.

"Why do I feel like this is going to make my life more complicated?" I asked.

Sally smiled.

"Because it probably will."

I sighed.

"That is not comforting."

Toby placed his books on the desk and sat down.

"At Apex Academy, there are rules everyone knows."

"Rules like being respectful to teachers, attending classes, and following school policies."

"Those are the obvious ones."

He looked at me.

"But the rules we are talking about are different."

I leaned against my desk.

"Because nobody actually says them?"

"Exactly."

Sally nodded.

"They are things students learn by watching."

"Or by making mistakes."

I looked at her.

"And you both learned by making mistakes?"

She smiled awkwardly.

"Maybe."

Toby cleared his throat.

"Let's continue."

I sat down, ready to listen.

Because honestly...

After everything that happened since I arrived at Apex Academy, I had learned one thing.

Not knowing something was usually what got me into trouble.

"The fourth rule," Toby began.

"Never enter areas that are not meant for you."

I frowned.

"Areas?"

Sally nodded.

"Apex Academy has places most students never see."

"Certain rooms."

"Certain buildings."

"Certain sections that are restricted."

"Why?"

Toby shrugged slightly.

"Because this school is connected to powerful families."

"Some places are used for meetings, private events, or things students are not supposed to interfere with."

I thought about that.

It sounded strange.

Almost like the school had two different worlds existing at the same time.

The normal one.

And the hidden one.

"So basically..."

I looked at Sally.

"There are secret areas in school?"

She smiled.

"Yes."

"And you are telling me this because you think I might accidentally walk into one?"

Everyone became quiet.

I stared at them.

"Seriously?"

Sally laughed.

"Do not look at us like that."

"You have already walked into Axel's table without knowing."

I opened my mouth.

Then closed it.

She had a point.

"Okay."

"I admit that was fair."

Toby smiled.

"The fifth rule."

He raised another finger.

"Never involve yourself in conflicts between influential families."

I tilted my head.

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Toby explained, "that many students here are connected to important people."

"Business families."

"Political families."

"Families with influence."

Sally continued.

"And sometimes, problems outside the school follow people inside."

I frowned.

"So students bring their family problems here?"

"Sometimes."

"And people choose sides?"

"Exactly."

I looked around the classroom.

Students were laughing and talking like normal teenagers.

But now I was seeing something different.

A hidden layer beneath everything.

Everyone had a story.

Everyone had connections.

Everyone had something they were protecting.

"That sounds exhausting."

Sally shrugged.

"It is."

"But most students get used to it."

I looked at her.

"How?"

She smiled.

"You learn what to say."

"You learn what not to say."

"You learn when to stay quiet."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Staying quiet seems to be a very important skill here."

Toby nodded.

"Very."

I laughed softly.

"Well..."

"I think I am already failing at that one."

Sally and Toby laughed.

Because they both knew it was true.

"The sixth rule," Sally said.

I looked at her.

"There are more?"

She smiled.

"Of course."

I dropped my head onto my desk.

"This school needs a handbook."

Toby laughed.

"Honestly, it probably does."

Sally continued.

"Never underestimate anyone."

I looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"People judge others too quickly here."

She glanced around the classroom.

"Someone who seems quiet might have a powerful family."

"Someone who seems harmless might be smarter than everyone expects."

"Someone who looks like they have everything might be struggling with something nobody knows."

Her words stayed with me.

Because they were true.

I had already made assumptions.

About Bianca.

About Axel.

About this entire school.

Maybe everyone here had more behind their image.

"The seventh rule..."

Toby started.

I looked at him.

"Do not tell me there is another one."

"There is."

I sighed.

"Of course."

He smiled.

"Never accept a challenge without knowing the reason behind it."

I frowned.

"A challenge?"

"Yes."

Sally explained.

"At Apex Academy, challenges are rarely just challenges."

"They are usually about pride."

"Reputation."

"Or proving something."

I immediately thought about Bianca.

The PE competition.

The history challenge.

Everything.

"So if someone challenges me..."

"Think before accepting."

"Exactly."

I nodded slowly.

For the first time, everything started making sense.

The way people reacted.

The way students watched every interaction.

The way small things became big events.

Apex Academy was not just a school.

It was a place where every action had consequences.

I looked at Sally and Toby.

"So..."

"How many more rules are there?"

They exchanged a look.

I narrowed my eyes.

"That is not a good sign."

Sally laughed.

"There are still a few."

"A few?"

"Okay."

"More than a few."

I groaned.

"This is impossible."

Toby smiled.

"Now you understand why we were worried."

I looked down at my notebook.

When I first arrived here, I thought the hardest part would be adjusting to new classes.

New teachers.

New students.

A new environment.

I never expected there would be an entire invisible system I needed to learn.

And somehow...

I had already stepped into it without permission.

Sally tapped my desk.

"Hey."

I looked up.

"Do not worry too much."

"You are doing better than you think."

I smiled slightly.

"Even after breaking all these rules?"

She nodded.

"Especially after that."

I looked confused.

"Why?"

"Because most people follow the rules because they are afraid."

"But you..."

She paused.

"You did not even know they existed."

I laughed.

"That is supposed to make me feel better?"

"Maybe."

I shook my head.

But I smiled.

Because despite everything...

I was grateful.

Grateful that Sally and Toby were willing to explain.

Willing to help.

Willing to stay beside me even when I kept walking into situations I did not understand.

The bell suddenly rang.

Students began moving around the classroom.

Sally picked up her books.

"Come on."

"Class is starting."

I stood up.

But before we entered the lesson, I looked at them.

"Thank you."

Sally smiled.

"For what?"

"For warning me."

Toby nodded.

"Anytime."

We walked into class together.

But as I sat down, one thought stayed in my mind.

I had learned the rules of Apex Academy.

But something told me...

The hardest part was not learning them.

It was deciding which ones I was willing to follow.

The rest of the school day passed quietly.

At least...

As quietly as a day at Apex Academy could be.

After everything Sally and Toby had explained, I could not stop noticing things I had ignored before.

The way students moved around certain people.

The way conversations changed whenever someone important walked by.

The way everyone seemed to understand a system that nobody had ever explained to me.

It was strange.

Before, I thought people were simply being dramatic.

I thought everyone was exaggerating the importance of certain students.

But now...

I was starting to realize there was a reason.

Apex Academy had its own world.

A world with invisible lines.

Invisible rules.

And somehow, I had walked straight through those lines without even noticing.

During lunch, I sat with Sally and Toby at our usual table.

This time, I made sure it was actually our table.

Not someone else's.

Sally noticed immediately.

She smiled.

"Look at you."

I looked up from my food.

"What?"

"You checked the table before sitting down."

I rolled my eyes.

"Very funny."

Toby laughed quietly.

"I think the cafeteria incident really affected her."

"Of course it did."

I pointed at them.

"You both watched me walk into that situation without warning me."

Sally raised her hands.

"Hey, we did not know you were going to sit there."

"I thought you understood the importance of the table."

I stared at her.

"Sally."

"What?"

"I did not even know the table belonged to someone."

She laughed.

"Fair enough."

I smiled.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Just me, Sally, and Toby.

No rumors.

No pressure.

No Bianca.

But then I noticed something.

Across the cafeteria, students were still watching.

Not as much as before.

But enough.

I sighed.

"Do people ever stop staring here?"

Sally looked around.

"Eventually."

"How long?"

She thought about it.

"Maybe after they find something else interesting."

I raised an eyebrow.

"That does not sound promising."

"It is Apex Academy."

She shrugged.

"There is always something happening."

I looked around the cafeteria.

She was right.

This school was always moving.

Always changing.

Always creating new stories.

And somehow...

I had become part of one.

After lunch, we returned to class.

The lesson started normally.

The teacher explained the topic while students took notes.

But my mind was somewhere else.

I kept thinking about the rules.

Not the official ones.

The hidden ones.

The ones that everyone seemed to know except me.

I wondered how long it took students to understand them.

Months?

Years?

Or did everyone just learn after making mistakes?

My eyes moved toward the window.

Outside, the school grounds looked peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

It was strange how a place could look so ordinary while hiding so much underneath.

"Ariana."

I looked up.

The teacher was staring at me.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to answer the question?"

A few students looked toward me.

I immediately sat straighter.

"Sorry."

The teacher repeated the question.

I answered.

Thankfully, I was correct.

A few students nodded.

Then the class continued.

But I could not help smiling slightly.

Maybe I was starting to adjust.

Maybe I was slowly finding my place.

After classes ended, Sally and Toby walked with me toward the entrance.

The afternoon sun covered the school grounds in a warm glow.

For once, the atmosphere felt peaceful.

No arguments.

No challenges.

No unexpected situations.

Just a normal ending to a school day.

"I still cannot believe you survived your first weeks here."

Sally said.

I laughed.

"Survived?"

"That sounds dramatic."

"It is dramatic."

Toby nodded.

"You have already experienced things some students never experience."

I looked at him.

"That is not something I should be proud of."

Sally smiled.

"Maybe not."

"But it is impressive."

I shook my head.

"You two really think everything is impressive."

"Because with you..."

She pointed at me.

"Everything becomes a story."

I laughed.

"That sounds like a problem."

"It might be."

"But maybe not a bad one."

I looked at her.

She smiled.

And for some reason...

That made me feel better.

Because despite everything...

I was not alone anymore.

When I first arrived at Apex Academy, I expected to spend my days quietly.

I expected to attend classes.

Go home.

And keep my head down.

But things had changed.

I had friends.

I had people who looked out for me.

And even though this school was complicated...

Maybe I could handle it.

Across the school...

Bianca stood near the hallway window with her friends.

She watched students leaving.

But her attention was not on everyone.

Only one person.

Ariana.

"She is getting comfortable."

Vanessa said quietly.

Bianca did not answer.

She watched as Ariana laughed with Sally and Toby.

A genuine laugh.

A relaxed smile.

Something Bianca rarely saw at Apex Academy.

Most students were careful.

Most students knew how to act.

But Ariana?

Ariana was different.

She did not seem to care about the invisible rules.

She did not seem afraid.

And that was exactly why Bianca could not ignore her.

"She thinks she belongs here."

Olivia said.

Bianca finally spoke.

"Maybe she does."

Her friends looked surprised.

Because that was not the answer they expected.

Bianca turned away from the window.

"But belonging is not the same as understanding."

She picked up her bag.

"Ariana still does not know how this school works."

Vanessa followed her.

"So what happens now?"

Bianca smiled slightly.

"Nothing."

Her friends looked confused.

"Nothing?"

"Yes."

"I am not going to chase her."

"I am not going to fight her."

She walked down the hallway.

"Let her enjoy this."

"Let her believe everything is simple."

Bianca's expression remained calm.

Because she had learned something.

A person was easiest to defeat when they did not know there was a battle happening.

Meanwhile, I stepped outside the school gates.

I looked back at Apex Academy one more time.

A place full of rules.

Secrets.

And people who were much more complicated than they appeared.

I still had so much to learn.

But for the first time...

I was not afraid of that.

Maybe I would make mistakes.

Maybe I would break more rules.

Maybe I would continue surprising people.

But I was beginning to understand something.

Apex Academy was not just about surviving.

It was about finding your place.

And I was slowly beginning to find mine.

The ride home was quieter than usual.

I rested my head against the window, watching the familiar streets pass by.

For the first time in a while, my mind was not filled with questions about what would happen next.

Instead, I was thinking about everything that had happened since I arrived at Apex Academy.

It was strange.

A few weeks ago, I was worried about something as simple as finding my classroom.

Now I was learning about hidden rules, powerful students, and an entire world inside the school that I never knew existed.

I let out a small sigh.

"Who knew changing schools could be this complicated?"

The driver glanced at me through the mirror but did not say anything.

I smiled slightly.

Maybe I was becoming dramatic too.

Maybe Apex Academy was slowly affecting me.

When the car finally stopped in front of my house, I immediately felt a sense of comfort.

Home.

A place where I did not have to worry about who was watching me.

A place where I did not have to think about rules I did not understand.

I stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance.

The moment I opened the door, I heard familiar voices.

"You're home."

I looked up.

A smile immediately appeared on my face.

My parents were in the living room, going through some documents and working on their laptops.

Seeing them instantly made the stress of the day feel lighter.

"Hi."

My mother looked up from her work.

"There she is."

Before I could say anything else, I walked toward them and hugged them.

For a few seconds...

I just stayed there.

No school.

No rumors.

No Bianca.

No pressure.

Just home.

My father smiled.

"Long day?"

I pulled away and laughed softly.

"You have no idea."

My mother raised an eyebrow.

"That sounds interesting."

I looked at them.

They were both busy.

Papers were spread across the table.

Their laptops were open.

They were clearly in the middle of work.

Yet they still stopped what they were doing just to welcome me.

That small thing meant more than they probably realized.

"I missed you both."

My mother's expression softened.

"We missed you too."

I smiled.

For a moment, I simply watched them.

The way they worked.

The way they supported each other.

The way they always tried to make time for me even when they had responsibilities of their own.

Sometimes I forgot how much they did.

Sometimes I focused so much on my own problems that I forgot other people were carrying their own struggles too.

"How was school?" my father asked.

I hesitated.

Because technically...

A lot had happened.

But I did not want to worry them.

"It was okay."

My mother smiled knowingly.

"Just okay?"

I laughed.

"Fine."

"It was interesting."

"Interesting good or interesting bad?"

I thought about it.

"Both."

They laughed.

I sat beside them and told them small parts of my day.

Not everything.

I left out the arguments.

The attention.

The competition.

The complicated parts.

Instead, I told them about Sally and Toby.

About the funny moments.

About how different Apex Academy was from what I expected.

My parents listened carefully.

And somehow...

Talking about it made everything feel less overwhelming.

After a while, my mother looked at me.

"You sound happier."

I blinked.

"Happier?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

"When you first started, you sounded nervous."

I looked down.

Maybe she was right.

"I think I am getting used to it."

My father smiled.

"We knew you would."

I looked at them.

"You did?"

"Of course."

"You have always been stronger than you think."

Those words stayed with me.

Because sometimes...

I forgot that.

---

After spending some time with them, I finally went upstairs.

My room felt peaceful.

A completely different world from Apex Academy.

I placed my bag down and changed into comfortable clothes.

Then I walked into the bathroom.

The warm water immediately relaxed me.

As I stood there, letting the stress of the day disappear, my mind wandered.

Apex Academy.

The rules.

The people.

The challenges.

Everything felt complicated.

But maybe complicated did not always mean bad.

Maybe some things were difficult because they mattered.

After my bath, I changed into pajamas and returned to my room.

I sat on my bed, looking out the window.

The night sky was quiet.

Peaceful.

Nothing like the busy halls of Apex Academy.

I thought about how much had changed.

I came to Apex Academy wanting one thing.

To disappear.

To keep my head down.

To avoid attention.

But somehow...

I had become someone people noticed.

Someone people talked about.

Someone who was slowly becoming part of a world I never expected to enter.

I smiled slightly.

"Maybe this is not so bad."

The thought surprised me.

Because a part of me had been waiting for everything to go wrong.

Waiting for the moment when I would realize I did not belong.

But that moment never came.

Instead...

I found friends.

I found confidence.

I found a place where I was slowly becoming comfortable.

Of course...

I knew things were not perfect.

Apex Academy still had secrets.

Bianca was still watching.

And something told me Axel Vanguard was not someone I should ignore either.

But for tonight...

I decided not to think about that.

I turned off the lights and lay down.

Tomorrow would bring another day.

Another challenge.

Another mystery.

But I was ready.

Because I was finally beginning to understand something.

Apex Academy was not just a school.

It was a world.

And whether I wanted to admit it or not...

I was already part of it.