crimson vow

Hollow high

The smell of coffee and toasted bread drifted up the stairs as I padded down to the kitchen. Catherine was at the counter, humming under her breath as she set plates on the table. Her dark hair was pulled back neatly, not a strand out of place. She always looked like she had everything under control. That was one thing I always envied about her, cause most times my life was the opposite.

Eric sat at the table already, half-hidden behind the morning paper, a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. He lowered it just enough to give me a nod. "Morning."

"Morning," I murmured, slipping into a chair.

Catherine placed a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of me. "Eat, Ayla. First day of school you'll need the energy."

My stomach tightened at her words. First day. The one thing I'd been dreading since we pulled into town. New school, new stares, new whispers.

I poked at the eggs with my fork. "Do I have to?"

Eric folded the paper, setting it aside. "Everyone's nervous on the first day," he said evenly. "You'll be fine. Just keep your head down."

I almost laughed at that. Keeping my head down was the one thing I was good at.

Catherine leaned across the table, her hand warm over mine. "You don't have to impress anyone, sweetheart. Just... be yourself. The rest will fall into place."

I forced a small smile, though the knot in my chest didn't loosen. "Sure."

The clock on the wall ticked louder than it needed to, each second dragging me closer to walking through those school doors.

Eric stood, reaching for his keys. "I'll drive you. We'll get there early."

Early. Great. That meant more time for everyone to stare at the new girl.

I pushed a piece of toast into my mouth, chewing slowly, pretending I couldn't feel the way Catherine's eyes lingered on me worried, soft, hopeful. She wanted me to settle here, to find a piece of normal.

But Black Hollow didn't feel normal. Not to me. Not with the way the woods pressed against the edges of town, whispering things I couldn't quite hear.

When breakfast was done, I tugged my hoodie over my head and followed Eric to the car. My reflection caught in the hallway mirror hood pulled low, eyes tired, face pale. Definitely not someone who blended in.

As the car engine rumbled to life, I pressed my forehead to the glass, watching the trees blur past.

First day.

I wasn't sure if Black Hollow High was ready for me.

Or if I was ready for it.

The drive to school was short, but the silence made it feel longer. Eric kept one hand on the wheel, his gaze steady on the road cutting through the trees.

"You'll be alright," he said at last, his tone calm but firm. "Kids your age... they notice new faces, that's all. Don't let it get to you." kids my age were monsters and I know that cause I've been the new girl more times than I can count. And I've never really been able to blend in.

I pulled at the strings of my hoodie. "That's easy for you to say. You don't have to walk into a building full of strangers."

He gave a faint huff of amusement. "True. But you've handled worse, Ayla. I've seen it."

I didn't answer. The forest blurred past the window, green and shadowed, and for a moment I could almost hear the whisper of last night's dream in the wind.

Eric didn't push further. That was something I appreciated about him he didn't pry, didn't demand more than I could give. Just steady, quiet presence.

When the red brick building of Black Hollow High came into view, my stomach tightened. A crowd of students lingered near the steps, their laughter sharp and familiar in a way that made me feel even more out of place.

Eric pulled into the parking lot and cut the engine. "Do you want me to walk you in?"

I shook my head quickly. "No. That'll make it worse."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But if anyone gives you trouble..." His jaw tightened just slightly. "You tell me. Understood?"

"Yeah," I said, though the idea of running to Eric with school problems felt strange.

I pushed open the door and stepped out, the cool morning air biting against my skin. Conversations dipped as a few heads turned my way. I pulled my hood lower, gripping the strap of my bag tight.

"Good luck, kiddo," Eric called before pulling away.

I swallowed and forced my legs to move. One step. Then another. The laughter and chatter around me seemed to quiet, just enough for me to feel the weight of eyes following me.

Inside, the hallways buzzed with motion lockers slamming, sneakers squeaking, voices overlapping in a messy chorus. Students wove around each other in practiced patterns, while I stood there, trying to map out where I was supposed to go.

"New girl?" someone whispered as they passed.

The word slid through the air like a spark. Heads turned. Whispers followed.

I hugged my books tighter to my chest and fixed my eyes on the numbers above the classroom doors, pretending not to hear. Pretending I didn't feel the curiosity, the suspicion, pressing in from all sides.

Black Hollow High wasn't going to let me slip by unnoticed. Not today. Not ever.

I kept my head down and followed the stream of students until I spotted the sign pointing toward the Main Office. The carpet was thin, the walls lined with faded photos of sports teams and smiling honor roll students faces of kids who belonged here.

I didn't.

The receptionist barely glanced up from her computer. "You must be Ayla. Principal Dawson's expecting you."

I nodded, my throat too tight for words.

She motioned me toward a door, the brass plate reading Principal R. Dawson.

I knocked once before pushing it open. The office smelled faintly of old books and coffee. Behind the desk sat a man in his fifties with thinning hair and kind but sharp eyes.

"Ah, Ayla" he said, standing to shake my hand. "Welcome to Black Hollow High. I'm Principal Dawson."

"Hi" I muttered, my palms sweating as I shook his hand briefly.

He handed me a folded paper. "Here's your class schedule and locker number. We'll get you settled in no time." He glanced at the clock, then smiled. "Come on. I'll walk you to your first class."

I wanted to refuse, to beg him to just point me in the right direction and let me disappear quietly. But the words stuck. Another problem I have to do something about.

The hallway noise seemed to dull as we walked together, Dawson's shoes clicking steadily on the floor. Students turned as we passed, eyes curious, whispers trailing behind us like smoke.

When we reached the classroom, Dawson opened the door without hesitation. The chatter inside faded instantly as two dozen pairs of eyes turned toward me.

"Class" Dawson announced with practiced ease, "this is Ayla. She'll be joining us starting today."

Heat crawled up my neck. I shifted from foot to foot, wishing the floor would just swallow me whole.

The teacher, a tall woman with glasses perched low on her nose, gave me a polite smile. "Welcome, Ayla. We'll find you a seat."

Dawson patted my shoulder lightly, as if that tiny gesture could steady me, then slipped out of the room.

I followed the teacher's gesture toward an empty desk near the middle, the weight of everyone's stares pressing down on me with every step.

Whispers started again as I slid into the chair, my hood still pulled low.

New girl. Outsider. Different.

I pressed my books to the desk, heart hammering, and tried not to look like I was drowning.

The morning dragged like wet cement.

Teachers spoke, chalk scraped against boards, pages rustled but I barely heard any of it. Every time I shifted in my seat, I felt the weight of eyes flicking toward me, then away. Whispers behind hands, stifled laughter.

I kept my hood low, my gaze fixed on my notebook, as if writing the same word over and over again could make me invisible.

By the time the bell finally rang for lunch, my nerves were stretched thin. I grabbed my tray and scanned the cafeteria. Tables were packed with clusters of students laughing, talking, belonging.

I stood there too long, shifting from foot to foot, until a voice broke through the noise.

"Hey. You can sit with us."

I turned. A girl with curly hair and a wide smile waved me over to a table near the window. Relief loosened the knot in my chest. I nodded and slipped into the seat she'd left open, keeping my head down.

" I'm Sophie" she said as she smiled and launched into introductions with the rest of the table. Not stopping to wonder why she wanted me to sit with her, I needed an escape and she offered.

That's when I noticed him.

Across the cafeteria, leaning back in his chair like he had all the time in the world, was a boy I hadn't seen before. His dark hair fell just into his eyes, and even from here, I could feel the way his gaze settled on me-steady, unreadable, almost too intense.

For a second, the noise of the cafeteria dimmed. It was just him and me, a silent thread pulling tight across the room.

The girl beside me, Sophie was still talking, but I wasn't listening. I couldn't.

I slid onto the bench, grateful for the distraction of voices around me. The girl with the curly hair chattered easily, introducing the others at the table, but their names blurred together.

I kept my eyes on the tray in front of me until something made me glance up.

Across the cafeteria, at a table crowded with students who looked like they owned the place, a boy sat apart from the noise. Dark hair fell into his face, shadows clinging to the sharp line of his jaw. He wasn't laughing, wasn't talking just watching.

Watching me.

His eyes locked onto mine, and the world seemed to narrow. They weren't just dark they were heavy, pulling, as though they could drag me somewhere I wasn't ready to go. My chest tightened, heat prickling under my skin.

I tore my gaze away, staring hard at the untouched food on my tray, but I could still feel him. Still feel those eyes like a weight pressing against me, seeing too much.

"Ayla?" Sophie asked, tilting her head. "You okay?"

I forced a quick nod. "Yeah.Just...tired."

She smiled, accepting the excuse, and turned back to the conversation.

But I couldn't shake it. The darkness in his eyes. The way he hadn't looked away.

I didn't know his name.

I only knew that something about him felt dangerous.

And that I should stay far, far away.

I forced myself to glance back toward the table across the room. The boy was still there, still leaning back in his chair, but his eyes had shifted away just enough to make me doubt whether I'd imagined the weight of his stare.

I cleared my throat. "Hey," I murmured to Sophie beside me, keeping my voice low. "The guy over there...with the dark hair. Who is he?"

She followed my gaze, and for a second, her bright smile faltered. "Oh. That's Kayden."

The name settled into me like a stone sinking into water. Kayden.

"You don't want to mess with him" she added quickly, her voice dropping. "Most people just... keep their distance."

"Why?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted the answer.

She shrugged, but it wasn't careless it was tight, guarded. "He's... different. You'll see."

Before I could ask more, the bell rang. The noise of scraping chairs and shuffling trays drowned out the moment, and Kayden disappeared into the crowd before I had another chance to look his way.

*****

The rest of the day crawled by. Teachers droned, chalk dust floated in the air, and still, I couldn't shake the name, the image of those eyes. Kayden.

Every so often, I felt it again that prickling at the back of my neck, that sense of being watched. But whenever I turned, there was nothing. Just a hallway, just students, just normal.

By the time the final bell rang, my head ached from the weight of it all.

Eric's truck was waiting out front. He raised a hand when he saw me, and for the first time that day, relief flooded through me. I slipped into the passenger seat, letting the door shut out the noise of the school.

"How was it?" he asked.

I pressed my forehead to the cool glass of the window. "Fine."

He didn't push. He just drove, the trees blurring past in endless shades of green and shadow.

But even as Black Hollow High shrank behind us, one thought refused to let me go:

Those eyes.

Dark, unrelenting, dangerous.

And the boy who carried them.

Kayden.