Chapter 17
ALEX
School had been fine so far. The usual. I’d been invisible - exactly how I liked it. Other than bumping into Rach this morning, nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Except for him.
There was this blond-haired boy who somehow managed to catch my eye every time we crossed paths.
And every time, without fail, he smiled.
It threw me off. Being noticed wasn’t something I was used to.
Especially by the likes of Kai Fields. I’d spent so long blending into the background that attention felt… strange.
Unsettling, even.
Still, everything was normal enough.
But that was about to change. Because I had PE next, and there was no way I was taking part. Not with the way my ribs ached. Not with the bruises still blooming across my torso.
So I sat in the changing room, tucked into the corner of the bench, head down, earphones in, while the rest of the class got ready around me.
They were talking about whatever teenage boys always seemed to talk about - girls in our year, girls in films, girls they’d never even met. Basically just girls.
My plan was simple: stay put for the whole hour. Keep my head down. Stay invisible. With any luck, Coach wouldn’t even realise I hadn’t gone out. It wasn’t like anyone ever looked for me anyway.
It seemed like the perfect plan.
Kai’s eyes flicked to mine, but I ignored him.
He frowned, probably wondering why I wasn’t getting changed like everyone else.
Hopefully not enough to actually speak to me.
I couldn’t deal with that. Relief washed over me when he looked away and went back to joking with Callum and the rest of the lads.
A moment later, Coach burst in, clapping his hands like a drill sergeant.
“Come on, gang, move it. The ladies are already out there.” He shook his head. “Can’t believe you boys take longer than the girls. What are you doing, your makeup?”
The football lads laughed.
“Nah, sir, we’re pretty enough,” Callum shot back with a wink.
“Speak for yourself,” Anderson said, flexing. “There’s nothing pretty about me. I’m all man.”
“With that hair? Doubt it,” Coach said, earning a chorus of “ooohs.” Anderson flicked his neck-length hair back with a smirk.
“Right, enough. Let’s go.” Coach ordered, clapping his hands again.
He was halfway out the door when his gaze landed on me.
Shit.
“Alex, why aren’t you getting changed?” he asked, walking over.
“I-er-I can’t do PE today, sir.” I tugged an earbud out and looked up at him.
He folded his arms. “Do you have a note?”
I sighed and shook my head.
“Well, I can’t excuse you without one. You need to get ready.” He tapped his foot impatiently, folding his arms. But I just shook my head again.
“Not happening, sir,” I said, as firm as I could.
“Excuse me?” He almost took a step back.
I cleared my throat. “I said it’s not happening.”
Coach blinked, thrown off. I wasn’t usually this sharp with teachers, but what else was I supposed to do?
He lowered his voice, gentler now. “Alex, think about what you’re saying.”
“I am. I can’t do PE today.” I tried to hide the tremble in my voice.
“I’m sorry, but without a good reason, you don’t have a choice.” His arms folded again, firmer this time. I did have a good reason, but I couldn’t tell him that.
“Forget this,” I muttered, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder - which hurt, by the way - before pushing past him.
But I didn’t get far. His hand brushed my shoulder, barely a touch, but enough to set every alarm bell ringing.
“Hold on a second, let’s talk about this-”
Before the words even registered, I’d already shoved him away and snapped, “Get the fuck off me.”
When everything slowed, I realised every pair of eyes in the room was on me - Coach Lorenzo’s wide with surprise, and about fifteen classmates wearing the same expression.
Guilt twisted in my stomach. I hadn’t meant to react like that.
He wasn’t going to hurt me. It was just instinct, a defence mechanism firing before I could think.
One touch and suddenly I wasn’t in the changing room anymore - I was back home, my brother’s hand clamped around my throat, my body remembering before my mind could catch up.
The weight of everyone staring made my skin prickle.
My chest tightened. Breathing felt like trying to inhale through a straw.
I’d spent months keeping my head down, blending in, coasting.
And now I’d gone and shoved a teacher. That wasn’t something you could just walk away from. There were going to be consequences.
My eyes caught Kai’s for a moment, and they did that thing like they were trying to figure me out again. But I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back.
I couldn’t.
I pushed through the doorway and headed for the only place I knew no one would think to look.
Graffiti wall.