I reached school and walked through the crowded hallways, which were already buzzing with students chatting and rushing to their classes.
I got a text from Sarah asking me to come to the student council room. So instead of going to class, I headed straight there. Being a member of the student council had its perks, I could skip regular classes and spend time in the council room without anyone questioning it.
As I was walking toward the council room, I heard footsteps hurrying behind me.
"Brother-in-law! Wait!" Sarah called out as she caught up to me from behind and matched my pace, walking beside me with a bright, teasing smile.
I frowned and stared at her.
"What? Oh, sorry, I forgot not to call you that in public," she said, sticking her tongue out playfully with a grin, clearly not sorry at all.
"I never gave you permission to call me that even in private," I replied coldly, keeping my voice low so no one around us could hear.
"You have dark circles under your eyes," Sarah said, leaning in closer as we walked. Her brows furrowed with a suspicious and slightly worried expression as she studied my face.
"Yeah, I know," I replied with a tired voice, not meeting her eyes.
"Are you alright? Did something happen again? Was it about those blogs…?" she asked, her voice turning more concerned.
"No, it's nothing," I said quickly. I didn't want to tell her anything right now. I wasn't even sure if it was right to drag her into this and make her worried too.
"You know I'm with you, right?" Sarah said softly as she reached out and held my hand, gently intertwining her fingers with mine while getting even closer to me. Her shoulder brushed against my arm, and I could feel the warmth of her body through her uniform.
"Hmm," I hummed in response, not trusting myself to say more. I knew she supported me, but that wasn't enough. I was afraid that if I got too close to her, she would also become a target for Mike.
"Forget it… why did you call me to the council room so early in the morning?" I asked, turning my head to look at her. I felt her grip on my hand loosen slightly.
"That… let's talk about it inside the council room," Sarah replied, tightening her hold on my hand again as she gave me a small, reassuring smile.
We arrived at the council room, and I pushed the door open. Inside, most of the members were already present.
Mike was leaning against the desk with his arms crossed, looking relaxed and confident as always. Rose was sitting beside Casey, a tall girl from the volleyball club who was also part of the student council. They were chatting quietly.
On the other side, Finn, my classmate, and Jane were sitting together with their books open in front of them, clearly studying for the upcoming exams. They looked up briefly when we entered before going back to their discussion.
Sarah let go of my hand the moment we stepped inside the room and walked straight to her chair without looking back.
My eyes instinctively went to Rose. Our gazes met for a brief second, but before I could say anything, Mike suddenly threw his arm across my shoulder, pulling me closer with a strong grip.
"Damn, you look like a complete mess right now," he said, his voice low and heavy with mockery as he looked at my tired face.
I immediately freed myself from under his arm and stepped back, my expression darkening.
"..." I stared straight at him, saying nothing.
"What's with that face? Couldn't get any sleep last night?" Mike continued with a mocking smile, clearly enjoying my exhausted appearance.
'Last night...' The words hit me like a spark. Something inside me snapped. Without thinking, my hand shot forward and grabbed his collar tightly, my knuckles turning white from the force.
"Aagggh…!" I pushed Mike hard, slamming him against the wall with all the anger boiling inside me. Even though he was taller, more muscular, and definitely stronger than me, he still couldn't react fast enough to my sudden attack.
"You sent them last night… fuck… what the hell did you do?" I growled, shaking his collar violently, my mind completely clouded with rage.
"Yo, what happened to you?" Mike said calmly, his voice almost amused as he easily grabbed my wrist with one strong hand.
Everyone in the room quickly gathered around us, confused and panicked, shouting for me to let go.
"You bastard! I know it was you!" I snarled, refusing to release him even as several hands grabbed my shoulders and arms, trying to pull me away.
"Alex, let go, please!" Rose cried out, grabbing my arm tightly as she tried to pull me back, her voice filled with worry and fear.
But I couldn't let go. My mind was numb with hatred, the memory of those lewd photos of Rose burning in my head.
"Let me go. That's enough playing around," Mike said his face turning serious.
Suddenly everything blurred around me. In one swift move, some kind of judo or shit throw I was slammed onto the floor, the impact knocking the breath out of me.
"Alex! Alex! Alex!" Everyone gathered around me in a circle, shaking my body and calling my name in panic.
To be continued…
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