Chapter 70 *

Chapter 70 Chapter 70
Angelina’s POV
Logan was practically bouncing beside me, talking at the group of guys trailing behind us.
"Dude, did you see that? Twenty feet! That's like, almost college-level!"
I glanced over my shoulder. "Twenty feet? That's kinda short actually."
Logan's head whipped toward me so fast I thought he'd get whiplash. His mouth hung open for a solid three seconds. "Wait—what? SHORT?"
The guys behind us went quiet. They were staring at me like I'd just spoken another language.
One of them finally broke the silence. "Yo, that's kind of savage to say... You're making us dudes look bad here."
I shrugged. "Just being honest."
"Okay, but like—" Logan was still processing. "How is twenty feet SHORT? That's literally really good!"
"For high school, sure." I kept my tone casual. "But it's not that impressive if you think about it."
Mia, who'd been quiet this whole time, suddenly grabbed my arm and laughed. "Oh my god, Aria. You can't just say stuff like that!"
"Why not? It's true."
The guys exchanged looks, then crowded closer as we walked, their earlier skepticism completely gone. One of them pulled out his phone.
"Hey, can I get your Snap?"
"Add me on Insta?"
"What's your TikTok?"
They were all talking over each other, phones out, trying to pull up their social media. Someone created a group chat right there and added me before I could even answer.
I stood there for a second, watching them. Just a bunch of high school guys getting hyped over nothing.
"Yeah, okay," I said.
"YES!" One of them fist-pumped. "Alright, we're in!"
"Yo, add her to the group chat—"
"I literally just did—"
"Send a gif or something, make it official—"
Logan suddenly stepped forward, waving his arms like he was herding sheep. "Alright alright, you guys got what you wanted... Me and Aria gotta head back to class. Go on, get outta here."
He sounded like someone's mom trying to get kids to go to bed. I almost smiled.
"Catch you later!" one of them called out.
"See you around!"
They split off toward the other building, still talking and laughing. Mia linked her arm through mine as we kept walking.
"That was wild," she said. "You just became like, popular with the PE guys."
"I wasn't trying to."
"I know, that's what makes it even better." She grinned.
Mr. Harrison had promised us a WWII documentary instead of notes for Monday's last period.
The classroom was dim, projector light flickering across rows of desks. Tanks rolled across the screen, black and white footage grainy but clear enough. Mr. Harrison stood by the door, arms crossed, watching us watch.
Ten minutes in, someone knocked. Mr. Harrison stepped into the hall, came back frowning.
"Alright guys, I have to step out for a meeting. Keep watching, and we'll discuss this next class. I expect everyone to stay in their seats and behave."
The door clicked shut behind him.
Five seconds of silence.
Then Logan spun around in his seat, grinning. "Aria! Come sit by Mia, there's space!"
The room came alive. Chairs scraped. Phones came out. People started migrating toward their friends like this was suddenly a movie theater instead of a classroom.
I stood up and walked straight to the second row where Mia was waving at me. No hesitation. No checking if anyone was watching. Just moved.
"Damn, she's bold," someone muttered behind me.
"Aria gives zero fucks," another voice added.
I dropped into the empty seat next to Mia just as something crashed in the aisle. Silas was dragging his chair toward us, that stupid grin plastered on his face.
"Yo, Master! Saved you a spot... well, I'm making a spot."
He squeezed his chair into the already-crowded second row, somehow ending up half in the aisle, half blocking Logan. A couple girls sat nearby, and Silas threw them a wink. "Ladies, looking good today."
They rolled their eyes. One of them tried not to smile.
Logan's chair tilted as Silas shoved in. "Dude, what the hell? You're crushing me!"
"What? I'm just trying to get the premium viewing experience." Silas spread his arms like he was settling into a home theater.
Logan leaned across and looked at me. "Aria, tell your apprentice to back off before I make you disown him."
Silas clutched his chest dramatically. "Master, you wouldn't abandon your favorite student, would you?"
I glanced at him. "Behave."
He straightened immediately, mumbling, "Yes, Master..."
Logan and Silas kept bickering under their breath.
"You're so annoying."
"You're just jealous I got here first."
"First? Bro, you literally shoved your way in—"
"Details, details."
On screen, soldiers charged through smoke and gunfire. Explosions. Screaming. Bodies dropping in the mud.
The sound system in the classroom was way too good. Every gunshot cracked sharp and close. Every explosion rattled in my chest.
I stared at the screen, but my mind drifted somewhere else.
I'd lived in that world once.
Not this one—theirs. The Pack Wars.
Real battlefields. Real blood. Real screaming that didn't stop when someone yelled cut.
I remembered watching pack members fall. Watching the light leave their eyes while I kept fighting because stopping meant dying. I never thought I'd leave that world. Never imagined I'd end up here—in a bright classroom, surrounded by kids who thought this documentary was intense.
They had no idea.
This was just a movie to them. To me, it was a memory.
Two parallel worlds, and I was the only one who remembered both.
"Oh my god, oh my god! This is so intense!"
Mia grabbed my arm suddenly, her eyes glued to the screen. She turned to me, practically vibrating with energy. "Aria, are you watching this? This is insane!"
I blinked, pulled back to the present. Her excitement was loud enough to drown out the gunfire in my head.
I looked at her and let my mouth curve slightly. "Yeah, I'm watching."
This was real. This moment, right here. This was my reality now.
"Dude, this scene is so epic! Like, the way they just—oh god, that explosion! Did you see that?!" Mia's hand tightened on my arm. She was completely absorbed, living every second of the film like it was happening in front of her.
Around us, the classroom buzzed with low chatter. Someone was eating popcorn—how did they even sneak that in? A couple guys in the back were mimicking the soldiers' movements, fake-punching each other. A few people scrolled their phones but kept glancing up at the screen.
Most people were actually watching though. The battle scenes had everyone hooked.
Mia's voice dropped, quieter now. Her eyes looked a little red. "I know it's just a movie but... thinking about people actually going through this... it's so brave. Like, I literally can't imagine..."
She sniffed, laughing awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm getting way too emotional over a documentary. But seriously, this is so powerful."
I reached over and patted her hand gently. "It's okay. It is powerful."
The final bell rang at 3:15 PM.
I grabbed my backpack from under my desk and headed out. Students poured into the hallways, loud conversations bouncing off the lockers. Some were making plans, some were complaining about homework. The usual after-school chaos.
I pushed through the main doors and started walking home.
The afternoon sun felt warm on my face. I didn't rush. No reason to.
When I reached the house twenty minutes later, I pulled out my keys and unlocked the front door.
The house was quiet. Empty.
Grace and Nathan were still at work. They wouldn't be back until after six. Ethan's shift at the garage didn't end until seven. And Leo was probably off somewhere racing or hanging out with his crew.
The only person who might be home was Caelan.
I didn't give it much thought. He'd been living here for weeks now, and we barely spoke. He kept to himself. I kept to myself. That arrangement worked fine for both of us.
I stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
The living room looked exactly the same as this morning. Clean. Quiet. No one had been down here all day.
I walked over to the couch and tossed my backpack onto the cushions. It landed with a soft thud. Then I turned around and sat down on the armchair, pulling out my phone.
A group chat notification. I glanced at the screen. It was the freshman class group chat—mostly people complaining about homework, teachers, Spirit Week activities. The usual high school drama.
Someone was ranting about the cafeteria food. Another person posted a meme about Mrs. Rodriguez's pop quiz.
I was about to exit the app when a long, pale hand reached over my shoulder from behind and snatched the phone right out of my grip.
My body reacted instantly. I spun around, muscles tensing.
Caelan stood behind the armchair.
I didn't need to see his face to know it was him. His scent gave him away. Pine and gunpowder.
I stood up and turned to face him, my expression cold.
"What do you want?"