Liam’s pov: The class assignment

We walked to class together, and the weight of everyone’s eyes on us was suffocating. I could feel it. The stares, the whispers, the tension—it was all there, loud and clear. Some boys in the hallway stopped what they were doing and turned to watch. Even my so-called friends were staring, their expressions filled with disbelief.

As we entered, Botox and the others were leaning against the wall near the lockers. Botox smirked, his arms crossed over his chest. Zylan and Philip stood beside him, their faces matching his mocking grin. I knew what was coming even before Botox opened his mouth.

“Hey, Liam,” Botox called out, his tone sharp with sarcasm. “What’s this? Don’t tell me this guy is your new friend now.”

I clenched my jaw, but I kept my cool. “Yeah, he’s my friend. What about it?”

Zylan scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re kidding, right? You’re saying this... this random kid is your friend? Seriously? You’re gonna bring him into our group?”

I stood tall, not letting their words faze me. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying. He’s my friend, and you’re gonna treat him with respect. Got it?”

Philip laughed, a harsh sound that echoed down the hallway. “Respect? Liam, are you hearing yourself? We’re the ones who run this school, and you want him to join us? What’s wrong with you?”

I took a step closer, my voice firm. “What’s wrong is you thinking you get to decide who I’m friends with. I don’t need your permission, and I don’t care what you think. Jayden’s my friend. End of story.”

Jayden stood beside me, his expression unreadable. But I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands were clenched into fists. He was holding back, trying to stay calm, but I could tell he was ready to defend himself if needed.

“This is Botox,” I said, introducing him with a nod. “And these are Zylan and Philip. They’re my... well, they’re supposed to be my friends.”

Jayden raised an eyebrow, his voice steady but laced with sarcasm. “Oh, your friends? You mean your bully friends?”

I sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt. “Look, I get it, okay? They’ve done some messed-up stuff in the past, but I’m not like that anymore.”

Jayden’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying you’ve changed?”

“I have,” I said firmly. “And now that you’re my friend, none of that stuff’s gonna happen again. I promise.”

Botox rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. “This is ridiculous.”

Jayden crossed his arms, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Well, I guess we’ll see if you’re telling the truth. But if I find out you’re still up to your old tricks...”

I sighed again, shaking my head. “You’ll see. Just... trust me, okay?”

Jayden didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes said enough. He didn’t trust me—not yet, anyway.

The classroom door opened, and the teacher walked in, her heels clicking against the floor. The room fell silent as she set her books on the desk and faced the class.

“Good morning, everyone,” she said, her voice calm but commanding. “Today, we’ll be starting a group assignment. You’ll be working in pairs or groups of three, and you’ll have two nights to complete it. Make sure you put in the effort, because this will count toward your final grade.”

She held up a small box filled with folded pieces of paper. “Each of you will come up and pick a name from this box. That person will be your partner. No exceptions.”

The class groaned, but one by one, we got up to draw our papers. I reached into the box, my heart sinking as I unfolded the slip in my hand.

Jayden.

I looked over at him, and he was already watching me, a hopeful smile spreading across his face.

“Who’d you get?” he asked, his voice filled with excitement.

I held up the paper, my expression blank. “You.”

His smile widened. “Me too! This is gonna be great.”

Great? That was one word for it. I wasn’t sure how I felt about spending more time with him, especially with Botox and the others watching my every move. 

We took our seats, and the teacher began explaining the details of the assignment. I barely heard a word she said. My mind was racing, thoughts colliding and tangling into a mess I couldn’t untangle.

Jayden was sitting beside me, scribbling notes in his notebook like nothing was wrong. How could he be so calm? Didn’t he realize what he was getting himself into?

Botox and the others were watching us from across the room, their eyes like daggers. I could feel the weight of their stares, the silent threats hanging in the air.

I glanced at Jayden, my stomach twisting with guilt. He didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess. But there was no turning back now.

The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. Everyone started packing up their things, the room filling with the sound of shuffling papers and scraping chairs.

Jayden turned to me, his eyes bright with excitement. “So, when do you want to start the project?”

I hesitated, my mind still spinning. “Uh... I don’t know. Maybe after school?”

“Cool,” he said with a grin. “I can come over to your place, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah... sure,” I muttered, feeling a knot form in my stomach knowing fully well my Dad already warned me against him.

As we walked out of the classroom, I could feel Botox’s eyes on me.

I'm sure he was hired by my Dad to watch my every move, I was going to catch him a make him pay for betraying me

“Jayden, let's go to your house instead, we can't go to my house, I'm sorry.” I said and Jayden nodded.

Jayden was chatting beside me, completely oblivious to the storm brewing around him. I wanted to warn him, to tell him to stay away, but the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, I forced a smile, nodding along to whatever he was saying. But deep down, I knew something was coming.

And Jayden was right in the middle of it.