Chapter 51

Chapter 51
OMARI

It felt strange waking up to quiet.
No fog.
No red glow.
Just the soft hum of birds outside and the  morning sun pushing through my curtains.

For a few seconds, I didn’t move. I just lay there, watching the light move across the wall, trying to believe last night really happened.

When I finally got up, my body still felt heavy, like the fear hadn’t fully left. I washed my face, brushed my hair, and tried to look normal. Tried to look like someone who hadn’t watched monsters circle her house the night before.

Downstairs, Mom was already dressed. She looked tired but calmer.
“Good morning,” she said, handing me a cup of tea. “You should eat before school.”

“School?” I blinked.
She smiled a little. “Yes, school. Life doesn’t stop because of fear, remember?”
I nodded, though my chest still felt tight.

By the time I stepped outside, the air smelled fresh. The trees looked normal again, no glow, no mist. Ashton’s car was already waiting by the gate.

He leaned against the hood, arms folded, hair messy from lack of sleep.
“You’re late,” he said, but his lips curved a little.

“You could’ve waited inside,” I muttered.
He shrugged. “Didn’t want to scare your mom again.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “You do that naturally.”He smirked. “I know.”

Leighton was in the backseat when I opened the door. His arm was bandaged neatly, his head resting against the window. He looked pale but better.
“Hey,” I said softly.

He turned and smiled, small, tired, but real. “Morning.”
The ride to school was quiet for a while. The hum of the engine and the morning sun almost made it easy to forget what happened. Almost.

I glanced at Ashton. He was focused on the road, one hand on the wheel, the other resting loosely on the gear. His jaw flexed when I looked too long.

When we reached school, students filled the front yard, laughing and talking like the world hadn’t just tried to fall apart.
I almost laughed too. Normalcy felt strange now.

Ashton parked near the front gate. “We’ll pick you up after classes,” he said.
“I can walk home,” I replied.
He turned to me, his eyes steady. “No. You can’t.”
There was no room for argument, so I just sighed and got out.

Leighton stepped out too, slower than usual. The morning sun caught his hair, making it look more golden than brown. He stretched and glanced at me. “Don’t look so tense. You’re safe now.”

I smiled a little. “You sound like him.”
“Who? Ashton?”
“Yeah.”
Leighton laughed. “That’s an insult.”

I laughed too, and for a second it felt light again,  the way things used to be.

Inside the school, everything smelled like chalk and perfume. The noise, the energy, it was too much after all the silence at home.
As we walked through the hall, I caught sight of Violet by her locker.

Her perfect curls bounced as she laughed at something one of her friends said. Then her eyes landed on me. The smile faded.

She looked me up and down, slow and sharp.
“Well, look who’s back,” she said. “Thought you transferred or something.”
“Sorry to disappoint,” I said quietly.

Her eyes flicked toward Leighton beside me. “You brought company too. How sweet.”

Leighton didn’t say anything. He just slipped his hands into his pockets and gave her a cold look.
“Move,” he said flatly.

Her jaw clenched, but she stepped aside. “Enjoy your day,” she said through tight teeth.
As we passed her, I felt her stare burn into my back.

In class, I sat near the window. The sunlight felt warm on my arm, and for the first time all morning, I let myself breathe properly.

Leighton sat a few rows behind, but I could feel his gaze sometimes. When I turned, he looked away quickly.

During lunch, Ashton showed up by the gate. He leaned against a tree, pretending to scroll on his phone, but everyone could see him. Half the girls in the courtyard were whispering and pointing.

I joined him quietly.
“You could’ve stayed in the car,” I said.
He smirked. “And miss all the fun?”
I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile. “You’re going to get me in trouble.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

We stood in silence for a moment, watching the students pass by. For a heartbeat, it almost felt normal,  like none of the strange things had happened.

But then a chill passed through me again. It came out of nowhere. The same kind of silence I’d felt before the fog last night.
“Ashton” I said softly.

He looked at me, all traces of humor gone. “You feel it too?”
I nodded.

He glanced around, his hand tightening on his jacket. Then his gaze softened again when he looked at me. “Don’t worry. Not here. Not today.”
I wanted to believe him.
I really did.

But even as the bell rang and everyone hurried back to class, that strange feeling didn’t go away.
Like something unseen was still watching us.

The feeling didn’t leave me all afternoon.
Even with the sun high in the sky, even with laughter echoing through the halls, there was a weight that pressed down on my chest. It made me look over my shoulder more than once.

Every time I did, one of the twins was watching. Sometimes Ashton. Sometimes Leighton. It was like they knew. Like they could feel it too.

By the last class, I was exhausted. I just wanted to go home, to breathe air that didn’t smell like fear or gossip.

But the moment I stepped into the hallway, I realized the gossip had already reached me.

Whispers followed me as I walked.
“She’s the reason the rogues came.”
“I heard they wanted her.”
“Her family’s cursed.”

My stomach dropped.
Each word felt like a little stone being thrown at me.

I didn’t look back. I kept walking, pretending not to hear, even though my hands shook around my books.

When I reached my locker, I found Lila waiting there.
Her face was red from anger. “Omari, what’s wrong with everyone?”
I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb,” she said, lowering her voice. “They’re saying you called the rouges. That you lured them with some kind of magic.”
My eyes widened. “That’s not true”

“Of course it’s not!” she snapped. “But they’re saying it like they believe it. And you know who started it?”
I didn’t want to ask, but I did. “Who?”

“Violet,” she hissed. “She told people she heard you talking to someone in the woods before the attack. She said you were smiling.”
My heart sank. “That’s a lie.”

“I know,” Lila said, softer now. “But people believe her. You need to stay close to the twins, Omari. Things are weird right now.”

I opened my locker slowly. My reflection in the metal looked pale. “I don’t even know why she hates me so much.”

“She doesn’t just hate you,” Lila muttered. “She’s jealous. Everyone sees how the triplets look at you.”
I froze. “What do you mean?”

Lila looked around, then leaned closer. “You really don’t see it? The way Ashton watches you like you’re the only thing that moves in the room? Or the way Leighton always makes sure you’re safe, even when he’s pretending not to care?”

I swallowed. “They don’t even like me.”
She smiled sadly. “Maybe that’s what makes it worse.”

Before I could reply, a group of students walked past, whispering again. One of them laughed under her breath. I heard my name. I heard “curse” again.

Lila’s expression darkened. “Don’t listen to them. I’ll find out what Violet told everyone.”

She turned and walked off, her ponytail swaying behind her.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the floor.

When I finally looked up, Ashton was leaning against the wall at the end of the hallway. His arms were crossed, his eyes on me.

“You heard?” I asked quietly.
“Enough,” he said, his voice low.
“I didn’t-”

“I know you didn’t,” he said quickly. “But people are stupid. They’ll believe anything that makes them feel powerful.”

I nodded slowly, trying not to cry. “It’s not fair.”
He stepped closer. “The world rarely is.”
I tried to laugh but couldn’t. “That’s comforting.”
His lips twitched. “Wasn’t meant to be.”

We stood there, too close. His scent wrapped around me,  sharp, clean, something like pine and smoke. My heart beat faster before I could stop it.

His gaze dropped to my lips for a second. Just a second. Then he looked away.
“You shouldn’t walk home alone,” he said quietly.
“I wasn’t planning to.”

“Good,” he muttered, and walked off, his hands deep in his pockets.
I watched him go, my chest heavy and light all at once.

Leighton appeared from the corner, his eyes flicking between me and his brother. “He shouldn’t talk to you like that.”
I blinked. “Like what?”
“Like he cares,” Leighton said flatly.

Something in his tone made my stomach twist. “And you don’t?”
He met my eyes, and for a heartbeat, something raw passed between us. Then he looked away. “Don’t make this about me, Omari.”

“You’re the one who started it.”
“Because you never finish it,” he said quietly.

I didn’t know what to say after that. His words hung in the air, heavy and confusing.

Before I could answer, the bell rang. Students started to pour out of classrooms, laughing and pushing. The moment broke like glass.

Leighton turned away first. “Come on. Let’s go before Ashton loses his mind waiting.”

The drive home was tense. The three of us sat in silence. Ashton’s hand gripped the steering wheel too tight. Leighton looked out the window, his jaw clenched.

I stared at my hands, thinking about everything, the rumors, Violet’s smirk, the look in Ashton’s eyes, the ache in Leighton’s voice.

When we reached home, the house looked peaceful again. My mom was outside, trimming the rose bushes. She turned when she saw us and ran forward, her eyes full of tears.

“Omari!” she cried, pulling me into a hug. “I’ve been worried sick.”
“I’m fine, Mom,” I whispered. “I’m really fine.”

She held me tighter. “I don’t care what anyone says, you’re never going anywhere alone again.”
I laughed softly against her shoulder. “Okay, Mom.”

When she finally pulled away, she smiled at the triplets. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did. All of you.”
Ashton nodded stiffly. “We did what we had to.”

Leighton gave a faint smile. “She’s safe. That’s what matters.”
Mom looked at them warmly. “Still, thank you.”

She walked back toward the garden, humming softly.
I watched her for a moment, then turned toward the twins. They were both watching me again, quiet, unreadable.

“Thanks,” I said, barely above a whisper.
Ashton tilted his head. “For what?”
“For being there,” I said. “Even when you didn’t have to.”

He didn’t answer, but his eyes softened a little.
Leighton ran a hand through his hair. “Just don’t make us do it again.”
“I’ll try not to,” I said, smiling faintly.

The air between us felt strange again. Heavy and charged. It was like the world kept forcing us together, only to watch us fall apart all over again.

I turned to go inside when I heard Lila’s voice calling from the gate.
“Omari!”

She ran up, panting, her eyes wide. “You won’t believe what I just heard.”
I frowned. “What is it?”

She looked between me and the twins. “Violet’s saying more now. She told everyone you’ve been marked.”
“Marked?” I repeated, confused.

Ashton’s head snapped toward her, eyes sharp. “What did she say exactly?”

“That Omari’s been marked by one of you,” Lila said, pointing between the twins. “And that’s why the rouges came.”

The world seemed to tilt.
I could feel both of them tense beside me.
Leighton’s eyes darkened. “She shouldn’t have said that.”

Ashton’s jaw tightened. “She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”

But when I looked at him, there was something in his eyes that said maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t completely wrong.
And that was just the confirmation I needed. Maybe I wasn't marked. Maybe I was just cursed.  I wasn't sure that I wanted to find out.