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Chapter 3 — Shadows Between the Lines
EMILY — POV
Monday mornings were always heavy, but this one felt heavier than usual.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, adjusting my hoodie again, trying to make myself feel smaller, less noticeable. My mind kept circling around what Vicky had said on Friday. "Don't make me regret this." What did that even mean? It wasn't quite a threat, but it didn't feel friendly either. It left me hanging in this strange, confusing space where I didn't know what to expect.
At school, Jane greeted me at my locker with her usual bright energy, but I noticed the way her eyes flicked over my face like she was checking for damage. I smiled, hoping it was enough.
"Ready to survive another week?" she asked, nudging me playfully.
"Barely," I said with a half-laugh. "But I'm here."
We started walking toward first period together, the buzz of morning chatter around us. I could see Vicky ahead in the hallway, leaning casually against a locker like nothing in the world could touch him. He wasn't looking at me, but I felt the tension settle in my chest anyway.
Jane caught me glancing. "If he tries anything again, just tell me. Seriously."
"I know," I said. "He didn't really do anything bad. Just… confusing."
"That's still something," Jane muttered under her breath.
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MIKE — POV
I wasn't sure what it was about Emily that made me pay attention. She wasn't loud. She didn't try to be seen. But there was something about the way she carried herself—quiet, observant—that drew me in.
I saw her walking with Jane between periods, their heads bent close together, sharing some quiet laugh. It made me smile.
I'd seen enough of high school to know that people like Emily usually slipped through the cracks. But I didn't want her to.
At lunch, I spotted her alone at a table for a moment, Jane still in the lunch line. I made my way over without overthinking it.
"Mind if I sit?"
She looked up, startled, then nodded. "Sure."
We sat in silence for a beat before I asked, "So… you draw, right?"
Her eyes lit up, just slightly. "Yeah. Mostly when I need to think."
"That sketchbook—you always have it with you?"
She nodded. "Kind of like a journal, but less personal. Sort of."
I leaned forward. "You ever show anyone?"
"Not really," she said, then hesitated. "Jane's seen a few. But it's just a thing I do."
"Maybe someday you'll show me," I said.
She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no either.
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VICKY — POV
It was annoying how I noticed her.
Not just noticed—watched.
Emily wasn't doing anything special, but she had this calm around her. It made me uncomfortable in ways I didn't know how to deal with. And the way Mike looked at her? That made things worse.
He didn't look at anyone like that. Not even the girls who tried way too hard.
I saw them at lunch. Him leaning in. Her smiling, soft. Like they were in their own little world.
It made something hot twist in my chest.
Not jealousy—no. That wasn't it.
I wasn't jealous of Emily. I just didn't like people thinking they could come here and find peace so easily. This school didn't give peace freely. You had to earn it.
I passed by their table on the way out, letting my hand slap the back of Mike's chair on "accident."
He didn't even look up.
But Emily did.
And I saw something in her eyes—fear, maybe. Or something deeper. It annoyed me.
I didn't know why I cared.
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JANE — POV
I watched the whole lunch interaction from across the room, carrying my tray as I approached.
Mike, sitting with Emily. Laughing. Talking.
It wasn't that I didn't want them to talk—I did. I liked the idea of them getting along. But still, something twisted in my chest. It was irrational, but I felt it anyway.
I pushed it away.
"Hey," I said as I sat down. "You stealing my friend, Mike?"
He grinned. "Just borrowing."
Emily chuckled nervously, and I relaxed. It was okay. This was okay.
The three of us talked until the bell rang, mostly light stuff—classes, teachers, what food wasn't terrible in the cafeteria.
As we packed up, I saw Vicky in the distance, watching us with unreadable eyes. I grabbed Emily's arm gently.
"Don't let him get to you."
"I'm trying not to," she said softly.
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EMILY — POV
The rest of the day passed in a blur, but my head was full.
Vicky hadn't said anything to me since that weird moment in the hallway, but his presence lingered. It was like walking on a path where you couldn't see the snake, but you knew it was nearby.
That night, I sketched his face without meaning to. Just the edges—his sharp jaw, the way his eyes narrowed, the twist of his mouth when he smirked. I frowned when I noticed what I'd drawn. Then, I flipped to a new page and drew something else—Jane laughing, Mike's serious but kind eyes.
I stared at the page long after I'd finished.
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MIKE — POV (continued)
That night, I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about Emily—how easily she smiled when she let her guard down. How hard it must be, being new and dealing with someone like Vicky.
I'd known Vicky for years. He wasn't all bad, but he carried sharp edges like armor. I didn't know why he was targeting Emily. Maybe it wasn't even about her. Maybe Emily was just a mirror, reflecting things Vicky didn't want to see.
Either way, I wasn't going to let him mess with someone who didn't deserve it.
I texted Emily.
[Mike]: Just wanted to say I'm glad we talked today. Hope tomorrow's better than today.
A few minutes later, she replied.
[Emily]: Thanks. Me too.
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VICKY — POV (continued)
My hands clenched the sides of the bathroom sink as I stared at myself in the mirror.
I didn't get it.
Emily was nothing. Quiet, average. Not even the kind of girl people noticed.
And yet, she was everywhere.
In the hallway. In my thoughts. With Mike.
And she didn't flinch anymore when I got close. That was the worst part. That meant she was getting comfortable.
I didn't want her to feel comfortable.
But I didn't want to hurt her either.
It was confusing. I hated confusing.
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EMILY — POV (continued)
Tuesday morning was gray. Clouds hung low and heavy, like they were waiting to burst.
I met Jane at the lockers again, and we walked to class side by side, our steps syncing easily.
By the time we got to second period, I felt a little more grounded.
Until I walked into class and saw Vicky already seated in the back—next to my assigned seat.
I hesitated.
He looked up.
"I don't bite," he said dryly.
I sat down slowly. The desk felt colder than usual.
We didn't talk for the first few minutes. Then, halfway through class, he leaned over.
"You're not what I expected," he said quietly.
I turned my head. "What do you mean?"
He didn't answer. Just stared at the board like he hadn't said anything.
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JANE — POV (continued)
When Emily told me Vicky talked to her in class, I nearly choked on my water.
"Wait—what? What did he say?"
Emily shrugged. "Something weird. That I'm not what he expected?"
"That's creepy," I said immediately. "He's messing with you."
"Maybe," Emily said, voice small. "But it didn't feel mean."
That made me pause.
I didn't trust Vicky. I'd seen him destroy people with a smile. But Emily seemed less scared than before—and that was something.
Still, I wasn't letting my guard down. Not with Vicky.
Not now.
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MIKE — POV (continued)
After practice, I walked past the art room and caught sight of Emily through the window, alone, sketching.
I almost kept walking. But something pulled me in.
I knocked gently, then opened the door.
"Didn't mean to interrupt," I said.
She looked up, surprised. "It's okay. Just clearing my head."
I walked over, glanced at the sketchpad. She moved to close it, but not fast enough.
It was… me.
Nothing dramatic. Just a pencil outline. Focused. Thoughtful.
"I'm flattered," I said softly.
Her cheeks flushed. "It's just a sketch."
"It's good," I said. "Really good."
For a moment, we just looked at each other. The quiet was full, but not awkward.
"Emily," I said, my voice a little lower, "this place can mess with your head. But don't let it make you forget who you are."
"I'm still figuring that out," she whispered.
I nodded. "Me too."
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VICKY — POV (continued)
That night, I found myself scrolling through old photos—before everything got messy. Before I learned to use words like weapons. Before I started pushing people away.
I stopped at one photo of Mike and me in middle school, laughing at something stupid.
He used to look at me the way he looked at Emily now.
I shut off my phone.
Emily was a problem.
Not because she was weak.
Because she wasn't.
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EMILY — POV (closing)
That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling again. But this time, my thoughts weren't just a tangle of fear. There was something else—curiosity, hope, even a strange kind of anticipation.
Jane, always steady.
Mike, quietly kind.
And Vicky, who confused me more than anyone ever had.
I didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But for the first time, I didn't feel like I was surviving high school alone.
I was tangled in threads I didn't understand yet. But maybe, just maybe, they would lead somewhere.
Somewhere real.
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