The peace of autumn on campus is deceptive.
Underneath the amber leaves and crisp air, secrets twist like ivy—tight and suffocating.
---
It begins with a text from an unknown number.
*"I know what you did last summer."*
My breath catches.
I stare at the screen, heart pounding.
Who would send this? What could they possibly know?
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The next day, whispers follow me through corridors.
Eyes glance quickly, then dart away.
I try to ignore it, bury myself in books and poetry.
But the weight of suspicion is a stone in my chest.
---
Tari notices.
"Talk to me," he says gently.
I want to, but the secret feels like a wall closing in.
How do you confess the past you've fought so hard to forget?
---
That evening, Nene pulls me aside.
"You can't keep carrying this alone," she says firmly.
Her eyes are fierce, like a mother lion protecting her cub.
For once, I don't argue.
---
I tell them everything.
The mistake.
The betrayal.
The nights spent questioning if I'm worthy of forgiveness.
---
Tari listens without judgment.
Nene holds my hand.
And for the first time, I feel a flicker of hope amidst the storm.
---
But the shadows don't disappear.
They wait.
Watching.
Patient.
---
The next day, I'm walking to class when I hear footsteps behind me—quick, deliberate.
I turn.
It's Kadeem. The guy I thought I left behind in high school.
The one who never forgot.
His grin is cruel, like he's holding a secret just for me.
"Thought you could hide, huh?" he sneers.
My throat tightens. "What do you want?"
He leans closer, voice low and sharp. "Just a little payback."
---
I'm frozen.
The past I tried to bury is clawing its way back—louder, darker.
---
That night, Tari stays by my side.
"Let me help," he says.
But I'm scared.
Not of Kadeem.
Of what healing might cost.
---
Days blur.
Threatening messages.
Cold stares.
A test I'm not sure I can pass.
---
Until one evening, Tari shows up with a plan.
"We face this together," he says.
And for the first time, I don't feel alone in the dark.
---