I can’t breathe—I can’t breathe.

He’s hugging me.

This boy… is hugging me.

My lungs are tight. My chest aches. My head is spinning so fast I feel like I might faint. He just—he killed his uncle. His uncle, who’s lying beside me now, completely still.

Lifeless.

I can’t think. I can’t see straight. I need to—

*Huff. Huff.*

I’m hyperventilating. My whole body’s shaking. I can’t stop trembling, and my eyes—God, my eyes are stinging.

Why is his uncle’s hand on my lap?

Ew. Ew. It’s still warm. I can feel the blood soaking through my jeans, sticky and thick. And him—why is he still hugging me?

Why the hell is he hugging me?!

I want to shove him off. Kick. Scream. Something.

But I can’t. I’m frozen. My arms won’t move.

Focus. Focus on your breathing. You have to calm down. You have to—

“It’s okay now,” he says, like this is all normal.

“Take slow, gentle breaths in. My mom says when you breathe too fast, you lose oxygen and trap carbon dioxide. You’ll feel better if you slow it down. Trust me. I’ve been through this. Hannah too.”

What?!

What the F_CK are you talking about?!

Why are you calm?!

Why are you smiling?!

You just killed someone! You killed your uncle!

And now you’re giving me breathing tips?

His hand pats my back and I flinch. It only makes things worse.

My heart is pounding so hard I can’t hear anything else. It’s in my ears, my chest, my fingertips—everywhere.

Everything’s spinning.

I need to get out.

“Hey! Don’t try to get up. You’ll hurt yourself.”

Hurt myself? Was that a warning? A threat?

Oh god. Is he going to kill me too?

My stomach twists. Something’s wrong.

Did I get hit? Stabbed? No—I just feel sick.

Urgh… blurgh!

“See? I told you. Now you’ve vomited,” he says, like it’s no big deal.

“You should’ve stayed put.”

NO.

NO! I shouldn’t even be here. I need to find my aunt.

There!—It’s the door.

“Hey, Kyle, sis! Don’t go out there—it’s not safe!”

I need to—

_______________________________________________________________________________

When did all of this happened?

Oh, right. A week ago.

It all began with Mom asking me to visit Aunt Marie. She told me to head to some random island where Aunt Marie lives. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I mean, I’d only talked to Aunt Marie a few times online—WhatsApp, Messenger, stuff like that.

What if I’d just said no? What if I’d told Mom I couldn’t go because I had volleyball practice, or that I wanted to hang out with my friends? What if I’d just ignored her request and gone to bed like I wanted to?

I wouldn’t be here, stuck on this stupid island. I’d be home, living my normal, quiet life. I miss my family—Mom, Dad, Kyle. I miss my friends.

I remember how it all started so clearly. The sunlight streaming through my bedroom window. The breeze coming in. The obnoxious beeping of my alarm clock.

Ring~ Ring~ Ring~

"Aria, honey, get up now or you’ll be late,” Mom called from downstairs.

I groaned, pulled the pillow over my head. Just five more minutes. I barely slept—stayed up studying, and then had a weird dream. Something about a crow... or a raven? It left me feeling strange—neither good nor bad.

Ring~ Ring~ Ring~

“Ugh, fine.” I sat up, silenced my alarm, and rubbed my eyes.

The sky outside was perfectly blue, and the air felt crisp. On my study table, the sunflowers in the vase seemed to glow. I smiled and whispered a small prayer of gratitude.

My room’s small but cozy—bed by the closet, study table by the window, mirror to the right, door near the hallway. The peaceful vibe? All thanks to Mom.

We live on the second floor, next to my brother Kyle and my parents. Each room has its own bathroom—super convenient.

Knock, knock.

“Aria, the bus will be here in ten minutes! Your dad can’t drive you, so hurry. It’s the last day of school—you can sleep all you want tomorrow!”

From the smell upstairs, I guessed Mom had cooked something special. My stomach growled.

“I’m up, Mom! Be down in a few!” I shouted back.

I got up and did my routine—made the bed, closed the window, fixed the table, washed up, got dressed, brushed my hair, and put on my black wristwatch.

Heading to the kitchen, I smiled. It was one of my favorite places, just like our garden—Mom’s flowers and Dad’s herbs always made it feel peaceful.

At the dining table, my jaw nearly dropped—Mom went all out. It looked like a spread from a cooking show. Dad came in, silent as ever.

“Good morning, Dad. How was yesterday?”

“It was fine, thank you.”

Classic Dad—distant, but I know he cares. I wish he’d show it more.

“Where’s your brother? Call Kyle, please.”

“Sure.” I walked to the stairs and yelled, “Kyyyyyle! Get down here, you hard-headed teeennnager!”

His door opened. “Aaaaariaaa! You’re dead!”

I laughed as I returned to the kitchen. Mom shot me a look.

“Aria, don’t talk to your brother like that.”

I pouted. Before she could scold me, Dad interrupted sweetly, “Good morning, honey bunny. How was your day?”

I cringed. Here we go. Dad went full rom-com mode with Mom. It’s like he has two personalities—stoic with us, clingy with her. But I guess that’s just love.

Grandma once said Mom used to be a rebel and Dad was emo. Still hard to believe.

Back to the present—I had less than three minutes. I needed to eat and avoid Kyle.

He’s six feet tall, charming, and way too popular. Girls always compare us or use me to get close to him. But I know the real Kyle—he screams at cockroaches and runs from horror movies.

I stood on a chair to reach the top shelf, grabbed containers, and filled them with Vietnamese rolls, squid rings, lettuce, rice, and beef with broccoli.

Mom raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that too much?”

I grinned. “Just right for a hungry 17-year-old.” In truth, I wanted to share it with my friends. They always praised Mom’s cooking, and I loved it.

Just then, the bus honked. I heard Kyle’s footsteps thunder upstairs. Crap—my bag was by the couch, right in his path.

I grabbed the food, shouted, “Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! Love you!” and bolted.

“Be careful,” Dad called out.

“If you drop that food, you’re cleaning it up!” Mom added.

At the stairs, Kyle was already coming down.

“You dumb girl!” he barked.

Ugh, not today. Clutching the containers, I ducked low, spun left, then right—dodged him perfectly.

“You freak!” I yelled, stuffing the food in my bag and rushing for the door.

The bus had just opened its door.

“Wait for me!” I shouted, sprinting past the gate, ignoring Kyle’s annoyed roar behind me.

Now that I’m on the bus, I finally feel safe. I slid into a window seat near the exit and let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. That rush from dodging Kyle? It felt like the adrenaline I get during volleyball matches.

I knew he wouldn’t chase me—he never skips Mom’s cooking. The thought made me grin. Score one for little sister.

As I settled in, I glanced outside. I felt a mix of relief, pride, and maybe a bit of smug satisfaction.

Behind me, a conversation caught my ear.

“Hey, Raven, I played that mobile game you told me about last night—ML or something? I got so hooked, I forgot to finish my student clearance stuff.”

“I told you to play it when you had free time, dimwit. Don’t blame me, dogu.”

“Wait, what’s ‘dogu’?”

“It means ‘dog, you.’”

“‘Dog, you?’ That sounds like... dog poop or... something worse.”

“Exactly. It is an insult.”

“Why are you so mean, Raven?”

“You blamed me for your mess. What do you expect?”

“Ohh, I get it. Is it your red day? I was just—”

I smirked. “Dogu,” I whispered. What a word. I liked her attitude. That pair had something going on, for sure. Childhood friends? Secret crushes? Whatever it was, they were entertaining. I mentally added dogu to my vocabulary.

I popped in my earbuds, pulled out my phone, and played some classical music—my usual travel soundtrack. As I leaned against the window, my mind wandered to something they’d mentioned: student clearance.

Thank goodness our teachers went easy on us. Instead of last-minute projects, we just had quizzes. Less weight in my bag, less stress on my brain. All I had with me were the essentials—pencil case, phone, volleyball attire, and a change of clothes. I’d prepped everything last night before studying. Good job, Aria. You earned that little win.

I must’ve dozed off, because the next thing I knew, we were pulling up to campus. The bus stopped in front of the main hall, and students started filing out.

Raven and her guy were among the first to hop off. I tucked my earbuds away and checked my bag.

Just as I was about to stand, I looked out the window—and froze.

Jared.

My longtime crush. Tall, brown curls, strong brows, thick lashes... and those soft brown eyes that always seem to glow in the morning light.

As if he felt my gaze, he turned.

Oh no.

My brain short-circuited.

Without thinking, I dropped down like I was dodging a sniper and practically hugged the bus floor.

What are you doing, Aria? Are you twelve?

“Uh, you okay back there?” the bus driver asked, clearly amused.

I peeked up. Jared was already walking toward the hall, thankfully not looking back. I was also the last person on the bus.

“N-No, I’m good! Sorry, just… getting off now,” I stammered, mortified.

Why am I like this? Emotions are so dumb sometimes.

I stood up and headed for the exit, still cringing at myself.

Just as I stepped off, the driver smiled at me.

“You don’t have to hide like that, girl. He probably doesn’t even know you. Chin up and act chill, okay?”

She saw everything.

I flushed. Her words stung, mostly because they were true. I gave her a sheepish smile before she shut the door and drove off.

I stood there for a moment, wanting to disappear—to a mountain, a forest, anywhere I could scream into the wind. That fluttery feeling in my stomach? Definitely not cute. Not a fan.

I glanced at my watch. Almost time for the bell. Time to pull myself together.