Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 77

(Angel's POV)

The morning sun filtered through the hazy clouds and warmed up the center's wide field. The staff gathered us for another grueling drill session and said it was to "promote physical endurance." I couldn't focus on the instructor's barking orders because my mind was elsewhere. Anxiety had been glued to me since I stepped on the field.

I could feel their eyes on me.

As I jogged along the dirt track with the rest of the group, snippets of gossips reached me like venomous arrows.

"Have you seen them together?" one girl said in a curious tone.

"They're inseparable," another said eagerly. "Thomas and Angel. Can you believe it?"

My chest tightened, and I stole a glance at the two girls ahead of me. Their heads were bent close, and their voices were just loud enough for me to hear every word.

"They've been sneaking around. I saw them last night near the porch," one girl whispered as if it were a secret. "Do you think they're, like, together-together?"

The other girl giggled. "Obviously. Why else would they be so cozy all the time?"

The other one chipped in, "That Angel is a real thing, isn't she? It's like she's something out of a fucking horror movie. I mean, she hooks up with her own brother, and then his friend? That's just wrong. She's a total slut."

and their judgment. I knew the rumors were spreading, but hearing them out loud felt like

They weren't doing drills but were lounging around and

hear. Why was he always loud? "Angel's a catch. Smart and pretty... I'd trade places with him any day." what's he even saying?

and one of them clapped Eddie on the back. "Better watch out,

stopped jogging

I tried to stay composed. Hendrix's name lingered in my mind as a ringing reminder of the fractured bond between us. I couldn't shake the guilt or stop

startling me. I started jogging again, but my movements

later and left me drenched in sweat and utterly drained. As I walked back to the dorms, I kept my head down and avoided eye contact

...

the journal's disappearance. If I was going to

anywhere, but confronting her outright wasn't an option. Ava was too

keeping a closer eye on Ava during mealtimes and observed her interactions with others. Ava seemed distracted lately and not as sharp as she usually was. She spent less time with

feeling

Ava sitting a few tables away. She was staring at her phone and tapping her fingers nervously against the table. I studied her quietly and tried to figure out the emotions flickering across her face. Was it guilt? Anxiety? I couldn't

by Ellen's cheerful voice. "You okay, sweetheart? You've barely

up, startled. Ellen was a kind woman in her late forties with warm brown eyes and a motherly demeanor. She'd taken a liking to me early on

with a faint smile.

her apron. "You need to eat, dear. Can't have you

smile widened slightly, and it was the first

lowered her voice. "You know,