The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights by Brick Moving Ant

Chapter 16

The crushing workload of senior year AP classes hit like a freight train.

Sid and I both attacked it with a kind of obsessive focus. We discovered we were intellectual kindred spirits—both genuinely energized by learning rather than exhausted by it.

We devoured new concepts, already thinking ahead to college coursework.

We fell into an easy rhythm of swapping notes, talking through difficult concepts, and challenging each other with extra problems neither teacher had assigned.

Days blurred together in a productive bubble that felt safely distant from my old life.

After midterms, during evening study hall, I heard the chair beside me scrape against the floor.

Without looking up from my calculus proofs, I slid over a container of sliced apples and

strawberries.

“My mom’s on a health kick again. She sent enough for both of us, Sid.”

“How much longer are you planning to keep up this bullshit, Phoebe?” My head snapped up.

Zephyr was lounging in Sid’s seat.

He had positioned himself to block me into the corner, one arm stretched across the back of my

chair.

“So you ghosted me, switched to AP without saying a word, and now you’re playing house with this preppy little bitch to make me jealous? Who the fuck said you could do that?”

at the same college, you need to drop this

went deadly

an intense interest in their textbooks while obviously straining to hear

Chapter 16

that contained zero humor, meeting his

Sid’s

eyes narrowed dangerously.

I decide where I sit.”

pushing him away, but he grabbed my wrist, yanking me toward

roughness.

was bruising, his physical advantage

of powerlessness I’d felt in the bathroom returned

same mix of

“Excuse me.”

taps on Zephyr’s desk.

in

perfect posture, head slightly tilted as he

recognize you from our AP Physics section. Are you new?”

just enough emphasis to make his point

face transformed with rage, launching to his feet to grab Sid’s

He calmly pointed to the clock on the

seconds. He’s

out a string of obscenities, shoving Sid aside

moment Sid reclaimed his seat, he turned to

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