Adrian's POV
Damien's eyes locked on mine.
The mask slipped in my hand, my guitar still across my lap.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like the sound would give me away before my voice did.
He leaned against the rail of the rooftop, arms folded, the night breeze blowing at his shirt. His voice came calm, low, and sharp.
"Relax. Your secret is safe with me… on one condition."
I swallowed hard. "W-what condition?"
Damien smirked, almost amused at my panic. "You're going to tutor me. I've been failing for weeks. If my grades don't go up, I get kicked off the basketball team. And if that happens…" he tilted his head, his smile fading for a second, "my father will kill me."
I blinked, speechless. Out of all the things he could've asked for, tutoring wasn't what I expected.
"You want me to… tutor you?" I asked slowly.
"Exactly." He leaned closer, his eyes glinting in the dark. "In return, Nocturne stays safe. Nobody finds out."
I bit the inside of my cheek. My whole world was dangling in his hands, and he knew it. "Fine," I muttered.
"Good," Damien said, stepping back with that same calm smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, glasses."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving me frozen under the stars, my mask still shaking in my grip.
The next morning, my head was heavy from barely sleeping. My steps dragged as I made my way through the school hallway.
"Adrian!" Eleanor's voice cut through the noise. She hurried up to me with Jenna and Amelia trailing behind. "Panda eyes! Did you even sleep last night?"
I sighed. "Don't start."
Jenna snorted. "He looks like he's about to drop dead."
Amelia frowned. "That's not funny."
But before I could answer, the three of them were arguing. It started small, Eleanor rolling her eyes at something Amelia said about studying, then Jenna stepping in.
"You're always acting so perfect," Jenna snapped at Amelia. "Like you're better than us. You're not. You're just a church rat."
The hallway went quiet for a second. Amelia's face turned red, her eyes wide with hurt.
Amelia came from a rich background too but her father embezzled a huge sum of money from the company he worked at and he was sent to prison.
She looked at Eleanor, waiting, almost begging for her to say something. But Eleanor froze. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, like the words got stuck.
Amelia blinked fast, then turned and ran down the hall.
I looked at Eleanor. "Really? You're just going to let her walk away like that?"
"Adrian, it's not that simple—"
"No," I cut in, shaking my head. "That's not who you are. You've always stood up for people. And today, you didn't. I'm disappointed, Eleanor."
Her mouth opened again, but no words came. She just stood there, regret in her eyes, as Jenna pulled her along.
By the time my shift started at the coffee shop, I was already drained. I tied my apron, took orders, and tried to stay focused. The smell of roasted beans filled the air, warm and calming.
But of course, it didn't last.
"Well, well. Look who's serving coffee now," a voice sneered.
I turned, and my stomach sank. Tyler and Michael stood at the counter, smirks plastered on their faces.
"Table for two?" I asked flatly, gripping my notepad.
"Sure," Tyler said, leaning close. "But don't spill on me, Miller. I know you're clumsy."
Michael chuckled as they sat down, already plotting. When I brought their drinks, Tyler "accidentally" knocked the cup, spilling coffee across the table and onto the floor.
"Oops," he said with a fake grin. "Better clean that up before your boss sees."
I bit down my anger and wiped it up quickly. If I snapped, I'd lose my job. That was exactly what they wanted.
After their little game, they finally left, laughing on their way out. I let out a long breath, holding the rag in my hand tighter than I should have.
"Adrian."
I turned. Eleanor stood at the counter, alone this time. Her smile was small, unsure.
"Can we talk?" she asked softly.
I set the rag down and walked closer.
She sighed. "About Amelia… I regret how I handled that. I should've said something. I just… I didn't know what to do. Jenna's my friend too."
Her voice shook, like she hated even admitting it.
I stared at her for a moment. "You froze. You let her down."
"I know." She nodded, her eyes watery. "I hate myself for it. But I swear, I'll fix it."
I said nothing, just turned back to the counter. For now, I didn't know what to believe.
That night, the cough came again. Mom tried to hide it behind her hand, but we all heard.
Sophie looked at Claire across the table, her eyes tight with worry. "She needs a doctor," Sophie whispered.
Claire nodded, but quietly. "We'll figure it out."
Mom smiled faintly, pretending she was fine, but her hands trembled when she held her spoon.
I sat there, my appetite gone. Every part of me wanted to scream, but I stayed quiet. If she broke, our whole world would too.
Later, I climbed the fire escape again, guitar case in hand. But when I reached the rooftop, Damien was already there.
He leaned against the railing, smirking like he'd been waiting all along.
"Tutor time, glasses," he said casually. "Don't look so scared. I learn fast when I want to."
I froze in the doorway, mask in my pocket, my chest tight. My secret was no longer mine.
And Damien Caldwell, the boy I couldn't stop looking at…now knew my secret and I couldn't do anything to change thatChapter 4:
Adrian's POV
Damien's eyes locked on mine.
The mask slipped in my hand, my guitar still across my lap.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like the sound would give me away before my voice did.
He leaned against the rail of the rooftop, arms folded, the night breeze blowing at his shirt. His voice came calm, low, and sharp.
"Relax. Your secret is safe with me… on one condition."
I swallowed hard. "W-what condition?"
Damien smirked, almost amused at my panic. "You're going to tutor me. I've been failing for weeks. If my grades don't go up, I get kicked off the basketball team. And if that happens…" he tilted his head, his smile fading for a second, "my father will kill me."
I blinked, speechless. Out of all the things he could've asked for, tutoring wasn't what I expected.
"You want me to… tutor you?" I asked slowly.
"Exactly." He leaned closer, his eyes glinting in the dark. "In return, Nocturne stays safe. Nobody finds out."
I bit the inside of my cheek. My whole world was dangling in his hands, and he knew it. "Fine," I muttered.
"Good," Damien said, stepping back with that same calm smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, glasses."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving me frozen under the stars, my mask still shaking in my grip.
The next morning, my head was heavy from barely sleeping. My steps dragged as I made my way through the school hallway.
"Adrian!" Eleanor's voice cut through the noise. She hurried up to me with Jenna and Amelia trailing behind. "Panda eyes! Did you even sleep last night?"
I sighed. "Don't start."
Jenna snorted. "He looks like he's about to drop dead."
Amelia frowned. "That's not funny."
But before I could answer, the three of them were arguing. It started small, Eleanor rolling her eyes at something Amelia said about studying, then Jenna stepping in.
"You're always acting so perfect," Jenna snapped at Amelia. "Like you're better than us. You're not. You're just a church rat."
The hallway went quiet for a second. Amelia's face turned red, her eyes wide with hurt.
Amelia came from a rich background too but her father embezzled a huge sum of money from the company he worked at and he was sent to prison.
She looked at Eleanor, waiting, almost begging for her to say something. But Eleanor froze. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, like the words got stuck.
Amelia blinked fast, then turned and ran down the hall.
I looked at Eleanor. "Really? You're just going to let her walk away like that?"
"Adrian, it's not that simple—"
"No," I cut in, shaking my head. "That's not who you are. You've always stood up for people. And today, you didn't. I'm disappointed, Eleanor."
Her mouth opened again, but no words came. She just stood there, regret in her eyes, as Jenna pulled her along.
By the time my shift started at the coffee shop, I was already drained. I tied my apron, took orders, and tried to stay focused. The smell of roasted beans filled the air, warm and calming.
But of course, it didn't last.
"Well, well. Look who's serving coffee now," a voice sneered.
I turned, and my stomach sank. Tyler and Michael stood at the counter, smirks plastered on their faces.
"Table for two?" I asked flatly, gripping my notepad.
"Sure," Tyler said, leaning close. "But don't spill on me, Miller. I know you're clumsy."
Michael chuckled as they sat down, already plotting. When I brought their drinks, Tyler "accidentally" knocked the cup, spilling coffee across the table and onto the floor.
"Oops," he said with a fake grin. "Better clean that up before your boss sees."
I bit down my anger and wiped it up quickly. If I snapped, I'd lose my job. That was exactly what they wanted.
After their little game, they finally left, laughing on their way out. I let out a long breath, holding the rag in my hand tighter than I should have.
"Adrian."
I turned. Eleanor stood at the counter, alone this time. Her smile was small, unsure.
"Can we talk?" she asked softly.
I set the rag down and walked closer.
She sighed. "About Amelia… I regret how I handled that. I should've said something. I just… I didn't know what to do. Jenna's my friend too."
Her voice shook, like she hated even admitting it.
I stared at her for a moment. "You froze. You let her down."
"I know." She nodded, her eyes watery. "I hate myself for it. But I swear, I'll fix it."
I said nothing, just turned back to the counter. For now, I didn't know what to believe.
That night, the cough came again. Mom tried to hide it behind her hand, but we all heard.
Sophie looked at Claire across the table, her eyes tight with worry. "She needs a doctor," Sophie whispered.
Claire nodded, but quietly. "We'll figure it out."
Mom smiled faintly, pretending she was fine, but her hands trembled when she held her spoon.
I sat there, my appetite gone. Every part of me wanted to scream, but I stayed quiet. If she broke, our whole world would too.
Later, I climbed the fire escape again, guitar case in hand. But when I reached the rooftop, Damien was already there.
He leaned against the railing, smirking like he'd been waiting all along.
"Tutor time, glasses," he said casually. "Don't look so scared. I learn fast when I want to."
I froze in the doorway, mask in my pocket, my chest tight. My secret was no longer mine.
And Damien Caldwell, the boy I couldn't stop looking at…now knew my secret and I couldn't do anything to change that.