My Deadly Secret Admirer..

The air in the kitchen was thick with the scent of green apples and unspoken tension. "Can't you be any more annoying?" I demanded, shoving my older brother, Aaron. He merely laughed, pulling me into a headlock and ruffling my hair, a familiar ritual that usually ended with me squirming away.

"Ugh! Get away from me!" I protested, half-heartedly, before pretending to strangle him. "Shut up, Aaron! You've been a total pain all afternoon!" His giggles followed me as I stomped towards the kitchen, seeking refuge in a crisp apple.

"Come on! It's no wonder you don't have a boyfriend, little sis', you're so boring!" His chuckle hit me harder than any shove. The green apple slipped from my grasp, thudding loudly against the tiled floor, the sound echoing the sudden ache in my chest. Boyfriend. My dead boyfriend. Chris. A year later, and the word still brought a wave of nausea, a vivid flash of the horrific details the police had shared about the body found under that old bridge. Strangled, beaten, burned, acid poured on his face—the gruesome image still haunted my nightmares.

Aaron, sensing my shift, pulled me into a tight, comforting hug. "I'm such an idiot! Forget what I said—I'm a jerk," he murmured. "No," I whined, leaning into him. "It's not your fault. What happened, happened, and we can't do anything about it." He crouched, meeting my gaze. "Everything is going to be okay. I'm here now. I will always be at your side."

I mumbled an excuse about homework and retreated to my room, the laptop a familiar comfort. Sami's email blinked on the screen: Kristen Lowenthenal's birthday party. A groan escaped me. Parties weren't my scene. But then, a name caught my eye: Clark. Clark Galen, my newest crush, sweet and patient, slowly pulling me out of the darkness. Sami knew me too well. Defeated, I glanced at the clock: 6:50 PM. I had nothing to lose. A quick shower, and then, perhaps, a step towards something new.