Defying Him

On a bright Monday morning, sunlight danced across the windshield as my brother drove us to school. I sat in the passenger seat, wringing my trembling hands. I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, hoping to steady myself. I missed him so much.

Noah caught the movement and shot me a sidelong glance. I tried to hide my nerves with a quiet cough, then rested my head against the headrest, feigning indifference.

Usually, our commute was calm and almost comforting—just the low hum of the engine filling the space between us. But today, the silence felt thick and suffocating. A knot tightened in my stomach, and I struggled to maintain a calm façade.

Seeking comfort, I brushed my fingers against the gold necklace Noah had given me for our twelfth birthday. I missed our shared laughter and the bond that had once made us inseparable. A pang of all-too-familiar guilt twisted in my insides, reminding me of how I had ruined it by relying on him too much.

After we moved and started fresh in our sophomore year, Noah finally shrugged off the burden of being my twin. He started using his middle name as a surname, dropping me off a block from school so no one would guess our connection.

A sudden roar of an engine broke my train of thought. I glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see a motorcyclist in a leather jacket whip past, perilously close. My pulse jumped, irritation prickling beneath my skin. Drayton Callum. He had no regard for the safety of others. A selfish, spoiled, lazy asshole. He lived in the wealthy part of town. What was he doing here?

“Douche,” Noah muttered, barely audible.

I didn’t glance in his direction, acting oblivious to the tension in the air. I wanted to believe he was over it, but I knew the truth: Drayton had once been his closest friend. Three weeks ago, when school started after summer break, Drayton returned a different person. He quit the football team, cut off his friends, started hanging around his own brother—the one everyone said he hated. I found it odd, but not surprising. Drayton had always seemed to wear a mask, acting more extroverted to fit in.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I unbuckled my seatbelt as Noah parked at the curb. I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and opened the door.

“Have a good day,” Noah said, his voice tight. His fingers tapped restlessly against the wheel.

“You too,” I replied, forcing a smile as I closed the door.

I watched him drive off, an ache settling in my chest. Walking briskly to school, I tried to shake off the heaviness. I hated seeing him so bothered by Drayton. How he could care about such an asshole I never knew.

These morning walks usually cleared my mind. Not today. I checked my phone—thirty minutes until first period. Once I entered the double doors of the school, the air buzzed with chatter as students moved in various directions. Feeling the urge to pee, I headed straight to the nearest girls’ bathroom. Once I’d taken care of my business, I went to the sink to wash my hands. The door swung open and three familiar girls entered, their chatter quieting as soon as they saw me.

Shoulders hunched, I grabbed paper towels from the dispenser and dried my hands. In the mirror, I watched Giselle and Hailey touch up their hair and makeup with easy expertise. Giselle—stunning enough to grace a fashion magazine cover—beamed with excitement.

“I’m in the happiest relationship of my life,” Giselle said, tilting her head back as she swept mascara onto her lashes.

“Lucky girl,” Hailey murmured. “Every time I think I’m in love, I end up being a plaything. Maybe it’s my fault...”

Ava gave her a quizzical look. “How is it your fault?”

Hailey shrugged, rubbing her hands over her arms. “I let guys treat me that way, hoping that they’d change.”

I could do without the drama that often accompanied boys. As I exited the bathroom and made my way to my locker, I felt a twinge of pity for Giselle’s boyfriend. She had dated Drayton for half a year and was so obviously not over him. Even after he ended things just before summer, she still watched him in the halls two weeks into the new school year—a look of longing and pain she tried to hide.

At my locker, I spun the combination and grabbed my English books, shutting the door with a soft clunk. A sigh escaped my lips. I’d always preferred math and science. Noah did, too.

As soon as I stepped into class, my gaze locked on Drayton. Fire ignited in my veins as I stared at him—composed, unbothered, sitting in the second row directly behind my seat. His long lashes shaded his eyes as he scrolled through his phone, oblivious. Selfish asshole. He could have hit us with that reckless driving. Sunlight streamed through the windows, carving sharp lines along his cheekbones and catching the crease between his brows. He squinted against the brightness, momentarily thrown.

I hope the sun burns you raw one day.

Drayton glanced up. Our eyes met for a split second before I looked away, mortified he’d caught me watching. I took my seat beside Clara, my cheeks flushing, my pulse pounding in my temples. Did he think I was checking him out? Probably not.I paid attention to him. Not for his looks, but because his attitude infuriated me. I’d watched classmates do his homework, heard whispers about rich kids getting exam papers to cheat, and seen him glide through crowded halls as if people should part for him. But none of that compared to the worst thing—he’d hurt Noah, pretending to be his friend.

“No good morning? What’s up?” Clara’s voice startled me. I turned to find her watching me, curiosity flickering in her eyes.

“Just tired,” I said, trying to pull off a sleepy smile.

“Trust me, I’m way more tired.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I pulled an all-nighter and had a full breakdown finishing an assignment. I never wear makeup, but I had to use concealer today just to look alive.”

That was unlike her—she always worked ahead. “That sucks,” I said, feigning sympathy.

She shrugged. “It’s hard to focus today,” she muttered, eyes falling back to her notebook.

Oh, no. Whenever Clara was in a bad mood, she took it out on me. I braced myself for the insults, as always. She and Ivy were all I had. To keep them as friends, I took a leap of faith in my sophomore year and told them that Noah was my twin brother. Luckily, they kept the secret. Noah’s friends discovered it that same year when they visited our house and saw a family picture.

Mrs. Rosemary bustled in as the final bell rang, a stack of essays in her arms. A hush fell over the room, an ominous silence like that before a storm. Her brows knitted in a tight frown, and she set the stack down with a thud.

I straightened up in my seat, knowing her mood had nothing to do with me. The essay assignment had been a group project, and as always, I’d worked hard to keep my grades perfect. I was a straight A student, and medical school was the goal.

She started calling names for attendance and was about halfway through when she said mine. I answered yes, just loud enough for her to hear me.

When she finished, she scanned the classroom, eyeing her prey like a hawk. “Today, I’m handing back the grades for your essay. I’m disappointed in most of you. If you keep this up, you won’t reach your dreams. Don’t let laziness and peer pressure destroy your future.”

Drayton coughed behind me, and I resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder. I simply added “annoying” to the ever-growing list of reasons I wished he’d disappear from my everyday life.

“After you check your feedback, answer the chapter questions in your book. Note any that you don’t understand and study the material again,” Mrs. Rosemary continued, handing out marked essays while students whispered among themselves.

I flipped open my book, eager to start. Three minutes later, Mrs. Rosemary paused at my desk, her expression troubled. She set down our five-page essay, shaking her head. In glaring red pen across the top: C-minus. Blood froze in my veins. I opened my mouth to speak, but every word in my vocabulary had scampered away. I couldn’t believe this. It was like a nightmare.

“You two are academically gifted. This is disappointing,” she said, before stepping away to speak with Drayton.

I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and looked again. It was still there. C-minus. It had to be a mistake. My eyes darted across the page, finding unfamiliar text. It clicked together in my head, and I pressed my nails into my palms, each breath scraping my throat.

I shot Clara an accusing look. “You gave our essay to Drayton,” I hissed, voice low.

She swallowed, blue eyes darting to the side. Leaning in, she whispered, “Yes. I promised him an A, but I forgot to do his work. I’m a woman of my word, so I had no choice.”

I forced myself to breathe, steadying my voice. “That’s not fair. You had no right getting me involved. You should’ve faced the consequences alone. It was your choice to help him.”

“I was just doing him a favor,” she snapped, a frown overtaking her features, and blond brows slashed downward. “Can’t you at least appreciate that I worked all night? You’re so self-centered—one reason people don’t like you.”

Her words knifed through me, old wounds flaring. The hurt receded immediately, and in its wake, my anger intensified. Words left my mouth before I had time to stop them. “Doing Drayton’s work won’t make him like you. How can anyone respect you if you let yourself be used?”

She gaped at me, cheeks coloring. “How dare you talk to me like that, you little bitch!” She raked her fingers through her hair, breathing hard, then turned sharply to Drayton.

“Hey, Dray. What grade did you get on the essay?” she asked, voice suddenly syrupy.

He didn’t look up right away. “A.”

“That’s good.” She sighed dramatically. “We could have gotten one too, if my partner had put in more effort. Luckily, I’m forgiving, so I won’t hold it against her.”

The audacity. I bit the inside of my cheek, holding back my fury. With a few sharp breaths that did nothing to ease the burn creeping up my throat, I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t say anything else I’d regret. The reality set in: if Clara didn’t forgive me, I’d spend my senior year alone. Worse, Noah would be disappointed in me for becoming a loner again.

When Drayton didn’t respond, Clara turned back to me. “Just in case you didn’t get it, we aren’t friends anymore. Ivy takes my side, obviously. Good luck without us.”

Pride meant nothing when I had more at stake. Better to be fake than lonely. I pasted on an apologetic smile. “I’m really sorry. Can we just put this behind us?”

She wrinkled her nose. “No way,” she said, waving me off.

My stomach churned. I decided to give her space, hoping she’d cool off. I opened my notebook, gripping my pen hard enough to make my knuckles ache, but the swirl of anxiety in my head made it impossible to focus.

Everything’s going to be okay, I told myself. I just had to find a way to fix things with Clara, even if it meant going as low as begging. Ivy, her best friend, was kinder, but she always took Clara’s side, offering nothing more than a silent flicker of sympathy whenever I was insulted. Their bond had been growing since childhood, layered with years of trust and secrets, while I was left with scraps—school gossip.

When the bell rang, shrill and sudden, Clara was out the door before I even stood. A headache throbbed behind my eyes as I packed my bag. The C-minus taunted me from the desk. I jerked back, startled as my chair scraped loudly against the floor, echoing in the sudden silence.

My chest tightened as anger surged inside me, like a volcano about to erupt. First my brother, now my GPA. I snatched the essay up, crumpling it to my chest as if hiding it could erase the failure. Drayton was the source of my frustration, the embodiment of everything that felt unfair.

“To hell with you, Drayton,” I muttered under my breath.

His voice broke through the silence like a dagger, slicing my reality apart. “Say that again.”