Chapter 9 The next day . " The Leech " had spread through our entire grade . [ ] First my class , then the whole sophomore year , then everyone in school knew . [ ] Everywhere I went , people were talking . ] " Look , there's that leech girl . " [ ] " So pathetic , won't leave the poor guy alone . " ] ] " Heard she's been like this since they were kids . Gross . " [ ] I kept trying to confront Dylan about it . [ ] Wanted to ask if he really said all that shit . Wanted to know why he'd destroy me like this . Wanted to know what eighteen years meant to him . [ ] But every time I got close , I chickened out . [ ] What if he admitted it ? How was I supposed to deal with that ? ] And if he denied it ? Should I even believe him ? Madison had sounded so sure , so detailed about everything . [ ] Plus the way Dylan acted around her now … it was pretty obvious something had changed . [ ] The worst part ? I couldn't trust him anymore . [ ] The guy who used to fight my battles had become the one hurting me most . [ ] The person who promised to protect me forever had just thrown me to the wolves . ] Trust is like glass - once it's shattered , you can't put it back together . ] The online harassment kept getting worse too . [ ] Someone created a group chat specifically to destroy me . [ ] Called it " Get The Leech Out of Riverside High . " [ ] Every day they'd post pictures of me with disgusting captions . ] " Leech spotting : cafeteria bloodsucking session . " [ ] " Parasite stalking her host again . Shameless . " ] ] " Someone needs to get this freak expelled . " [ ] People even started following me around , taking pictures of everything I did . [ ] Chapter 9 When I went to work , they called it " putting on a show for Dylan . " [ ] " Stop acting poor . Just trying to get sympathy . " [ ] " Oscar - worthy performance . Should be an actress . " ] When I saved money and ate cheap food , I was " fake playing victim . " [ ] " Look at her wearing rags on purpose . So manipulative . " ] " These girls are disgusting - leeching off people while pretending to be innocent . " ] . When I studied hard , I was " trying to trap Dylan with grades . " ] " Who cares if she's smart ? She's still trash . " ] " Probably planning to follow him to college . Gross . " ] Nothing I did mattered . ] In their eyes , leeches didn't deserve to exist in the first place . ] I didn't deserve to live . Didn't deserve to breathe . [ ] Didn't deserve to take up space in this world . [ ] The final straw came on a rainy night . ] ] Right before midterms , I was at the library studying super late . I'd basically been living there for weeks . ] Not because I loved studying , but because I couldn't stand going back to my dorm . Couldn't deal with my roommates ' nasty comments and disgusted looks . [ ] When I came out , it was past ten at night . [ ] The sky had opened up - pouring rain , water already pooling everywhere . [ ] I stood in the library doorway , not sure what to do . ] I didn't have an umbrella . [ ] Weather said it would be sunny . Who knew it would just start dumping rain ? [ ] I was debating whether to make a run for it when I saw someone I recognized well . [ ] ( 0 ) Chaprer TO Chapter 10 Dylan was walking over with an umbrella . ] My heart jumped . Was he here for me this late ?] Did he know I didn't have an umbrella ? Was he actually- [ ] " Dylan … " I started , hope creeping into my voice . " What are you still doing here ? " ] He frowned , clearly annoyed . " Have you seen Madison ? Is she still inside ? " Oh . ] He was looking for Madison . My heart dropped into my stomach . ] " No. " My voice came out barely a whisper . [ ] " That's weird . She said she'd be at the library . " ] He pulled out his phone to call her , fingers flying across the screen . [ ] Just then , Madison came out from another exit . ] ] She was wearing this white dress that was getting soaked by the rain . [ ] " Dylan ! " She ran over with this huge smile . " You came to pick me up ! " [ ] " We agreed on it , didn't we ? " Dylan moved the umbrella over her without even thinking . Like he'd done it a million times before . Madison finally " noticed " me . Her acting was flawless - pretending she hadn't seen me standing there the whole time . ] " Oh ! Avery's here too . You don't have an umbrella ? " ] Her voice was all fake surprise mixed with pure satisfaction . ] I shook my head . Couldn't trust myself to speak . ] She smiled sweetly . " What a shame . Our umbrella's only big enough for two people . " ] Then she added , " Maybe you should wait here ? See if anyone you know comes by ? " [ ] Dylan glanced at me . ]] It was this weird look - hesitation , maybe some guilt , but mostly just annoyance . [ ] His mouth opened like he wanted to say something . ] ] I waited . For him to say " I'll walk you back . " For him to say " You take the umbrella . " For him to show even the tiniest bit of Chapter 10 care . But he said nothing . Just held the umbrella over Madison and walked away . [ ] Madison looked back at me with this smug little smile . [ ] She'd won . Completely and totally won . ] ] I stood there watching them disappear under that umbrella . [ ] Dylan was being so careful , tilting it mostly over her to keep her dry . Just like he used to do for me . [ ] The rain kept getting heavier . Each drop stung when it hit me , but nothing hurt like my chest did . ] Twelve years ago , he tilted that umbrella completely over me . ] ] Twelve years later , he walked away with someone else . [ ] And I was just the leech left standing in the rain . [ ] The pathetic part ? I kept waiting . For him to turn around . For him to remember I existed . For him to realize I was still stuck out there . But he didn't . Just kept walking without looking back . ] Like I was already gone . [] ( 1 ) Discover our latest featured short drama reel. 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