Chapter 36

Pov: Jules

The assignment in front of me is an afterthought. My pen twirls between my fingers, and from the way Harper is leaning dramatically against the desk, I can tell she's about two minutes away from giving up entirely.

"Okay, real talk," Allie announces, dropping her pencil onto the table like it personally offended her. "Who's going to the bonfire tomorrow?"

I glance up, barely paying attention, but when I don't immediately answer, all three of them turn to look at me like I just admitted to murder.

"You're going, right?" Tess asks, more curious than pushy.

I shrug, pretending to care about the worksheet in front of me. "Yeah... I guess."

"Oh, she guesses?" Harper smirks, leaning forward. "Interesting. Who are you going with?"

I hesitate, and that's my mistake.

Allie gasps. "Wait. You're going with someone? Who?"

I sigh, already regretting this entire conversation. "Nate."

Harper nearly chokes on air. "Nate? Oh, we're on a nickname basis now? Damn, things are getting serious."

Allie leans in like she's just discovered the hottest gossip of the year. "Oh, this is juicy. Does he just call you Jules or does he have cute nicknames for you?"

I groan, rubbing my temples. "You guys are the worst."

"It's a valid question," Tess adds, a knowing glint in her eye. "A lot of people are going in pairs... it's practically a matchmaking event."

"Yeah, and since you two are already acting like an old married couple, it makes sense," Allie teases.

I roll my eyes. "It was a bet, okay? Not a thing."

Harper waves me off. "Uh-huh. That's how it always starts."

"I hate you all," I mutter, shoving my pen at Harper. "Here. Do my worksheet if you're so determined to talk instead of work."

Harper pushes it back toward me with a smirk. "Nah, I'm invested now."

Tess tilts her head. "Do you even know what you're wearing?"

I blink. "Shit. No."

"Perfect," Harper declares. "We'll come over after dinner and fix that."

"And while we're there, I wanna see if the boys' dorm is as gross as people say," Allie adds.

I groan again, but they're already moving on to new topics, my suffering long forgotten.

While Allie and Tess get distracted talking about some couple drama, Harper nudges me with her knee under the desk and leans in.

"So... about the whole Nathan and your parents thing. Did you tell him?"

My stomach tightens, but I nod. "I kinda had to. His dad showed up."

Harper nearly knocks over her water bottle. "WHAT?"

Allie and Tess both turn to look at us.

Harper immediately waves them off. "Nothing. I just—uh—remembered something."

They share a look but go back to their conversation. Harper refocuses on me, her voice low. "Explain. Now."

I exhale, keeping my voice quiet as I summarize what happened. How David Talon cornered me. How he acted like he knew something. How Nathan demanded answers, and I had no choice but to tell him.

Harper listens, her face shifting from shock to concern. "Jules, this is insane. What did Nathan even say?"

"Not much. He was pissed. At first, he was sharp, demanding answers, but then... something shifted. Like he realized getting mad wouldn't change anything. He just stood there, quiet, like he was processing everything all at once. And then after that he was fine, I guess."

Harper shakes her head. "That boy is a mystery."

"Tell me about it."

Harper gives me a long look. "So, where do you two even stand now?"

I open my mouth, then close it, because fuck if I know. "I don't know."

Harper smirks. "Well, you're going to a bonfire with him, so I'd say that's progress."

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Lunch is a disaster before it even starts.

"So, Jules," Allie begins, way too pleased with herself. "What's the game plan tomorrow? Are you and Nate gonna pull a dramatic 'we're just friends' act, or should we start taking bets on whether he finally puts his arm around you?"

I glare. "You are so annoying."

But I'm not opposed to the idea of Nathans arm around me.

Harper grins. "But are we wrong?"

Tess, always the level-headed one, tilts her head. "He does seem different around you."

I scoff. "He seems different around Finn too. Does that mean they're soulmates?"

Tess just smiles. "Deny all you want."

Harper subtly tilts her head toward the other side of the cafeteria. "Oh look, there's your date now."

I don't look. Because I know Nathan is sitting over there. And I also know Finn is probably smirking at him.

"Do we wave? Make things super awkward?" Allie asks, wiggling her fingers dramatically.

I grab my fork. "I will stab you."

"You always say that, but I've yet to see any actual stabbing," Harper teases, stealing a fry off my tray.

"Don't tempt me."

Tess, watching Finn, suddenly raises an eyebrow. "Speaking of bonfire pairings... Finn doesn't have a date either."

Allie hums, her smirk shifting into something more mischievous.

Harper gasps suddenly, leaning in like she's just remembered something important. "Wait. Hold on. What if we set Finn up?"

"With who?" I ask, already regretting engaging.

"I don't know yet," she muses, tapping her chin. "But I feel like he needs someone to balance out his Finn-ness."

"Is that even possible?" Tess asks, smirking.

"Hey, miracles happen," Harper replies.

I roll my eyes. "You're all unhinged."

"And yet, you love us," Allie says with a wink, reaching over to steal a piece of my bread roll.

I decide to ignore whatever chaos is forming and focus on my food, though a part of me wonders just how much worse they can make this before the bonfire actually happens.

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I round the corner too fast and—bam—almost crash straight into Nathan.

"Jesus, Nate!" I hiss, stepping back. "Do you not know how to walk like a normal person?"

Nathan barely reacts, his smirk infuriating. "Maybe you should watch where you're going, Wilder."

We don't move. For a second, we're just... standing there. Close enough that I can see the gold flecks in his eyes. Close enough that it feels intentional.

I clear my throat and step back first.

Nathan tilts his head slightly. "See you later."

He turns like it was nothing. Like he didn't just freeze my brain.

I hesitate, then— "Wait."

Nathan stops mid-step, looking over his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Allie, Harper, and Tess are coming over after dinner to help me pick an outfit for tomorrow. Is that okay?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Sure. No need to ask permission, It's your room too."

I nod, shifting awkwardly.

Nathan tilts his head. "Actually, while we're on the topic—give me your number."

I blink. "What?"

Nathan shrugs. "In case you need a fashion consultant last minute."

I roll my eyes but grab his phone, typing my number. "Don't expect me to text you."

Nathan smirks. "Noted."

He pockets his phone and walks away. I should move, but my brain is still catching up.

What was that?

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After dinner, my room is an absolute disaster zone. Clothes are everywhere. My bed is buried under rejected options. Harper, Tess, and Allie are fully in their element—well, Allie is. Tess is at least making an effort to keep things folded, while Harper holds up items and evaluates them with all the seriousness of a presidential debate.

"You need something that says 'effortlessly hot,'" Allie declares, tossing a sweater aside like it personally offended her.

Harper holds up a crop top. "How about this?"

I snatch it from her hands immediately. "Absolutely not."

Tess, ever the voice of reason, holds up a flannel. "Maybe this over a tank?"

Allie groans. "Too basic. C'mon, Jules, live a little."

"Living a little does not mean freezing to death at a bonfire," I counter, crossing my arms.

"It's literally a bonfire, with you know... fire. You'll be fine," Harper says, shaking her head.

Finally, after what feels like hours of torture, they settle on low-waisted dark-wash jeans and a low cut long-sleeve green top. It's simple, casual, but... I don't hate it.

"So, are you and Nathan matching?" Allie teases, smirking as she plops onto my bed.

I feel the blush coming on my cheeks. "I'm going to murder you all in your sleep."

Harper grins. "Totally! You should wear your doctor martens. Really completes the murderer aesthetic."

I throw a pillow at her.

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Later, after Harper, Tess, and Allie finally stop acting like my personal stylists. We just hang out a bit. I collapse onto my bed. My phone buzzes. Nathan.

Nathan: So, did your fashion advisors find you an outfit yet?

Me: Wouldn't you like to know.

Nathan: I mean, if you show up looking ridiculous, I'd like a warning.

Me: You act like you have fashion expertise.

Nathan: Ever heard of New York? We know style.

Me: You wear hoodies and jeans every day...

Nathan: Timeless classics.

I roll my eyes but catch myself smiling before tossing my phone onto my pillow. I refuse to admit this is fun.

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Just as I'm pulling on the final outfit for a last test, the door swings open.

Nathan and Finn freeze in the doorway.

Nathan raises an eyebrow. "What the hell happened here?"

Finn smirks, scanning the disaster that is my room. "Looks like a full-on fashion crisis."

I glare. "What are you doing here?"

Nathan shrugs, unfazed. "I live here?"

Finn grins. "We were gonna grab snacks, but this is much better."

Allie immediately jumps in, thrilled by the timing. "Perfect! Nathan, what do you think of Jules' outfit for the bonfire?"

I groan. "Do NOT answer that."

Nathan takes one slow, deliberate look, his smirk never fading. "Looks fine."

Harper gapes. "Fine? That's all you have to say?"

Finn laughs. "Oh, come on, Talon. You can do better than that."

Nathan just shrugs again, but there's something unreadable in his expression.

"Get. Out." I say through gritted teeth, pointing at the door.

Finn puts his hands up in surrender, still grinning. "Alright, alright, we're leaving."

Nathan doesn't argue, but just as he turns to leave, he glances back at me for half a second longer than necessary. Then they're gone.

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After Allie, Tess, and Harper helped me clean everything up, I'm finally alone. I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at my reflection in the mirror. The outfit they picked out doesn't look bad. It just... looks different. Like someone else's confidence is wearing it instead of me.

I pull out my phone and text Harper.

Me: Are we sure this doesn't look dumb?

Harper responds immediately.

Harper: You look hot, shut up.

A small smile creeps on my face. I let out a breath, tossing my phone onto my bed. I stretch out, trying to force myself to relax.

I change out of my outfit and into some more comfy clothes.

My phone buzzes again. Nathan.

Nathan: Working out with Finn. Be back late :)

I don't respond, just stare at the screen for a moment before locking my phone and setting it down.

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Sleep does not come easy.

When it finally does, it's restless.

I'm at the bonfire, but it's wrong—too bright, too loud. The flames stretch high, licking at the sky, casting shadows that twist and stretch unnaturally. People's faces blur together, voices overlapping in distorted echoes, words that don't make sense, laughter that sounds too sharp, too familiar.

Then I hear it.

"Oh my god, do you seriously think you belong here?"

The voice is unmistakable—Katie.

I spin around, but she's not there. Just faceless silhouettes, merging and shifting. Laughter swells around me, cutting through the air like knives. The bonfire grows taller, flickering wildly, swallowing everything in its reach.

"Such a loser. No wonder they left you."

A cold chill spreads down my spine. My breath hitches. I turn again, trying to find her, to find anyone—but the shadows twist into familiar figures, figures from Riven High. I see the girls from the lunchroom, the ones who whispered behind my back, the ones who made sure I was alone. Their faces blur and sharpen all at once, mouths moving, spitting words I can't quite hear, but I feel them. Each syllable lodges itself in my chest like a stone, weighing me down, suffocating me.

"Did you really think anyone actually liked you?" Chloe's voice.

I try to move, but my feet won't budge. I'm sinking. The ground is swallowing me whole, the fire stretching toward me, curling like hands ready to drag me under.

Then I see Nathan.

He's standing right next to me, but somehow, he feels miles away. His expression is unreadable, his face just barely out of focus like I'm looking at him through water. He opens his mouth, but I can't hear him. I reach out, fingers brushing the edge of his sleeve—but suddenly, he's gone.

The flames flicker, stretch, and then—

Darkness.

The laughter vanishes. The heat disappears. But the feeling of being nothing lingers.

I wake up with a sharp inhale, my chest tight, my hands clenched in my sheets, heart pounding too fast like I just sprinted a mile.

I blink up at the ceiling, my breath uneven. It takes me a second to remind myself where I am. That it was just a dream. That none of it was real.

But the words feel real. The shame feels real. It always does.

I glance over at Nathan. He's sound asleep in his bed, breathing steady, completely oblivious. For some reason, that almost pisses me off.

I exhale hard, running a hand through my hair before I throw the blankets off me. Sitting still isn't an option. Neither is sleep.

I need a smoke.

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A/N

GAWD DAMN it took me forever to write something. But hey, I DID IT. And I tried to make it long, I hoped you guys enjoyed!!!!!

I'm so hyped for the bonfire! What do you guys' think is going to happen?

Also, thank you so much for more then 6,5K reads... still insane to me how many of you have read my story. I LITARALLY LOVE YOU ALL and PS don't forget to vote! <3333