The moon hung low over City Z, casting a silver glow over the skyline. The rooftops shimmered beneath the light, but inside the greenhouse of Crown Ridge High, warmth still lingered between Alex and Lynn. The air around them pulsed with unspoken promises, soft breaths, and the feeling that something bigger than both of them was just beginning.
But even in the quiet of that perfect moment, the world beyond their little sanctuary was changing.
Tuesday began with a silence too loud to ignore.
Rumors, half-truths, and twisted versions of Alex's Maplewood past spread like wildfire. The walls of Crown Ridge buzzed with names: April, bleachers, suspension, fistfight.
Despite Lynn standing beside him in the hallway, despite her unwavering eyes and steady hand in his, Alex felt the stares. The shifting of feet when he walked past. The murmurs just low enough not to be called out.
In their homeroom, Harden leaned forward, whispering, "This isn't going away."
Alex nodded slightly. "I know."
"But she's still here," Harden added, nodding toward Lynn. "That's more than most would do."
Alex glanced at her. She was flipping through her notebook, lips slightly parted in thought. He could see the strength in her, the fire, the faith.
He didn't deserve it. But God, he needed it
Sera sat in the darkened theater room, her phone screen lighting up with messages.
Pauline: "People are talking. You sure about releasing that video?"
Fresa: "You're not going too far… are you?"
Serenity: "Lynn didn't even blink. She believes him."
Sera clenched her jaw. For the first time in years, she felt the edge of her control slipping. Lynn had taken center stage. Not just in the play. In the hallways. In Alex's world.
And what was worse—Lynn wasn't trying to.
"She's making it easy to love her," Sera muttered bitterly. "That's the danger."
She stared at her phone.
> Draft: Here's who Alex really is. Watch and decide. [Attach video]
Her finger hovered over "Send to All."
But she hesitated.
Not because of guilt.
Because of fear—what if even this wasn't enough to break them?
Jordan's sketchpad was darker now. The drawings had grown more detailed, more intense—Lynn laughing with Alex, Lynn crying, Lynn walking away from him.
The fantasy of being her secret knight had twisted into something more desperate.
"You're wasting your talent on someone who doesn't even see you," Jenifer said, lounging beside him in the art room.
"She used to see me," he muttered. "Before he showed up."
Jenifer smirked. "So make her see again."
Jordan looked up.
"She loves drama, doesn't she?" she continued. "Then maybe… you need to create one."
That evening, Lynn returned home to find Suzie waiting in the drawing room like a queen on a throne. Her father, John Kay, had just returned from an overseas meeting and was in the library.
"Well," Suzie said, raising her wine glass, "I hear you've been making headlines at school again."
Lynn ignored her and started walking past.
"You're embarrassing your family," Suzie added.
That made Lynn stop. She turned, eyes sharp. "Defending someone isn't an embarrassment. But you wouldn't know that. You're too busy pretending we're a family."
From the corner, Jamy chuckled. "Careful, Lynn. Suzie might cut off your allowance."
Jenifer rolled her eyes. "Let her. Lynn's already got the school's golden boy."
Lynn looked toward Serene, who stood silently at the stairs. Their eyes met. A quiet understanding passed between them.
Later that night, Serene knocked on Lynn's door. "I heard what happened."
Lynn turned from her mirror. "Which part?"
"Everything. I'm on your side."
Lynn blinked. "You mean it?"
Serene nodded. "Always."
They hugged—and for the first time in years, Lynn felt like she wasn't alone in her own home.
---
5. The Confession
Wednesday morning brought with it an unexpected twist.
During a heated student council meeting, Sera stood up in the middle of the room.
"I'd like to submit something," she said, walking to the projector.
Students turned.
She plugged in a USB drive.
Alex's voice filled the room. "He wouldn't stop. She was crying. I didn't care about the consequences—he deserved it."
A muffled scuffle followed. Then silence.
The room froze.
"That," Sera said, "is who you're all praising."
Lynn stood. "And that's exactly why he should be praised. He did what no one else would."
The student council president, a senior named Marco, looked between them. "This… isn't a trial. But if we're being honest—sounds like he did the right thing."
Sera's face paled.
And in that moment, she lost something she'd held tight: power.
On the rooftop that afternoon, Lynn and Alex sat side-by-side, their shoulders touching.
"You could've denied it," she said.
"I won't lie to you," he replied. "Not ever."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Then let's stop running. Let's be real."
Alex smiled. "Are we together now?"
Lynn turned to him. "We've always been. The moment you walked into that school and made my heart forget how to stay quiet."
He kissed her — not out of urgency, but out of reverence.
And the city below hummed with a different kind of electricity.But just as things began to settle, a new storm was brewing.
One no one saw coming.
Gallagher found another note.
This one was in red ink.
> "You think the past is the problem. It's not. The future is. And it's already begun."
And taped to the back — a photo.
Lynn.
Alex.
Walking hand-in-hand.
With a target drawn over them.