Orion's Rise: From Zero to Hero in Two Worlds

Chapter 2

"I didn’t think.. you would actually show up."

Emily was seated on the staircase in front of the library.

Hugging her knees.

Her eyes flicking up to meet mine as I approached. 

The sun was setting behind her.

It cast a soft, golden light on her face. 

For a moment, she looked almost... innocent.

"Why wouldn’t I?" I asked. 

I dropped my bag beside her and sitting down.

"You texted me." 

A tiny, soft chuckle escaped from her lips. 

"Yeah, but I didn’t think you would want to talk after... you know, yesterday."

Yesterday.

The fountain.

Jared.

My sketchbook, still drying out in my room. 

Its pages wrinkled and ruined.

I hadn’t spoken to Emily since then.

I had not really wanted to.

But, when her text arrived on my phone after school, I ended up heading there without stopping to consider a plausible reason.

"I mean.. it’s not like you did anything."

I tried to speak without showing any bitterness in my tone. 

"You just stood there."

Emily’s smile faltered.

She looked down at her shoes.

"I know," she whispered.

"I—I should’ve said something."

"You think?"

There was a beat of silence.

I struck a loose pebble on the ground with my foot.

Watching it tumble down the steps. 

"I’m sorry," she said quietly.

I looked at her.

Surprised by the sincerity in her voice.

Emily didn't usually apologize.

Not for this.

Not for anything.

"For what?"

"For not doing anything," she said.

"For letting him... for letting Jared do that to you."

"I should’ve stopped him."

I shrugged. Trying to act like it didn’t matter.

But it did.

"It’s not like.. you could’ve done much."

"Jared is.. well.. Jared."

"Still," she said, biting her lip.

"I could’ve tried."

I wanted to tell her she was right.

That she could’ve done something.

Anything.

To stop him.

But instead, I just sighed and leaned back against the stone steps.

"It’s fine."

"It’s not." She looked at me.

Her eyes wide and searching.

Like she was waiting for me to forgive her.

To say it was all okay.

But I couldn’t.

Not yet.

"You’re not the one who threw my stuff in the fountain,"

I said, more to myself than to her.

There was another long stretch of silence.

I thought maybe that was the end of it.

That we’d just sit here in awkward quiet.

Until one of us made some excuse to leave.

But then she spoke again, her voice small and hesitant.

"Can we... can we just forget about it? Start over?"

I blinked at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." She hesitated, looking away.

"I miss you." 

"I miss... us. Before all of this. Before Jared and his friends got involved."

She hugged her knees tighter.

Her voice cracked just a little.

"I just want things.. to go back to how they were."

I looked at her.

I wasn't sure what to say. 

Part of me wanted to believe her.

To believe that she really meant it.

That she missed me.

That she missed the days when we’d sit together at lunch and talk about stupid things.

When she didn’t care what people thought of us.

But another part of me.

The part that had watched her stand by while Jared destroyed the one thing that mattered to me—knew better.

"Things don’t just go back," I said, my voice flat.

"Not after stuff like that."

Her eyes widened.

And for a second.. I thought I saw tears glistening in them. 

But she blinked them away quickly.

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"I know," she whispered.

"But we can try, right?"

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t know how to.

Instead, I just stared at the sky.

Watching the colors shift from orange to pink to purple.

Wishing.. I could be anywhere but here.

---

The next day.

I found out why she really wanted to "start over."

I was standing at my locker.

Trying to shove my textbooks into my already overflowing bag.

When I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned, expecting to see Emily.

She’d been acting weirdly clingy since our conversation on the steps

And I figured she wanted to talk again.

But it wasn’t her.

It was Jared.

"Hey, Sergio," he said.

His voice was dripping with fake friendliness.

"Got a minute?"

I froze.

My hand still gripping the zipper of my bag.

"What do you want, Jared? Jesus." 

He leaned against the lockers.

Crossing his arms over his chest.

His friends flanked him on either side.

Smirking like they always did.

"I heard you’ve been busy."

"Busy?"

"Yeah." Jared’s grin widened.

"Busy spreading rumors about me and Emily."

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

He chuckled. Shaking his head.

"Don’t play dumb, Sergio." 

"Word gets around fast."

"People are saying you’ve been telling everyone that Emily and I are... how did you put it?"

"Hooking up?"

I stared at him.

My mind was reeling.

"I never said that."

Infact

"I didn’t say anything."

"Sure you didn’t."

Jared stepped closer, his eyes narrowing.

"Funny thing is, Emily told me you’ve been running your mouth about it."

"She seemed pretty upset about it, too."

I felt the floor tilt beneath me.

"Emily said WHAT?"

"Yeah." 

"She told me everything."

"No."

I shook my head. My heart pounding in my chest.

"No, she wouldn’t—"

"She did," Jared cut in. His smile was cold and cruel.

"And now everyone knows what a lying little creep you are."

I felt my throat tighten.

My breath coming out in short, shallow gasps.

This couldn’t be happening.

Emily wouldn’t do this.

She couldn’t.

But then I saw her.

She was standing at the end of the hall.

Her arms wrapped around herself.

Watching the whole thing unfold.

Our eyes met for a split second.

And in that moment, I saw it.

Guilt.

She knew exactly what she’d done.

"Emily!" I called out. My voice cracking.

I pushed past Jared, ignoring his taunts.

I made my way toward her. 

"Emily, tell them!" 

"Tell them I didn’t say anything!"

She didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

She just stood there.

Her eyes wide and filled with something I couldn’t quite place. 

Fear? Regret? Shame?

"Emily!" I reached her. Grabbing her arm.

"Please, tell them the truth." 

"You know I didn’t say anything about you and Jared."

"You know that."

She swallowed hard.

Her eyes darted between me and Jared.

"Orion, I—"

"Tell them!"

My voice was shaking now. Desperation was creeping into my words.

"Please."

"I..." She bit her lip. Her eyes glistening.

"I’m sorry."

My heart sank.

"What?"

She stepped back.

Pulling her arm from my grip.

"I’m sorry, Orion." 

"I did not mean for this to happen."

"I just... I didn’t know what else to do."

I looked at this girl. I can't believe this.

"You lied."

She looked down.. avoiding my gaze.

"I had to." 

"Jared—he’s been—"

"I don’t care what Jared’s been doing!" I snapped.

My voice was louder than I intended.

"You threw me under the bus!" 

"You made me into a liar!"

"I didn’t have a choice!" she cried. Her voice breaking.

"If I didn’t... if I didn’t say something, they would’ve—"

"You could’ve told the truth!"

I cut in. My voice, shaking, with anger. 

"You could’ve just told the truth, Emily!"

Her eyes filled with tears.

She shook her head. And took a few steps back. 

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"I’m so sorry."

I wanted to scream.

To yell.

To make her understand how much she’d hurt me.

But the words wouldn’t come.

I just stood there.

Staring at her.

Feeling the heaviness of betrayal sink into my chest like a rock.

Jared’s laugh echoed down the hallway.

And when I looked back, I saw him strolling in our direction.

His smug grin wider than ever.

"Looks like your little girlfriend isn’t on your side after all, Sergio," he sneered.

Clapping me on the back.

"Tough break."

I jerked away from his touch. My hands trembling.

"Don’t worry," 

"By the end of the day?"

"EVERYONE'S gonna know about this."

"You’re the new school joke, Sergio. Get used to it."

He turned and walked away.

His friends following close behind. I could hear their laughter.

I remained there, watching them go.

I felt numb.

Emily was still beside me.

Her arms wrapped around herself.

Her eyes were red and swollen.

I opened my mouth to say something.

But I closed it back. 

The words wouldn’t come.

Instead, I just shook my head and walked away.

I don't bloody need this.

F*ck all of this.