Chapter 3: The Night Everything Snapped

I went to Lila’s house, knocked forever, and finally Mrs. Sanchez came to the door, yawning.

She looked surprised to see me, hair wild, robe cinched tight. Porch light flickered, moths buzzing around it.

“Alex, it’s so late. What’s up?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.

I blurted it out, barely breathing: “Mrs. Sanchez, did Lila come home? I waited for her at the school entrance, but I never saw her.”

My voice cracked. I probably looked like a total wreck—hair sticking up, backpack hanging by a thread.

Mrs. Sanchez stared at me, then frowned. “Lila came home early. She’s been asleep for a while. Alex, you should go home too.” Then she closed the door.

I just stood there, dazed, shivering in the early spring wind, not sure what to do next.

The street was empty, just me and my breath in the cold. I hugged myself, wishing I could disappear.

That night, I called and texted Lila. I was worried, anxious—but she’d come home early?

My phone screen glowed in the dark, every unanswered message like another stone in my gut. I barely slept at all.

The next morning, I waited for her at the intersection on the way to school and stopped her.

The sun wasn’t even up yet. The air was sharp, cold. I caught her by the crosswalk, my heart going a mile a minute.

“You mean yesterday?” Lila said, grinning. “Alex, how late did you wait for me?”

She sounded like it was a joke. Like I was the punchline. I tried to read her face, but she wouldn’t look at me.

“Almost midnight,” I said, honest. “I looked everywhere for you. I even went into the girls’ restroom.”

Half embarrassed, half pissed. My voice was tight, words tumbling out faster than I wanted.

Lila doubled over laughing, clapping her hands.

Her laughter rang out, loud and sharp. I felt my face go hot.

I didn’t get what was so funny.

It stung. My worry was real, but to her, it was just another game.

“You went home alone. Why didn’t you say something?” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice.

I tried to sound chill, but the hurt was right there. I’d never felt so out of sync with her.

Lila just smiled and said, “Alex, yesterday I made a bet with Carter to see how late you’d wait for me. He said you’d wait half an hour at most, but I knew you’d wait until after 11. Sure enough, I won.”

She sounded proud, like she’d just scored a touchdown. She even lifted her chin, all peacock, but I couldn’t help noticing a couple suspicious red marks on her neck.

My stomach dropped. I tried not to stare, but the truth was right there. I was furious. All that waiting, just for a bet?

“Lila, did you just want to make a joke out of me?” I frowned.

My words came out sharper than I meant. Maybe too sharp. Lila paused, then pouted, “I didn’t ask you to wait. If you don’t want to, there are plenty of people who will.”

Her words cut deep, like she was daring me not to care. I wanted to say, “You’re a girl, it’s not safe to walk alone at night.”

But I swallowed it. Couldn’t get the words out. “Don’t wait for me anymore. I’m dating Carter now.” And right then, Carter Evans showed up, pushing his bike.

He strolled up, casual, acting like he owned the block. Handed Lila a breakfast sandwich in a paper bag and grinned, “Lila, I made this myself. Hurry up and eat.”

He said it loud, like he wanted me to hear every word. I turned to go, but Carter blocked me.

“Alex, I’m with Lila now. You need to back off and stop hanging around my girl. Homewreckers never change. Disgusting, lowlife trash.”

His words were a slap. My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms. “Oh... being a homewrecker, is that in your blood? After all, your mom tried to sleep her way up—failed, though. That’s why you’re still a bastard.”

Everything went red. I lost it. I punched him in the face.

The crack echoed. For a second, the world froze. The thing I hate most? People talking about my mom. That’s my line in the sand.

In the end, not only did Lila shield Carter, she twisted the facts in front of Mr. Watkins.

She stood by Carter, eyes cold, spinning the story so I looked like the bad guy. I just stood there, stunned, watching everything slip away.

Lucky for me, my grades are solid—always top ten in the school—so the teacher just made me write an apology letter. That was it.

Mr. Watkins sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alex, you’re a good kid. Don’t throw it all away over this."

Afterward, Mr. Watkins pulled me aside.

We stood by the window, sunlight pooling on the floor between us. “Alex, I know you and Lila grew up together. Now she likes someone else, and you’re upset, but you can’t go around hitting people. Besides, this is the final stretch before the SATs. Keep your head down and do your best. You can think about dating once you get to college.”

His voice was gentle, almost like a dad. He put a hand on my shoulder, squeezed once. I nodded, jaw tight, staring at the floor.

I kept my eyes down, biting back anything I wanted to say. What was left?

After that, Lila and I were basically strangers.

We passed each other in the halls like ghosts, the air thick with everything we’d never said. She and Carter kissed in class, ran out into the rain, screamed, laughed, hugged, and tumbled to the ground.

They were wild, reckless—like the world belonged to them. Sometimes I caught myself watching, wondering when everything changed.

In the middle of all the endless, heavy studying, their romance was everyone’s favorite drama—like a rainbow after a storm. Dazzling, impossible to ignore.

They were the talk of every lunch table. Even the teachers seemed to root for them, like they were waiting for a happy ending.

At the end of April, less than two months before the SATs—

The days got longer, air thick with pollen and that weird hope that comes with spring. That day, as I was heading home, Lila stopped me.

She stepped out from behind the lockers, face pale, lips trembling. “What is it?” I asked, frowning.

My guard was up, but I couldn’t help the flicker of worry. “Alex...” Lila reached out, grabbing my sleeve with shaking fingers.

Her hand was freezing. I stepped back, frowning, not sure what was coming.

And then she dropped it: “Alex, I’m pregnant.”

The words knocked the wind out of me. I almost stumbled. We’re still in high school, and she’s... pregnant?

My brain spun—SATs, college, everything we’d ever planned. I always thought she and Carter were just close. Never thought they’d actually cross that line.

And seriously, they didn’t even use protection?

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. My mouth went dry. “Alex, you’ll help me, right?” Lila’s head dropped, but I caught this glint in her eyes—almost daring, almost challenging, but she made her voice all soft and broken.

Her voice was tiny, almost broken, but that look was there—like she was testing me, waiting to see if I’d step up. I thought about it for a second, then blurted, “Lila, there’s still about a month until the SATs. Go home, tell your mom, get to a clinic and take care of it. Rest a few days, then focus on the test.”

I tried to keep it together. Heart pounding, but my voice stayed even. Or tried to.

“Alex, I want to keep the baby. You... you’ll help me, right? If my mom finds out, she’ll totally lose it. But she’s always liked you. If she thinks the baby is yours, she’ll definitely accept it.”

She looked up, tears shining on her cheeks, voice shaking. As she talked, she lifted her face, all red and blotchy.

For a second, I almost caved. I could see the scared little girl who used to chase fireflies with me. My heart twisted. I thought maybe I should talk to her mom, get Mrs. Sanchez to take her to the clinic.