Work Text:
Daniela Avanzini’s life ran on routine.
Wake up at 6:30. Scroll TikTok for exactly ten minutes. Ignore her alarm for another five. Shower. Skincare. Hair. Uniform perfectly ironed because her mom would actually lose her mind if she left the house looking “disorganized.” Get to school by 8:10 and pretend she didn’t absolutely hate every single person in the hallway before first period.
Easy.
Predictable.
Safe.
That was the thing about Dani. Everybody thought she was exciting because she was pretty.
Like, scary pretty.
Perfect dark curls, glossy lips all the time somehow, giant brown eyes that made people nervous when she looked at them too long. Teachers loved her. Guys obsessed over her. Girls copied her Pinterest boards and acted like it was accidental.
But honestly? Daniela was bored out of her mind.
Which was exactly why Megan Skiendiel became a problem.
The first time Dani saw her, it was raining.
Not cute movie rain either. Gross rain. The kind that soaked your socks and made everybody smell like wet fabric softener.
Dani was standing outside the school gates waiting for her ride because her driver texted saying traffic was horrible, and that was when she noticed the girl sitting on the brick wall beside the bike racks.
Megan Skiendiel.
Leg stretched out. Hoodie half-zipped. Rings on every finger. A cigarette hanging from her lips like she’d been born with it there.
She looked completely miserable.
And somehow completely cool.
People walked around her in this weird circle, like they were scared she might bite them or something.
Dani had heard the name before.
Mostly from girls whispering in bathrooms.
“She hooked up with Ava’s ex.”
“She got suspended last year.”
“She literally sells fake IDs.”
“I heard she got arrested.”
“No, seriously, my cousin said she’s insane.”
Megan didn’t look insane.
She looked tired.
Her eyeliner was smudged under her eyes, black hair damp from the rain. There was a bruise on her knuckles like she’d punched something recently.
Or someone.
Dani should’ve looked away.
Instead, she stared.
Megan noticed immediately.
Her eyes flicked up slowly, cigarette between her fingers.
“You got a staring problem or something?”
Dani blinked.
Oh.
Her voice was rough. Lower than expected.
“Sorry,” Dani said automatically.
Megan snorted. “You don’t sound sorry.”
Dani almost rolled her eyes, but something about Megan made her weirdly nervous.
“Okay. I’m not sorry.”
“There she is.”
Megan smiled then.
Not a huge smile. Just enough for Dani’s stomach to do something deeply humiliating.
Jesus Christ.
Megan patted the empty space beside her on the wall.
“You waiting for someone?”
“My ride.”
“Rich girl problems.”
Dani laughed before she could stop herself.
Megan tilted her head slightly like she hadn’t expected that reaction.
“You’re Daniela Avanzini, right?”
Dani stiffened a little. “Yeah.”
“Thought so.”
“And you’re Megan.”
“That obvious?”
“Well, people talk about you constantly.”
“Damn.” Megan pressed a hand to her chest dramatically. “I’m famous.”
Dani tried not to smile.
Failed.
Megan noticed that too.
Everything about her felt dangerous in this lazy kind of way. Like she already knew things about people before they said them.
“You smoke?” Megan asked suddenly.
“No.”
“You drink?”
“Sometimes.”
“You lie?”
Dani raised an eyebrow. “Also sometimes.”
That got a real laugh out of Megan.
Warm. Raspy. Pretty.
The rain got heavier around them, tapping against the pavement.
Dani should’ve left.
Instead, she stayed there talking to her for twenty minutes.
About music.
About teachers they hated.
About how disgusting cafeteria pizza was.
Megan made fun of literally everybody, but somehow never in a mean way. More like the world itself was one giant joke she’d already figured out.
And Dani liked that.
Way too much.
When the black SUV finally pulled up outside the gates, Megan looked at it and whistled low.
“That yours?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Adopt me.”
Dani laughed again.
God. This girl was addictive.
Before she got in the car, Megan grabbed her sleeve lightly.
“You got Instagram?”
Dani looked down at Megan’s hand for half a second too long.
Cold fingers. Silver rings.
“Yeah.”
“Lemme see.”
Dani handed over her phone without thinking.
Megan typed fast, added herself, then handed it back.
Their fingers brushed.
Tiny thing.
Didn’t matter.
Except it absolutely did.
“See you tomorrow, rich girl.”
Dani got into the car with her heart acting genuinely stupid.
The second she closed the door, her driver glanced at her through the mirror.
“You’re talking to Megan Skiendiel now?”
Dani frowned. “You know her?”
“Everybody knows her.”
The way he said it made her stomach twist slightly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He hesitated.
“Just be careful.”
Of course.
Another warning.
By the next week, Dani realized everybody at school had some kind of opinion about Megan.
And almost all of them were bad.
“She’s toxic.”
“She’s manipulative.”
“She sleeps around.”
“She starts drama for fun.”
“She dated three people in one month.”
“She got some girl expelled.”
Dani heard it constantly.
Especially from her friends.
“You’re hanging out with Megan now?” Sophia asked one afternoon at lunch, visibly horrified.
“We talked twice.”
“You followed each other.”
“You noticed that?”
“Everybody noticed that.”
Dani stabbed at her salad. “Okay, and?”
Sophia leaned closer. “Dani, seriously. Megan’s weird.”
“Weird how?”
“She gets obsessed with people.”
Dani rolled her eyes immediately.
“Oh my god, you sound insane.”
“I’m serious.”
“You don’t even know her.”
“Nobody really knows her.”
That sentence should’ve meant something.
Probably.
Instead, Dani just got irritated.
Because the thing was…
Megan was nice to her.
Not fake nice either.
Real nice.
Like texting her at 2 a.m. asking if she got home safe after a party.
Like remembering tiny details from conversations.
Like slipping her headphones over Dani’s ears during free period and saying, “Listen to this part,” because she knew Dani liked the lyrics.
Nobody talked about that version of Megan.
They only talked about the disasters.
And honestly? Dani thought people just loved ruining girls with bad reputations.
By Friday, Megan and Dani were basically inseparable.
Not officially.
But enough that people stared.
Megan waited outside Dani’s classes leaning against the wall with that bored expression that somehow still looked cool.
Dani started eating lunch with her behind the gym instead of in the cafeteria.
Megan smoked. Dani complained about school. They shared earbuds and made fun of random people walking past.
Easy.
Comfortable.
Dangerous.
One afternoon, Megan showed up with a split lip.
Dani noticed instantly.
“What happened?”
Megan shrugged.
“Nothing.”
“That’s literally blood.”
“Wow, detective.”
Dani grabbed her chin before thinking.
“Stop moving.”
Megan froze.
Completely froze.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Dani looked at the cut carefully.
Megan looked at Dani like she was trying to solve a math problem.
“You should clean that,” Dani muttered softly.
“You worried about me?”
“Someone has to be.”
The second the words came out, Megan’s expression changed.
Not dramatic.
Just… quieter.
Softer.
It made Dani’s chest tighten.
“Careful, Daniela,” Megan said finally. “People might think you like me.”
Dani’s face got hot immediately.
Megan grinned.
“Ooh blushing.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
No.
She really, really didn’t.
That night, Dani lay in bed staring at Megan’s Instagram.
Which was honestly chaotic.
Half the posts were blurry concert videos and dumb memes.
The other half were random photos of Megan looking unfairly attractive while pretending not to care.
Dani clicked through every single one.
Pathetic behavior.
Actually embarrassing.
Then her phone buzzed.
megan: u stalking me rn
Dani sat upright instantly.
dani: WHAT
megan: instagram tells me when hot girls are obsessed w me
dani: ur literally delusional
megan: but am i wrong
Dani stared at the screen for way too long.
Then:
dani: maybe a little
Three dots appeared immediately.
Disappeared.
Came back.
megan: damn
megan: should i flirt w u or would that ruin your reputation
Dani’s stomach flipped so hard it was honestly annoying.
dani: maybe i like bad ideas
A whole minute passed.
Then:
megan: yeah?
Dani read the message three times.
Her pulse was ridiculous.
She typed.
Deleted it.
Typed again.
dani: yeah
The typing bubble appeared instantly.
megan: come outside
Dani blinked.
dani: what
megan: outside ur house rich girl
Dani’s heart nearly stopped.
She practically ran to the window.
And there she was.
Megan Skiendiel.
Standing under the streetlight in a black hoodie, cigarette glowing between her fingers.
Looking up at Dani’s window with the smallest smile.
Absolutely everybody said she was trouble.
Daniela opened the window anyway.
____
By the second month, people stopped pretending Megan and Dani were “just friends.”
It was obvious.
Painfully obvious.
Megan waited for Dani after every class like it was routine now, usually slouched against a locker with headphones around her neck and some stupid smirk ready the second Dani walked over.
Dani started looking for her automatically.
Like muscle memory.
Like addiction.
It got worse when Megan started touching her all the time.
Not even in huge ways.
Just little things.
A hand on Dani’s lower back guiding her through crowded hallways.
Stealing her rings and making Dani grab her wrist to get them back.
Resting her chin on Dani’s shoulder during lunch while scrolling through TikTok like she belonged there.
And Dani let her.
Every single time.
“You know she’s literally obsessed with you now, right?” Sophia whispered one day during chemistry.
Dani tried to ignore the heat climbing up her neck.
“She’s not obsessed.”
Sophia stared at her blankly.
“Megan skipped class to sit in your car while you got Starbucks.”
“She was bored.”
“She glared at Jonah because he complimented your hair.”
“That’s just her face.”
“Dani.”
“What?”
Sophia sighed dramatically. “You are so cooked.”
Maybe she was.
Because later that same afternoon, Dani found herself sitting cross-legged on Megan’s bedroom floor while Megan played guitar badly and complained about capitalism.
The room looked exactly like her.
Messy in a weirdly perfect way.
Posters peeling off dark walls. Hoodies everywhere. Empty energy drink cans on the desk beside stacks of vinyls. The entire room smelled faintly like smoke and vanilla.
Dani loved it instantly.
“You’re staring again,” Megan said without looking up.
“You suck at guitar.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then why keep playing?”
Megan finally glanced at her.
“Because you keep listening.”
Dani looked away immediately.
Megan grinned.
There it was again.
That feeling.
Like Megan could see directly through her.
It should’ve scared Dani more than it did.
Instead, she stayed over almost every weekend after that.
Sometimes they watched movies neither of them paid attention to.
Sometimes they drove around London at midnight with music too loud and the windows fogging up from cold air.
Sometimes they just talked.
About everything.
Megan told Dani things nobody else seemed to know.
Like how her parents barely spoke to her anymore.
How she used to get panic attacks before parties.
How she hated sleeping in silence because her thoughts got “too loud.”
And Dani listened to every word like it mattered more than anything else.
Because somehow, with Megan, it did.
One night, they ended up at a tiny house party crowded with sweaty people and flashing LED lights that gave Dani a headache.
Megan hated parties.
Which was ironic considering her reputation.
“Why are we even here?” she muttered, leaning against the kitchen counter beside Dani.
“Because you said you wanted to go out.”
“I lied.”
“You lie constantly.”
“Yeah, but you usually fall for it.”
Dani rolled her eyes.
Megan smiled lazily before taking a sip from somebody else’s drink.
“You look pretty tonight.”
The compliment hit Dani so fast she nearly forgot how to breathe.
Megan said things like that casually sometimes, but tonight felt different somehow.
More direct.
More dangerous.
Dani looked down at her cup. “You’re drunk.”
“Nope.”
“High?”
“A little.”
“That explains it.”
Megan stepped closer.
Close enough that Dani could smell smoke and mint gum.
“No,” Megan said quietly. “You just actually look pretty.”
Dani’s chest tightened.
God.
This girl.
The party noise faded weirdly around them.
People shoved past in the kitchen laughing too loud, but Dani barely noticed any of it.
All she noticed was Megan staring at her mouth.
“You know,” Megan murmured, “you get this look every time I flirt with you.”
Dani swallowed. “What look?”
“Like you wanna tell me to shut up.”
“That’s because I do.”
“But you never do.”
Megan’s hand brushed Dani’s waist lightly.
Tiny movement.
Still enough to make Dani freeze.
“Megan—”
“You can tell me to stop.”
But Dani didn’t.
Obviously.
Megan smiled slightly then leaned in and kissed her.
Soft at first.
Careful.
Like she was waiting for Dani to change her mind.
Dani kissed her back immediately.
And that was basically the end of her life.
Because Megan kissed like she already knew she’d win.
Dani grabbed the front of her hoodie instinctively, and Megan made this quiet sound against her mouth that nearly melted her on the spot.
Somebody wolf-whistled across the kitchen.
Neither of them cared.
When they finally pulled apart, Dani was dizzy.
Actually dizzy.
Megan rested her forehead against hers, smiling a little.
“There she is.”
Dani laughed breathlessly. “You’re so annoying.”
“And you like me anyway.”
Yeah.
That was the problem.
After that, everything escalated fast.
Too fast.
Megan started coming over to Dani’s house whenever her parents were gone.
They’d sit in Dani’s room talking for hours until eventually talking turned into kissing.
Kissing turned into tangled hoodies and breathless laughing and Megan’s rings cold against Dani’s skin.
Every time things got too intense, Megan would pull back just enough to look at Dani carefully.
“You okay?”
And Dani always was.
More than okay.
At first.
One rainy Friday night, they ended up sprawled across Dani’s bed watching dumb conspiracy videos on Megan’s phone.
Well.
Trying to watch.
Mostly Megan kept distracting her.
“Focus,” Dani complained as Megan kept poking her side.
“You’re prettier than the video.”
“That was the worst line I’ve ever heard.”
“And yet you’re blushing.”
Dani threw a pillow at her.
Megan laughed before catching Dani’s wrist suddenly.
The mood shifted immediately.
Quiet.
Heavy.
Megan looked at her for a long second.
Then softer this time:
“C’mere.”
Dani moved without thinking.
Megan kissed her slowly, hand sliding up the back of Dani’s neck.
Everything about her felt addictive.
The way she talked.
The way she touched her.
The way she made Dani feel like the only person in the room.
Later, long after the movie stopped playing, Dani lay curled against Megan’s chest listening to the rain outside.
Megan traced random shapes along her arm absentmindedly.
“You trust me?” she asked quietly.
Dani looked up.
“Yeah.”
Megan smiled faintly at that.
Dangerous answer.
Dani didn’t realize it yet.
A few days later, the texts started.
megan: send me a pic
dani: of what 😭
megan: u
dani: im literally in class
megan: tragic
Then:
megan: cmonnnn pretty girl
Dani stared at the screen way too long before taking a quick selfie and sending it.
A second later:
megan: holy shit
megan: ur actually insane
Dani smiled at her phone like an idiot.
That became normal fast.
Pictures constantly.
Selfies.
Mirror pics.
Outfit checks.
Megan asking what Dani was wearing.
Megan asking what lip gloss she had on.
Megan asking for “better pictures.”
And Dani gave them to her.
Because every time she did, Megan reacted like Dani hung the moon.
Like she couldn’t believe somebody that pretty wanted her back.
It felt good.
Too good.
One night, Megan texted her at almost 2 a.m.
megan: u awake
dani: barely
megan: miss u
Dani’s stomach flipped instantly.
dani: u saw me like six hours ago
megan: unbearable experience honestly
Then another message.
megan: send me something pretty
Dani hesitated this time.
Not because she didn’t want to.
Mostly because she did.
Way too much.
Megan sent another text before she could answer.
megan: only if u want
And that was the thing about Megan.
She always made it sound optional.
Even when Dani already knew she’d say yes.
So Dani sent another picture.
Nothing explicit.
Just enough.
Enough for Megan to immediately respond:
megan: jesus christ
megan: you’re gonna kill me one day
Dani buried her face in her pillow smiling.
Completely unaware that somewhere along the line, Megan had started collecting every single thing Dani gave her.
Every picture.
Every message.
Every secret.
And megan never let go of things she thought belonged to her.
____
At first, Daniela didn’t notice the changes.
That was the worst part.
Nothing happened all at once.
Megan didn’t suddenly become cruel overnight. She didn’t wake up evil. She didn’t flip some imaginary switch and turn into a different person.
It was slower than that.
Smaller.
Like tiny cracks forming in glass.
Easy to ignore until suddenly everything shattered.
It started with jealousy.
At least, that’s what Dani called it in her head because it sounded better than control.
One afternoon during lunch, Dani laughed at something Jonah said in the cafeteria.
Literally laughed.
That was it.
Megan went quiet instantly.
Not dramatic quiet either. Worse. Calm quiet.
She stopped talking almost completely for the rest of lunch, scrolling on her phone while Dani tried to figure out what happened.
Finally, outside by the parking lot, Dani grabbed her sleeve.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing.”
“You’ve been acting weird for two hours.”
Megan shrugged. “You seemed busy.”
“With Jonah?”
Megan looked at her finally.
“You flirt with everybody like that?”
Dani stared at her. “I laughed.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Oh my god.”
Megan started walking away.
Dani followed immediately. “Are you serious right now?”
Megan yanked her hood up over her head.
“I just think it’s funny.”
“What’s funny?”
“That you act like I’m insane for noticing when people want you.”
Dani frowned. “Nobody wants me.”
Megan stopped walking so suddenly Dani nearly ran into her.
“You genuinely don’t see it, do you?”
There was something intense in her expression now.
Too intense.
“Dani,” she said quietly, “everybody wants you.”
The way she said it made Dani’s stomach twist strangely.
Not butterflies this time.
Something heavier.
Megan stepped closer.
“And they don’t get to have you.”
Dani tried to laugh it off.
“You sound psychotic.”
“Probably.”
But she smiled when she said it, so Dani ignored the uncomfortable feeling crawling up her spine.
Again.
That became a pattern.
Ignore.
Ignore.
Ignore.
Like when Megan started getting annoyed every time Dani took too long to answer texts.
Like when she got irritated if Dani hung out with friends without inviting her.
Like when she demanded attention in ways that felt joking until they suddenly didn’t.
megan: answer meeee
megan: wow okay rude
megan: who are u with
megan: dani
megan: hello???
At first, Dani thought it was clingy in a cute way.
Then one night she left her phone downstairs while taking a shower.
When she came back upstairs, there were twenty-three messages.
Twenty-three.
And one final text underneath all of them.
megan: if ur ignoring me just say that
Dani called her immediately.
Megan answered on the first ring.
“You good?” Dani asked carefully.
“Fine.”
“You sent like a million texts.”
“Yeah because you disappeared.”
“I was showering.”
Silence.
Then:
“Oh.”
Dani sat on the edge of her bed. “Megan…”
“What?”
“You’re acting weird lately.”
Megan laughed softly, but it sounded fake.
“You gonna break up with me now?”
The question hit Dani hard.
“Why would you even say that?”
“Everybody leaves eventually.”
There it was.
That version of Megan.
The sad one.
The one Dani couldn’t say no to.
Immediately, all her frustration disappeared.
“No one’s leaving,” Dani said softly.
Megan went quiet.
Then quieter:
“Promise?”
And God.
Dani really meant it when she answered.
“Promise.”
After that conversation, things got good again for a while.
Too good.
That was another thing Megan did.
Every time Dani started questioning things, Megan somehow became perfect again.
She’d show up with iced coffee before school because she “thought of her.”
She’d kiss Dani’s forehead randomly.
She’d look at Dani like she was something holy.
And Dani kept thinking maybe she imagined the bad parts.
Maybe everybody else had been wrong.
Until the party.
It happened at some senior’s apartment while his parents were away.
Too many people.
Too much alcohol.
The whole place smelled like cheap perfume and smoke.
Dani almost didn’t go, but Megan insisted.
“You never wanna do anything fun.”
“I literally came, didn’t I?”
“After complaining for an hour.”
“That’s my personality.”
Megan laughed, pulling Dani closer by her waist.
People stared at them constantly now.
Some jealous.
Some judgmental.
Some just curious.
Megan loved it.
Dani was starting not to.
Around midnight, Dani ended up in the kitchen talking to Sophia while Megan disappeared somewhere to smoke.
“You okay?” Sophia asked suddenly.
Dani blinked. “What?”
“You’ve been weird lately.”
“I’m fine.”
“Dani.”
That tone again.
Everybody had a tone when it came to Megan.
Dani crossed her arms. “Can people stop acting like she’s a serial killer?”
Sophia lowered her voice. “I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“She’s controlling.”
“No she isn’t.”
“She literally checks your location.”
“That’s normal.”
“It is absolutely not normal.”
Dani looked away.
Because suddenly it didn’t sound normal when somebody else said it out loud.
Sophia softened slightly.
“You know I love you, right?”
Dani nodded slowly.
“I just…” Sophia hesitated. “I don’t think Megan loves people normally.”
Before Dani could answer, somebody walked into the kitchen laughing loudly, breaking the conversation apart.
But the words stayed stuck in her head anyway.
The rest of the night felt off after that.
Megan was clingier than usual.
Her hand constantly on Dani.
Pulling her into conversations.
Interrupting when other people talked to her.
At one point, Dani went to the bathroom alone.
When she came out, Megan was standing right outside the door.
“You good?” Dani asked.
“Who were you texting?”
Dani frowned immediately. “What?”
“I saw your phone.”
“I was texting my cousin.”
“Lemme see.”
Dani stared at her.
Actually stared.
Because for the first time since meeting Megan, something sharp moved through her chest.
Not nervousness.
Not butterflies.
Anger.
“Are you serious?”
Megan held her hand out casually. “I just wanna see.”
“No.”
Megan’s expression changed instantly.
Tiny shift.
Still terrifying.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s my phone?”
“Okay,” Megan said slowly. “Weird response.”
Dani laughed once in disbelief. “You’re joking, right?”
Megan stepped closer.
“You hiding something from me?”
“What is wrong with you lately?”
That hit.
Dani saw it hit.
Megan’s jaw tightened immediately.
“Nothing’s wrong with me.”
“Then stop acting insane.”
Silence.
Cold silence.
The hallway suddenly felt too small.
Megan looked at her for a long moment before speaking quietly.
“You know what I think?”
Dani crossed her arms.
“I think everybody gets in your head about me.”
“That’s not—”
“And I think you care way too much what people think.”
“That’s not fair.”
Megan scoffed softly. “Sure.”
Then she pulled out her phone.
Dani frowned. “What are you doing?”
Megan looked at the screen casually.
“Nothing.”
But Dani caught it.
For half a second.
A picture.
Her picture.
One of the ones she’d sent weeks ago.
Her stomach dropped instantly.
“Megan.”
“What?”
“Delete that.”
Megan looked up slowly.
“Delete what?”
“You know what.”
For the first time all night, Megan smiled.
Not warm this time.
Not teasing.
Something else.
Something colder.
“You sent it to me.”
“That doesn’t mean I want you keeping it forever.”
Megan tilted her head slightly.
“Why not?”
Dani suddenly felt sober.
Completely sober.
“Megan.”
“You trust me, remember?”
The words made Dani’s chest tighten painfully.
Because yeah.
She had.
That was the worst part.
Megan slipped her phone back into her pocket.
Then she leaned down close enough for Dani to smell smoke again.
“You’re overthinking.”
Maybe she was.
That’s what Dani told herself later that night.
Even while lying awake staring at her ceiling.
Even while replaying the conversation over and over.
Even while something deep in her stomach whispered:
This is going bad.
Fast.
_____
After the party, things became strange.
Not bad enough for Dani to leave.
Not good enough for her to relax.
Just strange.
Like constantly waiting for something to happen.
Megan noticed it immediately, of course.
She noticed everything.
“You’ve been quiet,” she said one afternoon, sprawled across Dani’s bed while scrolling through her phone.
“I’m tired.”
“That’s a lie.”
Dani kept folding laundry just to avoid looking at her. “Why do you always think I’m lying?”
“Because I know you.”
The answer came too fast.
Too confident.
Dani finally glanced over.
Megan was staring at her now instead of her phone.
Sharp eyes. Heavy expression.
Like she was studying her.
“What?” Dani asked.
Megan tilted her head slightly. “You’re avoiding me.”
“I literally saw you this morning.”
“Yeah. And you acted weird all morning.”
Dani sighed. “Can we not do this?”
“Do what?”
“This interrogation thing.”
Megan sat up slowly.
“It’s not an interrogation to ask why my girlfriend suddenly acts like she hates me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
“Then why are you acting like this?”
Dani opened her mouth.
Closed it again.
Because honestly?
She didn’t even know how to explain it.
How do you tell somebody:
You make me nervous now.
Not nervous in the exciting way.
Not butterflies.
Something colder.
Something that made her double-check her phone before answering people.
Something that made her stomach tighten whenever Megan grabbed her phone “as a joke.”
Something that made her think twice before speaking.
“You’re doing it again,” Megan said quietly.
“What?”
“Thinking instead of talking.”
Dani rubbed her forehead. “I just think things have been intense lately.”
Megan leaned back against the wall.
“Intense how?”
“You get mad really easily now.”
“I don’t get mad.”
Dani actually laughed at that.
Megan’s eyes narrowed immediately.
“What’s funny?”
“You literally got upset because I liked Jonahs Instagram post.”
“He posts thirst traps.”
“He posted a football picture.”
“Same thing.”
Dani shook her head in disbelief.
“Megan, not everything means something.”
“It does to people.”
“You’re impossible.”
Megan’s jaw tightened slightly.
There it was again.
That shift.
Like one wrong sentence could ruin the entire mood.
“Maybe I just care more than you do,” she muttered.
Dani stared at her.
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?”
The room went quiet.
Rain tapped softly against the windows.
Megan looked away first.
Whenever they fought, she always did that eventually. Pulled back. Went cold and distant like she regretted saying anything at all.
And somehow Dani always ended up comforting her after.
Even when Megan started it.
“I’m not saying I don’t care,” Dani said carefully.
Megan shrugged.
“You just don’t like when I act like I care.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why do you only pull away when I get serious about you?”
Dani frowned.
“What does that even mean?”
Megan looked back at her slowly.
“It means I think you liked me more when I was just fun.”
That hurt a little.
Because maybe there was truth in it.
Not that she liked her less now.
Just differently.
Before, Megan had felt exciting.
Now she felt unpredictable.
And unpredictability got exhausting.
That night, Megan stayed over anyway.
Neither of them really apologized.
They just quietly slipped back into normal, the way they always did.
Megan curled against Dani in bed while some random movie played in the background neither of them cared about.
For a while, everything felt soft again.
Safe again.
Then Dani’s phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Megan grabbed it before Dani could.
“Who’s texting you at midnight?” she asked casually.
Dani reached for it immediately. “Give it back.”
Megan held it away with a grin. “Relax.”
“Megan.”
“What? I’m checking.”
“You do not need to check my phone.”
The smile faded slightly.
“Why are you defensive?”
“Because it’s weird!”
Megan unlocked the screen anyway.
Dani sat up instantly. “Seriously?”
“It’s Sophia.”
“So?”
Megan tossed the phone back onto the bed.
“She hates me.”
“She does not hate you.”
“She thinks I’m toxic.”
Dani froze.
Because Sophia had absolutely used that exact word before.
Megan watched her expression carefully.
“There it is,” she said softly.
“What?”
“That face you make when you lie to me.”
Dani’s chest tightened.
“Megan…”
“You talk about me behind my back now?”
“No!”
“Then what does Sophia say about me?”
Dani stayed quiet too long.
Megan laughed once.
Not happily.
“That’s crazy.”
“Nobody’s talking behind your back.”
“Everybody talks behind my back.”
Her voice got sharper suddenly.
“Your friends think I’m insane. Your parents hate me. Half the school acts like I’m some criminal because I smoke a little and don’t act fake all the time—”
“That’s not what this is about.”
“Then what’s it about?”
Dani looked at her helplessly.
“I just want things to stop feeling so… tense.”
Silence.
Megan stared at her for a long moment.
Then finally:
“You think I’m too much.”
“No.”
“You do.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Dani hated when Megan got like this.
Not angry.
Wounded.
Like every sentence hurt her personally.
Because then Dani immediately felt guilty.
Even when she was upset too.
Megan stood up from the bed suddenly and grabbed her hoodie.
“Forget it.”
Dani blinked. “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“It’s literally midnight.”
“I said forget it.”
“Megan.”
But she was already pulling her shoes on aggressively.
Dani got up too. “Stop being dramatic.”
That was the wrong thing to say.
Megan went completely still.
Then slowly looked up.
“Dramatic?”
Dani immediately regretted it.
“I didn’t mean—”
“No, say it again.”
“Megan—”
“You think I’m crazy too now?”
“I never said that.”
“But you thought it.”
The room suddenly felt freezing.
Dani crossed her arms tightly.
“You twist everything I say.”
“Because you never say what you actually mean.”
“I’m trying not to fight with you!”
“Well maybe I wanna fight!”
The words exploded out louder than expected.
Both of them froze afterward.
Megan breathed hard for a second before looking away sharply.
And for the first time since meeting her…
Dani felt scared of her.
Not physically.
Just emotionally.
Like Megan could wreck her life if she wanted to.
The realization hit so hard it made her feel sick.
Megan noticed the change in her expression instantly.
That was the worst part.
She always noticed.
Her anger disappeared immediately, replaced by something almost panicked.
“Dani.”
Dani stepped back without meaning to.
Tiny movement.
Still enough.
Megan’s face fell completely.
“Oh.”
The silence afterward was horrible.
“I’m not scared of you,” Dani said quickly.
But the sentence came too fast.
Too rehearsed.
Megan laughed quietly to herself.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “You are.”
“No I’m not.”
“You flinched.”
Dani hated that she was right.
Megan grabbed her bag without looking at her again.
“I should go.”
“Megan—”
“Seriously. It’s fine.”
But it obviously wasn’t.
Dani followed her downstairs anyway.
By the front door, Megan finally stopped moving.
For a second neither of them spoke.
Then Megan looked exhausted suddenly.
Not angry.
Not manipulative.
Just tired.
“I really liked you, you know,” she said quietly.
Dani’s chest ached.
“I still like you.”
Megan smiled faintly.
“Yeah. That’s the problem.”
Then she left.
Dani stood there for a long time after the door shut.
Phone buzzing upstairs.
Rain outside.
Heart beating too fast.
And deep down, underneath all the confusion and guilt and leftover feelings…
She had the horrible sense that things were only about to get worse.
_____
The thing about Megan was that she always knew exactly how to pull Daniela back in.
That was why leaving her felt impossible.
After the fight at Dani’s house, Megan disappeared for two days.
No texts.
No calls.
Nothing.
Which honestly scared Dani more than the constant attention did.
By the third day, she found herself checking her phone every ten minutes.
Embarrassing.
Actually embarrassing.
Then finally, during lunch, Megan appeared behind the gym like nothing had happened.
Black hoodie. Messy hair. Hands shoved into her pockets.
Dani’s stomach flipped immediately.
Because of course it did.
Megan looked tired.
“Hey,” she said quietly.
Dani crossed her arms. “You vanished.”
“Needed space.”
“You hate space.”
“Yeah.” Megan smiled faintly. “Turns out you were right about me being dramatic.”
Dani looked away immediately, guilt hitting fast.
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Megan shrugged. “I deserved it.”
That threw Dani off instantly.
Megan never admitted fault that easily.
“I just…” Megan rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “I don’t wanna lose you over stupid fights.”
And there it was again.
That softness.
That version of Megan that made Dani feel awful for ever doubting her.
Dani sighed. “I don’t wanna fight either.”
Megan stepped closer slowly, careful this time.
Like approaching a nervous animal.
“You still mad at me?”
“A little.”
“Fair.”
Then quieter:
“Can I hug you or are you gonna file a restraining order?”
Dani laughed before she could stop herself.
Megan smiled immediately like she’d won something.
And maybe she had.
Because Dani let her pull her close.
Let herself sink into familiar warmth and smoke and comfort.
Even while something in the back of her mind whispered:
This is the cycle.
But she ignored that too.
Again.
Things stayed calm for maybe two weeks.
Long enough for Dani to convince herself everything was okay again.
Megan got sweeter after fights.
More attentive.
More affectionate.
She texted good morning every day.
Started bringing Dani snacks between classes.
Called her pretty constantly like she needed Dani to remember it.
And honestly?
Dani started relaxing again.
Until Friday night.
It happened at Megan’s house.
Her mom wasn’t home.
They were sitting on Megan’s bed watching some terrible reality show while Megan half-paid attention and rolled a joint.
Dani hated when she smoked too much.
Not because of the smoking itself.
Because sometimes it made Megan meaner.
Sharper around the edges.
“You’re staring again,” Megan said lazily without looking up.
“You say that every five minutes.”
“Cause you do it every five minutes.”
Dani rolled her eyes.
Megan grinned and leaned over to kiss her quickly.
For a while everything felt normal.
Then Dani’s phone buzzed.
Megan glanced over automatically.
“Who’s Liam?”
Dani blinked down at the screen. “My cousin.”
“Why’s he sending heart emojis?”
“Because he’s gay.”
Megan snorted softly. “Oh.”
Dani picked up her phone to reply, but Megan grabbed her wrist suddenly.
Not playful.
Firm.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Lemme see the messages.”
Dani frowned immediately. “Megan.”
“What? I’m joking.”
“No you’re not.”
Megan smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Okay, maybe a little.”
Dani pulled her hand back. “You seriously need to stop doing this.”
“Doing what?”
“Acting like I’m cheating on you every five seconds.”
“I don’t act like that.”
“You literally do.”
Megan’s expression darkened slightly.
“You know what’s funny?”
“What?”
“You always make me sound crazier than I am.”
Dani stared at her. “What does that even mean?”
“It means you act innocent all the time.”
“Innocent about what?”
Megan stood up from the bed abruptly.
“Forget it.”
“No, seriously, what are you talking about?”
“You love attention.”
Dani laughed once in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“You do.”
“Megan—”
“You flirt with people constantly and then act confused when I notice.”
“That’s insane.”
“There.” Megan pointed at her immediately. “That. You always say I’m insane.”
“Because you say insane things!”
The room went quiet.
Heavy quiet.
Megan stared at her hard.
Then suddenly stepped closer.
“You think I’m a bad person?”
Dani’s chest tightened.
“No.”
“Lie better.”
“I’m not lying.”
Megan grabbed her jaw suddenly.
Not hard enough to hurt.
Still enough to shock her.
“Then why do you look at me like that now?”
Dani pulled back immediately. “Stop.”
Megan let go at once.
But her eyes stayed intense.
“You’re scared of me again.”
“I’m not scared of you.”
“Bullshit.”
“Megan.”
“No, say it.” Her voice rose slightly. “You think I’m toxic now? Like everybody else?”
“I didn’t say that!”
“You didn’t have to!”
Dani turned away sharply, frustrated tears suddenly burning behind her eyes.
“I can’t do this every day!”
The second she said it, Megan grabbed her arm.
“Do what?”
“Fight!”
“You’re the one fighting with me!”
“Because you never trust me!”
“I trust you too much!”
The argument spiraled fast after that.
Too fast.
Both of them talking over each other.
Megan pacing aggressively.
Dani trying to leave the room.
And then—
“Move,” Dani snapped, trying to get past her toward the door.
Megan grabbed her again.
This time harder.
“Megan, let go.”
“You always run away!”
“Because you act crazy!”
The word hit like a gunshot.
Megan’s face changed instantly.
Dani saw it happen in real time.
Anger.
Hurt.
Something ugly underneath both.
Then Megan moved forward and grabbed the back of Dani’s neck.
Not squeezing hard enough to seriously injure her.
But enough.
Enough pressure to pin her briefly against the wall.
Enough to make Dani freeze in complete shock.
“Megan—”
“Don’t call me crazy.”
Her voice sounded low and shaking.
One hand against the wall beside Dani’s head.
The other around her neck.
Not choking.
Still terrifying.
For maybe three seconds, nobody moved.
Then Megan let go immediately like she’d burned herself.
The silence afterward was horrible.
Dani stared at her.
Megan stared back.
And both of them realized it at the exact same time.
Something had broken.
Completely.
“Oh my god,” Megan whispered.
Dani stepped away instantly.
Heart pounding so hard it hurt.
“Megan…”
“I didn’t—”
“Don’t.”
Her voice shook.
Megan looked horrified now.
Actually horrified.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
But Dani couldn’t stop replaying the feeling of Megan’s hand around her throat.
Couldn’t stop thinking:
She did it anyway.
“Megan,” Dani said quietly, “move away from me.”
That sentence visibly destroyed her.
Still, Megan stepped back.
Dani grabbed her bag with shaking hands.
“Dani, please.”
She couldn’t even look at her.
“Please don’t leave like this.”
Dani laughed weakly.
“How else am I supposed to leave?”
Megan looked close to panicking now.
“I’m sorry.”
No excuses this time.
No manipulation.
Just panic.
Real panic.
“I swear to god, I’m sorry.”
Dani opened the bedroom door.
Megan followed immediately.
“Dani.”
“Stop following me.”
“I didn’t mean it.”
“You still did it!”
The words echoed through the hallway.
Megan froze.
Dani’s chest hurt so badly she thought she might throw up.
Because the worst part?
A huge part of her still loved her.
Even now.
Especially now.
And that made everything feel ten times worse.
By the time Dani got home, she was shaking.
She called Sophia immediately.
The second Sophia answered, she knew something was wrong.
“What happened?”
Dani started crying before she could even answer.
An hour later, Sophia sat beside her on the bed while Dani explained everything in pieces.
The jealousy.
The phone checking.
The constant accusations.
The hand around her neck.
Sophia went completely still.
Then finally:
“Dani.”
“What?”
“That’s abuse.”
The word made Dani flinch instantly.
“No, it’s not like—”
“Yes it is.”
“She didn’t actually hurt me.”
Sophia looked at her sadly.
“You’re making excuses for her already.”
Dani wiped at her eyes angrily.
“She wasn’t trying to—”
“She put her hands on your neck.”
Silence.
Sophia’s voice softened.
“You need to leave her.”
Dani stared down at her lap.
“I know.”
But knowing and doing were completely different things.
The breakup happened the next day behind the school gym.
The same place everything started.
Megan already looked wrecked when Dani walked up.
Red eyes.
No cigarette for once.
Just anxiety written all over her face.
“Hey,” she said carefully.
Dani crossed her arms tightly.
“We can’t do this anymore.”
Megan’s face crumpled immediately.
“Dani—”
“No.”
Her voice shook.
“You scared me.”
Megan looked like she’d been slapped.
“I know.”
“I can’t keep defending you to everybody.”
“I said I was sorry.”
“I know.”
“And I mean it.”
Dani’s eyes burned again.
“I know.”
That was the horrible part.
She believed her.
Megan stepped closer desperately.
“Please don’t leave me.”
Dani nearly broke right there.
Nearly.
But then she remembered the pressure around her throat.
The fear.
The look in Megan’s eyes.
And she stepped back instead.
“We’re done.”
Silence.
Megan stared at her for a long moment.
Then slowly nodded.
Not angry.
Not yelling.
Which somehow felt worse.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
Dani turned to leave.
Then Megan spoke again.
“Are you gonna tell people?”
Dani frowned. “What?”
“What happened.”
“I don’t know.”
Megan looked down at the ground.
Then:
“You know I’d never actually hurt you, right?”
Dani didn’t answer.
Because honestly?
She didn’t know anymore.
After that, Dani tried to move on.
She really did.
Blocked Megan’s number.
Stopped going behind the gym at lunch.
Started sitting with Sophia again.
But Megan was everywhere.
In the hallways.
In her playlists.
In her hoodies still sitting in Dani’s closet.
And worst of all—
In her phone.
Because late one night, an unknown number texted her.
unknown: unblock me
Dani’s stomach dropped instantly.
She ignored it.
Another message came seconds later.
unknown: dani pls
Then:
unknown: i miss you
Dani blocked that number too.
Three minutes later, another text appeared from a different number.
unknown: u can’t ignore me forever
Her chest tightened painfully.
Then the final message came through.
unknown: especially when i still have everything u sent me
Dani went completely cold.
____
Dani didn’t sleep that night.
She just stared at the text message over and over until the words stopped looking real.
especially when i still have everything u sent me
Every picture.
Every message.
Every vulnerable little piece of herself she’d handed over because she thought Megan loved her.
Her stomach twisted so hard she felt sick.
Sophia was the first person she told the next morning.
“What the actual hell?” Sophia snapped after reading the messages.
Dani sat curled up in the passenger seat of Sophia’s car outside school, hoodie sleeves pulled over her hands.
“She wouldn’t actually post them,” Dani whispered.
Sophia looked at her carefully.
“You don’t know that.”
And that was the terrifying part.
Dani didn’t know anything about Megan anymore.
Not really.
The girl she thought she knew would never have grabbed her neck.
Would never threaten her.
Would never make her feel afraid to open her phone.
But the real Megan had.
And now Dani couldn’t stop wondering if maybe everybody else had seen it long before she did.
“What do I do?” she asked quietly.
Sophia sighed.
“First of all, you stop responding to her.”
“I haven’t.”
“Good.”
“Mostly because I’m scared to.”
Sophia’s expression softened instantly.
“Oh, Dani.”
That made her want to cry again.
Because she hated feeling weak.
Hated feeling like this situation somehow happened to her instead of because of her.
A huge part of her still blamed herself.
For ignoring red flags.
For sending the pictures.
For staying after the jealousy started.
For loving somebody everybody warned her about.
Sophia seemed to read her mind immediately.
“This is not your fault.”
Dani looked away.
“It feels like it.”
“It isn’t.”
But guilt stayed anyway.
The next few weeks were miserable.
Megan didn’t approach her at school anymore.
Didn’t speak to her.
Didn’t even look at her sometimes.
Which honestly felt worse.
Because Dani could feel her anyway.
Like a storm sitting across the room.
Every once in a while another text would come from a random number.
nothing threatening exactly.
Just enough.
unknown: u really hate me now?
unknown: i’m trying so hard not to lose it
unknown: please talk to me
unknown: nobody gets me like you did
Dani blocked every number immediately.
Still, the messages kept coming.
It became exhausting.
Checking hallways before class.
Feeling her phone vibrate and immediately panicking.
Jumping every time somebody said Megan’s name.
And people still talked about them constantly.
Mostly rumors.
“She cheated on Megan.”
“No, Megan went psycho.”
“I heard they had some huge fight.”
“Didn’t Megan threaten her?”
Nobody knew the full story.
Thank God.
One afternoon after school, Dani finally saw Megan again properly.
Not from across a hallway.
Not through blurry panic.
Directly.
Megan was sitting alone outside the convenience store near campus, hoodie pulled over her head, cigarette between her fingers.
She looked awful.
Dark circles under her eyes. Pale skin. Exhausted expression.
For one horrible second, Dani remembered everything she loved about her.
The late-night drives.
The laughing fits.
The way Megan used to look at her like she was magic.
And God, that hurt.
Megan noticed her immediately.
Her whole body went still.
Dani should’ve walked away.
Instead, she stopped.
Mistake.
Megan stood up slowly.
Neither of them spoke at first.
Cars passed loudly behind them.
Rainwater dripped from the edge of the building.
Finally Megan said quietly:
“You look good.”
Dani crossed her arms tightly.
“What do you want?”
Megan looked down.
“You blocked every number.”
“You threatened me.”
“I didn’t threaten you.”
“You literally did.”
Megan rubbed a hand over her face tiredly.
“I just wanted you to answer me.”
“So you blackmail me?”
“I would never leak your pictures.”
“Then why say it?”
Megan looked up finally.
Eyes red.
“Because I knew it would make you respond.”
That answer honestly hurt more than denial would’ve.
Dani stared at her.
“You know that’s insane, right?”
Megan laughed weakly.
“Yeah.”
Silence again.
Then Megan spoke softer this time.
“I miss you.”
Dani’s chest tightened painfully.
“Megan—”
“No, just listen for one second.” Her voice cracked slightly. “Please.”
Dani hated that she still cared enough to stay.
Megan swallowed hard.
“I know I ruined everything.”
Dani stayed quiet.
“I know I got… bad.”
Bad.
Such a tiny word for all the damage.
Megan looked miserable standing there.
Not manipulative.
Not angry.
Just wrecked.
“I loved you so much that it made me crazy,” she whispered.
Dani closed her eyes briefly.
Because part of her still wanted to fix her.
That was the sickest part.
Even after everything.
But love wasn’t supposed to feel like fear.
Sofia’s words echoed in her head immediately.
That’s abuse.
Dani opened her eyes again.
“You need help, Megan.”
Megan flinched slightly.
“I know.”
“You can’t do this to people.”
“I know.”
“You scared me.”
That one landed hardest.
Megan’s eyes filled instantly.
“I know.”
Dani felt tears burning behind her own eyes now.
Because she remembered the beginning too clearly.
Rain outside school.
Megan making her laugh.
Megan being gentle.
Megan being the first person who ever made Dani feel truly wanted.
And somehow that girl had turned into somebody Dani didn’t recognize anymore.
Or maybe she’d been both people all along.
“I really loved you,” Megan said quietly.
Dani nodded once.
“I know.”
Megan looked at her like she wanted to say a thousand more things.
Instead she just asked:
“Do you hate me?”
Dani thought about it honestly.
About the fear.
About the threats.
About the hand around her neck.
But also about the late-night phone calls and soft kisses and the way Megan used to smile when Dani walked into a room.
Finally, Dani shook her head.
“No.”
Megan looked relieved for exactly half a second before Dani continued.
“But I don’t trust you anymore.”
That hit harder.
You could see it.
Megan looked down immediately like the words physically hurt.
And maybe they did.
Dani took a shaky breath.
“You need to delete everything.”
Megan nodded instantly.
“I will.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
“And don’t contact me again.”
Silence.
Then finally:
“Okay.”
For the first time since meeting her, Megan sounded defeated.
Not angry.
Not dramatic.
Just empty.
Dani turned to leave.
Then Megan called after her one last time.
“Dani?”
She looked back carefully.
Megan’s voice came out quiet and rough.
“I’m sorry I made loving me feel dangerous.”
That almost broke her.
Almost.
But Dani just nodded once before walking away.
And this time, Megan didn’t follow her.