A plan forms

Riley stayed curled on the floor of her bedroom for what felt like forever—back against the door, knees to her chest, phone clutched in both hands like it might vanish if she let go. The screen stayed dark. No new messages from “Alex.” No acknowledgment of her frantic promises. Just silence that grew heavier with every passing minute, pressing down until her eyelids drooped and exhaustion finally won.

She crawled to her bed, still in her wrinkled uniform, skirt twisted around her hips, blouse half-unbuttoned, the dried stickiness between her thighs a constant reminder of the night. She didn’t bother changing. Didn’t bother washing the taste of Nick from her mouth. She just pulled the covers over herself, set her alarm for 5:45 AM—early enough to beat Julia—and let sleep drag her under.

Dreams came in fragments: blindfolds, hotel rooms, her brother’s cock pulsing on her tongue while he moaned “Mom,” the headmaster’s voice laughing that she wasn’t good enough, wasn’t worth keeping. She woke twice in the night—gasping, thighs clenched, fingers instinctively slipping between her legs—only to remember the silence on her phone and fall back into uneasy sleep.

The alarm chirped at 5:45—soft, insistent. Riley slapped it quiet before it could wake the house. She lay still for a moment, listening: no sounds from Julia’s room, no footsteps. The house was dead quiet.

She moved fast.

She slipped out of bed, smoothed her uniform as best she could (it would have to do), grabbed her backpack, and crept downstairs. The garage door opener was silent on battery mode—she’d learned that trick years ago. She slipped inside, eased the side door shut behind her, and crouched behind Julia’s Urus, heart hammering.

She pulled out her phone and typed the text she’d rehearsed in half-sleep.

Riley: Hey Mom—feeling kinda off today. Gonna skip school and hang with Angela instead. She’s picking me up soon. Don’t worry, I’ll be good. Love you.

She hit send. The message whooshed away. No read receipt yet—Julia was probably still asleep.

Riley waited.