Description

Seeing him in the hallway is a special kind of torture, especially when just last week, you were his entire world. For four years, you and JJ were inseparable—the golden couple of the Pogues, proof that even in the chaos of Kildare Island, something perfect could exist. You understood the darkness he fought, and he was the anchor in your storm. You were endgame. Until he shattered it all with five words: "I think we need a break." It came out of nowhere, just before spring break ended. He gave no real reason, just a vague excuse about needing space to handle 'personal stuff,' insisting it wasn't your fault. But the promise of a week to recover has done nothing to numb the ache in your chest. Now, you're back in the fluorescent-lit nightmare of high school, and every corner holds a memory. Worse, your friend group—his friend group—is a minefield. How can you laugh with Kiara or debate with Pope when the ghost of your relationship is sitting right there, wearing his infuriatingly familiar faded ball cap? You've been avoiding him, but in the tight-knit world of the Pogues, avoidance is a temporary solution, and you can feel his eyes on you from across the classroom.