Chapter 5: The Girl They shouldn't Touch

CHAPTER FIVE

 The Girl They Shouldn’t Touch

Westview High had rules.

Some were written in school handbooks.

Others were written in reputation and fear.

And one of those rules was simple:

You did not cross Leonard.

Even if he never said it out loud.

Aurora was walking through the hallway during lunch break.

She wanted to go to the library early. She liked quiet places. Quiet meant peace.

She was holding her sketchbook tightly against her chest.

That was when she heard footsteps behind her.

“Hey, quiet girl.”

Aurora stopped.

Mira was standing in front of her with two girls beside her.

Mira smiled — but it was sharp.

“I told you before,” Mira said slowly. “You should stay away from Leonard.”

Aurora stayed quiet.

She didn’t like arguments.

“I already said I’m not trying to date him,” Aurora said softly.

But Mira’s friends suddenly stepped closer.

One of them accidentally — or maybe intentionally — knocked the tray of food they were carrying.

The tray tipped.

Food spilled onto Aurora’s uniform.

Aurora froze in shock, heart beating fast from embarrassment.

Then one of the girls grabbed her sketchbook and ripped one of the pages slightly while laughing quietly.

Aurora’s eyes widened.

That sketchbook was important to her.

She didn’t shout.

She didn’t fight back.

She just stood there, feeling her chest tighten as students around started whispering.

Mira spoke quietly.

“Just stay in your lane.”

Then they walked away.

Aurora felt embarrassed and upset, but she didn’t cry.

She just bent down slowly and tried to save her sketchbook pages.

The hallway suddenly became very quiet.

Because Leonard was walking toward them.

His expression was cold.

Not loud anger.

Just dangerous silence.

The Iron Wolves followed behind him, sensing his mood.

He stopped beside Aurora.

He didn’t speak immediately.

He just looked at the food stains on her uniform… and then at her torn sketchbook page.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

Aurora nodded slightly.

Leonard picked up her sketchbook from the floor and looked at the torn page.

Then he turned toward Mira.

“You think that was funny?” he asked calmly.

Mira went pale.

“It was just—”

“Don’t touch her things again,” Leonard said quietly.

Not loud.

Just terrifyingly controlled.

Then he turned back to Aurora.

“Come with me,” he said.

“Where?”

“Library,” he replied. “You like quiet places.”

Aurora followed him.

Behind them, students whispered.

“Leonard has never protected someone like that before.”

But Leonard didn’t care about rumors.

Because something about Aurora’s quiet strength was starting to matter to him more than he wanted to admit.

And Westview High knew one thing very clearly now:

If you messed with Aurora…

You were also messing with Leonard. 

Q