Darn Stupid Brother You Are

(Angel's POV)

The dorms were quieter than usual tonight and everyone seemed caught up in their own thoughts, their own worries. But as I turned the corner to grab a snack from the kitchen, I nearly bumped into Dilrah. "Oh, sorry!" I stammered and tried to gather my thoughts.

"No, it's okay," Dilrah said softly and her eyes darted around. She seemed nervous, maybe even a little scared.

We stood there in awkward silence for a moment before I decided to break it. "Hey, um... thanks for trying to stand up for me that day when Ava was being a complete witch."

Dilrah's cheeks flushed and she looked down at her feet. "I... I'm sorry I didn't do more, Angel. I was just so scared. She... Ava, she has a way of getting inside your head and making you feel powerless."

I nodded as I remembered how Ava had belittled me and how helpless I'd felt in that moment. "I get it. It's not easy to stand up to someone like her."

Dilrah took a shaky breath and glanced up, her eyes meeting mine. "There's more, Angel. You need to be careful. Ava... she's targeting you."

My heart skipped a beat. "Targeting me? Why?"

"Because," she whispered and looked around to make sure no one else was listening. "Like I told you before, you're a threat to her. You're stronger than she expected and she hates that. She's used to everyone falling in line and you're not doing that."

I stepped closer and lowered my voice. "What else do you know about her?"

Dilrah sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Ava, she's dangerous. She knows how to manipulate people and make them do things they wouldn't normally do. Just look at how she's got the entire dorm under her thumb." "Yeah, but what has she done exactly? How does she control everyone like this?" I pressed, needing to understand.

"She finds out your secrets and weaknesses and then she uses them against you," Dilrah explained in a whisper. "She did it to me. I trusted her once and she twisted everything, made me feel like I was the one in the wrong." My stomach twisted. "What did she do to you?"

Dilrah hesitated but then the words came tumbling out. "I confided in her about something personal. About my family. My dad's gambling problem. How we lost everything and now my mom's sick. I needed this place, Angel. I needed to get better so I could go home and take care of my mom. But Ava... she threatened to expose everything if I didn't do what she said. She made me spy on the other girls and report back to her. And if I didn't, she promised to ruin me." Anger washed over me. "That's sick. How can she do that to you?"

"She thrives on control," Dilrah said, tears welling up in her eyes. "And now, she's doing the same to you."

I swallowed hard as I felt the weight of Dilrah's words settle over me. "What else do you know? Please, Dilrah. I need to know everything."

"She's been asking about you," Dilrah confessed and wiped her eyes. "Asking about you and Hendrix. She knows something's going on between you two and she's using it to her advantage. She's already spreading rumors and trying to make you look bad."

My blood ran cold. "How does she even know about Hendrix and me?"

"I don't know," Dilrah admitted. "But she's smart, Angel. She probably has someone watching you."

The realization sent a shiver down my spine. "I... I thought she was just jealous or something."

"It's more than that," Dilrah warned. "She sees you as a threat. You're not like the others. You don't bow down to her and that scares her. She's going to try and break you, Angel. Don't let her."

I nodded and felt even more determined. "I won't. I promise."

Dilrah gave me a weak smile, relief flooding her eyes. "Good. Just be careful, okay? She's more dangerous than you think."

I took a deep breath and felt my resolve harden. "Thanks for telling me, Dilrah. Really. I won't let her get to me."

Dilrah nodded but I could still see the fear in her eyes. "We're in this together, Angel. Don't forget that. I've got you even though, sometimes, I don't speak up."

I wanted to ask if she knew anything about what was going on in the dorm, or Ava's involvement with the twisted shit, but just thought against it.

As I walked back to my dorm, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Ava was playing a dangerous game and I had no choice but to play along. But one thing was for sure I wasn't going down without a fight.

...

Dr. Nixon made me wait outside her office for what felt like forever. I was pacing and biting my nails, wondering if she'd finally have some real news this time. When she finally opened the door, her expression was guarded like always. "Angel," she said and gestured for me to sit. I perched myself on the edge of the chair and felt my heart racing. "I've planted seeds of doubt among the staff, just as we discussed."

I blinked at her and waited for more, but she just stared at me like that was it. Besides, when did we discuss that?!

"That's all?" I asked and my voice was sharper than I intended. "That's what you've been doing this whole time?"

Dr. Nixon's eyes narrowed. "You need to understand, Angel, these things take time. You can't just come here and expect everything to happen overnight."

"But it's been weeks," I pressed, feeling my frustration rise. "You said you'd help us. I thought you'd "

"And I am helping," she interrupted and her tone was clipped. "But you need to be patient. This isn't a simple game, Angel. There are risks and consequences. You're not the only one with something to lose here."

I clenched my fists and bit back the urge to argue. "Fine," I muttered. "I just thought there'd be more progress by now."

Dr. Nixon sighed and leaned back in her chair. "You're young. You want things to happen fast. But sometimes, the most important battles are fought in silence and in the background. Be patient and trust that I'm doing everything I can." I didn't trust her entirely, but I nodded anyway. "Okay."

"That's all for now," she said and dismissed me with a wave. "I'll update you when there's more to report."

I left her office feeling more frustrated than before. It wasn't enough. It never felt like enough.

Back in the dorm lounge, the others were waiting for me. They'd claimed our usual spot by the worn-out couches that sagged in the middle and smelled faintly of bleach. Hendrix was slouched in the corner, scrolling through his phone. Thomas was pacing and looked agitated about something, while Cylan, Hande, Dilrah, and Bundah were gathered around the coffee table and talking amongst themselves.

I took a deep breath and walked over. "Well," I announced, "Dr. Nixon finally gave me an update."

Everyone looked up, their eyes wide with anticipation. "And?" Cylan prompted as she leaned forward.

"She's planted seeds of doubt among the staff," I said and crossed my arms as I took a seat beside Hendrix. "Apparently, it's supposed to be a big deal."

"That's it?" Hande asked and her disappointment mirrored my own. "I thought there'd be more by now."

I nodded, feeling the same way. "Me too."

"It's something, at least," Dilrah offered softly. "It means she's trying, right?"

Thomas scoffed. "Trying isn't good enough. We need results, not vague promises."

Hendrix shot him a look. "She's doing what she can," he muttered. "It's not like we're in a position to demand anything."

"Yeah, well, maybe if we did demand more, we'd actually get somewhere," Thomas fired back.

"Or maybe we'd just end up getting caught," Hendrix snapped. "Did you ever think of that?"

I could feel the tension growing between them, like a storm about to break. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "Guys, can we not do this right now? We're supposed to be on the same side."

Thomas glanced at me, and his gaze softened. "I know, Angel. I just hate feeling powerless."

"We all do," I replied and met his eyes. "But fighting with each other isn't going to help."

Hendrix shifted beside me, and his knee brushed against mine. The touch sent a jolt through me, and I had to look away, my cheeks heating up. I could feel his gaze on me and the unspoken words hanging between us. "So, what do we do now?" Cylan asked and broke the silence.

"We wait," I said, though the words felt hollow. "And we stay vigilant. Something's coming. I can feel it."

"You think Ava's got something to do with it?" Bundah asked in a whisper.

"Definitely," I replied as my stomach twisted at the thought. "She's up to something. I just don't know what."

"She's always watching us," Dilrah murmured and glanced at the door. "I can feel it, like she's waiting for us to slip up."

"Well, she's gonna be waiting a hell of a long time," Thomas muttered and clenched his jaw. "Because we're not slipping up. Not this time."

"Damn right," Cylan agreed and her eyes flashed with determination.

"We'll figure this out," I promised, even though the words felt more like a prayer than a certainty. "We just have to keep moving forward."

Hendrix shifted again, and his leg pressed against mine. This time, he didn't pull away. "We'll make it," he said steadily. "All of us."

Thomas's eyes flicked to where our knees were touching, and I saw something sharp flash across his face-something painful. But he didn't say anything, just turned away and clenched his hands into fists.

The tension in the room was suffocating, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were all standing on the edge of something huge. Something that would change everything.

"Stay ready," I said in a whisper. "We don't know when, but it's coming."

The room fell silent and the meaning of my words sank in. And in that silence, I felt it-the fear, the hope, the uncertainty. We were in this together, for better or for worse. Besides, we had no one else to confide in except ourselves.