Page 47 of Phantom Flower

I did not know what to say once I finally stopped shaking.

My chest still felt tight, like my ribs were pressing in on my lungs. My eyes were swollen, and my face felt sticky from the tears I had tried so hard to hold back. I stayed pressed against Dimitri’s chest longer than I should have.

“Come with me.”

I still did not know what to say. My head was too foggy to form any real argument. So I just nodded once and let him pull me away from the wall.

I stayed close to his side without really meaning to, one hand loosely gripping the sleeve of his jacket. Every few steps I reached up on instinct to touch the spot behind my ear where my flower used to be.

Nothing.

The absence of it made me feel even more exposed.

People stared as we passed.

Some whispered.

Others quickly looked away when Dimitri glanced in their direction. I kept my head down, but I could still hear pieces of what they were saying.

“That’s the guy from the video…”

“Morozov’s actually walking with him…”

“Did you see how wrecked he looked earlier? He was crying and everything.”

I hated that they had seen me like that. I hated that they knew what I looked like on my knees in the woods.

We were in the middle of the main hallway when a guy stepped right in front of us, blocking our path.

I recognized him vaguely - some senior from the rugby team.

He looked straight at Dimitri and spoke loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

“Careful with that one, Morozov,” he said, smirking. “Heard he’s real easy. You might wanna get tested though. Guy like that? Probably gave you rabies or some shit. Filthy little slut.”

Dimitri smiled.

Before I could even process what was happening, his hand shot out and grabbed the back of the guy’s head. Then he slammed his face straight into the nearest wall.

The guy dropped instantly. Blood was already starting to smear down the wall where his face had connected.

Everyone gasped.

Dimitri did not even look at the guy on the ground. He turned, wiped his bloody knuckles on his shirt, and spoke loud enough for the entire hallway to hear.

“Let me announce this properly.”

Everyone listened.

“The other guy in the video?” He paused. “That was me.”

My eyes widened.

Not just mine.

Across the hallway, near the lockers, I saw Alexei and Ilya. Alexei’s usual blank expression had cracked. He seemed alert. Ilya looked genuinely surprised, his mouth slightly open as he stared at Dimitri. Both of them looked on edge.

Dimitri continued.