“Alright everyone, settle down and listen up. Today’s lesson is a group project! So let's all find a partner,” the freshman science teacher Mr.Kretch called out to the room of students. There were around thirty kids in the class, most trying to pair up with their friends. Seated at the front right table, a tall, plump, dark-haired boy, with thick-framed glasses observed the scene with mild fear. He resembled a lost sheep among wolves. His dark green eyes scanned the room, seeming to search for anyone else still without a partner. The idea of approaching someone made his heart race. Worst-case, he’d end up with a classmate who also hadn’t found a partner. Best-case, maybe he’d get paired with the teacher.
Sitting at the back of the class, a girl with a mop of red curls was slumped over the table. She seemed completely unaware of the surrounding activity. She was deep in dreamland, despite the classroom chaos.
As the class settled and partners were sorted, the teacher scanned the room.
“Okay, anyone flying solo?” he asked with a grin, eyes scanning the rows. “Raise your hand if you need a partner.” Slowly, the chubby teen raised his hand, seemingly the only one left out.
“Odd, we have an even count, and everyone’s here...” Suddenly, a loud snore interrupted him.
The teacher glanced towards the noise coming from the back of the room. Stepping out from behind his desk, he made his way towards the culprit. The class laughed softly as they heard another loud snore. Mr. Kretch stood beside the slumbering redhead, arms folded across his chest, a gentle smile on his face.
“Ahem, wakey wakey, Miss Lins. Breakfast is ready,” he announced playfully.
The girl jolted awake, her head lifting from the table, a small puddle of drool in its wake. “Huh, food?” she mumbled, blinking sleepily.
“You see, class, even when asleep, our brains can still pick up on familiar words and sounds. If it’s something our brains recognize as important, like food, it’ll wake us up. Say you hear a strange noise in the middle of the night. Your brain may take that as a reason and wake you up,” Mr. Kretch said, making Jillian Lins his example for the impromptu lesson.
“Ugh...” the groggy girl grumbled, pushing her hair away from her face and rubbing her eyes. “What’s happening?” she muttered, stifling a yawn.
“Class is in session, Miss Lins. Please make your way to the front and join Mr. Merris at his table for the assignment,” the teacher said, before he was interrupted by another yawn from Jillian.
“Who?” she asked, slowly rising from her stool and shambling forward. Standing at barely five feet tall, she was guided by the teacher towards the front of the class.
“This way,” he chuckled, making small adjustments to her path so she didn’t run into anything. They made their way to the front table where Jason waited, looking a bit nervous. Jillian climbed up onto the stool beside him, her ample posterior spilling over the edge of the stool. He quickly turned his attention back to the front as the teacher returned to his desk. Glancing at Jason, Jillian couldn’t help but notice his tall and broad stature. At five ten, he already towered over most freshmen and mid length black hair looked really soft to her.
“Alright class, I am sure you all noticed the microscopes on your tables by now. Today we’ll compare hair samples. Naturally, we are always shedding hair, as our follicles make way for new strands every day. Each strand of hair is packed with our DNA, which makes each strand pretty unique. So, for today’s fun, you and your partners are going to compare each other’s. Just run your hand through your hair a few times, and you’ll probably find a loose strand or two. Then, take turns looking at them under the microscope. Write anything you notice that sets them apart. Whenever you’re ready, feel free to begin!” With that, Mr. Kretch set the class loose to get to work, and the room quickly filled with excited chatter.
Jason turned to face Jillian, finding her gaze fixed on him. His nervous expression elicited a small giggle from her.
“Hey, I’m Jillian,” she said sweetly.
After a moment’s hesitation, he replied softly, “Jason,” avoiding direct eye contact.
“You’re really tall. You planning on joining the football team or something, big guy?” Jillian tried to break the ice, wanting to help ease Jason’s nerves. Another pause followed before he spoke again.
“Uh, I’m not really into sports. Maybe we should focus on the assignment,” he suggested, still feeling uneasy about Jillian’s comments on his size.
Jillian blinked a few times, then nodded.
“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get started, sorry… wait, is that a Soundgarden shirt?” she said, shifting her stool closer to Jason. Looking down at his shirt, he saw the Superunknown album print.
“You…like Soundgarden?” Looking back at the small redhead who was still beaming up at him. “Mmhmm! Well I mean I like the two songs that I have heard from them,” she said with another small giggle.
“Oh… Black Hole Sun I am guessing?” he asked.
“Yeah! That and the one about the spoon guy are great.”
It was hard to dislike someone who at least liked one of his favorite bands. Even if she just cherry picked the most popular songs.
“My mom…she likes their song Flower.”
“Hahaha whaaat, your mom listens to them as well? That’s so cool, I swear if I hear another Dolly Parton song I’m gonna blow my brains out!”
Just what was this? Why was this attractive girl actually talking to him? It felt…surprisingly good. In their conversation, they missed the teacher clearing his throat loudly from a few tables over. Jason looked over and saw the teacher staring at them.
“We really should get to work.” Turning away from Jillian, his face flushed a bit.
“Haha, yeah sorry.” She made a mental note to talk with him later more.
She found the large boy…refreshing? He was different from most of the boys she hung around. They were like a bunch of animals, eager to show off how “alpha” they could be. Vying for dominance as if seeing how hard they can punch each other might impress her or any nearby girls. But Jason’s shyer and sweeter demeanor was something else entirely, something more genuine, more real. She found it attractive, or at least appealing. The way he kept secretly stealing glances at her only helped reaffirm that she wanted to get to know him better. The smile on her face wouldn’t fade.
He took a deep breath, running a hand through his dark locks several times. Jillian looked at him oddly.
“What are you doing?” she asked, curious.
“Didn’t you hear what the teacher said? We need to collect a hair from each of us to examine under the microscope,” he explained. Jillian stared at him, feeling caught off guard.
“Oh, right,” was all she could manage, realizing she hadn’t paid attention in class to catch up with her new friend. Pushing away her slight embarrassment, she nodded and ran a hand through her curls.
As they each got a strand of hair, Jason effortlessly positioned himself under the glass slide, securing it easily. Jillian struggled a bit with her curly hair, which refused to cooperate.
“Ugh, come on, stay flat,” she muttered in frustration. Jason suddenly leaned in to assist her, gently holding her hair straight as she placed the thin glass over it. Grateful for his help, Jillian looked up at him with a soft smile.
“Thanks, I…” she began to say more, but as she met his gaze, she found herself speechless. From a distance, she didn’t notice his eyes, hidden by the thick glasses. Now with him so close, she truly caught sight of the unique color, almost like orbs of deep jade staring back at her. She was captivated by them as her words caught in her throat. Uncontrolled tears welled up in her eyes, and her lower lip trembled as she felt the first tear roll down her cheek.
Jason saw the tears welling up in her eyes, and panic washed over him.
“W-what, what’s wrong, did I do something!?” he blurted out, utterly bewildered, leaning away from her.
“What’s going on over there? Is everything alright?” the teacher interjected, clearly noticing the unusual scene. Jillian whimpered softly, sniffling, but didn’t utter a word, her gaze fixed squarely on Jason.
“Sir, I don’t know what’s happening!” Jason turned away and called out to Mr. Kretch, who hastened his steps across the classroom. But before the teacher could reach them, Jillian dashed out of the room, leaving everyone in stunned silence. All eyes then shifted from the door she fled through, to land on Jason, who sat there, speechless and bewildered, as the classroom fell into an eerie quiet.
Mr. Kretch dashed to the door, hoping to catch Jillian, but she had already disappeared around a corner. He sighed in frustration, unsure of which direction she had gone. Returning to Jason, who was now sitting alone, Mr. Kretch’s face was creased with confusion.
“Jason, what happened?” he asked, trying to keep his tone neutral, though a hint of accusation slipped through.
Jason looked up, his expression stunned.
“I was just helping her with the hair on her slide and then...” His voice faltered as he felt himself shutting down, overwhelmed by the stares and whispers filling the room.
“Did he touch her?”
“I wonder if he pulled her hair out.”
“What a creep.”
“He probably grabbed her ass.”
Accusations flew, each one more venomous than the last, leaving Jason feeling increasingly isolated and shaky.
“Alright, folks, let’s settle down and get back to work,” Mr. Kretch said before turning to Jason.
“Jason, just… just do your own thing for now,” he told the teen before walking back to his desk. Jason had no idea just what had just happened. One minute they were acting like friends, the next she was sobbing and running away. Now it felt like he was trapped on an island, stranded and alone.
None of it made sense; he had done nothing wrong. Now, everyone seemed to think he was some kind of pervert or something.
“Why is this happening to me? I just wanted to help. Someone...anyone… please, say something,” his thoughts echoed in his head, desperate for someone to speak up for him. Someone had to have seen that he didn’t do anything to her. Yet no one said anything to save the boy, only more harsh whispers like arrows being shot into his back.
The class felt like it would never end, and just as the bell rang to signal its conclusion, the PA system crackled to life.
“Jason Merris and Jillian Lins, please report to the office,” it blared out. The announcement seemed to turn heads back to Jason instantly, casting an even bigger shadow of suspicion over him. With a collective air of judgment, his classmates continued glaring at him as they filed out of the room. The weight of their stares kept him pinned to his seat.
Mr.Kretch gave Jason a sympathetic glance but said nothing, probably not wanting to get dragged into whatever mess was brewing now. As Jason made his way through the halls, the whispers and stares showed rumors were already spreading like wildfire. He noticed the way the others would look at their phones, and then back at him with disgust. He quickened his pace, his heart pounding with anxiety as he finally reached the office.
Walking in, he spotted his mom already seated in a row of chairs against the wall. Rising from her seat, she rushed over to him, seeing the panic in his eyes. She reached up, placing her hands on the sides of his face, looking him over for injuries. They explained only a little over the phone, only that she needed to come down to the school right away to talk about her son. Jason hurriedly explained what had happened.
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“I swear, Mom, I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just trying to help, and then suddenly…” he trailed off. His chest felt tight with a stabbing sensation, the situation bearing down on him. Tears welling up in his eyes.
His mother pulled him into a comforting hug, whispering reassurances.
“I know, sweetie. You’re my good boy, and I believe you. Don’t worry, mom will take care of everything.” soothingly, rubbing his back as he buried his face in her shoulder, trembling slightly.
“Mrs. Merris, the principal will see you now,“ the assistant called out. Katia gave Jason a comforting pat on the back, and he quickly wiped his face before straightening up. Together, they entered the office and took seats across from the principal, who was behind her desk.
“So, there have been rumors that your son has inappropriately touched another student.” Katia’s eyes widened at the principal’s blunt opening. “And here at Grove Falls, we handle these types of allegations with the utmost seriousness.”
“You think my son molested someone?! Do you have any proof that he did?” Katia’s anger was already spilling over.
“We are still waiting for the victim’s account. If they come forward with a direct accusation, then we will have to take action against your son.”
The principal was about to continue when Katia spoke up again.
“And my son has no say in the matter? All you need is some one-sided story? What exactly are you saying will happen?” Speaking almost as if she was daring the principal to tell her.
“Ahem, well, of course, we will take both sides of the story into account, but if the allegations turn out to be true, we will be forced to at minimum suspend Jason if not expel and contact the proper authorities. You must understand, when there are multiple accounts of students and even a teacher saying that he may have touched a female student-” Jason’s face drained of all color. All Jillian had to do was say he touched her and his life would be ruined. It left him shaken and afraid. Even if they had been getting along at first, he knew no one would take his side if she said he touched her, no one aside from his mother at least.
“May have! That doesn’t mean he did! You have no proof! You are trying to paint an innocent thirteen-year-old boy as a deviant, yet you have nothing to prove he actually did anything other than a bunch of hearsay!” Katia interrupted again, even more furious than before.
“Please Mrs. Merris, the victim-” She was stopped for a moment as Katia scoffed at the word victim. The principal let out a sigh before continuing.
“The victim hasn’t shown up to give her account of what happened, so until she does, your son will not be facing any punishment.”
“You’re goddamn right he won’t be. I will bring the best fucking attorney in the state down on this school if you even think about doing anything without actual evidence. I know my son is innocent and if he ever comes back to this farce of a school, you better thank your lucky stars that he is such an understanding young man!” Katia growled, her face twisted in rage as she quickly stood up from her seat.
She grabbed Jason’s wrist and pulled for him to get up from the chair.
“Come on Jason, we are leaving.” The young teen looked a bit shell-shocked but stood up as he was told, the chair straining from the weight as he pushed up on it to get up. Pulling her son along with her, they quickly rushed out of the office and eventually the school, her footsteps never slowing.
“The nerve of that woman, I swear!” Katia fumed, her voice trembling with anger. “Who does she think she is, talking about you like that? And right in front of you no less! If your father were here, he’d tear that place apart with his bare hands.”
She ranted about the injustice of it all, never wavering in her belief of her son’s innocence. She knew her Jason would never do something like that. Tears of frustration streamed down her face as they reached the car and sped off toward home. Her emotions were a tangled mix of fury and grief. It had only been six months since Jason’s father passed away from cancer, and they were both just trying to move on with life. He had never seen his mother so worked up before. The anger and sadness on her face was painful to watch. It was that moment where he swore he would never again put his poor mother through such an ordeal.
Jillian sprinted straight out of school, not bothering to grab her stuff or attend her other classes. Tears still streaming down her face as she ran, blurring her vision as she tried to wipe them away. About a quarter of the way home, she heard a car’s tires screech to a halt behind her. Ignoring it, she kept running until the car pulled up beside her and screeched to a stop.
“Jillian!” a familiar voice called out, prompting Jillian to finally stop and look back at the car. Ginny practically sprinted out and enveloped her daughter in a tight hug.
“Jillian, what are you doing out here? The school called me saying someone might have touched you, and you ran off in tears! What happened, sweetie?” Ginny was in a panic. She felt sick at the thought of someone touching her daughter inappropriately. Ginny’s pounding heart filled Jillian’s ears as she held her close. She barely understood her mother’s words. Her head was so stuffed up from crying and the heavy rhythmic heartbeat drowned out everything.
“Mom...he…” She barely spoke before her sobs started again, her voice muffled as she buried her face in her moms chest again, tears soaking into her mother’s blouse
“Let’s get you home and then we can talk,” Ginny said gently, rubbing Jillian’s back as they hugged. The sick feeling was even worse now. She softly nodded against her mom’s chest, finding some comfort in her presence.
They got into the car while a toddler June happily babbled in the backseat, playing with her toys. Just seeing and hearing her calmed Jillian down more than anything. She adored her little sister more than anything. They drove the short distance home and quickly went inside. Jillian sniffled and whimpered as her mother wrapped one arm around her and carried June in with the other.
In the entranceway, where most of the family photos hung, Jillian’s gaze quickly locked onto one of the pictures, and it triggered another sudden wave of emotion. She bolted up the stairs and into her room, her tears flowing freely again.
A few moments later, Ginny gently pushed open Jillian’s bedroom door. Inside, Jillian was lying on her bed, face pressed into her pillow as tears soaked into it. Ginny set June down on the floor so the little one could entertain herself for a bit. Taking a seat beside Jillian, she began to gently stroke her eldest daughter’s back.
“Thinking about grandpa again?” Ginny asked, a sympathetic frown on her face. Jillian nodded silently, trying to steady her breathing.
Eventually, Jillian shifted to rest her head in her mother’s lap.
“I just miss him so much, Mom,” she choked out. With a sigh, Ginny continued to comfort her daughter, her hand moving up to run through Jillian’s untamed curls.
“I know, sweetheart. I miss him too. He meant a lot to us all, but I know he was special to you… And you were special to him.”
Jillian grew up under her grandfather’s care. When she was born, both Damon and Ginny had full-time jobs to make ends meet. So, Ginny’s dad stepped in to help raise his granddaughter. He was already in his late fifties when Jillian was born and wasn’t in great health. He’d been battling kidney disease for a while. Even though the treatments helped prolong his life, it took a toll on him. Jillian would keep him company during those uncomfortably long dialysis appointments. He quickly became more of a father figure to her than Jillian’s real dad. Their bond only grew stronger with each day. He passed away just over a year ago. It took Jillian the whole summer to start feeling normal again, but she… was different now, quicker to upset, quicker to anger.
“Jillybean. . .Can we talk about what happened at school?” Ginny finally asked her.
Jillian took a deep breath, sitting up slowly and wiping away her tears. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
“I…I got partnered with this boy…he was tall and lonely looking. He was so shy and timid, like he wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Jillian rubbed her eye with her sleeve covered palm. Even through the tears and the description, Ginny could already tell that her daughter was fond of this boy.
“We were supposed to do this project where we compare our hair with each other’s. He was wearing a band shirt I recognized, so we started talking a bit…” Jillian paused with a frown, looking at her hands as she fiddled with her fingers. “I felt like we could be friends at the very least.” She was getting a bit off topic, but Ginny simply let her daughter work through everything she was feeling.
“S-so we started working on our project. His black hair looked really soft and shiny. So he got his hair under the glass pretty easy, b-but my stupid curly hair just wouldn’t stay flat on the glass.” Jillian’s words seemed to become more and more distraught. Ginny tried to steel herself to hear the part where this seemingly innocent boy struck. Looks could be deceiving, and even if someone seemed kind at first, all humans were capable of terrible things
“So he leaned over to help me get my hair under the glass…It was really sweet of him.” Jillian said as she continued to choke up. Yet there was still nothing about the boy touching her anywhere. Ginny was getting confused. Yeah, she knew she was upset over her grandfather, but she also seemed upset about this boy.
“And then....I saw his eyes...” A few final tears trickled down Jillian’s cheeks. “He had grandpa’s eyes, Mom... I could swear... I felt like grandpa was looking right at me... Like he had come back.”
Jillian sniffed loudly, her lower lip quivering as she tried to continue.
“I couldn’t... I just couldn’t take it...” Tears started to fall again. “I’m sorry for leaving school.” Jillian moaned sadly, burying her face in her mother’s chest again. Ginny frowned deeply at her daughter’s words. This whole misunderstanding stemmed from the color of a random boy’s eyes. She would have to call the school and explain that everything was fine.
“It will be alright, sweetie,” Ginny whispered softly, comforting her daughter.
Later that same day, Ginny gave the school a call and explained what had actually happened between Jillian and that boy. She clarified Jillian wasn’t harmed or touched in any way, but was still recovering from the loss of a family member and left school abruptly because of it. Then, it was the school’s turn to call Katia and give her the news as well. Jason could come back to school and all possible punishments were dropped. They couldn’t say much more than that, worried about getting into legal trouble for sharing info about a possible victim, even after being cleared.
Katia was rightly furious about all of this. The school had wrongly accused her son and offered nothing to make up for their fuck up. Jason stayed away from school for the rest of the week, a move that turned out to be a mistake. It just fueled the school’s rumor mill, spinning wild tales like Jason got picked up by cops and landed in juvie. At least, that was one of the more tame rumors going around. Jillian was shielded from most of it, with folks tip-toeing around her. Only her closest friends knew what really happened, but even they could only do so much to squash the rumors without being labeled a sympathizer.
Jason’s return to school was anything but smooth. Whispers followed him like a shadow, and the stares were piercing. Simply walking down the halls, people pointed him out. Even those who didn’t know him were eager to get a look at the school’s new resident pervert. His towering height made him stand out, unable to hide from the unwanted attention. The crowds parted for him, no one daring to get within arm’s length.
Jillian was lost in thought, leaning casually against her locker, when she noticed the sudden shift in attention down the hall. Her gaze quickly fell upon Jason, and her smile grew with recognition. She had meant to tell him she was sorry the very next day after their altercation, but Jason had been absent for the entire week. Spotting him now filled her with a sense of relief and hope; finally, she had the chance to apologize and explain, maybe even resume the friendship they started in science class. As Jason approached, head lowered, eyes fixed on the floor, Jillian’s heart thudded in her chest as he walked by. She seized the moment and stepped forward to make things right.
“Hey, Jason, I listened to some more Soundgar-” Jillian called out, rushing up to him and placing a gentle hand on his arm, giving him a smile. But when Jason turned to look at who was touching him, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
“G-get away f-from me!” Jason ripped his arm away from her as hard and as quick as he could, fear and panic filling his face. She simply stood there, mouth agape, stunned at the reaction she got.
“I just… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” She stepped closer, but Jason wasn’t having it.
“P-please, just leave me alone, I don’t want a-any trouble,” his panicked tone sounding harsh in his deep voice.
“Trouble?” She softly repeated softly, feeling a painful ache in her chest. Why was Jason acting like this? She just wanted to apologize for running off.
Jason stumbled backward into a couple of guys, who promptly pushed him away hard.
“Hey, watch it, ya fat creep!” one of them shouted as Jason was shoved onto the floor with a loud thud, letting out a groan as the wind was knocked out of him. Laughter and mocking comments erupted from the onlookers.
“Haha, I think I felt the ground shake.” someone joked. “Gross, you actually touched him!” another chimed in.
Wincing, Jason pushed himself up slowly from the floor, but before he could fully get up, Jillian rushed over to help him.
“What did you do that for ya Jerk!” she started in anger at the boys. “Are you alright?” her voice softening for Jason.
Still trying to be kind. However, her attempt to help only made him recoil again, causing him to fall back onto his butt.
“P-please, just stay away,” he pleaded, his deep green eyes filled with fear. For Jillian, it felt like her grandpa was saying those harsh words, and it stung more than she expected.
Jillian’s sadness quickly morphed into a fiery rage bubbling up inside her. How dare he look at her like that with those eyes? Irrational thoughts quickly flooded her mind, drowning out any sense of reason or kindness.
“I’ll do whatever the fuck I feel like, you fat fuck!” Jillian spat out, her vicious words drawing laughter and gasps from the onlookers as if it were some kind of joke. Jason’s eyes widened in fear, and he scrambled to his feet, pushing through the crowd quickly.
“I’ve never seen a tub of lard move so fast! Must be feeding time!” Jillian mocked him loudly as he ran, her sadness now buried deep inside of her, under layers of anger and self loathing. Anger would shield her from the pain; as long as she was angry, she didn’t have to think about how her actions affected those around her, and kept the memories of her grandfather at bay.
Over the next four years, Jillian continued to replace the sadness she felt whenever she saw Jason with anger and hostility. He quickly became overwhelmed by all the bullying, even approaching the school for counseling. They always sent him away with empty promises they would look into it. Yet, nothing ever changed, no one was ever punished for their actions. Except for Jason, that is, as his torment only became worse if they saw him going into the office to rat on them. With his mom still recovering from his dad’s passing, Jason kept the daily torture at school to himself, keeping his promise to avoid increasing her burden.
The fact he couldn’t live up to his father’s strength and bravery filled Jason with so much shame. So he kept it all hidden from his mother, no matter how much he suffered. He struggled to make it through those hellish years on his own. The only silver lining was that the reason for the bullying eventually faded, as Jillian told people she’d have “kicked Jason’s ass for even thinking about touching her.” Along with threatening them if they continued to spread such a stupid rumor. But the target on Jason’s back remained until the last day of school, when Jason walked away from Jillian at graduation.