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CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
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UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
CHAPTER 32*** Willow Creek Art Gallery ***As Lila entered the dimly lit painting studio, she was greeted by the musty perfume of oil paints and turpentine, almost like an old acquaintance. A haven among the swamp of Willow Creek's institutional harshness, where she might escape, if only for little periods of isolation. Lila took her normal stool before an eager easel, deposited her damaged messenger bag, and withdrew her supplies with practiced speed. The weight of the brushes in her calloused palm stabilized her erratic thoughts as she methodically prepped her palette with a subtle symphony of color.Soon, the repetitive rasp of bristles against canvas absorbed her attention. Lila found peace in immersing herself in these hazy realms of color and shape. The caustic jeers and cruel slights that plagued her daily life could never detract from the intense poetry she channeled through each deftly laden brushstroke.Lila was so focused on transferring the swirling discordance of her ps
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
CHAPTER 33Lila's chest expanded with a deep, fortifying breath as she finished the last tubes of paint and looked over her latest masterpiece. The canvas vibrated with a boldly dissonant symphony of shapes and hues, an unashamed expression of her volatile emotions in the aftermath of Yuria's brutal assault.Yet, beneath the seething maelstrom of color, there was something profound...something steadfast and unwavering in the face of the chaotic tempest. A single figure emanating peaceful defiance, exalted within its eye as if illuminated by an inner brilliance that no outer turbulence could destroy.Lila felt her lips curve slightly as her gaze traced the familiar yet subtly empowered contours of her self-portrait, which stared back with quiet determination. Julia's energy appeared to vibrate through each iconic brushstroke, strengthening Lila's essence against the caustic voices begging for her to submit once more._Never again_, she promised with a somber lowering of her chin. Yuria
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
CHAPTER 34*** ASSEMBLY THE NEXT DAY ***The noise of shuffling feet and muffled murmurs rang across the enormous assembly hall as students filed into the rows of chairs. Lila and Mia secured positions in the center, exchanging nervous glances as the steady stream turned into a flood of bodies.By the time the final stragglers had been led inside, the immense area was positively brimming with restless adolescent energy. A susurrus of apprehensive conjecture rippled through the gathering as they waited for the revelation that justified this unusual summoning.Finally, the auditorium's back doors flung wide with a grunt of protest. The Strict principal appeared, followed by a group of stone-faced faculty members fanning out to secure the exits with rigid stances.Silence descended like a real weight as the principal took the lectern, his expression indistinguishable behind the glare of stage lights illuminating his mirror lenses. He cast an appraising glance across the assembled crowd f
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
CHAPTER 35Mrs. Wilkins' gaze moved across the classroom, her eyes narrowing as she observed her students' nervous expressions. She allowed the stillness to continue for a minute, savoring the tension that hung in the air like a dense fog."As I mentioned earlier, this competition will be a grueling ordeal," she remarked, her voice cutting through the stillness like a knife. "It will put your determination and commitment to the ultimate test. As a result, you will not face this obstacle on your own.Lila's heart skipped a beat, and her thoughts raced with possibilities. Will she be matched with Mia, her best friend and confidante? Or would fate have a crueler plan for her, forcing her to face the monsters of her past?"You will be divided into groups of four," Mrs. Wilkins said, her tone defying debate. "And these groups will be your lifeline throughout the entire application process and research project that lies ahead."A collective murmur echoed throughout the classroom, with some
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
CHAPTER 36Miranda POV:The bell rang, marking the formal start of Willow Creek High's academic battleground. Miranda Prescott made a beeline for her boyfriend Caleb as students filed out into the hallway. "Caleb, we need to talk," she urged hurriedly, grabbing his arm and pulling him aside before his friends Trent and Maddie could distract him with their usual adventures. Caleb lifted an inquisitive eyebrow, but let her pull him away from the crowds.Miranda turned to face him after they had regained some solitude, her expression a mix of anxiety and frustration. "Babe, please tell me there was some kind of mistake with that group assignment Mrs. Wilkins gave you."Caleb sighed, his shoulders slumped slightly. "Do you mean being coupled with the Leaking Loser and her crew? Yeah, I wish I could say it was a mistake, but Wilkins made it plain those categories were set.""But how is that even remotely fair or balanced?" Miranda protested, her rage rising at the notion of her lover bein
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
CHAPTER 37"Come in," Mrs. Wilkins' gravelly voice demanded from within.Miranda braced herself with a haughty flip of her blonde hair before clutching the tarnished doorknob and storming into the dingy office like an enraged prima donna. She held back a scowl of scorn at the small, barely lighted chamber crammed with stacks of disorganised folders and worn books."Mrs. Wilkins, we need to talk," Miranda said without hesitation, firmly placing her palms on the broken desk that separated them. "This pathetic little game you're playing with the group assignments is unacceptable."The desiccated teacher slowly lifted her rheumy eyes from the documents before her, completely unimpressed by Miranda's theatrical display of entitlement. She gave the glowering socialite a glare that might curdle milk."Is that so, Miss Prescott?" She rasped in her distinctive snarl of scorn and nicotine. "And which part of my precise instructions on the matter were too oblique for your pampered supremacist se
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
CHAPTER 38Lila couldn't contain the little bounce in her step as she ran down the cracked sidewalk to her family's modest duplex home. Despite the lingering knot of dread in her gut about the Wilkins Group Thunderdome, she felt a sense of hope she hadn't had in years.This was her one chance to finally overcome the mediocrity and stagnation that had plagued her life for so long. She does this not just for herself, but also for her father. If she could just secure this prestigious Willhaven scholarship and receive access to their world-class speech therapy tools, it could be the breakthrough they've been waiting for.Her pulse raced a bit faster as she imagined her father's warm, careworn face beaming with delight rather than the continual undercurrent of sorrowful resignation that he could never fully cover. Not if his daughter became the first member of their family to attend a prestigious university and leave their humble beginnings behind. Lila was so engrossed in her thoughts of
UNSPOKEN BOND CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
CHAPTER 39"This has nothing to do with petty material trifles, Mother," Miranda bit out, trying to keep her rage under control. "This is about my future - our _family's_ legacy - being jeopardized by the actions of that addlebrained old crone Mrs. Wilkins!"Now she had their full attention. Grant lowered his cigar, a concerned expression on his face. "Wilkins? "What did she do this time?"Miranda braced her hands on the back of the sofa as if to keep herself stable. "That woman is in charge of some savage scholarship competition in which kids compete like gladiators. And she had the unmitigated nerve to place Caleb in the same group as that...that stuttering little freak, Lila Emerson!""Good heavens," Judith exclaimed, putting a perfectly manicured hand against her chest. "You can't be serious, my dear. Even with Willow Creek's notoriously inadequate academic requirements, forcing your Caleb to socialize with such...undesirables seems out of the question.""I only wish I _was_ jokin
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