Silhouettes in the Storm: The Boy Who Called Me Sister

After my mom got divorced, she married a man, and I gained a younger stepbrother. At school, he told me to stay away from him. When my classmates bullied me, he stood by and watched with cold, indifferent eyes. I always thought he despised me to his very core. Until I got a boyfriend. He knocked on my door in the middle of the night, smiling as he asked: "Sister, are you dating someone?" The very next second, he pinned me against the wall fiercely, grinding his teeth. "Chloe Bennett, isn't teasing me enough for you?" 1 After my mom got divorced, she took me with her and married an uncle named David Clark. David had a son named Liam, who was a year younger than me. My mom said he had excellent grades and was very well-behaved. The day we moved into their house, he politely called me "Sister" and smiled as he helped us carry our luggage. My mom smiled along with him. The whole scene was a picture of a loving mother and a filial son, warm and harmonious. But the moment our parents left the house, everything changed. When I curiously reached out to touch the trophies in the glass display cabinet, Liam pushed me away. "Don't touch my things." His face was cold, a complete 180 from his previous demeanor. From that moment on, I was acutely aware that he didn't like me. Or rather, he hated me. 2 I transferred to Liam's high school and ended up in the same grade, though in a different class. Liam smiled and promised our parents he would take good care of me. But the moment we stepped through the school gates, he acted like he didn't know me, always keeping his distance. He was a popular guy at school; quite a few girls had a secret crush on him. In their eyes, he was handsome, smart, outgoing, and gentle. But only I knew what kind of person he truly was. One day after school, I forgot my keys. Liam had a club activity, so I went to the club room to find him, only to bump into a younger girl confessing her feelings to him. Amidst the teasing cheers of the crowd, he smiled and gently turned her down. He even thoughtfully reached out and gently wiped away her tears. Then, he saw me. With that lingering smile still on his face, he slowly walked towards me. I instinctively took a step back. In a corner where the crowd couldn't see, he finally dropped the mask, his tone freezing cold. "What do you want?" "I forgot my keys." He pulled something from his pocket, and I reached out to catch it. Before I could grasp it, he let go. With a clack, the keys hit the floor. But he completely ignored it, turned around, and walked back into the classroom. As I bent down, I heard someone ask him about me. "Was that another girl confessing to you?" "Did you say yes?" He just smiled. "She's not my type." That night, Liam knocked on my door in the middle of the night for the first time. The teenage boy stood outside the door. Under the moonlight, his handsome face was as cold as frost. When he spoke, his voice was even colder. "From now on, stay away from me." That's what he said. 3 After remarrying, my mom was very happy. So when David asked me if Liam was bullying me, I smiled and shook my head. In that moment, I saw a flash of contempt in Liam's eyes. I held it in. As long as my mom was happy, it didn't matter what happened to me. But ever since I was mistaken for a girl confessing her love to Liam, my situation at school became increasingly difficult. I never expected that girls could harbor such immense malice towards a perceived romantic rival. Things that didn't belong to me would frequently appear in my desk cubby. The rumors of me being a "thief" grew louder and louder. From beginning to end, Liam just stood by and watched coldly. I even suspected he was secretly fanning the flames behind the scenes. But I still endured it. Until one day, my textbook was covered in the word "Slut." After school, I was erasing the marks page by page. I didn't know when, but Liam was suddenly standing next to me. The empty classroom only held the last, fading colors of the sunset. "It suits you." His tone was indescribably mocking. "Just like your mom." A sharp smack shattered the tranquility of the twilight. The boy's cheek quickly turned red. I kept my hand raised, glaring fiercely at Liam. "I put up with you for my mom's sake, Liam. Don't push it!" The disbelief in his eyes quickly faded. As if he had encountered something highly amusing, the corners of his mouth pulled into a sinister smirk, and he slowly leaned in. I instinctively retreated but couldn't avoid him. He stopped right next to my ear, enunciating every word slowly, like a demon whispering: "You're dead meat." 4 I quickly understood what Liam meant by those words. At school, he completely changed his tune and started acting very close to me. Walking into the classroom with me, standing outside the door waiting for me after school. I couldn't shake him off. What followed was an even fiercer wave of retaliation from the other girls. My textbooks were glued shut; my chair was covered in ink. After the bell rang for class, I was the only one standing there blankly. No one helped me. Liam walked past me, a smile on his face, and asked in a gentle tone: "Are you happy now?" I glared at him fiercely. They all thought I would continue to endure it. Until I caught the girl. It was the very same freshman who had confessed her feelings to Liam that day. A student from another class had run into my classroom to mess with me, and not a single person tried to stop her. Holding a marker, she had her head down, scribbling all over my desk. I grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out. Screams pierced my eardrums. She struggled desperately, but I only pulled harder. I pinned her against the railing. On the fifth floor, half her body was dangling over the edge. The cold wind howled. Her face was covered in tears: "I'm sorry, I won't ever do it again. I was wrong, please let me go, I'm afraid of heights..." Her screams drew the attention of the entire floor, people crowding around to watch the spectacle. I still didn't let go. Finally, the Dean of Students arrived with a few teachers and pulled me away. As I left, I saw Liam in the crowd. He was frowning, his expression unreadable to me. As I brushed past him, I lowered my head and smiled. A smile full of disdain. 5 After that incident, I earned the nickname "Psycho." No one dared to mess with me again. Liam's attitude towards me also underwent a subtle change. During AP Calculus, the teacher assigned us to group discussions. Because of the "Psycho" incident, no one wanted to team up with me. Everyone grouped up in threes and fives, leaving me alone, head down, reading my book. "Can I be in your group?" A gentle voice spoke up. I looked up and saw the class president, Noah Miller. I didn't know why he would pay attention to me, but I nodded anyway. After school, Noah very naturally asked, "Want to walk home together?" I didn't refuse. "Sure." But as we reached the school gates, someone called out to me. It was actually Liam. I frowned as I watched him slowly approach. He stopped in front of me, leaning down with an incredibly familiar air, and asked, "Aren't you waiting for me?" Noah looked at us in surprise. Liam, as if just noticing his presence, smiled. "We live in the same..." "We're neighbors," I interrupted him. "Really?" Noah scratched his head. "Then I'll let you guys head back together. I'll get going." After he left, Liam suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Neighbors?" I ignored him, turned around, and walked away. From then on, Liam became increasingly bizarre. At school, whenever Noah came to talk to me, Liam would inevitably appear within a few minutes. This feeling of being constantly shadowed was even more nauseating than the bullying I experienced before. To shake him off, I tried to get closer to Noah. In the process, I gradually became friends with him. He was kind and gentle, always considering others first. He was an existence that Liam, a demon with a dark heart, could never hope to reach. Sunday was Noah's birthday, and he invited me to his party. Coincidentally, both my parents and Liam were out. I dressed up a bit and was just about to leave when the front door opened. Liam was back. Under the cool, white light of the living room, he looked at me, pausing for a moment. "Where are you going?" My face was cold. "None of your business." As I brushed past him, Liam suddenly clamped down on my wrist. "Let go." I frowned. "I asked you, where are you going?" "None of your..." He slammed me against the wall. My back hit the light switch, and with a click, the lights went out, plunging the living room into total darkness. In the dark, I raised my other hand to strike him, but he caught that wrist too, pinning me so I couldn't move. "Still trying to hit me?" He chuckled, lowering his voice, his hot breath brushing against the side of my ear. "But Sister, you can't beat me." Even though I couldn't see, I could picture the smug, delighted look on his face right now. "Is that right?" I smiled. Then I stood on my tiptoes and bit down hard on his jaw. 6 Liam hissed in pain and shoved me away hard. I tasted blood. When the lights flicked back on, the tips of his ears were bright red. A flash of humiliated anger crossed his eyes, but it was quickly concealed. He wiped the blood from his jaw with his palm, smearing it. He smirked, his lips curved into a cold, mocking smile: "Why didn't you bite here?" He pointed to his lips. I ignored him, turned around, and walked out the door. This time, Liam didn't stop me, but he followed closely behind. The streets in early winter were bleak and silent. Under the dim yellow streetlights, he was like my shadow, following at a moderate distance, impossible to shake off. Turning a corner, I took off running. The cold wind whistled past my ears. This time, he didn't chase after me. The party was at a karaoke bar. Standing outside the private room, I took off my heavy coat, revealing a light-colored lace dress. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked in. Noah probably hadn't told anyone I was coming. The moment I appeared, everyone simultaneously stopped what they were doing. Even the classmate who was singing froze, holding the microphone dumbly. In the dim room, only the backing track played a lonely tune. Noah was the first to break the stiffness. "Chloe." He smiled and walked towards me, his eyes bright. "I didn't think you'd actually come." I pursed my lips and nodded. "Don't just stand there." He pulled me to sit down, then looked up at the classmate singing. "Hey, keep going." "Oh." As the singing resumed, the room returned to its previous noisy state. There were many empty beer bottles on the table; they must have been drinking quite a bit before I arrived. The smell of alcohol in the air, mixed with the fresh scent of the boy beside me, created a strange reaction, making my cheeks feel a bit flushed. "Happy birthday," I whispered. "Thank you." He smiled, his eyes crinkling. I pulled a small box out of my pocket. "A gift." He looked slightly surprised. "Can I open it?" I nodded. It was a small figurine of a Maneki-neko (Lucky Cat) with its eyes squinched in a smile. The first time I saw it, I thought it looked just like Noah. "Thank you, I really love it," he said with a smile. Occasionally, someone would cast an inquiring glance my way, but Noah always blocked them. This was the first time since I transferred that I felt like I was blending into the crowd. Like I had never been isolated or ostracized. After two songs, a few girls walked over, giggling. "President, another classmate is here. Let's go greet them." Noah nodded in agreement. I suddenly had a bad feeling. When Liam's face appeared at the door, my breathing nearly stopped. He had a band-aid on his jaw. The moment he walked in, he was surrounded by the girls. With a face full of smiles, he gently said something that made them giggle endlessly. Then, he slowly walked over and stopped in front of me. "Is this seat taken?" He pointed to the empty space next to me. "No," someone answered for me. Liam sat down very naturally. I straightened my back, trying my best to distance myself from him in the cramped space. Noah didn't seem to notice the tension between us. Instead, he asked innocently, "Oh right, you guys are neighbors. Why didn't you come together?" My face was cold. "We're not close." My wrist, resting by my side, was suddenly gripped tight. With a vicious force. It hurt. "Oh, I see." Noah looked relieved. "I thought you guys were childhood sweethearts or something." "We're not," I said expressionlessly. That hand squeezed even harder. Just then, someone called out to Noah, and he got up to attend to them. Liam leaned in closer. "Sister." The lights were dim, the music loud. No one seemed to be paying attention to this corner. He looked at me, his eyes revealing the maliciousness he usually hid so well. "You look really pretty today..." It was a compliment, yet delivered with absolute coldness. "Let go." I held back my anger. He acted as if nothing happened, but squeezed my wrist even tighter. "Liam." A girl with long, wavy hair leaned over. It was Mia Thompson, the most popular girl in our grade. He seamlessly released my hand. "Have a drink with me?" Mia smiled seductively, her curvy figure pressing against his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes. "Sure." Amidst the cheering, the two of them downed several drinks. "What happened to your jaw?" Mia asked. "Got bitten." "Do you need a rabies shot?" "Nah, I don't think so." His gaze vaguely swept over me. "She's not that crazy yet." The strong smell of alcohol mixed with her sickeningly sweet perfume made me intensely nauseous. I got up and left the room. It wasn't until the cold wind hit my face that I snapped back to reality. I hadn't put my coat on. But I didn't want to go back in. I stood by the street downstairs for a few minutes until I heard footsteps behind me. Noah jogged over. "Chloe, it's freezing out here. You forgot your coat." He held up my coat, hesitated for a moment, and blushing, draped it over my shoulders. I smelled a faint, pleasant scent of fresh grass. After putting the coat on me, he didn't leave. He stood there, pausing for a moment. "Chloe." He took a deep breath. "Actually, since your very first day here, I noticed you, but back then..." "President." A lazy voice interrupted him. I didn't know when, but Liam had also come downstairs. He stood in the doorway, backlit, his expression obscured. "Someone's looking for you." The sudden interruption made Noah incredibly awkward. "Oh, uh, okay." He nearly tripped over his own feet as he turned to leave. After he left, Liam still stood there. I didn't want to deal with him. I started walking away. As I brushed past him, he reached out and blocked me. "What do you want?" My voice was icy. He looked at me with a very strange expression, then suddenly said: "He likes you." It wasn't a question, but a statement. My heart skipped a beat. He continued, "Do you like him too?" "What does it have to do with you?" I violently shoved his arm away. As I pushed the door open, Liam called out to me again: "Sister." Whenever that sticky, dark, viper-like address appeared, it meant nothing good. Sure enough, he smiled. "Take a guess. Do you think I'll tell your mom?" He always knew exactly how to provoke me. Just recently, my mom had lectured us at the dinner table about the dangers of high school dating. "You think I'm scared?" He looked down at me, a cryptic smile in his eyes. He raised his hand to touch his jaw, then suddenly changed the subject. "You broke the skin here." His tone was weird, almost like he was whining. "You have to take responsibility." I shoved past him hard. "You're sick." As I turned to leave, I heard him chuckle softly behind me. When I got home that night, our parents were already back. Liam put on his mask, performing his role in the perfect, happy family. But in a corner where they couldn't see, he whispered to me, "What's so great about him?" I froze for a second before realizing he was asking about Noah. I stubbornly raised my chin and retorted out of spite, "He's ten thousand times better than you." Under the cool, white light, he narrowed his eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched into a half-smile, his face full of emotions I couldn't read. "Is that so?" His eyes looked as if they saw right through me. "But Sister, we are the same kind of people. "Aren't we?" 7 I always thought I hid it so well. Even my mom didn't know; how could anyone else tell? But with one sentence, Liam dragged me back into a past I never wanted to remember. I was no stranger to the kind of bullying I experienced here. Except back then, I was the indifferent bystander. I even helped fan the flames. Before I transferred, there was a guy named Mason who liked me. He was a notorious bully at my old school; he loved solving everything with his fists. Back then, a boy in my class kept ostracizing me, so I told Mason. From that day on, that boy never had a day of peace. At first, I felt the thrill of revenge. But it wasn't until he came to me, his face bruised and battered, eyes red, and asked if I would only let him go when he was dead, that I suddenly snapped awake. But before I could stop Mason, that boy transferred away. After moving here, every time I was bullied, the emotion I felt more than anger was actually remorse. I thought this was my karma. If I just kept enduring it, maybe God would finally let me off the hook. As long as I didn't say anything, no one would know about my past. But somehow, Liam had sniffed out the scent of our shared nature. That early winter night, when he looked down at me, smiling and saying we were the same kind of people, I didn't deny it. My nightmare, I figured, was about to start all over again. 8 But Liam didn't do anything. Just like before, we went to school and came home together, acting as if we had a great relationship. Because we were always together, rumors that we were secretly dating spread like wildfire around the school. I didn't want to be associated with him. Every day after school, I would use the excuse of group discussions to stay back with Noah a little longer. My mom noticed something was off. "Chloe, why have you been coming home so late recently?" I told the truth. "Discussing schoolwork with a classmate." She suddenly stopped washing the dishes. "A boy or a girl?" I hesitated for a second. "A girl." She clearly didn't believe me. "If you have questions, why don't you just come home and ask Liam? Your stepdad says he's always ranked first in the grade." I just mumbled an "Mhm" and turned to go back to my room. As soon as I turned the corner into the hallway, I found Liam standing behind the wall. He had clearly heard the conversation between me and my mom. "Sister, Mom is right. If you have any questions, you can just ask me." He looked down at me, eyes full of mischief. I glared at him fiercely and walked straight back to my room. But sometimes, what you fear most is what happens. When the midterm grades came out, my scores had dropped significantly. My mom held my report card. "Look at Liam, first in the grade again. You have such a great tutor right here, why don't you study with him?" "I want to, but he probably doesn't want to teach me." Liam popped out of nowhere. "Why wouldn't I want to, Sister?" "..." To reassure my mom, I had no choice but to pretend to let Liam tutor me. Once the study room door closed, my face turned cold. "I need to study. Don't bother me." He looked innocent. "Didn't I come here to tutor you?" I looked at him defensively. "Don't look at me like that." His long fingers flipped through the pages of a textbook. "If you do poorly on the next test, Mom will be sad, won't she?" He always knew exactly what leverage to use against me. Being alone in a room with him, I was terrified he would try something. But this time, he didn't do anything. He just kept his head down, sketching and writing on a piece of scratch paper. From my angle, I could see his thick eyelashes, his straight nose bridge, and the tips of his ears, slightly flushed from the heater. I suddenly understood why he was so popular. God had truly gifted him a superior physical appearance. Even if his soul was rotten, his face was enough to help him disguise himself and deceive the world. "Done staring?" Liam had looked up at some point and was now staring at me with a smiling gaze. He had beautiful eyes; his irises were deep and clear. When he narrowed them slightly, he looked incredibly affectionate, even if he was just looking at a stray dog. Since he had already seen right through me, I couldn't be bothered to pretend anymore. "You're rotten on the inside. The more I look, the uglier you get." He smiled nonchalantly. "So who do you think is beautiful inside and out? Noah?" I didn't know why he suddenly brought Noah up. "Why mention him?" "No reason." He dropped the smile and stood up. "I just think he probably can't tutor you like this." Although Noah was the class president, his grades had never been stellar. Liam saying that was clearly an intentional jab. "So what if you have good grades? Think you're a big deal?" "No, but having good grades gets me the chance to be alone with you." The heater really was running high; I suddenly felt very hot. "Also," he suddenly leaned in, stopping when our noses were just two inches apart, his eyes crinkling into a smile, "It doesn't matter if I'm ugly. As long as you're pretty, that's enough." Even knowing exactly how wicked he was, hearing those words still made my heart skip a beat. I shoved him away hard. "Stay away from me." As soon as the words left my mouth, I froze. Not long ago, the person saying those exact words was him. After a few tutoring sessions, even though I hated Liam, I had to admit he was an excellent teacher. Whatever I didn't understand, he could explain it with crystal clarity. One night, I was doing homework in the study room and accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, there was a jacket draped over my shoulders. Liam was sitting nearby, occasionally turning a page in his book. In the quiet study, I maintained my original posture and slowed my breathing. The jacket was full of the familiar scent of clean soap, mixed with the faint, unique scent of the teenage boy. In that moment, I suddenly felt like my hatred for him was a little less. But only a little. 9 After I bailed on our group discussions a few times, Noah came looking for me. "Chloe, have you been really busy lately? You haven't had time to discuss problems with me." For a moment, I didn't know how to answer. "She's busy discussing them with me." Liam appeared out of nowhere. "Oh..." Noah scratched his head. "That makes sense. You guys live together, so it's definitely more convenient." He didn't seem to notice the tense atmosphere. He paused, then asked me, "I'm organizing a class camping trip up the mountain this Saturday, to relax after midterms. Do you want to come?" I actually didn't want to go. Liam glanced at me. "She's not..." "I'll go." Liam paused. "That's great! We're meeting at the school gates on Saturday. See you then." After Noah left, Liam looked at me with a half-smile. "I couldn't tell you wanted to go." I wasn't about to back down. "There's a lot you can't tell." "Is that so?" I turned to leave, only to hear him say behind me, "Then I'm going too." And just like that, two people who originally had zero interest in participating signed up at the same time. I prepared thoroughly for the camping trip. I had camping experience since I was little, so I wasn't unfamiliar with it. After meeting at the school gates, we all took a chartered bus to the foot of the mountain. Noah's plan was to hike up to a clearing near the summit before sunset and set up camp there. Because Liam joined, the originally quiet trip suddenly became lively. All along the way, Mia Thompson surrounded Liam. I kept my head down and walked in front, listening to the sounds of the two of them chatting and laughing behind me. Noah caught up with me. "Chloe, let's set up our tents together later." I casually agreed. "Sure." "Then can we pitch our tents next to each other?" I looked up at him. His face was a little red. Mia's voice rang out from behind us. "Liam, let's be neighbors later, okay?" An indescribable emotion surged in my heart. "Sure," I said, speaking a beat before Liam could answer Mia. I didn't know what Liam was thinking. I didn't realize I had lost my bracelet until much later, and he hadn't said a word either. "I'll help you look for it," Noah volunteered. The bracelet was a birthday gift from my mom; I had always worn it. I shook my head. "You still have to lead the group. I'll go look for it myself. I'll be back soon." He hesitated. "Are you going to be okay alone?" "I'll go with her." Under Mia's surprised gaze, Liam walked towards me. Honestly, I didn't want his help at all. "No..." "Alright then," Noah agreed on my behalf before I could finish. "It's good that you two can keep each other company. We'll wait for you at the summit." And so, my journey backtracking down the trail gained an unwanted companion. I guessed the bracelet might have dropped where we got off the bus. When getting off, I had heard a sharp clink. I didn't pay attention to it at the time, but thinking back, it must have been my bracelet. I walked very fast. Liam followed behind me, keeping his distance, not looking at all like he was "keeping me company." I had camped on this mountain before, so I knew there was a smaller, alternative trail leading down. I purposely turned onto that small path, intending to ditch Liam. He kept following me. I sped up, and after a few sharp turns, I could no longer see him. Just as I was secretly rejoicing, my foot stepped on empty air, and I tumbled down. I rolled several times before coming to a stop. Covered in dirt, I stood up and realized I had fallen into a deep trench or sinkhole. The opening was too high; I couldn't climb out on my own. When it rains, it pours. I had no choice but to yell for help. "Liam..." No answer. "Liam!" Footsteps sounded above my head, and the next second, that punchable face appeared at the edge of the hole. "Calling me?" "Go get someone to help." He didn't move. Instead, he crouched down by the edge. "Beg me." "Screw you." Liam chuckled softly, stood up, and actually just walked away, plain as day. As the air fell silent, I suddenly felt a little scared. Just as I was wondering if I might starve to death down here, there was movement above me again. Liam had come back. "Want me to save you?" I glared at him. "Call me 'Big Brother'." I froze. What kind of weird fetish is this? "Not going to say it?" He smiled, repeating his old trick. "Then I'm leaving." But this time as he stood up, either he lost his balance or the ground was too slippery. Following the exact same trajectory I did, he tumbled down and landed right next to me. I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing. Serves you right for showing off! Liam's face went dark for two seconds. He looked up at me. "Funny?" "Hilarious." I thought he would be angry, but surprisingly, he lowered his head, paused for two seconds, and also started laughing. "Yeah, it is funny." We each took up a corner of the hole. After a moment of silence, I asked, "How are we going to get out?" "Wait for someone." This area was remote; clearly, we wouldn't be waiting out anyone anytime soon. "Then we might die down here." Liam suddenly smiled. "Wouldn't that be nice?" He tilted his head to look at me. "Like a lovers' suicide." I knew he was just flirting to be annoying, but under the gaze of those deep, affectionate eyes, I still couldn't stop myself from flushing with anger. "Who wants a lovers' suicide with you?!" "Don't worry, I won't let you die." He looked up at the opening. "I'll protect you." I frowned. "How many girls have you scammed with that smooth talk?" "Not many." He smiled. "You're the first." I instinctively avoided his gaze. "Come here." He crouched down. "Step on my shoulders to get up." I didn't expect him to offer this solution. Weighing the pros and cons, I did as he said. The teenage boy's shoulders weren't particularly broad, but standing on them, I could just barely reach ground level. I probably used too much force; as I scrambled up, Liam was pushed down and fell to the dirt floor. He looked up at me from below. "You're not going to leave me down here, are you?" I frowned. "I'm not like you." But he suddenly smiled. "I'll wait for you."

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