The Thief is Not Okay

Chapter 1: Birthday Girl.

No. He didn't. He couldn't have.

Dying wasn't an option. It wasn't. Either the earth opens and swallows me whole, or, I shut down my phone and pretend like I saw nothing. Nevertheless, death from humiliation and betrayal is highly likely. I did see anything, it couldn't possibly be true.

"Naeto, make a wish." My older sister, Kelly, says. Calling me back to myself. I look around to find my whole family gathered around the table. My dad, my mum, Kelly and our little brother Chidi. Soon they will know what Caleb had done. Soon their loving eyes will grew wax cold, and then be replaced with disappointment. I smile at them, trying not to let it seem forced, I make a wish and blow out the candle. They clap and congratulate me on turning eighteen. I had dreamt of this day. I'd seen enough teen movies to anticipate that this day will—should have been—amazing. It had the potential to have been, if only I didn't open my messages prior to them singing "happy birthday'.

I leave them, excusing myself. I didn't want to be around them, I can't stand the look on their faces. They're full of pride and it made me sick to my stomach.

My bedroom reeks of anxiety. I didn't need to look any further.

It was me.

Why would he do that? I sent those pictures in confidence. I trusted him! Of course, now I know I was a complete idiot for doing so. Who trusts a then seventeen year old boy—at the time—with her naked pictures?

That's insanity. Right?

So stupid!

I throw my phone onto my bed and sit.

Laying back down. I remember.

Birthday Girl.

Was all the text read. I thought it was nothing, a harmless text. To the school group chat?

Just how dumb am I?

My ex-boyfriend, Caleb, is prone to sending memes and stickers to the group, that no one truly paid attention to him. He's a boy, like any other child who just wanted attention. He always liked making fun of people and derived joy in seeing people make a fool out of themselves. I don't even know why I said yes to dating him. Sure he had a manageable face, he wasn't ugly but I don't think he's exactly handsome. He's tall, skinny and has amber eyes. Besides his height, his eye are the only thing keeping him afloat in a school such as Mayfair Academy, where everyone had an opinion about everything.

It doesn't matter what it was, they will talk about it and make sure to suck the life out of it. They're vampires. Worse than vampire because they are real.

Mayfair is cutthroat, literally. It's hard to get in and even harder to stay in, let's not talk about graduation—there are more students coming in then  they are those who get to go out; the right way. In Mayfair, you get popular based on your grades, talent and accomplishments—that's it. Your looks is an extra bonus, not the main score so everyone had to strive to keep up or stand the chase of being put on probation and finally, getting kicked out or as they like to say—Get Cut. The board cut Mason Johnson last year after he didn't make it out of probation.

Now, imagine.

How am I supposed to go to school next week, after everyone's seen me topless? How?! The fact that he even had the nerve to send that on my birthday is wild.

How sick can you be?

What is wrong with him?! Why did he do this?

I wipe the tears off my face and try really hard not to let this ruin my day.

It was my birthday.

Mine.

I didn't do anything bad to him. He broke up with me. He said I wasn't enough and he didn't like how shy I was (if Kelly heard this she be on the floor laughing: me? Shy? Sure, and she has blue bloods running through her veins).