By the time Diane was 15, she had perfected the art of keeping people at arm’s length.
She didn’t do it out of malice or cruelty—quite the opposite. She had simply learned the hard way that the closer you let someone get, the more likely they were to be hurt. And after everything that had happened in the past—Jack, Lucas—Diane couldn’t bear the thought of it happening again.
At 15, she was the same shy, quiet girl who never stood out in a crowd, but now, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to be seen. It was because she didn’t trust herself anymore. She was no longer just the girl who had lost her crushes to tragic accidents; now, she was the girl who was afraid of her own heart. She kept a steady distance from everyone, especially the boys.
But that didn’t stop people from noticing her.
It was during the beginning of high school, when Diane started to feel like maybe she could finally be normal again. She had her circle of friends, though she kept them at a distance too—Jana, Kaitlyn, and Angeline were the closest she allowed anyone to get. And in school, she focused on her grades, her hobbies, and anything else that kept her mind off what she feared most: the possibility of letting someone in.
But then, there was Aaron.
Aaron Jacobs was new to their school. A transfer from a different city, he wasn’t the most popular guy in the room, but there was something about him that caught Diane’s eye. He had messy brown hair, always a bit tousled, and a grin that seemed to disarm everyone around him. His laugh was loud and contagious, and his presence, somehow, made everything feel lighter. He was easy to talk to, quick to make friends, and he always seemed to have an aura of calm around him that Diane couldn’t ignore.
They met by accident—or maybe it was fate. It was during the first week of high school, in the lunchroom, when Diane was sitting by herself, as usual, in the corner. Aaron had been walking by with his lunch tray, his gaze scanning the crowded room. Their eyes met for a brief second, and without a second thought, he veered off course and sat down at her table, making himself comfortable with a casual “Hey, mind if I join you?”
Diane had been taken aback, blinking at him, unsure how to respond. She wasn’t used to people approaching her—especially someone like Aaron, who seemed to have everything together. She looked over at her friends, who were watching with knowing glances. They had seen it too.
Diane shrugged, trying to hide the sudden flutter in her chest. “Sure. Whatever.”
He smiled, unbothered by her awkwardness, and for the next few weeks, Aaron started joining her more and more. At first, it was just at lunch, but then, it became after school. He would sit beside her in class, making small talk, offering help with homework, and slowly, he became a regular part of her routine.
The worst part? She liked it.
She liked the way he made her feel—like she wasn’t invisible, like maybe there was hope for her to have a normal teenage life after all. He made her laugh, and when he spoke, it was like he genuinely cared about what she said, as though her words mattered. It was easy to forget her fears when she was around him, easy to forget the dark memories that had been haunting her for years.
But there was always that nagging voice in the back of her mind, reminding her that every time she got close to someone, something bad happened. She had been through it before—she had seen how things could go wrong in an instant. And she couldn’t bear the thought of it happening again.
And yet, when Aaron confessed, it felt like the world had stopped spinning.
It was a Friday evening, after school, and they had been hanging out in the park by her house. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the grass as the two of them sat on the swings, gently rocking back and forth.
“I know we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but…” Aaron’s voice was quieter now, more serious than usual. “I like you, Diane. A lot.”
Diane froze, her hands gripping the chains of the swing so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her stomach twisted, and for a moment, she couldn’t breathe.
No. Not again. Please, no…
“I think I’ve liked you since the first time we started talking,” he continued, his voice full of warmth and sincerity. “I don’t know if you feel the same way, but I had to say it.”
The world seemed to blur around her. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. But all she could think about was the way his words felt so real—so innocent.
She couldn’t let it happen. She couldn’t. Not again.
“Aaron, I—” She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her voice steady. “I can’t… I can’t be with you.”
His expression faltered for a moment, confusion flashing across his face. “What do you mean? I thought—”
“I just can’t,” Diane interrupted, shaking her head. “I can’t get close to anyone. I—” Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered everything that had happened in the past. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what it’s like. I can’t let anyone in.”
Aaron was silent for a long moment, his gaze locked onto hers. He seemed to be processing her words, trying to understand. “Diane, you’re not a bad person. You’re not cursed.”
But Diane shook her head again, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Every time I care about someone, they get hurt. I… I can’t be the reason someone else gets hurt, Aaron.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, a loud crash echoed from the direction of the park entrance. Diane turned, her heart jumping into her throat.
A car had swerved off the road, crashing into a nearby tree. The screeching sound of metal on metal, followed by the sharp sound of breaking glass, sent a wave of terror through Diane’s chest.
Her heart dropped as she realized something terrible.
Aaron, too, had turned his attention to the accident, his face going pale. And for a split second, Diane felt the familiar, nauseating sense of deja vu. It’s happening again.
Before she could even process what had happened, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Her hands were shaking as she pulled it out and saw the message: “Call 911. There’s been an accident. Someone’s hurt.”
She stared at the screen in disbelief. It couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be happening again.
And just like that, the ground beneath her feet began to crumble.
YOU ARE READING
Fatal Strings
Mystery / Thriller"Every love she touches ends in death. But what if love is the only thing that can save her?" Diane has lived her life shadowed by tragedy. Every boy she's ever loved has met a mysterious, untimely end-from playground accidents to fatal falls. Haunt...
