How to Bully Your Crush

I'd always done whatever my brother Leo asked.

When the poot student stole his thunder, Leo told me to teach him a lesson.

I nodded eagerly.

The poor student, Silas, had anorexia.

So I deliberately slid my tray, loaded with a piled high meats right in front of him. Eat it! I demanded.

Silas hated the cold. So on a freezing day, I ordered him to warm my hands with his belly, laughing cruelly as he shivered.

I even barged into his room, knowing he valued his privacy, and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my face against his back.

"Disgusting, isn't it?" I sneered venomously.

Suddenly, a stream of text flashed before my eyes.

[Silly villainess! You're bullying the wrong guy! That's Silas Vanderbilt, the real heir to the Upper East Side fortune... and your future stepbrother!]

[But don't worry. With your 'vicious' methods, you've already got him head over heels for you.]

The next second, Silas slowly turned his flushed face towards me.

"Thank you... I... liked it."

Leo and I were both adopted.

Back when the Vanderbilts came to the orphanage to pick a child, they chose Leo immediately.

Everyone envied Leo's luck, getting to live the good life.

But Leo clung to the doorframe, refusing to let go.

He sobbed that I was his best friend, he couldn't leave me behind.

His cries were so dramatic the director was deeply embarrassed.

The matron hesitated, "Perhaps you'd like to see some other children?"

But the Vanderbilts said Leo showed loyalty and heart, so they took us both.

Overnight, our lives changed completely.

We went from being ragged orphans to the prince and princess of Manhattan's elite.

Wherever we went, we were the center of attention.

Of course, Leo was the bigger star.

He was handsome, top of his class, athletic. Absolutely, he was the undisputed king of our prep school.

But when Silas transferred in, Leo's crown wobbled.

In the annual "Hottest Guy" poll, Leo lost to Silas by one vote.

As if that wasn't bad enough, even the girl Leo liked voted for Silas.

That day, Leo came to me, saying Silas was picking on him.

I'd always known I owed my good life was all thanks to Leo refusing to leave me behind.

So, I pledged my loyalty like a devoted sidekick.

"Leo, just tell me what you need me to do."

Leo told me to teach Silas a lesson, make sure he never flirted with Chole again.

I agreed instantly.

He'd picked a fight with the wrong siblings. He'd just bit off more than he could chew.

The Vanderbilts raised me spoiled and entitled. Bullying was something I was good at.

I observed Silas for a week.

He wore a faded shirt and was painfully thin. I'd heard he had an eating disorder.

So, I deliberately grabbed my tray and plopped down opposite him at lunch.

His dinner was a bowl of watery broth and some wilted greens. Pathetic.

I slapped his lunchbox away and shoved mine towards him.

It held a mountain of mashed potatoes, a slab of BBQ ribs, greasy chili cheese fries, fried chicken, and meatloaf.

All calorie bombs I'd carefully selected.

Silas stared at me, bewildered.

I slammed my hand on the table, lifting my chin to look down on him.

"Eat it!"

This stuff was the opposite of Silas's usual fare. He must be gagging.

Sure enough, he picked up his fork, frozen.

I glared. "You finish everything on that plate, got it?"

"If you don't..." I switched tactics, snarling, "I'll make things difficult."

Silas looked at me, then finally moved, tentatively picking up a piece of meatloaf.

He ate so slowly, chewing forever before swallowing. This whole plate would take ages.

Leo was waiting for me to walk around the track later. I didn't have time for this.

Impatient, I scooped up a large spoonful and shoved it toward his mouth. "Open up. Eat. Now."

He had no choice but to open his mouth and let me feed him.

He ate everything I gave him, sneaking glances at me the whole time. He must have hated me for it.

I was feeling smug when text flashed before my eyes.

[Oh, you silly girl! Is that how you bully someone?]

[Silas doesn't have anorexia! He's just poor and can't afford proper food.]

[If it weren't for you, he wouldn't even get a chance at meat!]

I blinked. Silas was taking bite after bite, looking... satisfied?

Suddenly, I remembered that year in the orphanage.

Two leaves of lettuce most days, meat only on holidays. Kids fought over scraps.

I felt a pang of pity for Silas.

But I quickly shook it off.

He made Leo unhappy. I had to get revenge.

"Silas!" I yelled, banging the table again.

He looked up, a piece of meat still in his mouth.

"From now on, I'm covering your meals. Got it?"

I'd decided. I'd force him to eat meat every day until he was sick of it, until he got fat, until he was a bloated mess. Let's see him compete with Leo for "Hottest Guy"?

Afraid he'd misunderstand, I added quickly, "It's just... that greasy stuff makes me sick. I don't want it, so you can have it."

But Silas's usually gloomy eyes suddenly lit up.

Bright as stars. "Okay."

My plan backfired.

After eating my food, Silas did gain weight.

But only about ten pounds.

He looked... fitter. More defined. And attracted even more admirers.

At the inter-school hockey game, Silas and Leo were both playing.

The crowd used to roar for Leo. This time, Silas got way more cheers.

Even Leo's crush, Chloe, ran to give Silas her water bottle.

After the game, Leo drank the water I gave him, dejected. "Aria, I thought you were teaching him a lesson? This is the result?"

"Whatever. It's fine if he's more popular. It's fine if he gets the girl I like. Guess I'm just born unlucky."

"Aria, don't worry about me. I'll be okay."

Leo had always been a wimp. When things got tough, he leaned on me.

I couldn't let him suffer. I patted his shoulder solemnly.

"Leo, this time, I will humiliate him properly. Just wait."

Silas was a guy. Guys have pride. I had the perfect plan.

After school, I blocked Silas as he unlocked his rusty bike.

"In such a hurry? Where to?"

Silas gripped the handlebars. "My mom's in the hospital. Visiting hours."

"Oh, well you should go" I caught myself, remembering my promise to Leo, and grabbed his collar.

"Wait! Stop!"

I pulled out my wallet, extracted a sleek black card with two fingers, chin tilted arrogantly.

"There's Fifty grand in there. A little gift from me."

I figured a poor kid would have pride. He'd be furious at the insult.

But he looked at me, emotions swirling in his eyes, reaching for the card.

"Aria... thank you."

The occasional text flashed again:

[Silas's mom is seriously ill. Surgery costs fifty grand.]

[He's been borrowing money everywhere but can't scrape it together. He's been desperate.]

[Baby girl, giving him money now is like a gift from heaven!]

[If this is humiliation, PLEASE HUMILIATE ME!]

I blinked. As the card touched Silas's palm, I snatched it back.

Threw it on the ground and stomped on it. "You think money's that easy?"

"Silas, my shoe's dirty. Clean it."

He looked down, silent, the veins on the back of his hands standing out. He must have been seething with humiliation.

Thinking of him chatting with Chole today, leaving my brother in the dust, made me angrier. I sat on a nearby bench and stuck my foot out arrogantly.

"Hurry up."

He fished a tissue from his backpack and bent down.

His hand closed around my ankle, warm and startling."What are you doing?" I snapped.

Silent, he placed my foot on his knee, carefully wiping the smudge.

His lashes, long and dark, looked like tiny slides.

Okay, Silas wasn't bad-looking.

He wiped meticulously, probably burning with shame. His ears flushed crimson.

I smirked, admiring the footprint on his worn jeans, then pulled my foot back.

"Fine. Take the money."

"And stay away from other girls. Ever heard of boundaries?"

He seemed furious, practically steaming, but nodded silently.

Satisfied. Mission accomplished for Leo.

But Silas wasn't one for keeping promises.

Two days later, he broke his word.

Leo planned to confess to Chloe.

He chose the school rooftop.

He decorated it with pink balloons, bought a huge bouquet.

A simple confession, but Leo practiced nervously, checking his watch for Chloe.

She didn't show at the agreed time.

Fifteen minutes later, still no Chloe.

Leo sent someone to check. Silas had taken her away.

Leo slumped amidst the pink balloons, sighing deeply.

His empty eyes found me. "Aria..."

Before he could ask, I jumped in. "Leo, don't worry. I'll humiliate him again tomorrow."

"No... I was wondering... could you make Chloe lose interest in Silas?"

That was tricky.

I was good at bullying. I specialized in direct bullying. The nuances of romance were beyond me.

Seeing my hesitation, Leo sighed. "Fine. If you can't, just help me vent."

It was freezing. Leo had been on the roof too long, chilled. He sneezed.

I remembered an essay Silas's had written, the one that got published as a model piece. He'd written that he'd always hated the cold, that he was especially sensitive to it.

Hah. If I couldn't fatten him, I'd freeze him.

I intercepted Silas again, hopping onto the back of his bike.

"Silas. Take me home."

He blinked, feet planted. "Aria... you have a driver?"

I glared. "What? I can't ride your bike?"

"Not that," he stammered. "It's freezing. You should take the car."

"Silas," I eyed his scarf, tugging it. "Take this off. Give it to me."

"And the gloves. Off too."

He obeyed meekly, wrapping the scarf snugly around me, handing over the gloves.

I was about to put them on when I spotted Chloe approaching down the street.

Remembering Leo, I had an idea. "Silas, my hands are freezing."

He pursed his lips. "Want me to help you put the gloves on?"

"Ha! Your used stuff? No thanks."

Chloe was getting closer. I thrust my hands out. "Warm them. With your hands."

Silas stared at me, struggling internally. Finally, yielding to my pressure, he slowly covered my hands with his palms.

My hands must have been like ice. His movements were hesitant.

I watched his face. "Silas, your cheeks are pink. Is it warm?"

"Put my hands on them. Use your face to warm them. ?"

Silas's face flushed deeper crimson. His grip trembled Now.

His face flushed an even deeper red. His grip on my hands trembled almost imperceptibly.

"That's... not appropriate."

"Why not? Just borrowing your face for warmth!"

Seeing Chloe out of the corner of my eye, I guessed why he resisted.

Chloe was beautiful, kind, resilient. Half the school had a crush on her.

I leaned closer. "You like someone, don't you?"

He flinched, denying quickly. "N-No! I don't..."

But his denial was weak, eyes darting. Total giveaway.

He did like Chloe.

But Chloe was my future sister-in-law! He couldn't have her!

To nip this in the bud, I grabbed his collar.

"Right now. Use your face to warm my hands. Or I'll lose my temper."

I decided, if he refused, I'd lace his lunch with wasabi.

Silas looked at me, then slowly bent his head, cradling my hands, bringing them towards his cheeks.

He tilted his head, pressing his face silently against my palms.

His skin felt warm, smooth, like fine porcelain.

He bent down, putting himself in a lower position, and looked up at me. "Like this?"

His eyes... looked exactly like the stray kitten I'd found behind the dumpster at the orphanage.

That kitten loved affection. When I scratched its chin, it stretched out, gazing at me with those same innocent eyes.

When I didn't answer, Silas gently nuzzled my palm.

"Warmer now?"

Chloe was almost here. Ten more seconds...

But I chickened out.

"My driver's probably here. I'll take the Porsche."

"Oh, and here, take this back.." I yanked off the scarf, draped it over him, and bolted.

That look... it made me feel guilty.

Knowing he hated the cold, I'd still taken his scarf and gloves, letting the wind bite into him. The thought made me feel truly monstrous.

I ran straight into Leo.

He looked confused. "Aira? What's wrong?"

"Weren't you dealing with Silas? Why are you running? Did he hurt you?"

I grabbed his sleeve. "Leo, let's change tactics."

"Forget Silas. You like Chloe? I'll help you win Chloe over. Don't waste energy on Silas."

Leo thought for a moment, nodding slowly.

"Leo, write her a love letter. I'll deliver it tomorrow."

Leo stayed up all night, writing an eight-page love letter.

Pouring his soul into it, quoting poetry, building an irrefutable case for "I love you."

While he wrote, I stared at the moon.

Wearing Silas's scarf, I'd noticed a thumb-sized hole near the edge.

After bullying him so much... I felt a twinge of guilt.

I wanted to buy him a new scarf.

What style should I get?

Just then, Leo handed me the sealed envelope.

I took it solemnly, promising success.

But delivering it went sideways.

It ended up in Silas's hands.