The next morning felt different.
Ezra knew it the second he stepped onto campus. The stares were still there, the whispers still curling through the hallways—but he wasn't shrinking under them this time.
Noah walked beside him, not touching, not speaking, but not hiding either. It was the smallest rebellion, and it made Ezra's chest ache in ways he couldn't name.
---
In the science wing, Adrian was already at his usual table, pencil in hand. Lucien lounged in the seat across from him, half-asleep, ignoring the curious glances from passing students.
"You're early," Ezra said, sliding into a seat.
Adrian smirked faintly. "Or maybe you're late."
Lucien cracked one eye open. "So this is it? We're just… existing like this? Letting them talk?"
"Better than pretending we don't know each other," Ezra said.
Noah leaned against the wall, his voice flat but steady. "They'll push harder if they think we're not scared."
Lucien's smirk sharpened. "Then let them push."
---
It was halfway through lunch when it happened.
A folded piece of paper slid across Ezra's table. No name, no sender—just one sentence scrawled in jagged letters:
> If you don't want everyone to know the whole truth, meet me after school. Alone.
Ezra's pulse spiked. He looked up, scanning the cafeteria, but no one seemed to be watching him—no one obvious, anyway.
Noah noticed the tension in his grip. "What's that?"
Ezra hesitated. "Nothing."
But Adrian's sharp gaze caught the lie. "It's not nothing."
Lucien leaned forward. "You going?"
Ezra didn't answer.
---
After the final bell, the campus emptied in slow waves. Ezra found himself walking toward the back gates, the note heavy in his pocket.
Noah caught up to him. "You're not going alone."
"You shouldn't—"
"Too bad," Noah said, falling into step beside him.
When they reached the far side of the field, someone was already waiting. A tall figure in a school jacket, hood up, hands in pockets.
Ezra recognized the voice before he saw the face.
"Well," the boy from the cafeteria sneered, "looks like you do follow instructions."
Noah stepped forward, but the boy raised a hand. "Relax. I'm just here to talk. See… I've got something you might not want floating around."
He pulled out his phone, the screen flashing briefly—enough for Ezra to see a photo. A blurry but unmistakable image of the rooftop.
Ezra's breath caught.
"Don't worry," the boy said. "I'm not cruel. Just… curious what it's worth to you to keep this between us."