It happened during lunch.
Riven and Eli had chosen their usual safe spot — the far corner table by the vending machines — when a sudden ripple of noise spread across the cafeteria.
It wasn't the usual chatter.
It was sharper.
Marcus was standing on top of one of the benches, phone in hand, grinning like he'd just won the lottery. "Hey, everybody," he said loudly, "guess who's trending on the school page?"
He turned the screen toward the room. The same library photo from yesterday filled it — but this time, someone had edited it.
A cartoon heart between their faces.
And under it:
> When the science project becomes a romance experiment.
Laughter broke out in different corners of the room. Some of it harmless. Some of it biting.
Riven froze. His tray felt suddenly too heavy.
Eli's voice cut through the noise. "Marcus."
It wasn't loud, but it carried.
Marcus turned, smirk still plastered on his face. "What? I'm just showing them the news. Everyone loves a good love story, right?"
"Or maybe you just love attention," Eli said evenly.
The laughter dipped into silence. Everyone was listening now.
Marcus tilted his head. "You think you're the hero here? That people actually want you two around?"
Riven could feel every pair of eyes on him, waiting to see if he'd break.
But before he could speak, Eli stepped forward. "Here's the thing, Marcus. You can joke, edit, twist whatever you want. We're still going to show up. We're still going to stand here. You can't change that."
Marcus's smile faltered. "We'll see."
Eli turned back to Riven, his voice softer but meant to be heard. "We don't owe them silence, Riv. Not now. Not ever."
---
Later, in the quiet of the music room, Riven let out a shaky breath.
"That was… a lot."
Eli sat beside him. "Yeah. But you didn't run."
Riven looked at him, the weight in his chest lighter than it had been in days. "Neither did you."
Eli's lips curved into the faintest smile. "We're getting better at this."
And maybe — just maybe — they were.
---