The day began like any other—gray skies hanging low over Sunvale Academy, chatter buzzing through the hallways, footsteps echoing across the polished floors. But to Riven, everything felt heavier.
It wasn't the weather. It wasn't the piles of assignments waiting for him.
It was the eyes.
He felt them the moment he stepped through the gates. They trailed him down the corridors, lingered at the edge of his vision, whispered behind hands that weren't as subtle as they thought.
By now, he was used to it. Used to being the boy everyone thought they knew—the rumors, the labels, the unspoken sneers. But today felt different. Louder. Sharper.
And when second period came, the silence he'd always relied on was ripped away.
---
The Spark
It started as a joke. It always did.
A boy near the back—one of the louder ones, the kind who thrived on cheap laughs—leaned back in his chair and called out,
"Hey, better not sit too close to him. You might walk out with a boyfriend."
Laughter burst like firecrackers around the room. Some loud, some nervous. Some stifled behind palms, but all of them enough to make Riven's chest tighten, his pulse spike.
He ducked his head, pretending to flip through his notes. His throat closed up. The instinct drilled into him for years kicked in: Ignore it. Don't react. Let it pass.
But it didn't pass. The laughter lingered, echoing, feeding off itself.
And then—he glanced sideways.
Eli was sitting there. Not laughing. Not glaring. Just watching him. Calm, steady, like a hand extended through the storm.
For reasons Riven couldn't explain, that look was louder than all the ridicule combined.
---
Breaking Point
He stood.
The scrape of his chair against the floor was sharp enough to silence a few chuckles. His hands were shaking, but he clenched them into fists, forcing the tremor down. His heart hammered like it wanted to escape his chest, but his voice—though uneven—rose above the room.
"You think it's funny?" he asked.
The words hung there, unexpected. The room stilled, eyes swiveling toward him.
"Me… liking someone," he continued, voice cracking at the edges. "You think that makes me a joke?"
No one answered. A few smirks twitched nervously. Someone coughed.
Riven swallowed hard, but the words tumbled out, raw and unpolished, like they'd been waiting years to be said.
"Here's the funny part: you think I care what you think. But I don't. Not anymore."
Silence. Thick and sharp, pressing against his eardrums.
But no laughter. Not this time.
---
The Aftermath
Riven sat down slowly, his knees weak, every nerve in his body buzzing as though he'd just walked out of a battlefield. He wanted to collapse, to disappear, to hide under the weight of what he'd just done.
And then—Eli leaned closer. His voice was soft, meant for Riven's ears alone.
"You were brilliant."
The words hit harder than any insult ever had.
Riven blinked rapidly, heat rising in his chest. He wanted to laugh, to cry, to scream, to breathe all at once.
For the first time in his life, he hadn't just survived the moment. He'd stood.
---
Later That Day
The whispers followed him through the halls, but they were different now. Not just cruel. Not just curious. Some were surprised. Some even sounded… impressed.
When the final bell rang and he stepped out into the courtyard, Eli was waiting by the gates.
"You're starting to see it, aren't you?" Eli asked as they walked side by side.
"See what?" Riven muttered, still trying to calm the storm inside him.
"That you're stronger than you think."
Riven exhaled slowly. His steps felt lighter than they had in months. He let the corner of his mouth twitch into the smallest, shyest smile.
"Maybe I am."
And for once, he almost believed it.