The next morning felt different. She woke up heavy, her body sluggish, but her mind replayed the night before over and over. Kai's words, his touch, the way he'd said you're not nothing.
It scared her how much she wanted to believe him.
School, of course, didn't care about any of that. The moment she stepped inside, she felt it—eyes on her, whispers slipping through the hall like smoke.
"Did you see them yesterday?""They left together.""Maybe he actually likes her?""No way. He could have anyone.""Maybe he feels sorry for her."
The words buzzed around her like gnats, too quiet to call out but loud enough to sting. She kept her eyes on the floor, her steps steady, pretending she couldn't hear. Pretending she didn't care.
Her fake friends were waiting at their usual spot by the lockers. The smiles they wore looked sharp, too polished.
"There you are," one of them said, her tone syrupy sweet. "So… what's going on with you and Kai?"
The others leaned in, eager, their gazes gleaming with curiosity.
She froze, forcing a small laugh. "Nothing. We just… talked."
"Oh, talked," one of them echoed, smirking. "Funny, I don't remember the last time you 'just talked' to anyone."
Laughter rippled through the group. She joined in weakly, the sound hollow, her stomach twisting.
Then—like gravity—her eyes found him. Kai.
He stood across the hall, leaning against the wall with that unreadable calmness, but his dark eyes were fixed on her. Watching. Seeing straight through the mask she was wearing.
And for just a second, his expression shifted. Not pity. Not anger. But something quieter. A silent message: I know. You don't have to keep doing this.
She quickly looked away, her heart hammering, but the whisper of relief lingered.
Because for the first time, when the world turned on her, she wasn't completely alone.