Aleah's POV
This week should have been the week of my life. I wanted the best — no, I needed the best. But then I saw them: Ivy and Yasmin, standing together, laughing like they'd known each other forever. Their easy closeness hit me like a punch to the gut.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself forward. "Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.
They didn't even look at me. Like I was air.
I turned and ran, barely making it to the nearest bathroom before the tears came. I shut the door and tried to steady my breath.
Then the door slid open.
A voice, flat and cold, said, "What are you doing in the boys' bathroom?"
I blinked, startled. "I—I didn't mean to. I just… needed to get away."
He didn't move from the sink, his eyes half-hidden under his hood. "You're in the wrong place."
"I know," I said, voice shaky.
He shrugged like it didn't matter. "Why run if you're just going to cry?"
I bit my lip, staring at the cracked mirror. "Because sometimes you don't have a choice."
He didn't answer. Just looked at me like I was a problem he didn't want to deal with.
After a beat, he said, "People like you always think someone's going to save them."
I met his gaze, trying to keep steady. "And what if no one does?"
He shrugged again, then turned away. "Then you figure it out yourself."
The door clicked softly behind him as he left.
And I was left alone — with nothing but my tears and the echo of his cold words.