Sam's POV
It started with whispers.
At first, I didn't even notice. The day had begun like any other — a half-empty cup of coffee, a rushed walk to school, and the faint sound of my name being said just a little too loudly behind my back. I thought it was my imagination. It usually was.
But then Zoe stopped at my locker, her usual bright energy dimmed."Sam," she said carefully, eyes searching mine, "don't freak out, okay?"
That's how you know something terrible is coming — when your friend starts with don't freak out.
"What happened?" I asked, my stomach tightening.
She hesitated, then exhaled. "People are saying stuff about you. About… you, me, and Liam."
I froze. "What kind of stuff?"
Zoe bit her lip. "That you got close to us because of the inter-class project. That you're… using us. Using him."
Her words hit like ice water. For a second, I couldn't breathe. "Who said that?"
She didn't answer — she didn't have to.Across the hallway, Siya stood with a small circle of students, her lips painted in a smug smile. The kind of smile that looked like a secret weapon. Her voice was soft but deliberate, and her audience looked entertained.
My pulse quickened. I could feel the heat crawling up my neck.I had worked so hard to stay invisible, to just be. And now, somehow, I was the center of something ugly.
"I didn't—" I began, but my voice cracked. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to steady. "I didn't do anything."
"I know," Zoe said quickly, squeezing my arm. "People are just bored. Don't let her get to you."
But it wasn't that simple. The more I tried to walk past them, the louder the whispers seemed. She's using him.She's pretending to be quiet, but she's smart.Probably just trying to get good grades.
Every word stung like a pinprick.
By the time I reached class, my hands were shaking. I took my seat, staring straight at the desk, trying not to meet anyone's eyes. Liam walked in a few minutes later, his usual calm expression unreadable. He didn't seem to notice the atmosphere at first — not until Siya laughed a little too loudly near the back of the room.
Then his head turned.
"Morning, everyone," the teacher said as she walked in, her voice slicing through the chatter. "Let's get ready for our project updates."
I wished the floor would swallow me whole.
Zoe glanced at me from across the room, her look saying everything: Don't break.I nodded once, gripping my notebook like a lifeline.
Halfway through the class, the teacher asked each group to give a brief update on progress. When it was our turn, Zoe spoke first — confident as always."We've completed the first half of the data collection," she said, her tone steady. "Liam's been managing the logistics, and Sam's been doing the design drafts."
It should've ended there.
But from the back of the class, Siya's voice cut in, sweet and venomous."Of course she has," she said, smiling innocently. "She's always so dedicated when Liam's involved."
A ripple of laughter spread through the room.
My heart stopped. My ears burned.I wanted to say something, anything — but my throat had turned to stone.
The teacher frowned. "Siya, is there a problem?"
"No, ma'am," Siya said smoothly, twirling her pen. "Just saying some people work extra hard when they have the right motivation."
This time, even the teacher's frown deepened, but before she could respond, a voice from beside me broke through.
A calm, cold voice that silenced the room.
Liam's POV
I had been trying to ignore it all morning.
The way people looked at Sam, the whispers that trailed behind her like smoke, the snickers from Siya's corner. I'd heard enough rumors in my life to know exactly how they worked — you could try to kill them, but they always left ashes.
But this one… this one pissed me off.
When Siya made that last comment, something in me snapped.
I stood up before I could even think. "You done?"
The class went quiet. Siya blinked, clearly not expecting me to speak. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me." I stepped forward, my voice calm but sharp enough to cut glass. "You've been running your mouth since morning. You done, or do you want to say it louder this time?"
Her smile faltered. "I didn't say anything—"
"Right," I interrupted, "just hinted at it. That's your thing, isn't it? Start fires and act innocent when people choke on the smoke."
A few students exchanged nervous glances. Even the teacher stayed silent, maybe because she wanted to see how it would unfold.
Siya straightened, trying to recover her confidence. "I was just joking, Liam. Relax. If Sam can't take a joke, maybe she shouldn't—"
"Say her name one more time," I said quietly, "and I'll make sure it's not a joke anymore."
That shut her up.
The silence that followed was heavy — the kind that presses against your ears and makes you aware of your own heartbeat. I turned slightly, catching Sam's expression. She looked… stunned. Confused. Maybe a little scared.
Great.Now I looked like a psycho in front of everyone.
But I didn't care.
"She didn't use anyone," I said, turning back to Siya. "She's smarter than half of this class and actually does her work instead of talking about people who do. So next time you want to make up something, at least make it sound believable."
And with that, I sat down.
The teacher cleared her throat awkwardly. "Alright, that's enough. Let's move on."
The rest of the class passed in uneasy silence. Every time I glanced at Sam, she was staring straight ahead, shoulders tense, her pen moving aimlessly. I wanted to say something — maybe apologize for the scene — but I didn't know how without making it worse.
When the bell rang, she gathered her books quickly and left the room. Zoe shot me a small, approving smile before following her.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair.Victoria's voice echoed in my head — "Your temper makes you weak, Liam."
Maybe she was right. Maybe I'd just proved it.
Sam's POV
I found an empty bench behind the library and sat down, the noise of the school fading behind me. My heart was still racing.
Liam's words played in my head on repeat. The way he'd stood up, his tone, the quiet anger in his voice when he told Siya to stop.No one had ever done that for me before.
Part of me wanted to be angry — I didn't need defending. But another part, a quieter one, felt something else entirely. Gratitude. Maybe even something dangerously close to warmth.
"Hey."
I looked up. Liam stood a few feet away, his hands shoved in his pockets. For once, he looked unsure.
"You shouldn't have done that," I said, even though my voice softened. "Now they'll talk more."
"They were already talking," he said simply. "Might as well give them a reason to shut up."
I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me. "You really don't know how to avoid trouble, do you?"
"Not my best skill," he said, sitting beside me. "You okay?"
I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Just… embarrassed."
"You shouldn't be." He leaned back, eyes fixed on the courtyard. "They're just idiots looking for entertainment."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable this time. The wind rustled the trees above us, scattering tiny leaves onto the bench. For the first time in days, the noise inside my head seemed to quiet.
"Thanks," I said finally. "For defending me."
He glanced sideways, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Don't mention it."
"I mean it."
"I know," he said softly. "That's why I'm telling you not to."
I smiled despite myself. "You're impossible."
"I get that a lot."
We sat there for a while, neither of us saying much, the tension slowly fading into something else — something unspoken but real. For a brief second, I caught his reflection in the library window, sunlight catching in his dark hair, and wondered what he was thinking.
Maybe he was wondering the same about me.
And though I didn't say it out loud, I knew this moment — quiet, fragile, honest — was the first time I didn't feel alone in a long, long while.