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The bell rang out, loud and sharp, echoing through the courtyard like an alarm. Gigi let out a dramatic groan. "Ugh, there's the signal. Sky and I have chemistry first period, which, honestly, is the least romantic subject ever."
Skylar chuckled, brushing her hair back. "Tell me about it. Catch you at lunch, alright?"
"Sure," I replied, managing a small smile. "Just try not to get caught making out in the lab or something."
Gigi smirked like she was up to no good. "No promises."
They both waved and dashed towards the science wing, leaving me there with my backpack and a knot in my stomach. As I made my way to class, I could feel those familiar eyes on me again. It wasn't as intense as before, but enough to make my palms a bit sweaty.
Some people smiled, seemingly impressed by my new look, while others whispered behind their hands. I couldn't tell if they were reacting to my outfit or if they were still gossiping about that embarrassing pool incident from last semester where I accidentally came out in front of the whole school. Either way, it made my chest tighten. I disliked attention—no matter if it was good or bad—and at that moment, I wasn't sure which one it was.
"Just breathe," I murmured to myself as I walked through the hallway. "It's fine. You're fine. Just get to class and pretend no one's there."
Finally, I reached my history classroom and let out a sigh of relief—until I stepped inside and froze.
There, near the window, wearing his usual bored expression, was Adrien. Right next to him, flipping her hair and giggling at something he said, was Vanessa.
"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, feeling a wave of frustration.
Adrien looked up just then, his green eyes locking onto mine for a brief second before his brows raised slightly, as if surprised to see me looking like this. I quickly averted my gaze, pretending to be fascinated by the floor tiles.
Vanessa turned around too, her smile faltering briefly before she plastered on that overly sweet grin that always made me want to roll my eyes. "Oh. Noah. You're in this class?"
"Unfortunately," I said quietly, sliding into an empty seat a couple of rows behind them.
As I pulled out my notebook, I could practically feel Adrien's presence weighing on me, that annoying awareness he was right there—and I imagined his stupidly perfect hair still smelled like some fancy shampoo.
"Fantastic," I whispered under my breath. "History class with my evil stepbrother and his personal cheerleader. Just great."
The teacher hadn't even walked in yet, and I was already contemplating faking an illness.
I was just getting settled in when that annoyingly familiar voice drifted through the room, sweet as sugar but sharp as glass.
"Well, well," Vanessa drawled, her tone oozing with sarcasm. "Look at you, Noah. Love the new outfit. Trying to impress someone?"
A few giggles rippled through the class, and I felt my face heat up. I kept my eyes glued to my notebook, pretending to write something down even though my hand was shaking. Maybe if I ignored her, she'd get bored and move on.
But, of course, this was Vanessa. She never got bored when there was an opportunity to pounce.
"Oh, wait," she continued, feigning shock. "Don't tell me—you're doing this for Ethan? That's kind of cute, in a tragic, desperate faggot sort of way."
The classroom erupted with laughter. A few guys in the back snickered openly, and I felt like shrinking into my chair. My throat tightened and my stomach twisted painfully as I tried to maintain a straight face.
"Wow, Vanessa, that's really original," I forced out, a slight smile on my face. "You must have practiced that one in front of the mirror."
Her grin only widened. "Oh, don't be shy, Noah. It's a compliment. You're finally trying. New for you, huh?"
Laughter burst out again. I clenched my jaw, fighting back tears. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
Before I could think of a retort, a chair scraped loudly against the floor, the noise cutting through all the giggling, and suddenly the room fell silent.
Adrien had turned in his seat, his expression unreadable, but his tone was calm and commanding when he said, "Vanessa. Knock it off."
He didn't raise his voice, but it didn't matter. There was something in the firmness of his words—cold and final—that made the whole class go quiet. Even Vanessa froze, blinking like she couldn't believe he'd actually said that.
"But I was just—"
"I said knock it off." He held her gaze for a moment longer, and that was enough. She sank back into her chair, her smile tight, fiddling with her hair as if nothing had happened.
No one dared to say another word. The air felt thick, tense, as if everyone was waiting to see what he'd do next.
Then Adrien turned back around just as the teacher walked in, greeting everyone with a cheerful, "Good morning!"
I sat there staring at the back of Adrien's head, my heart racing. He hadn't looked my way since that moment, not once—but I felt a strange heaviness in my chest.
I wasn't sure what was worse: the humiliation from moments ago or the confusing warmth coursing through me because, for just a split second, Adrien had actually stood up for me.
I tried to focus during the rest of history class, but it was hard to pay attention. My thoughts kept drifting back to that moment—Adrien's voice, steady and sharp, cutting through the laughter like a knife. It wasn't just that he told Vanessa to stop; it was the way he delivered it, like he meant it, like he wouldn't allow anyone else to touch that subject again.
For years, he had stood by and watched whenever people ridiculed me. Most of the time, he'd even joined in with that smug little smirk of his. So, to see him actually step in... it didn't add up. I didn't know if I should feel thankful or suspicious. Maybe both. But no matter how hard I tried to brush it off, I couldn't ignore the tiny flicker of relief when Vanessa finally shut her mouth.
When the bell rang, I was worn out from pretending to take notes and from trying not to think about him.
At lunch, I found Gigi and Skylar sitting under one of the big oak trees behind the cafeteria. Skylar was lazily strumming on her guitar while Gigi munched on fries. They both looked up as I sat down, my tray clattering slightly too loudly.
"You look like you just saw a ghost," Gigi said, squinting at me. "What happened?"
I shook my head and poked at my sandwich. "No, worse. Vanessa."
Skylar groaned dramatically. "That red-headed menace again? I swear I'll strangle her one of these days."
"Yeah, but something weird happened this time," I said, lowering my voice. "Adrien actually told her to stop picking on me."
Both of them froze, mid-bite. Gigi's eyes widened as she slowly set her fries down. "Wait, Adrien did that? You mean Adrien Fell?"
I nodded, still trying to wrap my head around it. "He didn't yell or anything, just said it calmly. And she actually listened. Everyone did."
Skylar's lips curled into a teasing smile. "Well, well… looks like his big brother instincts are kicking in. Guess he's feeling all protective now."
I nearly choked on my drink. "Protective? No way. That's not what that was."
Gigi leaned in closer, grinning. "Then what was it?"
I sighed, shaking my head. "Honestly? Probably just annoyance. Vanessa's voice could irritate a saint. He was probably just tired of hearing her talk."
They both burst out laughing, and I couldn't help but smile a little too. For the first time that day, the heaviness in my chest lightened a bit.
Skylar plucked a casual tune on her guitar and said, "Still… if he stands up to her again, maybe there's hope for him yet."
"Don't hold your breath," I replied, but I couldn't shake the warmth creeping into my cheeks at the thought.