Clara POV
The next day, when I walked into school, something felt off.
The hallway was loud, but not in the usual way. It was filled with whispers.
People stopped talking when I passed. Others stared at me, some with fake smiles, others laughing under their breath.
Their eyes weren't admiring. They were mocking.
I tried to ignore it, but the sound of soft chuckles followed me.
Some students looked at their phones, then back at me, whispering something to their friends.
I swallowed hard, pretending not to notice.
By the time I entered the class, it was worse.
Everyone looked up, then laughter filled the room like fire spreading fast.
Fabian sat at his desk, smirking, his phone in his hand.
"What's funny?" I asked, though my voice cracked.
No one answered. They just kept laughing.
Then my phone buzzed.
I reached for it with shaky hands, and the moment I opened the message, my whole world stopped.
It was a picture.
Me and Caleb.
At the boutique.
He was trying to hook the bra strap of the red bikini I tried on. The photo caught it from the worst angle possible.
The caption made my stomach twist:
"When you fake date the new hot guy just to get attention... and then pay him with your body. The desperate queen strikes again. #Claramakingoutintheboutique #Claratheslut #desperateclara."
My heart sank. My mouth went dry. My hands trembled as laughter echoed around me.
I looked up, and Fabian's eyes met mine.
He wasn't even laughing this time, just staring, like he enjoyed every second of my humiliation.
Tears blurred my sight. I couldn't stay there. I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the classroom.
Someone called my name, maybe Caleb, but I didn't care. I just wanted to disappear.
I ran through the hallway, brushing past people, ignoring the stares and whispers.
I pushed open the bathroom door and locked myself inside.
Then I broke.
Tears poured down uncontrollably. I tried to cover my mouth, but a sob escaped anyway.
My reflection in the mirror looked pathetic, red eyes, trembling lips, and mascara smudged all over my cheeks.
I wanted to scream.
I was tired. Tired of pretending I was okay. Tired of always being the joke. Tired of Trisha and her little circle of witches who thought ruining someone's life was entertainment.
I wiped my tears roughly and unlocked my phone again.
The post was everywhere now.
Dozens of comments.
People laughing, making jokes, calling me names.
Then I saw it, the account that posted it first.
@TrishaQueen_.
My eyes burned with fresh anger.
That was it.
I had had enough.
I looked around the bathroom, breathing hard, trying to calm down, but I couldn't.
My hands were shaking, my heart pounding.
Then my eyes caught the liquid soap bottle beside the sink. I picked it up. The blue-green liquid swirled inside.
Without another thought, I walked out.
My anger was louder than my fear now.
Halfway through the hallway, I bumped into Caleb.
"Clara!" he called, grabbing my arm gently.
But I pulled away. My face was wet from crying, but my eyes had changed.
I didn't even look at him. I just walked away, gripping the soap bottle tightly.
He called after me again, but I didn't stop.
When I entered the classroom again, the laughter died instantly.
The entire room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.
Trisha sat at her desk, phone in her hand, a small smile playing on her lips.
Her friends, Lisa and Elara, were behind her, whispering.
Fabian sat beside her, pretending to scroll through his phone, but his smirk gave him away.
I walked straight to Trisha.
Before she could even react, I opened the soap bottle and poured it all over her head.
The liquid ran down her perfect hair, staining her white blouse.
She screamed and tried to get up, but I shoved her back into the chair.
The whole class gasped.
"Listen to me," I said, my voice shaking but loud enough for everyone to hear. "This is the last time, the very last time, you're ever going to bully me."
"Clara, are you crazy?!" Trisha shouted, trying to wipe the soap off her face.
I leaned in, inches from her face.
"No, Trisha. I'm done being quiet. You're the crazy one, you and your stupid gang of mean girls who think the world revolves around your looks and gossip."
The class started murmuring. Some people brought out their phones to record, but I didn't care.
"You call me a slut because I fake date Caleb? You think you're better? You sleep with half the guys on the team and act like you're some queen. You're scared, Trisha. Scared of losing your little crown as the 'hottest girl in school.'"
Trisha's face twisted. "Shut up!"
"No! You shut up!" I snapped, pushing her shoulder again. "You're pathetic. You and your minions. You spread lies because it's the only way you feel powerful."
The class started buzzing louder. Some people whispered "oh my God." Others just stared wide-eyed.
Trisha turned toward Fabian. "Fabian! Say something!" she cried.
Fabian stood, his jaw tight. "Clara, enough. You've made your point. Stop embarrassing yourself."
I turned to him slowly, anger burning through me.
"Embarrassing myself?" I asked, walking toward him. "You dated me secretly for months, Fabian. You kissed me, told me you liked me, then dumped me like trash and pretended I didn't exist."
He didn't answer. His eyes darted around, clearly uncomfortable.
I picked up what was left of the soap bottle and poured the rest over his perfect hair.
The class went wild, gasps, laughter, phones clicking.
"You're nothing but a player," I said, my voice trembling but steady. "You act like some prince, but you're just a coward. And you know what? It's over. For real this time. I'm done with you."
I dropped the empty bottle on the floor. It clattered loudly.
Then I turned toward Lisa and Elara, who were whispering to each other in shock.
"Oh, don't worry," I said, walking up to them. "You two can also smell like toilet for the rest of the day."
Before they could move, I grabbed another bottle from a nearby desk, someone's sanitizer, and splashed it on both of them. They screamed, jumping up as everyone laughed.
"Scumbags," I said quietly, my voice breaking but firm.
Then I turned toward the door.
Caleb was standing there.
His expression was unreadable, half shocked, half proud.
"Good to go?" he asked softly.
I nodded. We high-fived each other, and for a second, I felt something light, like I could finally breathe again.
But just as we turned to leave, I heard a chair scrape hard against the floor.
Trisha jumped up, soap dripping down her face.
"You'll regret this!" she screamed, charging toward me.
Before I could react, Caleb stepped in front of me.
His hand pushed her back hard enough to make her stumble and fall to the floor.
"I said it before," Caleb said coldly, his voice low and dangerous. "And I meant it, no one, I repeat, no one touches or hurts Clara."
The whole room went silent again.
Caleb took my hand, and we walked out together.
I didn't look back.
I saw the scar on Caleb's knuckles. It was red and looked painful.
"What happened to you hand Caleb," I said as I raised up his hand, trying to get a closer look.
"It's nothing," He said removing his hand from my grip.
"What's going on Caleb, you now hide things from me?" I stared into his eyes like the truth was hidden inbthere.
He brushed it off, "It's nothing Grace, come now, I'm proud of you and how you stood up to them today."
I smiled faintly. But still wondered how he got the scar
Later that day, I sat outside under the tree behind the sports field.
My heart was still racing, but for once, I didn't feel small. I didn't feel powerless.
I thought about what happened, about Caleb standing up for me, the way he pushed Trisha, the way he looked at me like I actually mattered.
No one had ever done that for me before.
I smiled faintly, touching the spot on my hand where his had been.
Maybe everything was a mess… but for once, I didn't care.
Because this time, I fought back.
And I wasn't alone.