The next few days were a blur of whispered conversations, stolen glances, and taunting laughs.
Susan barely registered the sound of the bell, the whispers echoing down the halls, or the way the world seemed to spin around her as if she no longer belonged to it. The weight of the mockery from her classmates had settled deep in her bones, heavy and suffocating. Her every move felt like an invitation for cruelty.
But the truth was, Susan had become invisible. She was no longer the girl who stood out, who had dared to hope for kindness or love. No, now she was just a shadow — one that no one noticed unless they wanted to hurt her.
---
During lunch, Susan sat alone at the far corner of the cafeteria, her eyes downcast, focusing on the scuffed surface of the table as if it held the answers to the misery she felt.
Her phone vibrated again, but she didn't dare to check. She knew what it would say.
Mocking comments.
Hateful texts.
Photos of her collapse, shared with every corner of the school.
The humiliation was unbearable, yet there was nothing she could do to escape it. She wasn't strong enough. Not strong like the other girls in this world who had everything: beauty, confidence, friends who would fight for them.
---
Jackim noticed Susan at her table, sitting in the corner as always. He hadn't talked to her much, but in the past few days, he couldn't ignore the sadness hanging around her like a dark cloud.
Every day, he saw the same hurt in her eyes — the same brokenness.
And every day, he wished he could do something to fix it.
He walked over to her table, quietly slipping into the seat across from her.
"Hey," he said softly, his voice a low whisper amidst the loud chatter of the cafeteria.
Susan didn't look up.
"Hey, Susan," Jackim repeated, concern flooding his tone.
She lifted her gaze slowly, her eyes bloodshot, her face pale.
"Jackim…" Her voice trembled. "I don't belong here. They're right. I'm not like them."
Jackim felt his heart ache as he saw the defeat in her eyes, the weight of her words.
"Don't listen to them," he said, his voice stronger now. "They're not worth your time."
Susan shook her head, tears threatening to fall. "They all know. Everyone knows now. I'm nothing. I'll always be nothing."
Jackim's fingers clenched into fists beneath the table, a fire igniting in his chest. He hated seeing her like this. He hated how cruel people could be.
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze unwavering.
"You're not nothing," he said firmly, his eyes locking onto hers. "I don't care what they say. You're stronger than they could ever understand."
Susan met his gaze for a moment, but the hardness in her expression didn't fade.
"I don't know how to keep going," she whispered, the words barely audible. "I just want it all to stop. All of it."
---
That evening, as Susan walked home, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.
She quickened her pace, her heart thudding as shadows shifted in her peripheral vision.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned, but saw no one.
Her stomach twisted, and she broke into a sprint, the sound of her shoes pounding against the pavement.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she reached the safety of her home.
When she finally slammed the door shut behind her, she leaned against it, pressing her back to the cold wood as her pulse raced.
---
Later that night, she found herself staring at the cracked screen of her phone again.
A new message appeared.
From Unknown:
> You'll never be safe. The truth is coming, Susan. And when it does, you'll wish you had never been born.
The message chilled her to her core.
The feeling of being hunted, of not knowing who was pulling the strings, made her skin crawl.
But before she could respond, another message came in.
From Unknown:
> You think he's your savior, don't you? Marcus is just a puppet. And soon, he'll break you.
Susan's fingers shook as she typed a quick reply.
> Who are you?
No Response.
---
The next day, Susan barely made it through her classes. Her mind was clouded with fear and confusion, but there was something else gnawing at her — something she couldn't put her finger on.
Something about Marcus didn't feel right.
---
As the bell rang for dismissal, Susan lingered in the hallway, trying to catch her breath.
She had the overwhelming feeling that something was about to happen. Something that would either break her or give her the strength to stand tall again.
But when she turned the corner, she was stopped short.
Marcus was waiting for her.
He stood against the lockers, his dark eyes fixed on her, a strange intensity in his gaze.
"Hey," he said, his voice low, almost too soft.
Susan took a step back, her stomach twisting.
"Marcus… What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
Marcus smirked, but there was something cold behind his smile — something unsettling.
"I just want to make sure you know your place," he said, his tone turning almost threatening.
Susan's heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes. The kindness she had once seen there seemed to have vanished.
"Wh-what do you mean?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Marcus stepped closer, his hand reaching for hers. "You're mine now, Susan. Don't forget that."
But before Susan could react, a voice interrupted them.
"Hey, Marcus! Get away from her."
Jackim stood a few feet away, his fists clenched at his sides, his expression dark with anger.
Marcus turned slowly, his smirk widening.
"Stay out of this, Jackim," he sneered. "This is none of your business."
Susan watched as the tension between the two boys escalated, her pulse racing.
She was caught in the middle of something far darker than she had ever imagined.
And she had no idea how to escape it.
---