NOAH
The rest of the day dragged like a nightmare I couldn't shake.
I kept my head down, black-rimmed glasses constantly slipping, speaking only when teachers called on me. Still, the stares followed me from class to class—heavy, suffocating. Conversations died the second I got close, then flared up again in whispers behind my back.
Phones glowed everywhere. Subtle snaps. Quiet videos. The new scholarship kid was already entertainment.
By the time the final bell rang, I was halfway out of my seat, desperate to escape.
I just needed to find Marcus's Honda and get the hell off this campus.
The senior parking lot shimmered under the late afternoon sun, rows of luxury cars gleaming like trophies. I scanned frantically for the familiar Car.
That's when they appeared.
Roman, with Liam and Ethan right behind him, cutting straight through the crowd like they owned the pavement.
My stomach plummeted.
Run.
The instinct hit hard, but my feet stayed frozen. By the time I tried to move, they had already surrounded me.
A loose circle—casual smiles, easy posture, but no way out.
"Hey, four-eyes," Roman drawled, his perfect smile sharp as a blade. "Got a minute for us?"
Ethan's hand clamped down on my shoulder, fingers digging in. "We're taking a little walk."
They didn't wait for permission.
A shove here, a guiding push there, and I was moving with them—away from the parking lot, away from any safety.
I thought about yelling. Fighting back. Anything.
But Liam's grip tightened on my other arm, and the students nearby simply looked away, pretending they saw nothing.
So I stayed quiet.
They led me behind the old equipment shed at the far edge of campus, where tall hedges and trees blocked everything from view. The spot was isolated. Silent. Perfect for what they had planned.
"Look, if this is about the cafeteria incident—" I started, voice unsteady.
Liam slammed me backward without warning.
My back crashed into the brick wall. My head snapped against it a second later, stars exploding behind my cracked glasses.
"Shut up," Liam snarled.
Roman stepped in close, towering over me, his expensive cologne thick in the air.
"You know why Seraphina's been in a foul mood all day?" he asked casually. "Ignoring my texts. Snapping at everyone."
I kept silent.
Roman's eyes darkened. "Because of you, nerd. Your clumsy little stunt ruined her morning. And when she's pissed… I get pissed."
"I didn't mean to bump into her tray—"
"Doesn't matter," Roman cut in coldly. "You're nothing here. A scholarship charity case with glasses. You don't belong on this campus. And you definitely don't get to embarrass her."
I swallowed hard. "Did she… ask you to do this?"
Roman let out a short, cruel laugh. "She doesn't have to ask. I know exactly what my queen wants."
The first punch drove straight into my ribs.
Pain detonated through my side, knocking the breath out of me. I doubled over, gasping. Ethan yanked me upright by the collar before I could collapse.
After that, it was methodical.
Roman hit. Paused. Spoke. Hit again.
When I tried to protect my face, they switched targets to my ribs. When I curled inward, they hauled me back up. Controlled. Brutal. Efficient.
Through blurred vision, I saw a few students lingering in the distance. Some slowed down. Some pulled out phones. No one stepped forward to help.
Suddenly, a girl's voice cut through the air—sharp and excited.
"Roman! Over here!"
It was Madison, one of Seraphina's inner-circle girls. She stood at the edge of the clearing, phone raised high, filming with a wicked little smile.
"Perfect timing," Roman called out without looking away from me. "Make sure you get his face clearly. Everyone on campus needs to know what happens when trash forgets its place."
Another savage punch slammed into my jaw. My glasses flew off. Blood flooded my mouth, hot and metallic.
"I think he's learned his lesson," Roman said after one final kick to my stomach. He stepped back, casually wiping his knuckles on his blazer like the whole thing was boring. "For today, anyway."
Just like that, they turned and strolled away, laughing and joking as if they'd only stopped for a quick chat.
Madison lingered a few extra seconds, zooming in on her phone for the best angle, then hurried after them with a satisfied grin.
Silence fell over the clearing.
I tried to push myself up from the ground.
My legs buckled instantly.
Pain crashed over me all at once—ribs, jaw, head, everywhere. Every breath felt like knives twisting in my chest.
I slid back down against the brick wall, vision tunneling at the edges, glasses lying broken somewhere in the dirt.
This is my life now.
The thought settled cold and heavy in my gut.
This campus. These people. This was the price of trying to climb higher.
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me was the bright blue sky above—vast, indifferent, and impossibly far away.