The school looms ahead, its brick facade cold and unwelcoming in the morning light.

'Just get to class. Don't let them see you.' I clutch my backpack straps tighter and sprint toward the entrance, keeping my head down. My ribs ache with each step, but I push through the pain.

The hallways blur past as I weave between students, dodging conversations and avoiding eye contact. Lila Morrison's laugh echoes from somewhere behind me, sharp and cruel. My heart hammers against my chest.

'Please don't see me. Please don't see me.'

I slip into my first-period classroom just as the bell rings, sliding into my usual seat in the back corner. The hard plastic chair presses against the fresh burn on my arm, and I bite back a wince.

"Miss Castellano, you look like you ran a marathon," Mrs. Henderson says without looking up from her lesson plan.

I keep my eyes fixed on my desk. "Sorry, Mrs. Henderson."

She launches into her lecture about quadratic equations, and I try to focus on her words instead of the throbbing in my ribs. The other students scribble notes half-heartedly, but I write down everything. Perfect grades are the only thing I have leftthe only proof that I'm worth something.

A girl in front of me glances back, her eyes scanning the bruises on my arms. She turns away quickly, like looking too long might infect her with whatever plague makes me untouchable.

'Top of the class, and still invisible when it matters.'

The period drags on forever. When the bell finally rings, I pack my things slowly, waiting for the room to empty before standing. My legs shake as I walk to the door.

Mrs. Henderson doesn't look up from her papers. She never does.

The hallway swarms with students heading to their next classes. I need to get to the washroom before second period, so I keep my head down and weave through the crowd.

I catch a glimpse of blonde hair near the lockersLila Morrison laughing with her usual group. My stomach clenches, and I quickly look away, hoping she didn't notice me.

'Just get to the bathroom. Stay invisible.'

I duck behind a group of football players and dart toward the nearest bathroom. My heart pounds so hard I'm sure everyone can hear it.

The bathroom door slams behind me with a satisfying bang, and I lean against it, gasping. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting harsh shadows on the white tile walls.

I rush into the last stall and lock the door with trembling fingers. For a moment, there's blessed silence. I close my eyes and try to breathe.

Then the bathroom door crashes open.

"I know you're here, little slut!" Lila's voice bounces off the walls, dripping with venom. "What, not happy to see me?"

My hands freeze on my jeans. I hold my breath, praying she'll give up and leave.

The first stall door slams open with a violent bang.

My heart jumps into my throat.

'Someone will come. Someone has to come.'

The second door crashes open. Then the third.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Each sound sends shock waves through my chest. I pull my feet up, balancing on the toilet seat, hoping she'll think the stall is empty.

'Please, someone come in. Anyone.'

The fourth stall door explodes open.

I'm shaking so hard I can barely stay upright. There's only one stall left between her and me.

'She's going to find me. She's going to'

The fifth door slams open so hard it bounces off the wall.

And then she's there. The final door flies open, and Lila Morrison stands in the doorway like an avenging angel of cruelty. Her blonde hair is perfectly styled, her makeup flawless, her smile sharp enough to cut glass.

Despair crashes over me like a tidal wave.

"There you are, you little bitch." She grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks me off the toilet seat. I stumble forward, my jeans still around my ankles, too shocked to pull them up.

"Lila, please"

"Shut the fuck up!" She drags me out of the stall by my hair, and I fall to my knees on the cold tile floor. "Jade! Get in here!"

Jade appears like a loyal dog, followed by two other girls I barely recognize. They form a circle around me, blocking any escape route.

"Look at this pathetic little whore," Lila sneers, still gripping my hair. "Can't even dress herself properly."

I scramble to pull up my jeans, my face burning with humiliation.

"You know what your problem is, Moira?" Lila crouches down until we're eye level. "You can't even do a simple favor for your friend. What, think youre too good for me?"

"Thats"

Her hand connects with my cheek so hard my ears ring. "I told you to shut the fuck up!"

"You're going to get me that date with Tristan," she continues, pacing around me like a predator. "I don't care what you have to do. Make it happen."

Jade kicks me in the stomach, and I double over, gasping. "Yeah, you think you're so special with your perfect grades and your holier-than-thou attitude."

"Time to teach you some humility," Lila says sweetly.

They fall on me like vultures. Fists and feet connect with my ribs, my back, my arms. I curl into a ball on the filthy bathroom floor, protecting my head as best I can.

'Stay quiet. Don't let them see you break.'

"Fight back, you coward!" Lila screams, landing a particularly vicious kick to my kidney. "At least make this interesting!"

But I know what happens when I resist. So I lie there and take it, counting the tiles on the ceiling until the pain becomes a distant roar.

"God, you're pathetic," Jade pants, stepping back. "No wonder nobody likes you."

Lila grabs my hair again, lifting my head. "Maybe this will get a reaction out of you."

She slams my head against the edge of the sink with a sickening crack.

The scream tears from my throat before I can stop it. Pain explodes through my skull, white-hot and blinding. Blood trickles down my forehead, warm and sticky.

"There we go!" Lila claps her hands like she's watching a circus act. "Finally, some emotion!"

My vision blurs, and the room tilts dangerously. I can taste copper in my mouth.

"Come on, girls. We're done here." Lila straightens her skirt and checks her reflection in the mirror. "Remember to get me that date with your brother."

Their laughter echoes off the walls as they leave, the door swinging shut behind them with finality.

I lie on the cold tile floor for a long time, waiting for the world to stop spinning. When I finally manage to sit up, my reflection in the mirror is a horror show. Blood streams from a gash on my forehead, my lip is split, and bruises are already forming on my cheekbones.

'Get up. You have to get up.'

*****

The school nurse barely glances at me when I stumble into her office. Mrs. Patterson sits behind her desk, filing her nails with methodical precision.

"What now, Moira?" she sighs, not looking up from her cuticles.

"I need" My voice comes out as a croak. I clear my throat and try again. "Where are the bandages and ice packs?"

She finally looks at me, her lip curling in disgust. "Supply closet. Help yourself."

I can feel her hatred radiating off her in waves. Lila's lies have poisoned everyone against meeven the woman who's supposed to help injured students can't stand the sight of me.

I grab some paper towels from the dispenser and wet them in the sink. The cold water stings the cut on my forehead, but I grit my teeth and clean the blood away as best I can.

Mrs. Patterson returns to her nails, dismissing me completely.

I take what I need and leave without another word. She's already forgotten I exist before the door closes behind me.

*****

The library welcomes me like an old friend, its silence broken only by the soft hum of fluorescent lights and the whisper of turning pages.

This is my sanctuarythe one place in school where I can breathe. The smell of old books and furniture polish wraps around me like a warm blanket, and for a moment, the pain recedes.

I make my way to my usual spot in the far corner, past the fiction section and ancient encyclopedias nobody uses anymore. It's hidden from view, with a comfortable chair and decent lighting for reading.

But someone is already there.

Jaxon sits in my chair, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floor. He looks up when he hears my footsteps, and something flickers across his faceguilt? Fear? I can't tell.

"Moira." His voice is quieter than usual, lacking its typical cruel edge.

I freeze, every muscle in my body tensing. 'Is this another trap? Another way to hurt me?'

"What do you want, Jaxon?" I keep my distance, ready to run if necessary.

He stands slowly, his hands raised slightly as if approaching a wounded animal. "I need to talk to you. It's important."

His voice sounds urgent, almost frantic. I can almost sense worry threading through his wordssomething I've never heard from him before. My chest tightens with an unfamiliar dread, like standing at the edge of a cliff and knowing I'm about to fall.