Sunset Lines on Notebook Paper

CHAPTER 4: DOUBTS BENEATH THE ANGER

Weeks passed, and the situation didn’t get any better. If anything, it grew worse. I walked through the hallways of San Lorenzo High like a ghost—silent, invisible, and unwanted. Every step I took was filled with anxiety, never knowing when the next insult or prank would come.

Kian continued his act perfectly. He would still speak to me sometimes, but now his words were laced with coldness and disappointment, making everyone believe he had truly seen through my “lies.” Even when I looked him in the eyes, I could only see amusement, as if he was enjoying the show he had created.

Elias remained my biggest tormentor. But lately, I had started to notice something strange about him. While he still said hurtful words and did things to make my life miserable, there were moments when his actions didn’t match his words.

For example, one afternoon during recess, it suddenly started raining heavily. I had left my umbrella in the classroom, and I had to walk all the way from the cafeteria to the building, getting completely soaked along the way. When I arrived, shivering and cold, I found Elias leaning against the wall near the door.

“Look at you,” he sneered as I passed by. “You look like a wet rat. Even the rain doesn’t want you around.”

I just lowered my head and tried to walk past him, but before I could get far, he tossed something toward me. I caught it instinctively and saw that it was a clean, folded towel.

“Wipe yourself off,” he muttered, looking away immediately as if he was angry at himself for doing it. “I don’t want you catching a cold and using it as another excuse to get attention or make people feel sorry for you.”

I stood there holding the towel, confused. If he really hated me that much, why would he give me something to keep me warm? I looked up to ask him, but he had already turned around and walked away, his back stiff and tense.

Incidents like this kept happening.

Once, during our Science laboratory class, I accidentally knocked over a bottle of chemical solution. I froze, knowing that if it spilled, it could damage the equipment or even hurt someone. Before I could even react, Elias quickly grabbed another container and caught the liquid just in time.

“Are you blind?!” he shouted, his voice loud enough for the whole class to hear. “Can’t you do anything right? You’re always causing trouble wherever you go!”

But as he scolded me, I noticed that his hands were steady, and he had made sure none of the liquid touched my skin or clothes. When the teacher praised him for being quick and responsible, he just glared at me and said, “I just didn’t want her carelessness to ruin our grades.”

I couldn’t understand it. He treated me like his worst enemy, yet there were times when he seemed to be protecting me. These confusing moments kept playing in my mind, making me wonder if there was more to him than just anger and hatred.

Meanwhile, Elias was going through his own internal struggle.

At first, he was convinced that everything Trina and Kian had said was true. He believed I was a manipulative girl who had planned everything just to get attention. But as days went by, he started observing me more closely—something he told himself he was doing just to find more reasons to hate me. But the more he watched, the more he began to see things that didn’t fit the story he had been told.

He noticed that I never talked back no matter how much I was insulted. I never tried to get close to anyone, especially not popular students. I always sat alone, ate alone, and spent most of my time writing or reading in quiet corners. I looked more like someone who just wanted to be left alone, rather than someone who was scheming for fame or power.

One afternoon, he was walking past the library when he saw me sitting by the window, crying silently while writing in my notebook. He stopped behind a bookshelf, hiding himself so he could watch without being seen. He saw me wipe my tears, take a deep breath, and continue writing as if putting all my pain into words.

For some reason, seeing me like that made his chest feel tight. He found himself wondering what I was writing, what was making me so sad, and why I never fought back even when I was treated unfairly.

Later that day, he confronted Kian about it. They were alone in the basketball court after practice.

“Kian,” Elias started, dribbling the ball roughly. “How did you find out Lila was lying? What proof do you have?”

Kian raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “Why are you asking? Do you suddenly believe her innocence?”

“I’m just making sure,” Elias snapped. “I don’t want to accuse someone if I don’t have solid evidence. That’s all.”

Kian shrugged casually. “She admitted it to me. She said she knew what she was doing and that she just needed protection. Isn’t that enough proof?”

Elias fell silent. Something about Kian’s answer didn’t sit right with him. He knew how observant he was, and he had never seen me say anything like that to anyone. But before he could ask more, Trina arrived, wrapping her arm around Elias’ and changing the topic.

But the seed of doubt had already been planted in his mind.

The breaking point came during our midterm examinations.

We were taking our Math test, which was considered one of the hardest subjects. I was doing my best, focusing all my attention on solving the equations, when suddenly a crumpled paper ball landed right on my desk. I didn’t touch it, knowing it was probably another insult, but the teacher noticed it and walked straight toward me.

“Lila Marquez,” Ms. Reyes said sternly. “What is this? Are you cheating?”

My eyes widened in shock. “No, Ma’am! I didn’t put that there! Someone threw it at me!”

“Really?” The teacher picked up the paper and unfolded it. Inside were answers and formulas written clearly. “This looks like a cheat sheet to me. And since it’s right on your desk, you are responsible for it. I’m afraid I have to give you a failing grade for this exam.”

“No! Please believe me, I would never cheat!” I pleaded, my voice trembling. I looked around and saw Marco and his friends snickering in the corner. It was obvious they were the ones who did it.

But before I could say anything else, Elias stood up from his seat.

“Ms. Reyes,” he said, his voice clear and firm. “She’s telling the truth.”

Everyone turned to look at him, surprised. Even I stared at him, wondering why he was speaking up for me.

“And why would you say that, Elias?” the teacher asked.

“Because I was watching her the whole time,” Elias continued, his expression serious. “She didn’t even look away from her paper. That paper was thrown there by someone else. I saw Marco do it.”

Marco’s smile instantly vanished. “Hey! That’s not true! Why are you lying?!”

“Am I?” Elias glared at him. “You were throwing things at her all week. Don’t act innocent now. If you want to cheat or cause trouble, do it on your own, but don’t drag other people down with you.”

Ms. Reyes looked back and forth between them, then sighed. “Fine. Since there is a conflict in testimony, I will investigate this further. For now, continue with your exam. Lila, you may continue writing as well.”

The class went silent again, but I could feel everyone’s eyes shifting between me and Elias. When I looked at him, he was already looking at me. Our eyes met, and for the first time, I didn’t see hatred in his gaze. There was something else—something warm and confusing that made my heart beat faster.

He quickly looked away, pretending to focus on his paper, but I could see the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

After class, I found him waiting for me by the hallway. I hesitated before walking toward him, still unsure of what to expect.

“T-thank you, Elias,” I said softly. “If you didn’t say anything, I would have failed the subject.”

Elias crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at me with that usual stern look, but it didn’t feel as cold as before.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” he said gruffly. “I didn’t do it because I like you or anything. I just hate cheaters and bullies. If you were really guilty, I would have been the first one to make sure you got punished. But this time… I could tell you weren’t lying.”

He paused for a moment, as if choosing his next words carefully.

“And… I’ve been thinking lately. A lot of things don’t add up. The things people say about you… they don’t match what I actually see.”

My eyes widened. “You mean… you’re starting to believe me?”

“I didn’t say that!” he replied quickly, his voice rising slightly. “I just said I have doubts! Don’t get too excited, Lila. I still don’t like you. I still think you’re clumsy and annoying. But…” He stopped himself, looking away. “But I think I might have judged you too quickly.”

Those words meant more to me than he could ever know. After months of being hated and misunderstood, hearing him say that he was willing to consider the truth gave me a small spark of hope.

“Thank you anyway,” I whispered, a small smile forming on my lips. “That means a lot to me.”

Elias looked back at me, and when he saw me smiling, his expression softened unconsciously. For a moment, it was just the two of us, and all the hatred and anger seemed to fade away. He found himself staring at me, noticing how my eyes sparkled when I smiled, and how my face looked so much brighter when I wasn’t crying or scared.

He felt his heart skip a beat, and he immediately shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. What was happening to him? Why was he noticing these things? Why did the thought of me being hurt or sad make him feel angry, while seeing me happy made him feel… good?

“Whatever,” he mumbled, turning around to leave. “Just… try not to get into more trouble. I don’t always have time to save you.”

As he walked away, I stood there watching him, my mind filled with questions and new feelings. And from that day on, everything began to change. Elias started looking at me differently, and I started seeing him not just as my tormentor, but as someone who might actually understand me.

But little did we know that Kian and Trina were watching everything from afar, and they were not going to let their plan fall apart so easily. They would do everything in their power to keep us apart and make sure their lies remained the truth.