Chapter 13 — “Oops… I Did It Again”
1114 Words
The day started like any other.
Teachers talking. Students pretending to listen. Lessons dragging. Whispers floating. Rumors breathing.
But in the middle of the routine… something unusual happened.
A message traveled through the class door.
“Noah Winters — report to the music room.”
Heads turned. Brows lifted. Hearts paused.
Noah quietly closed his notebook, pushed his chair back, and stood.
He didn’t look nervous. He didn’t look excited. He just looked… calm.
Too calm.
Aiden watched him leave. His chest tightened with a strange feeling he couldn’t explain. Liam was seated near the window in another class when he heard the same news. His expression didn’t change, but his fist gently curled.
Noah walked the long hallway alone.
What no one knew…
His ribs hurt. Badly.
And every breath stabbed.
Ever since the incident near the tunnel, emotions had been heavy, confusing, overwhelming. And Noah had been pushing himself — running between Liam, tutoring Aiden, emotions crashing into him like waves. He hadn’t slept enough. He hadn’t eaten properly. He had pushed his body without realizing.
Now it demanded payment.
But Noah didn’t want to worry anyone.
Not Aiden.
Not Liam.
Not his mother.
So he stayed quiet.
Always quiet.
Always strong.
He pushed open the music room door.
Warm lighting. Soft acoustics. The faint smell of pianos and polished wood.
The music teacher, Mrs. Hartwell, looked up.
“There you are,” she smiled softly. “Graduation is around the corner. We need something special. We need your voice.”
Noah nodded, steady and gentle.
“What song?” he asked.
She smiled.
“That’s up to you.”
He thought for a second. Then he smirked softly.
“Oops… I Did It Again.”
Her eyebrow rose.
“Britney Spears?”
“Exactly.”
She laughed.
“…you’re bold.”
“No,” Noah whispered under his breath.
“I’m honest.”
The First Note
He stepped to the mic. Closed his eyes. Breathed.
Pain stabbed his ribs — sharp, sudden. He swallowed it.
He always did.
Then…
He sang.
Not like a joke. Not like something playful.
He sang the way only Noah could.
Gentle. Velvety. Emotion wrapped in silk.
The piano started soft. The melody breathed through the empty room.
“Oops… I did it again…”
his voice floated…
“…I played with your heart…”
The teacher froze.
This wasn’t a cover.
This was a confession.
Every word wasn’t just lyrics — it was truth bleeding.
He wasn’t singing Britney Spears.
He was singing his life.
Aiden. Liam. Feelings. Confusion. Pressure. Hearts colliding. Mistakes made. Mistakes repeated.
He wasn’t innocent. He wasn’t guilty. He was human.
His voice rose — clear, heartbreaking, stunning.
The sound traveled. Through the music room walls. Through the quiet corridors. Through the staircase. Through every corner of the school.
Students paused mid-sentence. Teachers paused mid-lecture. Doors opened. Heads lifted.
Someone whispered:
“…is that Noah?”
Another student rushed down the hall.
“Guys — come listen!”
Soon, the school wasn’t learning anymore.
They were listening.
The basketball court paused. Classrooms quieted. Even the principal’s office fell silent.
Because Noah Winters was singing.
And he sounded like heartbreak dressed in beauty.
Inside the Room
Mrs. Hartwell slowly sat down.
Her eyes softened.
Because she saw it.
Noah wasn’t just singing.
He was breaking.
His hand slowly moved to his side, gripping his ribs tightly behind the mic stand. His breath trembled. Pain burned — but he didn’t stop.
He pushed harder.
He sang louder.
Like every emotion he refused to say was pouring out.
Aiden arrived at the hallway outside the music room first.
He didn’t rush in.
He couldn’t.
He leaned against the wall, eyes closing.
Because every lyric felt like it was meant for him.
Like Noah was singing directly into his soul.
Liam arrived next.
He stood completely still.
Expression unreadable.
Eyes locked on that door.
Listening to every word.
Feeling. Thinking. Remembering.
Students surrounded the hallway now.
Phones out. Mouths open. Hearts stunned.
But no one laughed.
No one joked.
No one even breathed too loudly.
Because this wasn’t a performance.
It was a moment.
The Powerful Climax
Noah’s voice grew stronger.
“My loneliness… is killing me…”
He wasn’t smiling.
He wasn’t playful.
He was shattering.
His throat tightened. Tears stung his eyes. His chest burned.
But he kept singing.
He wouldn’t break.
He never did.
His legs trembled slightly.
His breath caught.
He pushed again.
“…I’m not that innocent…”
The last note echoed. Long. Smooth. So painfully beautiful that the room felt holy.
Silence followed.
Heavy. Emotional. Electric.
Then—
The school exploded with sound.
Not cheering.
Not screaming.
Silence.
Respect.
He didn’t just entertain them.
He owned them.
He touched them.
Mrs. Hartwell softly whispered:
“…that… is the sound of someone with too much inside.”
Noah smiled weakly.
And then…
The room tilted.
The world blurred.
His ribs stabbed violently.
Air vanished.
And Noah’s knees buckled.
He would have hit the floor—
But the door burst open.
Arms caught him.
Strong. Warm. Desperate.
Aiden.
“Noah!”
His voice broke.
Students gasped. Liam’s eyes widened — and for a split second, his heart stopped.
Noah tried to smile.
“I’m fine…”
He wasn’t.
Aiden held him tighter.
“No, you’re not.”
Mrs. Hartwell rushed forward.
“What happened?!”
Noah whispered —
“…just… pain… I’m okay…”
But his body was weak.
Too weak.
Aiden’s voice shook.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Because Noah never did.
He never wanted to be a burden. He never wanted to worry people. He always chose silence.
Always strong. Always smiling. Always hiding.
Liam stepped forward slowly, voice low but steady.
“Move.”
It wasn’t rude.
It wasn’t cold.
It was controlled concern.
He scanned Noah carefully.
“This isn’t nothing. He needs rest… and probably treatment.”
The hallway was full of whispers now.
“Is Noah okay?” “He fainted?” “I didn’t even know he was hurt…”
Noah finally spoke, voice faint.
“I just… wanted to sing.”
Aiden closed his eyes.
That sentence broke him.
Because Noah always gave. Always helped. Always carried others.
But no one noticed he was hurting.
Except now.
Now they would.
Aiden pulled Noah closer, protective, soft, gentle.
Liam watched… expression unreadable.
Jealousy? Fear? Pain?
Maybe all.
But one thing was clear:
Noah wasn’t fine.
And this wasn’t just about romance anymore.
Something deeper was happening.
Something real.
Something dangerous.
And graduation was getting closer.
Time was ticking.
Hearts were racing.
And everything…
Was about to change.
- Writer
