Unwritten Lines

Chapter 2: Lia - The Hallway Showdown

Lia

I barely slept last night, because my anxiety was in overdrive. I didn’t say more than two words to my mom while I got ready this morning. The car comes to a rolling stop, and I swing the door open. She mumbles something I don’t catch as I step out and slam the door. I didn’t mean to shut it so hard, but I have to find Mrs. Low. I rush up the stairs, pushing through the double doors.

My boots squeak on the linoleum as I make my way to her classroom. As I reach her office, the door is cracked open. She’s inside, talking with Principal Warren. I wait, my heart racing.

The second he leaves, I knock and walk in. “Mrs. Low?”

Her eyes light up. “Lia! I was just about to come find you.”

Not good. Why is she coming to find me?

I force a smile. “Um… about the sign-up sheet.”

“I know,” she says with a warm smile. “Congratulations.”

Congratulations… for what?

“Wait… what?”

“I’m thrilled you signed up for the lead role, Lia. It’s yours!”

No. No, no, no. Not me.

“There’s been a mistake,” I say quickly. “I didn’t sign up for the lead role. Misty and her friends… they did it as a prank.”

Mrs. Low frowns. “Even so, your name is there.”

“It wasn’t me though. I was going to sign up for supporting roles or backstage help, but they got to the sheet before I did. They just want to see me fail, Mrs. Low.”

She softens her tone as she steps around the desk. “Lia, you’ve been in every play since freshman year. I’ve always believed you could lead a show.”

She’s not listening to me. Plain and simple.

“I’m not comfortable with it,” I whisper. “I don’t want to be the focus. I… I can’t.”

“You light up every scene, Lia. You just don’t realize how good you are. I wish you could see what I see.”

I don’t want to see it, at least not under these circumstances.

“If I could make changes, I would,” she adds, voice softening. “The roster’s already finalized. If you decide not to accept that role, I won’t have anything else open for you.”

You’ve got to be kidding me. Seriously? So it’s this role or nothing.

I nod, barely meeting her eyes as I head for the door. “Thank you.”

The rest of the day drags, and every class feels longer than usual. I keep waiting for someone to say something, but no one does. The final bell rings, and I see Misty leaning against the lockers as if she’s been waiting for me all day. Her lips curl into that wicked little half-smile I’ve come to dread.

“Well, well, well,” she purrs. “How the hell did you get the lead role?”

I freeze.

“You should know,” I mutter under my breath.

“Excuse me?” She circles like a vulture. “What did you say?”

I shrink into myself, tightening my grip on the strap of my bag. “Nothing.”

“That’s what I thought.” Misty glances at her nails, then back at me. “You think people are buying this whole shy-girl-who-magically-got-the-lead act?”

Walk away. Just walk away. Don’t give her the satisfaction.

I take a step, but someone sticks a foot out. I fall hard, crashing onto the cold floor. My bag flies, unzipping mid-air. Everything spills out: my binder, my highlighters, and the stupid heart-shaped post-it notes I actually like. They scatter across the floor like confetti. Laughter erupts, echoing throughout the halls. Everyone is laughing as if it’s the funniest thing they’ve ever seen. I push up just enough to gather my things. My eyes sting, tears spilling over my lashes as I grab everything with shaky hands.

“Careful, Porky,” Caden’s voice pierces through it all. “Wouldn’t want you to fall again. You might crack the tile.”

The laughter erupts again. My hands shake as I stuff everything into my bag.

Don’t cry. Not here. Not now.

I glance up for a split second. There he is, leaning against the lockers with his arms crossed. His eyes stay locked on me, and the smirk on his face drops for half a second.

What the hell was that? It doesn't matter. He’s just a jerk.

He turns away as if he didn’t just humiliate me in front of everyone. I stand up and grip my bag, hoping it’ll keep me steady. My chest tightens, but I keep walking. The sound of their laughter follows me all the way to the stairwell. I make it to the bathroom before my tears start falling. One stall, locked. It’s not much, but it’s something. I sink onto the toilet seat and drop my head into my hands.

This is only day one and I can’t do this, especially not for weeks. This isn’t new. It’s been years of bullying, years of being their favorite target. Caden makes me the butt of his jokes, but Misty? She’s just cruel. She runs this school and everyone knows it. She’s the queen bee. No one will stand up to her. Even if they did, she’d ruin them socially and mentally.

This is your fault. You should’ve fought harder.

The truth is… I just let it happen.

The worst part? A tiny piece of me wanted it. To be noticed for once, and not for the wrong reasons. Not because I’m the big girl or the easy target. It would be nice for people to see my talent. I’m not usually the kind of person who brags, but I know I am a good actress. No one sees that. They just see the fat girl.

That’s all I’ll ever be to them.

Nothing ever works like that, not for girls like me. I lean my head back against the stall door and close my eyes.

I don’t understand why they did this. Why now?

They want me to choke. To fail in front of everyone. This was always the plan. Set me up, then laugh while I drown. I wish I could say I’m shocked, but I’m not. They’re bullies. They always have been. I’ve never been popular or part of their world. I’m not cut out for this.

Maybe this is how they finally break me.