Rumors
1812 Words
By Tuesday morning, the entire school somehow knew that Lucas Ferreira had spoken to Valentina Reyes.
Westbridge High functioned like a machine built entirely on gossip.
Nothing stayed private for long.
Especially not anything involving Lucas Ferreira.
Valentina realized the rumors had already spread the moment she walked into the building.
People looked at her differently.
Not openly. Not enough to be obvious.
But enough.
Whispers followed her through the hallway. A group of girls near the lockers suddenly stopped talking when she passed. Someone behind her quietly said:
“That’s her.”
She immediately regretted coming to school.
Emma, of course, found the situation hilarious.
“This is the most exciting thing that has happened here since Dylan Harper got dumped during prom proposals.”
“That was two years ago.”
“And people still talk about it. Which proves my point.”
Valentina rolled her eyes while opening her locker.
“I don’t understand why this matters to anyone.”
Emma stared at her dramatically.
“Because Lucas Ferreira doesn’t randomly sit with girls during lunch.”
“He asked for tutoring.”
“He sat at our table.”
“Emma—”
“And he called you Reyes like you’re in some enemies-to-lovers movie.”
Valentina shut her locker harder than necessary.
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
“No, but I’m considering it.”
Emma grinned proudly.
Before Valentina could respond, a voice interrupted them.
“Morning, Valentina.”
Both girls turned.
Sophia Blake stood beside them holding expensive coffee and wearing an expression dangerously close to fake friendliness.
Sophia was beautiful in the polished, intimidating kind of way. Perfect blonde hair. Perfect makeup. Perfect posture.
Everything about her screamed untouchable.
She was also Lucas Ferreira’s ex-girlfriend.
Which immediately made the situation worse.
Valentina forced a polite smile.
“Morning.”
Sophia’s eyes briefly scanned her.
“So…” she said casually. “I heard Lucas talked to you yesterday.”
Emma visibly prepared for battle.
Valentina remained calm.
“He asked for help with literature.”
Sophia nodded slowly.
“Cute.”
The single word carried enough passive aggression to poison an entire city.
Emma crossed her arms.
“You know, people are allowed to talk to Lucas without requesting permission first.”
Sophia ignored her completely.
“Well,” she continued, still smiling at Valentina, “just don’t get the wrong idea.”
Valentina blinked.
“I don’t have any idea.”
“Good.”
Then Sophia walked away.
Emma stared after her in disbelief.
“Oh, I already hate this.”
Valentina sighed.
“It’s not a big deal.”
“It absolutely is.”
“It was literally a two-minute conversation.”
“Valentina,” Emma whispered dramatically, “welcome to social warfare.”
The bell rang before the conversation could continue.
Unfortunately, Valentina’s first class that morning was literature.
Unfortunately, Lucas Ferreira was also in literature.
She entered the classroom hoping—desperately hoping—that he wouldn’t notice her.
That plan failed immediately.
Lucas looked up from his seat near the back of the room and smiled slightly when he saw her.
Not a fake smile. Not the polished social version everyone else received.
A real one.
Small. Tired. Almost relieved.
It caught her completely off guard.
Mrs. Bennett entered seconds later carrying a stack of papers.
“Good morning, everyone.”
The class answered half-asleep.
The teacher sighed dramatically.
“Wonderful enthusiasm. Truly inspiring.”
A few students laughed quietly.
Mrs. Bennett began handing out assignments while explaining their next project.
“Since senior year is apparently incapable of surviving individually,” she announced, “you’ll be working in pairs.”
Groans immediately filled the room.
Valentina already hated this.
Group projects at Westbridge usually meant:
one person doing all the work,
and another pretending to contribute.
Mrs. Bennett ignored the complaints.
“I assigned partners myself.”
That made the groaning even worse.
Valentina opened her notebook, preparing mentally for disaster.
Then Mrs. Bennett began reading names.
“Emma Salvatierra and Noah Klein.”
Emma looked mildly horrified.
“Noah sleeps during class,” she whispered.
“He’s awake sometimes,” Valentina offered.
“Not emotionally.”
More names followed.
Then—
“Lucas Ferreira and Valentina Reyes.”
Silence.
Actual silence.
Half the classroom turned around immediately.
Emma slapped a hand over her mouth.
Somewhere near the windows, someone whispered: “No way.”
Valentina stared at the teacher.
Mrs. Bennett continued reading names like she hadn’t just destroyed an ecosystem.
Lucas leaned back slightly in his chair.
“You look terrified,” he murmured.
“I am.”
“That’s fair.”
Valentina closed her eyes briefly.
Of course this would happen.
Of course.
The universe clearly hated her.
Class passed painfully slowly after that.
Mrs. Bennett explained the project while students kept sneaking glances toward them.
The assignment itself wasn’t difficult: an analysis presentation on modern American literature.
The real problem was surviving the social consequences.
When the bell finally rang, Valentina gathered her things as quickly as possible.
Lucas caught up to her near the classroom door.
“So,” he said. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
She kept walking.
“I’m aware.”
“You always this friendly?”
“Only on special occasions.”
He laughed softly.
And again, she noticed it.
That exhaustion behind his smile.
Like every laugh cost him energy.
“What’s your schedule after school?” he asked.
Valentina stopped walking.
“Why?”
“We should probably start the project.”
“You actually want to work on it immediately?”
“I’m trying this new thing called responsibility.”
“That sounds fake.”
“Honestly? It feels fake.”
Despite herself, Valentina almost smiled again.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
She adjusted the strap of her backpack.
“I usually study at the library after school.”
“Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“I’ll meet you there.”
“You’re assuming I agreed.”
“You didn’t say no.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
Lucas opened his mouth to answer—
Then his phone vibrated.
The change in him was immediate.
His shoulders stiffened slightly. The warmth disappeared from his expression.
He looked down at the screen.
Valentina noticed the name displayed there:
Dad.
Lucas declined the call instantly.
Everything about his body suddenly looked tense.
“You okay?” she asked before thinking.
For a second, genuine surprise crossed his face.
Like he wasn’t used to people asking that question.
Then the perfect smile returned.
“Yeah,” he said easily. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Because you look like you’re trying not to fall apart.
The thought appeared in Valentina’s mind unexpectedly.
But she didn’t say it.
Instead she simply nodded once.
“Library,” Lucas said quietly. “After school.”
And before she could argue, he walked away.
The rest of the day felt strange.
Not dramatic. Not chaotic.
Just… off.
Valentina couldn’t stop thinking about the parking lot. About the argument. About the way Lucas’s expression changed whenever his father appeared.
By final period, she was distracted enough that even her chemistry teacher noticed.
“Ms. Reyes,” Mr. Harrison said suspiciously, “are you daydreaming?”
“No.”
“That was an incredibly delayed answer.”
A few students laughed quietly.
Valentina looked back down at her notes immediately.
She hated attention.
And somehow Lucas Ferreira had accidentally dragged her directly into it.
By the time classes ended, rain had started again.
Westbridge looked colder in the rain. Softer. Almost cinematic.
Valentina reached the library fifteen minutes early hoping Lucas wouldn’t show up.
Unfortunately, he did.
Exactly on time.
He entered the nearly empty library carrying two coffees and wearing a dark hoodie instead of his varsity jacket.
Without the basketball uniform and confident crowd surrounding him, he looked… different.
More normal.
More real.
He placed one coffee carefully beside her books.
“I guessed your order.”
Valentina looked at the cup.
Hot chocolate.
She frowned slightly.
“How did you know?”
“You look like someone who hates coffee.”
“That’s weirdly specific.”
“I pay attention.”
The answer came too naturally.
And for some reason, that affected her more than flirting would have.
Lucas sat across from her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The library remained quiet except for rain tapping against the windows.
Then Lucas leaned back in his chair slightly.
“So,” he said. “Tell me something.”
Valentina narrowed her eyes immediately.
“That sounds dangerous.”
“What’s the deal with you?”
“The deal?”
“You act like human interaction physically hurts you.”
“It usually does.”
He laughed softly.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Lucas studied her for a second.
Not mockingly. Not arrogantly.
Carefully.
Like he was trying to understand her.
Most people at Westbridge only saw what they expected to see:
the smart girl,
the quiet girl,
the scholarship girl.
But Lucas looked at her differently.
And that made her nervous.
“What about you?” she asked suddenly.
“What about me?”
“What’s your deal?”
Lucas smiled faintly.
“That’s classified information.”
“Convenient.”
“Very.”
Valentina opened her notebook.
“Fine. Let’s just work.”
“Yes, boss.”
For the next hour, they actually focused on the project.
Mostly.
Lucas turned out to be smarter than she expected. Not academically perfect—but thoughtful. Sharp. Observant.
And annoyingly easy to talk to.
At one point they both reached for the same book.
Their hands brushed briefly.
Valentina pulled hers back immediately.
A strange silence followed.
Not awkward.
Worse.
The kind that felt dangerous because it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
Lucas looked at her quietly for half a second too long.
Then—
A loud notification sound broke the moment.
Lucas grabbed his phone instantly.
Valentina watched his expression change again.
Tension. Fear. Anger.
All in less than two seconds.
“You need to go?” she asked softly.
Lucas locked his phone immediately.
“Yeah.”
The answer came too fast.
He stood up quickly and shoved books back into his backpack.
For the first time since meeting him, he genuinely looked nervous.
“Everything okay?” Valentina asked again.
Lucas hesitated.
And for one brief second, it looked like he almost told her the truth.
But instead he forced another smile.
“The perfect boy has responsibilities.”
The joke sounded hollow.
Then he walked away.
Valentina watched him disappear through the library doors while rain continued pouring outside.
And deep down, she realized something unsettling.
Lucas Ferreira wasn’t confusing because he was perfect.
He was confusing because he wasn’t.
- Writer
