When Silence Speaks

WORDS THAT SPREAD FAST

CHAPTER 5 - WORDS THAT SPREAD FAST

By the third day, the rumour was no longer just a whisper, it had become a story and stories, once they settled into a school, grew faster than truth ever could. Jayla Robinson felt it the moment she stepped into the corridor, the way conversation dropped mid-sentence, the way heads turned slightly too long, the way laughter stopped and started again only after she passed. Mia walked beside her, visibly annoyed,I swear,if I hear one more person say your name with his, I'm going to lose it. Jayla didn't respond immediately,her eyes stayed forward, ignore it. that's your solution for everything, Mia said. it works, Jayla replied calmly but even she could feel it, something was off.

Near the lockers,a group of students stood clustered together, phones in hand, one of them wasn't even trying to hide her voice,so apparently, Julian Julius doesn't talk to anyone unless he's interested, the girl said. Another laughed and he's been seen with that quiet girl twice now. Jayla Robinson?. yeah, her. people say she's acting innocent but she's actually close to him already, Jayla stopped walking. Mia noticed immediately, don't listen to them but Jayla wasn't even looking at Mia anymore she was watching them, not angry, not emotional, just still. that kind of stillness usually meant something was being stored away, something dangerous. Mia touched her arm gently, Jayla, let's go, Jayla finally moved again but the weight of the words followed her.

Across the courtyard, Ethan was enjoying the situation far too much, this is honestly impressive, Ethan said, scrolling through his phone, people are building entire romance theories about you and Jayla, Julian didn't look up from what he was doing. stop reading it. why? it's entertaining. Julian closed his locker with a sharp click, it's unnecessary. Ethan leaned against the locker beside him,you do realize you've become part of the story now, right?.

Julian's gaze shifted slightly,I didn't ask for that,no one does, Ethan replied, that's how rumours work.

Julian said nothing, but his jaw tightened slightly, because for the first time, something outside his control was sticking and he didn't like it , not even a little. Jayla avoided the cafeteria again that day, not because she was afraid but because she didn't want to deal with eyes that didn't belong to her life. she sat alone behind the school building, where the wind was quieter and the noise of people felt far away but peace didn't last long, footsteps approached, this time she didn't need to guess, Julian. He stopped a few step away, not too close, you're avoiding everyone,he said, Jayla didn't look up, I'm avoiding noise,that includes me? You're part of the noise right now,that made him pause slightly,not because it was true. Julian stepped closer, stoping beside her bench instead of in front of her, I didn't start the rumour,he said,I know,then why are you acting like I did? Jayla leaned back slightly, because it started after you showed up. A beat of silence.

Wind moved through the trees again, Julian looked away briefly, that's not my fault,he said,I didn't say it was, Jayla replied. Another pause. This one longer,he didn't leave,that was unusual. People usually left Julian Julius alone after a few seconds of silence, but he stayed,I will handle it, he said finally, Jayla frowned slightly How? Julian said answer immediately because the truth was he didn't know yet, but he didn't like seeing her dragged into something she clearly didn't want and that feeling annoyed him more than anything else.

I will deal with it,he repeated, Jayla studied him for a moment and said you care too much for someone who claims it's just noise, she said quietly. Julian eyes flicked back to hers,that sentence stayed between them longer than it should have, then footsteps interrupted again, Ethan appeared at the edge of the area,hands in his pockets. Oh,he said slightly, this is becoming a habit, Jayla looked away, Julian didn't but Ethan's smile suggested one thing clearly, the rumour wasn't dying anytime soon,it was growing and now.......

Even they were starting to stand inside it