THE GIRL EVERYONE TALKED ABOUT

Tessa Walker hated new beginnings. New beginnings meant new people. New classrooms. New stares. And stares were always the worst part. The black gates of Westbridge Academy stood tall in front of her like something out of a movie. Students wearing expensive uniforms walked through the entrance laughing loudly with their friends while fancy cars lined the front parking lot. Tessa tightened her grip on the strap of her backpack. “You’ll be okay,” her mother said softly from the driver’s seat. Tessa forced a small nod even though her stomach twisted painfully. People always said that. You’ll be okay. But somehow, she never was. “You can still come home if it gets too overwhelming,” her mother added carefully. “I’ll be fine.” It was automatic. A lie she had learned to say years ago. Her mother looked like she wanted to say more but didn’t. Tessa stepped out of the car before things became awkward again. Cold morning air hit her face immediately. Around her, students talked excitedly, completely comfortable in a world Tessa already felt too small for. She kept her head low as she walked through the front entrance. Westbridge Academy was huge. Bright hallways. Large glass windows. Trophy cases lining the walls. Everything about the school screamed money and perfection. Which made Tessa feel even more out of place. As she searched for the office, whispers started almost immediately. “Who’s that?” “New student?” “She looks terrified.” Tessa pretended not to hear. That was her special talent. Pretending. Pretending words didn’t hurt. Pretending she didn’t feel lonely even in crowded places. Pretending she wasn’t constantly scared people would eventually hate her. The principal’s office sat at the end of a long hallway. Inside, a woman with red lipstick smiled politely. “You must be Tessa Walker.” Tessa nodded quietly. “Welcome to Westbridge Academy.” The woman handed her a schedule map. “You’ll be in Class 3-A. Your homeroom teacher is Mrs. Laurent.” Tessa whispered a soft “thank you” before leaving quickly. Her hands already felt sweaty. She hated introductions. Especially classroom introductions. Unfortunately, that fear became reality twenty minutes later. Mrs. Laurent smiled warmly at the class. “Everyone, we have a new student today.” Every head turned toward Tessa instantly. Her chest tightened. “Go ahead and introduce yourself.” Tessa swallowed hard. “My name is Tessa Walker.” Silence. Mrs. Laurent waited for more. Tessa stood frozen. Finally, she whispered, “That’s all.” A few students laughed quietly. Heat rushed to her face immediately. Mrs. Laurent awkwardly cleared her throat. “Alright… you can sit beside Maya.” A girl near the windows raised her hand dramatically. “Lucky me.” The class laughed. Tessa quickly sat beside her while keeping her eyes low. “You look like you’re about to pass out,” the girl whispered. Tessa blinked nervously. “I’m Maya,” she added with a grin. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite.” Tessa gave a tiny smile despite herself. That alone surprised her. Most people exhausted her instantly. But Maya seemed… easy. Throughout class, Tessa could feel eyes on her constantly. Especially from the back corner of the room. She glanced up once accidentally. A boy sat there leaning lazily in his chair. Dark messy hair. Sharp eyes. Expression unreadable. When he noticed her staring, he didn’t look away. Tessa quickly turned forward again. “Careful,” Maya whispered dramatically. “That’s Jace Donovan.” Tessa frowned slightly. “Who?” Maya looked shocked. “You seriously don’t know him?” Tessa shook her head. “He’s basically Westbridge’s walking red flag.” Tessa looked confused. Maya leaned closer. “Always in detention. Fights constantly. Broke a guy’s nose last semester. Half the girls here are obsessed with him for some reason.” Tessa immediately decided she wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, life clearly had other plans. — Lunch was worse. The cafeteria was loud, crowded, and overwhelming. Tessa followed Maya nervously through the sea of students. “Sit with us,” Maya said casually. Us apparently included several loud students Tessa could barely keep track of. Conversation flew around the table quickly. Tessa mostly stayed quiet. Then a girl across from her suddenly spoke. “So why’d you transfer here?” The table became quieter instantly. Tessa froze slightly. “I just moved.” The girl raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?” Maya kicked her under the table. “Ow—” “Stop interrogating her, Olivia.” Tessa stared down at her food. This was always how it started. Questions. Curiosity. Then rumors. Then judgment. She barely touched her lunch. Suddenly the seat beside her pulled out loudly. The cafeteria seemed to notice instantly. Jace Donovan sat down beside her. Several girls nearby started whispering immediately. Maya looked confused. “Since when do you sit here?” Jace shrugged lazily. “Since now.” Tessa stiffened slightly. Up close, he looked even more intimidating. There was a small cut near his eyebrow like he’d recently been in another fight. “You’re the new girl,” he said calmly. Tessa nodded once. “That’s usually how introductions work,” Maya muttered. Jace ignored her. “You always this quiet?” Tessa looked uncomfortable immediately. Maya noticed. “She doesn’t like attention.” Jace’s eyes stayed on Tessa for another second before he leaned back in his chair. “Smart.” That single word confused her for some reason. Most people mocked quiet girls. Jace almost sounded like he understood. Almost. Before anyone could say anything else, a loud voice interrupted. “Well, this is interesting.” A girl approached their table confidently. Beautiful. Perfect hair. Perfect makeup. Perfect smile. The kind of girl Tessa instantly knew would hate her. Brielle Hart. Even her name sounded intimidating. Her eyes moved between Tessa and Jace carefully. “You’re sitting with her now?” Jace looked bored already. “Do you need something?” Brielle crossed her arms. “Just curious.” Her gaze landed on Tessa again. It wasn’t openly cruel. Which somehow made it worse. “You transferred from Brookfield, right?” Tessa’s stomach dropped instantly. How did she know that? “I heard some things about you.” Maya immediately frowned. “What things?” Brielle smiled slightly. “Nothing important.” But the way she looked at Tessa said otherwise. Tessa suddenly lost her appetite completely. The whispers around the cafeteria felt louder now. Like everyone already knew something she didn’t. Jace’s voice cut through the tension. “Leave her alone, Brielle.” The girl looked surprised for half a second before covering it quickly. “Relax. I’m just being friendly.” Nobody believed that. Especially Tessa. Brielle walked away moments later, but the uncomfortable feeling stayed. Maya leaned closer afterward. “Don’t mind her. She acts like she owns this school.” Tessa forced another tiny nod. But anxiety already curled tightly in her chest. Because Brielle’s expression looked familiar. It was the same expression people at her old school used to give her before everything fell apart. — After lunch, things only got worse. By last period, whispers followed Tessa through almost every hallway. Students stared longer now. Some even pulled out their phones while looking at her. Confused, Tessa checked her own phone during class. Her heart stopped instantly. A photo of her walking through the hallway had been posted onto a school gossip account. @WestbridgeTruths Looks like Westbridge got itself another weird girl. Hundreds of likes. Dozens of comments. “She looks depressed.” “Why does she dress like that?” “Jace sitting beside her is crazy.” Tessa quickly locked her phone. Her breathing became uneven. Not again. Please not again. The classroom suddenly felt too hot. Too loud. Too small. “Tessa?” Mrs. Laurent’s voice sounded far away. “Are you alright?” Every student looked at her. Panic hit instantly. “I—I need the bathroom.” She grabbed her bag too quickly and hurried out before anyone could stop her. By the time she reached the empty bathroom, tears already blurred her vision. She hated crying. Especially over stupid comments. But it wasn’t really about the comments. It was the feeling. The horrible feeling that no matter where she went… People eventually found reasons to dislike her. Tessa leaned against the sink while trying to calm down. The bathroom door suddenly opened. She quickly wiped her face. Maya walked in. “I knew something was wrong.” “I’m okay.” “That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard.” Tessa looked away quietly. Maya stepped closer carefully. “Hey… those posts are disgusting. Don’t listen to them.” Tessa laughed weakly. “That’s easy for you to say.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You’re pretty. People like you.” Maya’s face softened instantly. “Tessa… people can be awful to anyone.” “Not like this.” Silence filled the room. Maya studied her carefully. “What happened at your old school?” Tessa’s eyes immediately dropped. “Nothing.” But Maya could tell that wasn’t true. Before she could ask more, another voice appeared from the doorway. “She’s lying.” Both girls turned instantly. Jace leaned against the bathroom entrance casually. Maya frowned. “Why are you in the girls’ hallway?” Jace ignored her completely. His eyes stayed on Tessa. “You transferred because of something.” Tessa’s chest tightened painfully. “Mind your business.” It was the first sharp thing she’d said all day. Surprisingly, Jace didn’t look offended. He almost looked impressed. For a second, silence stretched between them. Then Jace quietly said, “People here are idiots. Don’t let them get to you.” Tessa stared at him in confusion. Why did he care? Why was he being nice? Before she could ask, he pushed himself off the doorway. “See you tomorrow, Walker.” And just like that, he left. Maya looked stunned. “…Okay, what was that?” Tessa honestly had no idea. But for the first time since arriving at Westbridge Academy… Someone saw her crying and didn’t look at her with pity. And somehow, that scared her more than the rumors did.