CHAPTER 3
1079 Words
By Monday morning, the rumors had evolved.
Now people weren’t just talking about Tessa.
They were talking about Tessa and Jace.
Every hallway conversation seemed to stop when she walked past.
Every stare felt heavier.
Some girls looked annoyed.
Others looked curious.
And Brielle Hart looked furious.
Tessa regretted agreeing to the library study session almost immediately.
“You’re trending again,” Maya announced dramatically during lunch.
Tessa nearly dropped her fork. “What?”
Maya turned her phone around.
@WestbridgeTruths
Jace Donovan spending his Friday evening in the library? Either hell froze over or he likes the new girl.
Over three thousand likes.
Tessa’s stomach dropped.
“This is insane.”
“It’s hilarious,” Olivia laughed from across the table.
Tessa looked horrified.
Olivia quickly raised her hands. “Not in a mean way!”
“She’s one breakdown away from disappearing into the walls,” Maya muttered.
Tessa quietly stared at her tray.
The attention was becoming too much.
She could already feel panic building in her chest again.
Then suddenly—
A chair scraped loudly beside her.
Jace sat down casually.
The entire cafeteria went silent for half a second.
Tessa wanted the floor to swallow her whole.
“You look stressed,” Jace said.
Maya snorted. “You think?”
Jace ignored her and glanced at Tessa instead.
“You okay?”
She nodded too quickly. “Yeah.”
“Liar.”
Olivia looked between them with wide eyes like she was watching live drama unfold.
Tessa avoided eye contact completely.
Jace sighed softly before sliding a juice box toward her.
“You forgot this in the library.”
Tessa blinked in surprise.
“Oh.”
Their fingers brushed slightly as she took it.
It lasted less than a second.
But somehow it felt like everyone noticed.
Especially Brielle.
Across the cafeteria, Brielle stared at them with an expression that made Tessa nervous.
Very nervous.
—
Things exploded after sixth period.
Tessa was at her locker when someone suddenly slammed it shut.
Hard.
She flinched immediately.
Brielle stood in front of her.
Alone this time.
“You think you’re special now?”
Tessa frowned nervously. “What?”
“Don’t act innocent.”
Students nearby immediately slowed down to watch.
Tessa hated that.
“I’m not trying to do anything.”
Brielle laughed coldly.
“Please. Girls like you always pretend to be harmless.”
Tessa’s chest tightened.
Girls like you.
She heard that sentence before.
At her old school.
Right before everything got ruined.
“I’m serious,” Tessa whispered. “Nothing’s happening.”
“Then stay away from Jace.”
Tessa stared at her in disbelief.
“He can talk to whoever he wants.”
The second the words left her mouth, Brielle’s expression darkened.
“You know what?” Brielle stepped closer. “I tried being nice.”
“You were never nice.”
The hallway went quiet.
Even Tessa looked shocked at herself.
Brielle narrowed her eyes. “Maybe the rumors about you are true after all.”
Tessa froze instantly.
“…What rumors?”
Brielle smiled slightly.
“The ones from your old school.”
Fear crawled down Tessa’s spine.
“How do you know about that?”
“Oh please. People talk.”
Tessa suddenly couldn’t breathe properly.
No.
No no no.
Not here too.
Before Brielle could continue, another voice interrupted sharply.
“What’s going on?”
Jace.
Relief hit Tessa so fast it almost embarrassed her.
Brielle crossed her arms immediately. “Nothing.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing.”
Jace moved beside Tessa naturally.
Like it was instinct.
Brielle noticed.
And it clearly hurt.
“You really wanna play hero for her?” Brielle snapped.
Jace’s expression hardened slightly. “Leave her alone.”
“Why do you even care?”
Silence.
For one second, nobody spoke.
Then Jace answered quietly:
“Because she doesn’t deserve this.”
Tessa’s heart stopped.
The hallway became awkwardly silent.
Even Brielle looked caught off guard.
Before anyone could react, Tessa quickly grabbed her bag.
“I’m leaving.”
And she walked away before her emotions could betray her.
—
Rain poured heavily outside again.
Tessa sat alone under the small covered bus stop near the school entrance while hugging her backpack tightly.
Her thoughts wouldn’t calm down.
Rumors from her old school.
How much did Brielle know?
How many people already heard things?
The panic became worse the more she thought about it.
“You run away a lot.”
Tessa looked up.
Jace stood nearby holding his jacket over his head to block the rain.
“You scared me.”
“Sorry.”
He sat beside her quietly.
For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
Then he asked softly, “You wanna tell me what that was about?”
Tessa immediately shook her head.
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Jace leaned back against the bench.
“You know, you don’t have to act okay all the time.”
That sentence hit harder than she expected.
Because acting okay was the only thing she knew how to do.
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“The truth would be nice.”
Tessa laughed weakly.
“The truth scares people.”
Jace looked at her carefully.
“Try me.”
Silence filled the space between them.
Rain hit the pavement loudly.
Finally, Tessa whispered, “At my old school… people blamed me for something.”
Jace stayed quiet.
Waiting.
“There was this girl. Emma.” Her voice shook slightly. “We used to be friends.”
Something painful flashed across her face.
“She started getting bullied online. Really badly.”
Jace frowned.
“One day she transferred schools. After that, everyone started saying it was my fault.”
“Was it?”
Tessa looked down instantly.
“I don’t know anymore.”
Jace studied her for several seconds.
Then quietly said:
“You don’t sound like someone who hurts people.”
Tessa’s throat tightened painfully.
“You barely know me.”
“Maybe.” He shrugged lightly. “But I know people.”
She stared at him silently.
Nobody had ever said that before.
Nobody had ever looked at her like she deserved understanding instead of blame.
And honestly?
That scared her almost as much as the rumors did.
Because little by little…
Tessa was starting to trust him.
And trust had ruined her once already.
- Writer
