MORE THAN A DARE

MORE THAN A DARE CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

I don’t know why, but something about today felt different. Maybe it was the way the air smelled, or how the sun shone a little brighter through my window. I got out of bed, dressed quickly, and headed out—not expecting anything unusual.

But then I saw him again—Taylor.

Not at school this time, but walking casually down my street like he belonged there. My heart skipped a little. It’s not like he’d noticed me before... still, my eyes followed him until he turned the corner.

“Wait… is he taking the bus?” I asked myself.

Not wanting him to see me, I waited and got into the next bus. Coincidentally, we both arrived at school around the same time. I saw him walking toward the gym, his headset on like he didn’t have a care in the world. I spotted Debbie already waiting near the hallway and quickly walked up to her.

We chatted a bit, then went to our lockers to arrange our things before heading to our first class as soon as the bell rang.

As soon as we settled into our seats, Mira and her crew marched toward us. Mira crossed her arms and glared at me. “Why haven’t you come for the task assigned to you since you got here?” she asked coldly.

I blinked, confused but calm. “I came to school to study, not to be anyone’s maid. If you need someone to do your dirty work—laundry, assignments, or whatever—you can go ahead and hire one,” I replied, my voice steady.

Her face tightened with anger, and she raised her hand to slap me. I caught it mid-air without hesitation.

“You don’t just go around hitting people, Mira,” I said, locking eyes with her. “This is a school. Please, respect yourself.”

Before anything else could happen, the teacher walked in, and Mira backed off, fuming. I sat back down, heart pounding slightly but proud of how I handled it.

After the first lecture, Mira walked up to me again. “I want my seat back,” she hissed.

I didn’t even bother responding. I focused on my notes and continued working with Debbie. Mira stood there, waiting for a reaction, then tried to strike again—her hand lifting mid-air.

But this time, someone stopped her.

A hand caught hers, strong and firm.

I looked up and froze. It was Taylor.

“Do you go around hitting people now?” he asked, his voice low but serious.

Mira’s face drained of color. “I’m… I’m sorry,” she stammered.

Taylor didn’t let go immediately. “Your mom’s been trying to reach you all day. Why didn’t you pick up? She had to call me to leave class and check on you. And here I find you—perfectly fine and about to hit someone,” he said with calm disappointment.

The room was silent.

Everyone watched, eyes wide, mouths slightly open. Taylor had that effect. His calm voice, quiet authority, and the way he stood there—protective, firm—it made my heart flutter a bit.

As he let go of her hand, Mira stepped back, clearly embarrassed.

Taylor didn’t look at me. He simply turned and walked out of the class.

But in that moment, I couldn’t stop replaying what just happened.

Mira ran after him immediately, and just then, another teacher walked into the class. I was slightly distracted, but I managed to stay composed and pretended to stay focused on my notes. Debbie gave me a knowing glance, and I just shrugged. Whatever was going on between Mira and Taylor, it wasn’t my business… or so I thought.

*Later at lunch*, Debbie and I walked into the school canteen. It was unusually packed. Students filled every seat, chatting and laughing loudly. We scanned the room—nothing. All the chairs were occupied… except for two vacant seats at the far end of the table where Taylor, Grayson, and Alaric were sitting.

I hesitated.

"Let’s just sit," Debbie whispered. "It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong."

I nodded slowly, trying to act normal as we approached. Taylor glanced up briefly and gave a small nod. Grayson smiled slightly, while Alaric just kept eating.

We sat down quietly, keeping to ourselves. I focused on my tray, pretending not to notice the occasional glance Taylor threw my way. Debbie nudged me and whispered, “He's totally looking at you.” I rolled my eyes, but inside, my heart was racing.

Moments later, the energy in the room shifted.

Mira walked in with her crew, wearing that same smug look she always wore when she thought she was in control. Their eyes scanned the canteen. Despite several empty tables now available, they strutted straight toward us, carrying their trays like it was a fashion runway.

Debbie stiffened beside me. “Here we go again,” she muttered.

They dropped their trays on the table with a loud thud and sat down, surrounding us like vultures. At first, they didn’t say a word. Just smug silence and eye-rolls.

Then Mira spoke up, loudly enough for half the canteen to hear.

“Wow, Gianna. Didn’t know you were so desperate for attention. Sitting with them now? Is that your new thing?”

I didn’t even flinch. I kept chewing slowly and took a sip from my bottle. “Didn’t know sitting at an empty table counted as a crime now,” I replied calmly.

Her friends gasped. Debbie tried to hold in a laugh.

Mira slammed her tray. “You think you’re better than everyone now because Taylor saved your face in class? News flash—he pities you.”

That one stung a little, but I refused to show it.

Before I could respond,Grayson stood up and leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but commanding.

“Mira,” he said, loud enough for the whole table to hear, “if you’re done making noise, maybe you should find another table. You’re ruining lunch for everyone else.”

The whole canteen went quiet.

Debbie gasped softly, and even I froze mid-bite. Mira looked stunned. No one—especially not one of the most popular guys in school—had ever spoken to her that way.

Alaric smirked and added with a shrug, ”We’re trying to eat, not listen to a reality show.”

Laughter broke out from a few nearby tables, and Mira’s face turned bright red. She looked from Grayson to Taylor, as if expecting him to back her up. But Taylor didn’t even say a word. He just looked at her with a blank expression, like she wasn’t even worth the energy.

“Whatever,”Mira snapped, grabbing her tray. “Let’s go, girls.”

Her crew scrambled after her, humiliated and silent. They left the table, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I breathed out.

Debbie leaned closer to me. ”Did that actually just happen?”she whispered.

I nodded slowly, still trying to process it all. ”I think so.”

Grayson sat back down and picked up his drink like nothing had happened. “Don’t mind her,” he said casually. “She’s just loud when she feels powerless.”

I gave a small smile. “Thanks… for that.”

He winked. “Anytime.”

There was a pause, and then Taylor finally looked at me and said, “You didn’t need saving, though. You held your own.”

Something about the way he said it—soft, but sure—made my heart flutter. I gave a small nod, unsure of what to say back.

The rest of lunch passed more quietly. We talked about random things—school, teachers, Debbie’s obsession with mystery books. And for the first time since I started at that school, I felt… included.

As the bell rang and we got up to leave, Taylor gently touched my arm and said, “You walking to class?”

I nodded again, surprised.

“Mind if I walk with you?”

My heart skipped.

Debbie gave me a knowing smirk and quietly disappeared behind us as we walked down the hallway together.

Maybe… just maybe… today really was different.