Marked by Fate

episode 11

“Mind if I sit here?”

I stared at her for a second, words caught in my throat.

Then I nodded. Just once.

She gave a small smile and sat down across from me, quietly unpacking her lunch. She didn’t push, didn’t start talking right away. She just sat and ate in silence. And surprisingly… it wasn’t uncomfortable.

A few minutes passed. I kept my eyes on my tray, grateful she wasn’t trying to fill the air with small talk. But then, as she finished chewing a bite of bread, she cleared her throat and said something that completely blindsided me.

“You know,” she said, not looking at me. “Maybe you should stop being so timid.”

I blinked and glanced up, surprised.

She met my eyes, serious yet calm.

“I mean it. I saw what you did to Ava—or whatever her name is. The tall one with the fake smile and the ‘I think I own the world’ energy.”

I didn’t say anything.

She kept going, voice a little quieter but still firm.

“You literally shut the b***h up,” she said, a hint of awe slipping into her tone. “And honestly? Goddess, I’ve barely been here a week and I’m already exhausted just watching everyone suck up to each other and pretend like rank makes them royalty.”

My fork paused halfway to my mouth.

“Where are you going with this?” I asked, shaking my head, not in the mood for advice or flattery or whatever this was.

She looked at me seriously now, leaning in just a little.

“Start standing up for yourself, Selene. You’re not weak. They think you are because you’ve been letting them treat you like garbage, but you’re not. Scratch that—you’re not even as weak as you think.”

That stung more than I expected.

I stiffened and cut her off again, sharper this time. “Why are you here?”

She blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”

I leaned back, narrowing my eyes a bit. “Don’t tell me you came here just to give me a motivational speech. I don’t need someone else handing me instructions on how to self-destruct.”

Lissa blinked again, then laughed. A real laugh. Not mocking. Not pitying. Just… amused.

She wiped her mouth with a napkin and shook her head. “Goddess, no. Trust me, I’m not here to save your soul. You’re not that special.”

That pulled a small, reluctant smile out of me.

She grinned. “I’m just saying, don’t act like a doormat when you’ve clearly got claws. I saw the way you handled Ava. You didn’t even hesitate. She looked like she’d seen a ghost.”

“I didn’t mean to,” I muttered.

“Doesn’t matter. You did it. That girl had it coming, and everyone knows it.”

We went quiet again. But this time, it wasn’t heavy. It was easier.

Then, without warning, Lissa reached her hand across the table and held it out, palm up.

“Friends?” she said softly.

I stared at it, caught completely off guard.

Her face didn’t waver. Her smile wasn’t forced.

I looked at her hand… then at her… then slowly reached out and placed mine in hers.

“Friends,” I said quietly.

Her grin widened into something ridiculous.

“Well, now that we’ve made it official,” she said with mock seriousness, “that means I get the right to give you all the suicidal advice I want.”

I snorted.

She leaned back dramatically. “And if you ignore it, I reserve the right to s***k you.”

I actually laughed. Not a breathy exhale. Not a fake chuckle.

A real laugh.

It startled me.

Lissa beamed like she’d won a prize.

Around us, people were still watching. I could feel the occasional glance. Whispers passing through lips that probably hadn’t stopped moving since this morning.

But for once, I didn’t care.

For once, I didn’t feel like prey.

After lunch, the bell rang, and we stood up together. No one tried to block my path. No one made a scene. Maybe they were still unsure what I was now. Still waiting to see if I’d snap again. Or maybe they were just afraid Ava hadn’t recovered enough to lead the next attack.

Either way, I didn’t care.

Lissa and I walked back to class side by side.

After lunch, I slipped back into the classroom and took my usual seat at the back— away from the spotlight I never asked for but somehow kept getting shoved under. Most of the students were still chatting and trickling in from the cafeteria, lingering around the doorway like we weren’t supposed to be in class five minutes ago.

I didn’t see Ava.

Not at her seat. Not outside. Not anywhere.

Strange.

And a little unsettling.

She wasn’t the type to miss class, let alone disappear after being publicly humiliated. If anything, I expected her to storm in with claws out and a grudge burning in her mouth. But… nothing.