More Than What They See

CHAPTER 24: Trying to Make Things Right

Rhian’s POV

The next day, even though my body still ached and the bruises were still dark and sore, I forced myself to get up and go to school. I did not want to miss classes and fall behind. My hands shook a little as I fixed my uniform, but I took a deep breath and stepped out of the house. As soon as I walked through the school gate and into the classroom, the noise died down instantly. Everyone turned to look at me. Bea and her friends stared at me closely, but they did not say anything or make fun of me right away. It was like they could sense that something had shifted, that things were not the same anymore.

A few minutes later, Gio, Jace, and Francis walked in. They did not laugh or push each other like they usually did. They walked straight over and stopped right in front of my desk instead of going to their seats at the back.

“Sit down,” Gio said quietly, his voice steady. “No one is going to hurt you today. Not while we are here.”

All morning, I could feel their eyes on me from across the room. Whenever someone leaned over to whisper or point in my direction, Jace and Gio would turn their heads and look at them sharply until they stopped talking and looked away. Francis never turned his face toward me, but I could feel that he was watching closer than anyone else. He was the first one to notice if someone looked at me the wrong way or if someone even moved like they were about to say something.

When the bell rang for lunch, everyone stood up and moved around. I was ready to sit with Liza and Mae in our usual spot, but then Jace walked over carrying his packed lunch. He stopped right beside our table and set half of his food down in front of me.

“I cannot finish all of this,” he said simply. “You might as well have some. It will just go to waste otherwise.”

Before I could tell him that I was fine and that I had my own food, he pulled out the empty chair next to me and sat down.

“Do not refuse,” he said firmly but gently. “From now on, you will never eat alone again. Not ever.”

A moment later, Gio came over too. He sat on my other side and placed his drink and some extra snacks on the table. He looked around the room carefully, making sure no one was coming over to cause trouble.

“If anyone says or does anything bad to any of you,” he said loud enough for nearby tables to hear. “Just tell us right away. We will not let it slide anymore. Not one single thing.”

Just when I thought we might finally have a peaceful meal, Bea stood up from her seat and walked straight toward us with her hands on her hips. Her friends followed close behind her, looking at us like they could not believe what they were seeing.

“What is this?” Bea asked, her voice sharp and loud. “Are you all pretending to be nice now just because something happened last night? Is this some kind of joke you are playing on everyone? Or are you just doing this because you feel guilty?”

Gio and Jace stood up right away, blocking her path so she could not get any closer to me. But before either of them could speak, Francis stood up slowly and stepped forward. He looked calm but his eyes were serious.

“That is enough, Bea,” he said firmly. His voice was calm but strong, and everyone in the room could hear him clearly. “We do not owe you an explanation. But from now on, anyone who hurts or teases Rhian will have to deal with all three of us. No more excuses. No more games.”

The whole room went completely silent. Francis was always the quiet one, the one who just went along with whatever everyone else did. But now he was the one standing tall and saying it out loud for everyone to hear. He glanced at me for just a quick moment, and I saw deep regret and worry in his eyes before he looked back at Bea.

“Just leave us alone,” he added seriously. “Before something happens that none of us want.”

Bea stared at all of them in disbelief. She opened her mouth to say something else but then closed it again when she saw that none of them were backing down. Finally she turned around and walked away with her friends without saying another word.

When they were gone, Gio and Jace sat back down. Francis returned to his seat across the room but kept his eyes on me every now and then. Liza and Mae looked at me with wide eyes and small smiles. I looked down at the food in front of me and felt something warm rise in my chest. I knew then that this was no longer a game. And I knew that for the first time, they were finally starting to fight for me for real.

Later that afternoon, when we were packing up to go home, Francis walked past my desk. He stopped for just a second without looking at me directly.

“Walk with us,” he said quietly. “We will make sure you get home safely.”

He did not wait for an answer. He just walked ahead, and Gio and Jace fell into step beside me on both sides. We walked out of the school gates together, and for the first time, no one whispered or pointed. Everyone just watched us go, and they knew that things would never be the same again.