Words Travel Fast
576 Words
HIDDEN HEARTS
EPISODE 5: WORDS TRAVEL FAST
The school felt different that morning.
Not because anything had changed.
But because something had started.
Elena Hart noticed it the moment she stepped into the hallway.
Whispers.
Not loud. Not obvious.
But there.
People who normally didn’t look at her were looking now—and quickly looking away when she caught them.
She tightened her grip on her bag.
“What now…” she muttered under her breath.
“Elena!” Mia called, catching up to her. But this time, Mia wasn’t smiling.
That was unusual.
Elena stopped. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Mia hesitated. “So… people are talking.”
Elena sighed. “About what?”
Mia paused longer than she should’ve.
Then finally said, “You and Jayden.”
Silence.
Elena blinked once. “There is no ‘me and Jayden.’”
Mia raised her hands slightly. “I know that. You know that. But the school doesn’t.”
Elena didn’t respond.
Because she already understood what that meant.
Rumors.
Always faster than truth.
---
Across the courtyard, Jayden Cole leaned against the wall with Derek beside him.
But Derek was talking. Jayden wasn’t really listening.
“You hear it?” Derek asked.
“Hear what?” Jayden replied.
Derek smirked. “Don’t act innocent. You and Elena Hart are apparently the new school topic.”
Jayden finally looked at him. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Of course it is,” Derek said. “But since when has the school cared about facts?”
Jayden exhaled slowly.
His eyes drifted across the courtyard.
And found her.
Elena stood near the steps, alone again, her expression unreadable.
But this time… she wasn’t completely invisible anymore.
He didn’t know why that bothered him.
Or why it didn’t feel like just gossip.
---
Later that day, in class, the tension was obvious.
Students kept glancing between them.
Elena kept her eyes down.
Jayden kept pretending not to notice.
But Mr. Daniels noticed everything.
He clapped his hands once. “Since everyone seems distracted, let’s make this useful.”
The class went quiet.
“You two,” he said, pointing directly at Elena and Jayden. “You’ll present your project first next week.”
A wave of reactions spread through the room.
Elena stiffened slightly.
Jayden sighed under his breath. “Of course.”
When class ended, Elena stood quickly, gathering her things.
But before she could leave—
“Hey,” Jayden said.
She stopped.
Not turning fully.
He walked closer, stopping just beside her desk.
“The rumors,” he said quietly. “Ignore them.”
Elena finally looked at him. “I do.”
A pause.
Then she added, softer, “They don’t usually stop anyway.”
That made him quiet for a second.
Because she said it like she was used to it.
Like it wasn’t new.
Like it didn’t hurt anymore.
Jayden looked at her differently now.
Not like a classmate.
Not like a project partner.
But like someone trying to understand something he hadn’t noticed before.
“I’ll handle it,” he said finally.
Elena blinked. “You don’t have to.”
“I know,” he replied. “But I will.”
And then he left.
Elena stayed still for a moment.
Because something about his voice didn’t sound like a promise.
It sounded like a decision.
And that made everything feel more complicated than it should’ve been.
- Writer
