Chapter 2: Shattered Illusions

Derek’s words hit me like a punch to the gut—sudden and devastating. It was as if all the air was sucked out of the room, leaving me reeling.

My mind went completely blank. I felt like I was floating outside myself, numb and weightless, but somehow heavier than I’d ever been.

On that sweltering summer afternoon, I felt chilled to the bone. The air outside buzzed with the sound of cicadas and the sticky promise of July, but inside, I was ice.

The conversation in the classroom continued. After a brief silence, someone spoke up again:

"Only Derek could pull that off. Even the prom queen is just practice for him!"

"Isn’t she kind of like those side chicks from old movies?"

Derek laughed, barely caring:

"Don’t talk nonsense. She didn’t lose out, alright!"

Someone immediately chimed in:

"Yeah, the prom queen’s a bit skinny. Compared to the school beauty, her figure..."

Annoyed, Derek threw a book at him, cutting him off:

"It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. The mood was right, and besides, I saw she was trying so hard to hold back..."

The group exchanged knowing looks and teased:

"Didn’t expect the prom queen to be so reserved!"

"Man, Derek’s charm is unstoppable. With the prize right in front of you, how could you not take it?"

"The prom queen’s been following Derek for years. Now her wish finally came true—she probably couldn’t wait to pounce on you!"

The room burst into laughter. A couple of them smacked the desks, while another guy whistled low and mean. It was the kind of laughter that echoes in your head and makes your skin crawl.

I bit my lower lip hard, fists clenched tight. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

It took all my strength just to stay upright at the classroom door and not collapse right there. My legs trembled as if the tile floor might fall away beneath me.

Footsteps echoed at the end of the hallway. I heard a teacher’s voice far off, and the clang of a locker slamming.

I snapped out of my daze and fled in panic.

I rushed into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. My backpack dropped to the floor with a hollow thud, the sound bouncing off the tile walls like a secret I couldn’t hide.

The bathroom reeked of cheap floral soap and the echo of slamming stall doors.