Tessa didn't say anything for the rest of the day.
Not in class.
Not when teachers called her name.
Not even when Lily slid into the seat beside her like she always did.
She just… sat there.
Her notebook was open.
Pen in hand.
But nothing moved.
The words on the board blurred together, shifting into something she couldn't focus on no matter how hard she tried.
It was quiet inside her head.
Too quiet.
Like everything had just… stopped.
"Tessa."
Lily's voice came softly from beside her.
Careful.
No response.
"Tessa," she tried again, a little firmer this time.
Tessa blinked slowly, like she was coming back from somewhere far away.
"…Yeah?"
"You've been staring at that page for ten minutes."
Tessa looked down.
At the empty page.
"Oh."
That was all she said.
Lily's chest tightened.
This wasn't her.
Tessa always wrote something.
Even if she didn't talk much, she paid attention.
Now
It was like she wasn't even there.
Lily leaned back slightly, studying her.
Trying to decide how to say it.
"I'm going to talk to him."
That got a reaction.
Tessa's head turned immediately.
"No."
Lily frowned. "Tessa...."
"Don't."
Her voice wasn't loud.
But there was something in it
Something tight.
Something close to breaking.
Lily paused.
"He doesn't just get to....."
"Please."
That word came out softer.
Quieter.
And it did something Lily didn't expect.
It stopped her.
Tessa looked at her now.
Really looked.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Just…
Tired.
"I don't want this to be a whole thing," she said quietly.
Lily swallowed.
"But he....."
"I know."
That was it.
No denial.
No argument.
Just two words that said everything.
Lily's anger didn't go away.
If anything
It burned hotter.
But she nodded anyway.
"…Fine."
Tessa looked away again.
And just like that
The conversation ended.
But the feeling didn't.
—
The rest of the day dragged.
Tessa moved through it like she was on autopilot.
Class to class.
Seat to seat.
People still looked.
Still whispered.
But now
She didn't react.
Didn't question it.
Didn't even care enough to wonder what they were saying.
Because she already knew.
—
Lily tried.
She really did.
She kept her distance like Tessa asked.
Watched from the side.
Stayed quiet.
But every time she saw Adrian
Standing there.
Laughing.
Acting like nothing had happened
It made her chest tighten.
Because just a few hours ago
Tessa had been sitting in a bathroom stall trying not to fall apart.
And he didn't even look like he noticed.
That was it.
That was the moment.
Lily pushed herself off the wall.
"Tessa said don't," one of her friends muttered under their breath.
Lily didn't stop walking.
Because sometimes
You don't listen.
Sometimes
You do what's right.
—
Adrian didn't notice her at first.
He was mid-conversation, leaning slightly against the lockers, one hand in his pocket.
Relaxed.
Like always.
It almost made it worse.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
The words cut clean through the noise.
Everything went quiet.
His friends turned.
Adrian looked at her.
Slowly.
Calm.
"Excuse me?"
Lily stepped closer.
Not raising her voice.
Not making a scene.
But there was nothing soft about her expression.
"You think this is funny?"
A pause.
Adrian's gaze didn't waver.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Lily let out a short breath.
Not surprised.
Of course he'd say that.
She moved closer.
Lowered her voice.
"You used her."
That landed.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
But it did.
There was the smallest shift in his expression.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
"She didn't deserve that," Lily continued.
Silence.
His friends glanced at each other.
Uncomfortable now.
This wasn't funny anymore.
"She actually trusted you."
That was the one.
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly.
Not enough for anyone else to notice.
But Lily saw it.
"It wasn't that serious," he said.
Flat.
Like it didn't matter.
Like none of it mattered.
Lily stared at him for a second.
Then shook her head slowly.
"To you."
Silence stretched.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Lily took a step back.
"Stay away from her."
She didn't wait.
Didn't give him a chance to respond.
She turned
And walked away.
Leaving him there.
For a moment
No one spoke.
Then one of his friends let out an awkward laugh.
"Damn… that was..."
"Drop it."
Adrian's voice was low.
Sharp.
That shut everyone up.
He leaned back against the lockers again.
Same position.
Same posture.
But something about him felt…
Different.
Quieter.
His mind replayed it.
You used her.
She trusted you.
He exhaled slowly.
"It wasn't that serious," he muttered again.
But this time
It didn't sound as convincing.