Tessa didn't go straight home.
She walked.
Past the usual route.
Past the turn she always took.
Past everything familiar.
She didn't really know where she was going.
She just knew she couldn't go home yet.
Because once she did
She'd have to sit with it.
And she wasn't ready for that.
The air felt different.
Too heavy.
Every step felt slower than it should have.
Her mind kept replaying everything.
The whispers.
The laughter.
The words.
It was just a dare.
Tessa swallowed hard, her chest tightening.
"No," she whispered to herself.
Like saying it out loud could change something.
Like it could undo it.
But it didn't.
Because no matter how many times she thought about it
It all still led back to the same place.
Him.
—
When she finally got home, the house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Her bag slipped off her shoulder as she stepped into her room.
She didn't bother turning on the lights.
Just sat on the edge of her bed.
Staring ahead.
For a long moment
Nothing happened.
Then
Her shoulders dropped.
"I didn't even do anything wrong."
Her voice came out small.
Barely there.
Like she wasn't even sure she was allowed to say it.
Lily, who had followed her in not long after, leaned against the doorframe.
"You didn't," she said.
Tessa let out a shaky breath.
"I just…" she paused, her fingers curling slightly into the fabric of her skirt.
"…believed him."
That was it.
No tears.
Not yet.
Just the truth.
And somehow
That hurt more.
Lily walked over, sitting beside her.
"You're not stupid for that," she said quietly.
Tessa shook her head slightly.
"It feels like it."
Lily didn't rush to respond.
Because there wasn't a quick fix for this.
No easy words.
So instead
She reached for Tessa's hand.
Squeezed it gently.
"I should've told you sooner," Lily murmured.
Tessa glanced at her.
"You didn't know."
"I knew something," Lily admitted.
A small pause.
Tessa looked away again.
"It wouldn't have changed anything," she said softly.
And that was the part that really settled in.
Because she was right.
She still would've gone.
Still would've believed him.
Still would've hoped.
—
The next morning felt worse.
Because everything was the same.
The same halls.
The same people.
The same noise.
But nothing felt the same.
Tessa kept her head down as she walked.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just enough to get through it.
She didn't look for him.
Didn't think about what she would say.
Because there was nothing to say.
And even if there was
She wouldn't be the one to say it.
—
Adrian noticed her before she noticed him.
Or maybe
She noticed and just didn't show it.
He wasn't sure.
He leaned slightly against the lockers, watching as she walked down the hallway.
Same as always.
Except
Not really.
There was something different.
Something… closed off.
He pushed himself off the locker just as she got closer.
Waiting.
For something.
A glance.
A pause.
Anything.
Nothing came.
She walked right past him.
Like he wasn't even there.
Adrian frowned slightly.
"…Teresa."
The name left his mouth before he could stop it.
She didn't turn.
Didn't slow down.
Didn't react at all.
And just like that
She was gone.
He stood there for a second longer than necessary.
Processing it.
That wasn't how this was supposed to go.
Not even close.
He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"Seriously?" he muttered.
A few people nearby glanced over.
He ignored them.
Because what the hell was that?
She was just
Ignoring him?
Like he didn't exist?
Something in his chest tightened.
Not enough to call it anything.
But enough to notice.
He pushed it down quickly.
Fine.
If that's how she wanted to act
Then he'd act the same.
No effort.
No attention.
No anything.
Just like before.
By lunch
They hadn't spoken.
By the end of the day
They hadn't even looked at each other.
And somehow
That silence felt louder than anything else.
—
"Are you going to the game?" Lily asked later, leaning against Tessa's locker.
Tessa shrugged slightly.
"I don't know."
"There's a party after."
"I know."
A pause.
Lily studied her.
"You should go."
Tessa let out a small breath.
"No."
"Yes."
"I don't feel like it."
"That's exactly why you should."
Tessa shook her head.
"I don't want people looking at me."
Lily's expression softened slightly.
"They're already looking."
That made Tessa pause.
"And?" she asked quietly.
"And you don't have to hide because of it."
Silence.
Tessa looked down at her hands.
Part of her wanted to disappear.
To stay home.
To pretend none of this existed.
But another part
A quieter, unfamiliar part
Didn't want that.
Didn't want to feel small.
"…I'll think about it," she said finally.
Lily smiled slightly.
That was enough.
—
That night
Tessa lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her phone sat beside her.
Silent.
She didn't touch it.
Didn't check it.
Didn't expect anything from it.
Because there was nothing left to expect.
But still
Her mind drifted.
Back to him.
To the way he looked at her.
The way he spoke.
The way it felt.
And for a second
Just a second
She almost let herself believe it again.
Then she turned onto her side.
Shutting that thought down before it could go any further.
Because now she knew better.
Or at least
She was trying to.