The morning at Silver Ridge High is deceptively calm. I should have known better. The quiet before the storm is always the most dangerous.
By the time second period rolls around, I'm already on edge. Something feels off, like there's a shift in the air. I can't quite place it, but I know Kayla has something to do with it. She's been too quiet lately, and that's never a good sign.
I walk into my English class and immediately sense the tension in the room. Whispers ripple through the students, heads turning in my direction as I take my seat near the back. Emerald and Esmeralda aren't in this class, so I'm alone. Perfect.
Mrs. Langley, our no-nonsense English teacher, is writing on the board, her usual air of authority keeping the class relatively focused. But even she can't completely control the undercurrent of gossip buzzing through the room. As I sit down, I hear snippets of conversation—my name, whispers about my family.
The door swings open, and in walks Kayla with her perfect hair, perfect clothes, and that smug confidence that grates on my nerves. She doesn't even glance at Mrs. Langley as she saunters to her seat near the front. Instead, her eyes lock on me, and I know I'm in for it.
Mrs. Langley pauses, raising an eyebrow at Kayla. "Miss Johnson, I expect you to take your seat quietly and respectfully, as I'm sure you're aware." Her voice is sharp, but Kayla just gives her an insincere smile before sitting down.
The moment Mrs. Langley turns her back to write on the board, Kayla starts whispering loudly to the girl next to her. "Did you hear about Heaven? Apparently, she's only here because her mom died and her dad didn't want her. So tragic."
The words hit me like a slap. I've gotten used to the whispers, but Kayla saying it out loud, right in front of everyone—it's a new low. My chest tightens, and I grip my pen so hard it might snap in two.
"Miss Johnson," Mrs. Langley says again, more firmly this time. "We're not here to spread gossip. Kindly direct your attention to the lesson."
Kayla doesn't even flinch. "Of course, Mrs. Langley," she says sweetly, before turning her back to me and whispering again, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Maybe that's why she acts like she's better than everyone—because no one really wants her."
I bite the inside of my cheek, trying to hold it together, but every word out of Kayla's mouth feels like a dagger. Mrs. Langley senses the tension, but for once, she's hesitant. Maybe she doesn't want to make a scene, or maybe she's just unsure how to handle it.
But I'm not unsure.
Before I know it, I'm on my feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Why don't you say that to my face, Kayla?"
The whole class freezes. Kayla turns in her seat, her eyes flashing with that trademark smugness. "Oh, did I hit a nerve? Poor Heaven, abandoned by her family and stuck with us commoners."
"That's enough!" Mrs. Langley steps in now, her voice cutting through the tension. She walks toward Kayla, her heels clicking against the tiled floor. "Kayla, this is a classroom, not your personal gossip circle. One more word, and you'll find yourself in detention."
Kayla just shrugs, unfazed by the warning. "I'm just saying what everyone's thinking," she mutters under her breath.
Mrs. Langley's eyes narrow. "Detention. After school. And that goes for anyone else who thinks gossiping is more important than their education."
I stay standing, my fists clenched at my sides, still too furious to sit back down. The class is deathly silent now, eyes bouncing between me and Kayla. I can feel the weight of their stares, their curiosity and judgment hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
"Heaven, take your seat," Mrs. Langley says, her tone softer but still firm.
I hesitate for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest, but eventually, I sink back into my chair. My muscles are tense, and I can still feel the heat of Kayla's words burning under my skin.
---
When the final bell rings, I don't head straight for the door like everyone else. Instead, I make my way to detention, dread settling in my stomach like a lead weight. Of course, Kayla is already there when I arrive, leaning back in her chair with an infuriatingly smug expression.
Mrs. Langley sits at her desk at the front, her eyes on the papers in front of her, but it's clear she's not going to let us out of her sight.
I drop my bag on the floor and sit as far away from Kayla as possible, trying to focus on the clock ticking on the wall rather than the tension simmering in the room.
After a few minutes of silence, Kayla leans forward, her voice low and taunting. "You think standing up in class made you look tough? All it did was prove you can't handle the truth."
I grit my teeth, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. But she's not done. "It's pathetic, really," she continues, her voice dripping with venom. "You think Klaus is going to save you from all of this? He doesn't care about you. You're just a distraction to him."
My vision blurs with anger, my fingers curling into fists under the desk. I know she's trying to get under my skin, and it's working. Every word feels like it's slicing deeper, cutting through the walls I've built to protect myself.
Mrs. Langley glances up from her desk, clearly sensing the tension but not intervening. Maybe she's waiting for one of us to snap so she can send us straight to the principal's office.
I stare straight ahead, trying to breathe through the anger building inside me. Kayla's words echo in my head, louder and louder. My mom, my family, Klaus—it's like she's found every weak spot and decided to hammer at them until I break.
"You think you're special," Kayla whispers, her voice so low only I can hear. "But you're not. You're just another sad little girl trying to fit into a world that doesn't want her."
That's it.
I stand up abruptly, my chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Shut. Up."
Mrs. Langley's head snaps up, her eyes wide as she looks between us. "That's enough, both of you," she says, standing up from her desk. "I won't tolerate any more of this."
Kayla leans back in her chair, a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Langley."
I can feel my whole body trembling with rage, but I don't say another word. I can't. I won't give her the satisfaction of seeing me lose control. I've already given her too much.
The rest of detention passes in painful silence, the clock ticking louder than my thoughts. When it's finally over, I grab my bag and head for the door, not even glancing at Kayla as I leave.
But her words stay with me, echoing in my mind long after I've left the room.
---
As I step outside, the cool air hits my face, but it doesn't calm the storm inside me. My mind keeps replaying the scene in the classroom, the confrontation in detention. Kayla's words swirl around me, suffocating, and I can't shake the feeling that everything is starting to spiral out of control.
I make my way to the parking lot, my thoughts a tangled mess. As I reach my car, I pause, leaning against the sleek black hood. This car—my mom's last gift to me—has always been my sanctuary. But right now, it feels like even that can't protect me from the chaos Kayla's stirring up.
Just as I'm about to get in, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn, half-expecting it to be Kayla coming to gloat, but instead, I see Klaus standing there, his hands shoved into his pockets, his expression unreadable.
"Hey," he says, his voice softer than usual. "I heard about what happened in class."
I scoff, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure the whole school has heard by now."
He takes a step closer, his gaze steady. "You didn't deserve that."
I shrug, trying to brush it off, but the weight of the day presses down on me. "Doesn't matter. She's just saying what everyone's thinking."
Klaus frowns, his brow furrowing. "That's not true, Heaven."
I look away, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Maybe. Maybe not. But it still hurts."
There's a pause, and when Klaus speaks again, his voice is quiet. "I know what that's like."
I glance at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his tone. Klaus rarely lets his guard down, but right now, there's something different in his eyes. Something raw, like he's letting me see a side of him he usually keeps hidden.
Before I can say anything, he steps closer, his gaze softening. "You don't have to go through this alone, you know."
His words hit me harder than I expected, and for a moment, I feel the weight of everything I've been holding in. The anger, the hurt, the fear—it's all bubbling to the surface, and I'm not sure I can keep it contained any longer.
But I don't know how to let anyone in, either.
So instead, I just nod, my throat too tight to speak.
Klaus doesn't push me for more. He just stands there, a steady presence in the chaos, and for the first time today, I feel a flicker of something that's been missing for a while.
Hope.
---
That night, as I lie in bed, I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened. Kayla's attack, Klaus's words, the guilt that still lingers over Emily—it's all too much. The walls I've built around myself feel like they're crumbling, piece by piece, and I don't know how to stop it.
I turn over, pulling the blanket tighter around me, trying to push the thoughts away. But sleep doesn't come easily. My mind keeps racing, replaying the day over and over again until I'm left with nothing but exhaustion.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, I realize something that scares me more than anything else.
I'm starting to let people in.
And I'm not sure I'm ready for what comes next.