Aurora's P.O.V

"Are you fucking blind?!" she lashed out, and the area within our vicinity quietened immediately. "Can you not what where you're going, you whore! Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"I-I'm sor..." I started to say, but the next instant, my head whipped to the side as pain exploded on my cheek, my head throbbed from the pain from earlier. I saw dark spots dancing in my vision for a split second before Mia's shrill voice cut through the haze.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, freak," she sneered, stepping closer to me. "You think your sorry is gonna take care of my LV bag?" She lifted her hand again and I flinched, thinking she was going for another hit, but she stopped mid-air, a smirk tilting up her lips as she looked me up from head to toe. "You know what? I don't want to get my hands dirty by touching you a second time. Pay me back the money you own me for ruining my designer bag. Twenty thousand dollars."

Shit!

Where was I going to get that kind of money?!

My eyes widened in horror as I looked at Mia to see if she was joking, but from the look on her face, I knew she wasn't. And she knew very well that I was incapable of paying such a sum, so she was enjoying this torment even more.

"What, you're not gonna do it?" she demanded. "Pay me back what you owe me for destroying my custom bag, freak!"

At this point, her voice was loud enough to silence the entire cafeteria, and now everyone was watching the drama unfold, glad that they weren't the one at the other end of Mia's wrath. I felt my palms grow damp with cold sweat, my heart thrashing against my ribcage as I looked around nervously, hoping that by some miracle...someone would feel pity for me and come to my rescue.

But no one did. And as I looked down at my shoes, biting my lower lip as I tried to come up with some excuse to get out of this situation, I felt her jab her finger into my shoulder, causing me to wince from the probing of her manicured nails.

"Hey," she spat, "look at me when I talk to you." When I didn't respond, she yanked me by the hair, forcing me to look up, even as I yelped in pain. "I said, look at me when I talk to you." She pushed my forehead with her forefinger, nudging me backward. "Are you deaf or just stupid?"

That earned her a couple laughs as I felt my entire world spinning around me. My eyes wandered around the room, and I saw that the only person who seemed to be uninterested in our situation was Caleb, who was eating his lunch in peace, as if nothing note-worthy was happening.

I met Mia's eye, deciding that I didn't have anything to lose anyway, so I told her the truth. "I...I don't have that kind o-of money."

"Oh! How interesting!" Mia scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "So how do you expect me to buy a new purse after you spilled your cheap food on it?"

I bit my lip once again, swallowing my words. Mia was one of the wealthiest girls in school, and she expected someone like me would be carrying around twenty grand in my pocket?

But no matter how incredulous that sounded, I didn't have the guts to say it to her face.

Slap!

My head whipped to the side once again, this time on a different cheek, and for a second, I just stared into space, unsure of what was going on.

"Since you can't pay me twenty grand, I'll reward you with twenty slaps." Mia spoke menacingly, stepping closer to me as my lips trembled from her menacing presence. "One slap shouldn't even be worth a thousand for a beggar like you, but what can I say? I need to think about my poor hands too."

"What-AHH!"

Slap!

This time, I couldn't stop the yelp that left my lips as she once again attacked my bruised cheek.

She raised her hand one more time, but before she could slap me, a hand shot out to grab Mia as they jerked her away, the force causing Mia to stumble backwards.

Mia looked at the woman who stood between us in astonishment, her expression telling me that she hadn't expected this at all. "Caroline?"

"That's enough, Mia," Caroline said gently; however there was something in her voice that made the hair on my nape stand on end. "She didn't do anything wrong; it was just an accident. Calm yourself and go get your lunch."

Mia looked at Caroline for a few more seconds and I didn't know what was going on between them because Caroline had her back to me, but whatever it was, it seemed like she had won this unspoken battle because ultimately, Mia lowered her eyes and scoffed.

Mia turned to me with a sneer, "You're lucky you got saved this time. But if you get in my way again, you won't be getting off so easily."

As Mia left, I saw Caroline turn to face me, but even before she could do that, I felt tears threatening to spill down and cheeks and I knew I couldn't let everyone in the cafeteria see me like this.

Without thinking twice, I turned on my heels and fled the place, my head hung as I passed people who laughed and pointed at me like I was a clown at a circus.

But none of that mattered to me at that moment. All I wanted to do was to get to the washroom before the tears spilled and only then will I be able to save myself this humiliation.

As I ran down the near empty hallways, all I could do was ask the same question that I had been asking myself since my mother died.

Why me?

Aurora's P.O.V

I could feel the hot tears welling up in my eyes as I rushed down the hallway, my steps quick and frantic. The cruel laughter, the whispers, the looks-it was all too much. My chest tightened with a sense of suffocation as I finally pushed the bathroom door open and darted inside, locking it behind me.

The fluorescent lights above buzzed quietly, but all I could hear was the sound of my heart pounding in my ears and my breath, shallow and uneven. I stumbled to one of the stalls, slamming the door behind me as I crumpled to the floor. I couldn't stop the tears from falling, and I didn't even try.

Mia's words echoed in my head, over and over. I couldn't believe she'd slapped me in front of everyone just for an accident. And then, she had the nerve to demand twenty thousand dollars from me, as if I had that kind of money. As if I could just pull it out of thin air.

I buried my face in my hands, trying to stifle my sobs. I hated how weak I sounded, hated how I was letting them see me like this. But the truth was, I had nothing left to give. I didn't even have a way out.

If Caroline hadn't stepped in, Mia would've made me pay somehow-though I had no idea how. I barely made enough at my part-time job to cover Riley's and my meals. A hundred and seventy-four dollars a week-hardly enough to keep us going, let alone repay anyone. And I wasn't blind to the fact that, when my father showed up, he'd take whatever money I had saved. He'd come to the house, his face twisted with that familiar anger and demand for cash.

If I refused-or even hesitated-he'd make sure I felt the consequences. Beaten. Locked up. I'd learned the hard way that no amount of pleading could stop him.

I pulled my knees to my chest, my body shaking from the overwhelming weight of it all. The pain in my chest wasn't just from the hunger gnawing at me-it was the constant, suffocating pressure of living a life where nothing ever seemed to be in my control. Where my father's cruelty dictated everything I did, where Mia could destroy me without a second thought.

Suddenly, a knock at the stall door startled me, making me jump. My breath hitched, and I tensed, instinctively curling in on myself. I froze, not sure whether I should even answer. Who else would be here? Another person to bully me, perhaps? Maybe someone who had heard about what happened and wanted to make it worse?

Shit! Was it Mia? Did she come back to finish what she started?

I pressed myself further away from the wall, feeling weak and helpless as I looked around for a way to escape. Could I climb up into the next stall if I stood on top of the toilet?

But the knocking grew louder, making me feel even wearier. I stayed quiet, hoping to god that they would just leave me alone, but that didn't happen.

"Aurora?" That voice-it was familiar. Who was it? It sounded like someone I know. "It's Caroline." Oh... wait- what? "Can you please open the door?"

Caroline? Oh god, was she here to pick on me like all her other friends? Will she show her true colors and beat me up now that no one was watching?

"Please?" she asked again when I didn't respond. "I know you're in there; I just want to talk."

But why? Why would she want to talk to me of all people? Was it because she saved me? Did she want something from me in return now?

Oh...god...what did I get myself into?

"Please, Aurora! I promise you're safe. Just open the door...please."

Her voice sounded sincere, even a bit sad. So, against my better judgment, I found myself slowly turning the lock and pushing the door open. I walked out hesitantly, half expecting the hit to come as soon as I looked up. But much to my surprise, she held out her hand and in it was a packed sandwich.

I looked up at her in confusion.

"Here," she said, attempting a smile. "Uh, I saw that your lunch got ruined too, and you weren't able to eat anything, so I wanted you to have this."

I blinked. Was I hearing her right? I only stared at her outstretched hand, unsure if I was being pranked or not. She decided to take matters into her own hands and pushed the sandwich onto my palm.

"Take it," she said. "It's yours."

I felt my heart skip a beat, gratitude welling up inside me until tears blurred my eyes again.

What exactly was happening right now? Nobody has ever gone out of their way to make sure I was okay. This has never happened to me before!

Why now? Why her?

"Why..." I found myself asking. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Caroline tilted her head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

I furrowed my brows, confused at her reaction as well. "I mean... everyone hates me. No one has ever come after me like this. So...why are you...?"

I trailed off, my ears picking up the sound of footsteps approaching the bathroom and I felt my heart speed up once again.

Just then, an oddly familiar voice sounded from outside, even though I couldn't see that person. "Caroline, are you finished? We're gonna be late."

Caleb...I'd know that voice even in my sleep!

"One second!" Caroline called back. Then she turned to me again, this time with a smile as she said, "Well, I don't know what you're going through, but you should hang in there, alright? Everything will get better, I promise. For now, I gotta go! Bye!"

I stared after her as she turned to leave, wondering what her cryptic message even meant. Everything was gonna get better? How? And how could she promise that?

When she opened the door to leave, I found Caleb leaning against the doorjamb, his presence instantly sucking all the space in the room.

Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, and I felt a jolt of electricity surge through my whole body. I wasn't sure what had just happened, but by the time I looked back at him once again, Caleb had already turned his eyes, and stretched out his hand to place it on the small of her back when Caroline walked up to him.

They looked... perfect. Like they belonged together. Caroline with her perfect blonde hair, her effortless grace, and Caleb with his quiet intensity, his natural confidence. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, but at the same time, I felt a strange sense of relief. Caroline hadn't dismissed me like I expected. She had shown me a small sliver of kindness. But Caleb's presence only reminded me of everything I wasn't.

"Bye, Aurora!" Caroline turned to wave, but all I could see was Caleb's hand on her waist as he steered her away from me, the weight of the sandwich in my hands suddenly unbearably heavy.

Caleb's P.O.V

As soon as Caroline stepped out of the washroom, I spotted her immediately, her fingers absentmindedly toying with the strap of her bag. Without a second thought, I reached for her waist, pulling her close as I steered her away toward our next class. She barely had time to register my touch before letting out an amused huff, her eyes flickering up at me with curiosity.

"Okay, what's with you today?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as we walked. "You don't have to escort me everywhere, you know. I can actually walk on my own."

I smirked, but instead of answering her directly, I tightened my grip just a little, a silent but firm indication that I wasn't going to let this go. "You shouldn't go near that weird charity kid," I muttered, keeping my tone casual but laced with just enough seriousness to make my point clear.

Caroline stopped abruptly, forcing me to pause with her. Her brows furrowed as she turned to face me fully, disbelief flashing in her eyes. "Wait, what?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard me right. "Are you talking about Aurora?"

I sighed, already knowing this wasn't going to go the way I wanted. "Yeah," I admitted. "I just don't like her."

Caroline's mouth fell open slightly, her expression a mix of shock and mild disappointment.

"Caleb," she said, her voice lower now, more measured. "That's really rude. You don't even know her."

I rolled my eyes, shifting on my feet. "I don't need to know her," I replied simply. "I just-" I hesitated, running a hand through my hair. "I just don't like her and I don't want you to be near her all of a sudden."

Caroline's eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. "You may not like someone, but that doesn't give you the right to be rude about them, or about them," she pointed out, her tone sharper now, challenging.

I held her gaze for a moment, the weight of her words settling between us. I knew she was right-Caroline always had this way of calling me out when I was being unreasonable. But something about Aurora didn't sit right with me, and the thought of Caroline getting close to her put me on edge.

Still, I could tell from the way she was looking at me that this wasn't a fight I was going to win. So instead of pressing further, I exhaled heavily, shaking my head. "Just... be careful, alright?" I muttered, my voice softer this time.

Caroline studied me for a second longer before sighing, uncrossing her arms. "You're impossible," she murmured, but there was a flicker of understanding in her eyes, even if she didn't agree with me.

I reached for her hand, giving it a light squeeze before nudging her forward. "Come on," I said. "We're gonna be late."

Even as we walked, I could tell she wasn't letting this go. And honestly? Neither was I.

"Caroline-" I began, but she cut me off.

"Caleb, look, we can have different opinions about someone but that doesn't give you the right to say rude things about them. If you don't like her, you can just ignore her. But you can't tell me what to do or who to be friends with."

Friends?! The thought was absolutely ridiculous.

"Care, I can't believe we're having a fight about that...that...girl!" I scoffed. "Please...why do did you even do that in the first place?"

The scene from earlier replayed in my head. Mia had Aurora backed against the lockers, her words cutting sharper than a blade, her voice laced with that cruel amusement she always had when she found someone weak to toy with. Aurora had been frozen, barely able to defend herself, and then, out of nowhere, Caroline had stepped in. She hadn't hesitated. Just thrown herself between them like a shield, like it was second nature to her.

Caroline turned her head slightly, as if she had expected the question. "Do what?" she asked, her voice even.

"You know what," I shot back. "Why did you help Aurora? Mia was handling her."

Caroline stopped walking for a split second before shaking her head with a small scoff. "Mia wasn't 'handling' her, Caleb. She was humiliating her."

I frowned, not because I disagreed, but because I wasn't sure why it even mattered to Caroline. Aurora could never be one of us, and the fact that Caroline was suddenly trying to get close to her was getting on my nerves.

"Yeah, and? Aurora should learn to stand up for herself if she believes she was right."

"Maybe," she said, her eyes meeting mine, unwavering. "But that doesn't mean she deserved that."

I let out a breath, shaking my head. "You don't even like Aurora."

Caroline let out a dry laugh, one that lacked any real amusement. "And you don't like Shane or Mia. But that's never stopped you from butting into their business, has it?"

I narrowed my eyes, not appreciating the way she flipped that on me. "That's different."

"Is it?" She arched her brow. "You want to know why I stepped in? Because I felt her pain. I felt her fear. And I just couldn't stand there and let Mia tear her apart like that. So, I did something about it."

I stared at her, my jaw tightening. "I really don't understand you sometimes, you know that?"

Caroline just shrugged, unfazed. "You don't have to understand me, Caleb," she said simply. Then, with a sharpness that cut straight through me, she added, "But maybe you shouldn't be so quick to judge people or be mean to them, because one day, that might just come back to bite you in the ass."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes, because of course she had to make this into some kind of moral lesson. Typical Caroline. I didn't say anything else, though. We just kept walking, side by side, heading to our next class, the words lingering between us like a challenge neither of us was ready to acknowledge.