When Steven Baxter, the heartthrob of the school, admits that he loves action movies the most, my childhood friend, Lisa Thornton, has my limbs strapped to four huge drones.

During the flag-raising ceremony on Monday morning, the drones lift me high up in the air in front of the entire school.

The students' laughter is deafeningly loud. The videos they take quickly go viral, too.

I only get to return to the surface once the drones finally run out of power and make their descent automatically.

With a wide grin on her face, Lisa unties me from the drones.

"Steven loves action movies, so we had you cosplay the main character from the most popular Tom Cruise movie.

"We grew up together since we were kids, Dominic. Surely you don't mind, right?"

As I sit on the ground, Steven pulls Lisa into his arms before he starts guffawing at me. Tears soon streak down his face from all the laughing.

"I can't believe you actually peed yourself!"

"Ahahahaha!"

I get up to my feet and walk away. From then on, I don't return to Lisa's side.

But Lisa soon loses her mind.

"We've known each other for ten years! Must you really do this to me?"

I returned home and shut myself in the bathroom. I then ran the hot water at full blast, allowing the steam to cloud the mirror—and my vision along with it.

I stripped off my soiled school trousers and underwear and threw them into the very bottom of the trash, as though I could get rid of the humiliating odor and the thousands of gazes that had stuck to me earlier.

I scrubbed myself repeatedly, scrubbing until my skin rubbed raw and flushed crimson. I could still feel the weightlessness of the heights and the sound of the wind howling in my ears, no matter how much I scrubbed. I could also hear Lisa Thornton and Steve Baxter's jarring laughter echoing from the ground.

It was then that my mother, Talia Smith, suddenly knocked on the bathroom door and said, "Your father has an event this evening, and I have a card game with Renee later, so you're on your own for dinner, Dominic."

"Got it, Mom," I replied hoarsely, my voice drowning out in the sound of the rushing water.

I thought it was for the best, as I didn't want them to see me in such a state. I was in the bathroom for ages, only stepping out, trembling, once the water turned cold.

I noticed my phone vibrating nonstop on my desk and found out that I had been tagged countless times in my class's group chat. I opened the group chat, and the first thing that caught my eye was the bold headline. "The Event of the Year! Sky-Bound Action Scene!"

I looked like a puppet on strings in the video, with my limbs stretched out and suspended in midair. I was grimacing terribly as the shot zoomed in on my face. I scrolled down and noticed a sea of mocking laughter below the video.

"Dominic's expression is so meme-worthy!"

"Lisa is so impressive for putting in so much effort just to make the school heartthrob happy!"

"Dominic actually pissed himself! Does anyone want a close-up shot of that?"

"I'll pay good money for it as long as you send it to me!"

"He deserved it! He's punching way above his weight and doesn't know his place, constantly bothering Lisa!"

I quit the group chat, only to find that my Twitter feed was the epicenter of it all. Lisa had posted a status with a photo of me flailing midair and tagged Steven. "I got to make the school heartthrob happy again today!"

Steven instantly replied, "I'm really happy and grateful for the surprise, Lisa. I wonder if Dominic's going to be pissed, though."

There were a bunch of people fanning the flames in the comments.

"Steven's so nice to even care if Dominic's upset."

"Dominic should be grateful that Lisa is even giving him the time of day!"

"That's right! He's nothing more than a hanger-on!"

I turned off my phone, feeling as though my heart was crushed in an icy hold, hurting so badly that I struggled to draw a single breath.

I had known Lisa for exactly ten years. I had stayed by her side ever since my father, Jeremy Hunt, became her father's chauffeur.

I was entirely obedient to her. I would sneak out just to buy her food when she was hungry and stayed up all night preparing study guides and crib notes whenever she complained about exams. I brought her water when she was thirsty and apologized on her behalf whenever she quarreled with someone.

I had always heard people telling me that I was Lisa's lapdog. I believed it was love, but it turned out that I was nothing more than a pet Lisa kept for her own amusement.

…

I went to school the following day. I wasn't doing it because I was a glutton for punishment, but because there were things I had to reclaim.

I walked through the school gates, only to find everyone staring at me. I noticed the mockery and contempt in their gazes, clearly relishing my misfortune. I also found someone mimicking my airborne flailing from yesterday in the hallway, leading to an outburst of laughter from the crowd.

I kept my eyes fixed ahead and walked straight to the classroom.

Steven was in my seat, sitting with Lisa. He was looking down and playing with a strand of her hair while she was resting on the desk, gazing up at him with a sweet smile. She had never been that gentle with me before.

Lisa looked up at me after spotting me, her face devoid of any expression. She then asked indifferently, acting as if nothing had occurred the day before, "You're finally here, huh?"

Steven looked back at me with an apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry, Dominic. I had no idea things would get this out of hand. I had only told Lisa that I enjoyed this one scene in an action movie. I never expected this to happen."

He looked at me with eyes brimming with remorse as he said that.

I merely looked at him, remaining silent.

Lisa, with a furrowed brow, pulled me aside and asked, "Haven't you had enough, Dominic? What else do you want from Steven? Didn't he apologize to you already?"

She then continued with a hint of impatience, "It was just a joke, so stop looking so gloomy. I'll pay for your medical fees since the drone ran out of battery yesterday and made you fall."

Having said that, Lisa pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from her pocket and tried to shove them at me.

I stepped aside, causing the money to flutter to the floor.

Lisa's expression immediately hardened. "You'd better not push your luck, Dominic. You ought to know that I only feel sorry for you because we've known each other since we were kids. You'd better not think for a second that I'm dependent on you, Dominic!"

Those around us kept watching and murmuring to one another.

"How arrogant of him to refuse the money!"

"I know, right? I wouldn't mind being suspended a hundred times if I were him!"

I bent over, picked up the money, and went over to Lisa. I then, in front of the whole class, threw the money right in her face and said, "Your apology is as worthless to me as this money is, Lisa."

I then walked over to Steven and said, "You're in my seat—get lost."

Those around immediately fell silent. They all stared at me in shock, including Lisa. She likely never expected that someone as gentle and even-tempered as I would ever do something like that.

Steven's face turned pale with embarrassment. He bit his lip and turned to Lisa with an aggrieved expression. "Lisa…"

Lisa snapped out of her daze and shoved me aside. "Have you lost your mind, Dominic?"

I stumbled and hit my lower back hard against the corner of the desk, my vision momentarily blurring from the pain. I then glared at Steven and stated deliberately, "I'm only saying this one last time—get lost."

Steven, intimidated by my gaze, instinctively got to his feet.

I quietly began packing up my belongings without sparing a look for anyone. I packed my books, notebooks, and pens, making sure that I took everything that belonged to me.

Lisa stood to the side, her chest heaving with rage as she bellowed, "What are you doing? Are you packing up so that you can leave for good, Dominic?"

I ignored her completely.

Lisa grabbed my wrist, her sharp manicure cutting into my skin. "I'm talking to you, Dominic! Is ten years of friendship worth throwing away over this?"

I was sick of hearing that same line again. I finally lifted my gaze and looked her in the eyes—the eyes I once admired were now brimming with fury.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be suspended more than 300 feet high, Lisa? Do you know what it's like to be watched like a spectacle or to have the person you like make fun of you for wetting your pants, Lisa?"

Lucy grew paler with each question. She wanted to respond to me, but ultimately remained silent.

"It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me," I stated flatly as I threw off her grip, zipped my bag, and left. I walked away from the classroom with a suffocating silence trailing behind me.

I went straight to the hospital instead of returning home. I met up with my uncle, Lionel Smith, who was working as the attending chief doctor there.

Upon seeing my pallor and the scratches on my wrist, Uncle Lionel didn't ask a single question. He just took me to get checked out, and before long, he looked at the results with a serious expression. "You have acute stress disorder, along with severe anxiety and depressive tendencies."

He slammed the report onto the desk, looking absolutely livid. "I'm going to find that brat and hold her accountable for it!"

I held him back and said, "I don't want to make a big deal out of this, Uncle Lionel."

Uncle Lionel trembled with rage. "How could this be considered as making a big deal? Lisa pushed you to the brink! What about your parents? They're not just going to stand by while you're being tormented by Lisa, right?"

I lowered my head, thinking that with Dad being the chauffeur and Mom being the housekeeper of the Thornton family, they wouldn't dare confront Lisa about this. They believed Lisa was always right and that I should just endure the mistreatment; after all, our family's survival depended on the Thornton family.

"I want to transfer to a different school," I stated softly, revealing the real motive behind my visit.

Uncle Lionel froze momentarily before catching on. "You should definitely transfer to a different school and get out of that terrible place! Do you have a place in mind, Dominic? I'll make it happen as long as you tell me! You should head to Casoria! You see, I'll be able to take care of you there if you attend university there as well!"

Casoria, the capital city, was a four-hour drive from here. That place was far enough to cut myself off from everyone and everything I didn't want to deal with here.

Uncle Lionel was highly efficient. He pulled some strings to reach out to the best high school in Casoria. That high school immediately accepted my transfer application after reviewing my grades and my medical diagnosis report for my acute stress disorder.

"Your transfer should be finalized sometime next week, Dominic."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Lionel."

"You don't have to be so polite to me, you silly kid," Uncle Lionel said as he ruffled my hair, his eyes brimming with sympathy. He then said, "You should stay with me for a few days and not return home anymore, Dominic."

I changed my SIM card that night, leaving the old one in the bin at the hospital. I lay in bed in Uncle Lionel's guest room in his apartment, looking at the moon outside the window.

I realized it was my first night in a decade without saying goodnight to Lisa. I would no longer receive her daily check-ins or the demands she used to make whenever she felt like it.

I couldn't help but feel empty inside, but more than anything, I felt a sense of liberation.

It was then that my phone buzzed with a message from Uncle Lionel. "That young lady from the Thornton family has been calling me nonstop, looking for you, Dominic. I'm ignoring her, though. You made the right call, Dominic—some people just aren't worth your time."

I looked at the message with tears streaming down my face. I realized that Uncle Lionel was right—Lisa truly wasn't worth my energy and time. I felt like a complete fool as my ten years of effort resulted in a deliberate public shaming from Lisa.

I completed all the transfer procedures a week later. I kept Mom and Dad in the dark about it, claiming that I was going to Casoria for a two-week academic camp. They believed me and were even proud, thinking that I had brought honor to the family.

Mom handed me 150 dollars just before I left, saying, "You shouldn't be too frugal while you're away, Dominic. You should buy yourself something good to eat. You should also stop spending all your time studying—get out and socialize with your friends."

Dad added, "You should take care of yourself and don't be a burden to Ms. Thornton."

I felt a shiver run down my spine, realizing that Dad thought my participation in the camp was connected to Lisa.

I simply remained silent, accepted the money, and nodded dismissively.

Uncle Lionel drove over to get me.

I didn't even look back as the car left the city where I had spent 18 years of my life.

Casoria Central High School exceeded my expectations. Their campus was sprawling and green, with a serious focus on academics.

I was introduced to my new homeroom teacher, John Zimmerman, who was a mild-mannered middle-aged man.

He glanced at my transcript, asked no questions, and patted me on the back, saying, "Welcome to Casoria Central High School, Dominic. You can think of this place as your new home from now on."

I sat in the fourth row next to the window, and my deskmate was Leonardo Ziegler, who was very outgoing.

"Hey there! I'm Leonardo Ziegler! You can just call me Leo!" Leonardo smiled brightly, his expression full of warmth and confidence.

"I'm Dominic Hunt."

"You have a very cool-sounding name, Dominic—like the name of a hero from an action-fantasy novel!"

Leonardo was very friendly and outgoing, chirping away as he told me details about the class, like which teachers were strict and which cafeteria window served the best food.

He then pointed toward a quiet young lady with fair skin and a sharp-looking profile, reading in front of the classroom, and said, "That's Winnie Gibson, our class president. She's a straight-A student and very kind. You can ask her for help if you have any questions about schoolwork, Dominic."

Winnie, as if sensing our gazes, turned around.