---
EMILY — POV
The next few days after that strange encounter in the art room felt like I was walking on a thin thread—one wrong step and I'd fall, but somehow, I couldn't look away.
I kept seeing Vicky's tired eyes in my mind. The way he didn't smirk or sneer, like he was trying to hide something deeper. And for the first time, I wasn't sure if I wanted to run from him.
Jane noticed, of course. She kept shooting me worried looks and asking if I was okay. I told her I was fine, but she didn't seem convinced.
Mike was different too. He was kind and steady, like the rock I could hold on to when things felt uncertain. Every time he looked at me, it was like he was trying to tell me something without words. I wanted to trust him, but the tension between Vicky and Mike made that impossible.
At school, the hallways felt crowded and loud, but I could barely focus on anything except the pull between these two boys who were so different, yet somehow connected to me in ways I didn't fully understand.
That Friday afternoon, I found myself sitting alone on the bench outside the school, the crisp air biting my cheeks as I stared at the ground.
Mike came up behind me and sat down quietly.
"You okay?" he asked.
I shrugged. "I don't know."
He didn't press. He just sat there with me, the silence between us comfortable but filled with everything we couldn't say.
After a while, I asked, "Why do you care so much?"
He looked at me, eyes steady. "Because I don't want to lose you."
His words surprised me.
Before I could respond, Jane's voice interrupted, calling my name from down the hall.
"Come on," she said, waving.
I stood up, glancing back at Mike. His expression was soft but serious.
---
VICKY — POV
I couldn't stop thinking about Emily.
I tried to tell myself it was just curiosity. That I was watching her because it was the only thing that made school bearable.
But it was more than that.
I hated how she made me feel—like I was exposed, like I wanted to be better, and worse, all at the same time.
I didn't know how to handle it.
So, I kept my distance. Or at least, I tried to.
But every time I saw her with Mike, that tight knot in my chest twisted even tighter.
Mike was everything I wasn't: steady, reliable, and safe.
I wasn't safe. Not even close.
I found myself hanging around the edges of the library, waiting for moments when Emily was alone.
One day, I caught her sketching again—this time, a small fox curled up in a patch of grass.
She looked so focused, so peaceful.
I wanted to reach out, but my hands stayed in my pockets.
Instead, I whispered, "Why do you draw things that want to run away?"
She looked up, startled.
"Maybe because sometimes I feel like running," she said quietly.
---
MIKE — POV
I tried to keep things normal between Emily and me, but it was impossible when Vicky was around.
There was something dangerous about Vicky—something I couldn't ignore.
I wanted to protect Emily, but I also wanted to respect her choices. If she wanted to talk to Vicky, I wouldn't stop her. But I would be watching.
I was jealous, yes. But I didn't want to be that guy.
The guy who pushed her away.
The guy who made everything harder.
But the truth was, every time Vicky showed up, I felt like I was losing ground.
After school one day, I caught Emily leaving the art room just as Vicky was coming in.
I wanted to ask if she was okay, but the words caught in my throat.
Instead, I just walked her to her locker.
She leaned against the cold metal and looked up at me.
"Thanks for walking me," she said softly.
I smiled, "Anytime."
---
JANE — POV
Emily was changing. I could see it in her eyes, in the way she hesitated before answering questions, in the way she smiled sometimes and other times looked like she was miles away.
I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how.
And I could tell something was brewing between her and Vicky.
I hated it.
Vicky wasn't good for her. Everyone knew it.
But Emily was stubborn.
And maybe that was what scared me the most.
One afternoon, after school, I found Emily sitting alone on the bleachers, lost in thought.
I sat beside her, hesitating before I asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
She shook her head.
"I just feel... stuck."
I nodded, understanding too well.
"I'm here," I said, "whenever you're ready."
---
EMILY — POV
Friday afternoon, the school felt heavier than usual.
The week had been filled with stolen glances and unspoken words. I wasn't sure who I was anymore—just a girl caught between two worlds.
I sat in the library with Jane, trying to focus on our history project, but my mind kept drifting.
"Emily," Jane said softly, "are you listening?"
I shook my head and gave a small smile. "Sorry. Just tired."
She studied me, eyes sharp and worried.
"Talk to me."
I wanted to, but the words got stuck.
Just then, Mike walked in, carrying a stack of books. He looked over at me and smiled, his eyes warm and inviting.
I felt my heart race.
Jane caught it too.
"Hey," Mike said, sliding into the seat beside me. "How's it going?"
I shrugged. "Busy. You?"
"Same."
We fell into easy conversation, the kind that made me forget for a moment how complicated everything was.
But then the door opened, and Vicky stepped inside.
He looked around and his eyes locked on me.
The air shifted.
I swallowed hard.
---
VICKY — POV
Seeing her smile at Mike made something in me twist.
I wanted to storm in and say something.
Anything.
But I didn't.
Instead, I stayed silent and watched.
The library was quiet, and for a moment, I felt like I didn't belong there.
Like I was an outsider looking in on something I couldn't have.
---
MIKE — POV
I noticed Vicky standing near the door.
He didn't move, didn't say anything.
But I felt the tension thickening.
I wanted to say something—to tell Emily to be careful.
But I didn't.
I didn't want to push her away.
---
EMILY — POV
The silence between us grew heavy.
I felt trapped.
I wanted to stand up and leave, but my feet wouldn't move.
Jane squeezed my hand under the table.
Mike gave me a look that said, Stay strong.
Vicky's gaze never left me.
Finally, the librarian cleared her throat, breaking the tension.
Vicky nodded once and left.
The moment was gone.
But the weight remained.
---
JANE — POV
I wanted to say something to Emily after Vicky left.
But I didn't know how.
So I just watched her struggle.
---
EMILY — POV
That night, I lay awake, turning over everything.
Vicky's visit to the art room.
His stare in the library.
Mike's quiet support.
Jane's concern.
I was caught between people who wanted different things for me.
And I wasn't sure what I wanted for myself.
---
VICKY — POV
I couldn't stop replaying the afternoon.
Emily with Mike.
Laughing.
Safe.
Something inside me broke.
I hated that feeling.
But I hated it even more that I wanted to feel it again.
---
MIKE — POV
I wanted to be the one Emily could trust.
But trust was fragile.
And I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to hold it.
---
JANE — POV
Emily was at a crossroads.
I could see it clearly.
And I hoped she'd find her way.
---
EMILY — POV
The next day, I decided to take a risk.
During lunch, I walked over to Vicky.
He looked surprised.
"Hey," I said, my voice steady.
He raised an eyebrow.
"I want to understand," I added.
He blinked, then nodded slowly.
"Okay," he said.
And just like that, the thread between us began to pull tighter.
---
EMILY — POV (continued)
We found a quiet corner near the courtyard, away from the noise and curious eyes.
"So," I started, "why do you act the way you do? The bullying, the teasing... it's like you're pushing everyone away."
He laughed, but it wasn't funny.
"Maybe I'm scared," he said quietly. "Scared people will see who I really am and run."
I blinked.
"What do you mean?"
He looked down, running a hand through his hair.
"My dad's gone. Mom works all the time. I'm supposed to be the 'bad boy,' the one who doesn't care. But I do. I just don't know how to show it."
For the first time, I saw behind his mask.
The pain.
The loneliness.
And I wanted to reach out.
---
VICKY — POV
I wasn't used to talking like that.
To letting someone see the cracks.
But with Emily, it felt different.
Like maybe I didn't have to hide so much.
When she reached out and touched my hand, a spark ignited in me.
Maybe this was a start.
EMILY — POV
The wind tugged at my hair, but I didn't move away. Instead, I stayed close, watching the way his eyes flickered between guarded and something softer.
"Vicky," I said gently, "you don't have to be the 'bad boy.' You're more than that."
He let out a bitter laugh. "That's all anyone ever sees. The troublemaker, the bully. Nobody looks past that."
I took a slow breath. "Maybe it's because you don't let them."
His jaw tightened. "How do I let them? When I don't even know how to let myself."
I hesitated, trying to find the words that wouldn't scare him off.
"Maybe you don't have to do it alone," I said quietly. "Maybe you can start by trusting someone."
For a moment, his eyes searched mine, like he was weighing the risk.
"Trust," he repeated, like it was a foreign word.
I smiled softly. "It's scary. But it's also the only way to stop feeling so alone."
He looked down, and I thought he might say no, or walk away.
Instead, he reached out and touched my hand.
"Thanks, Emily," he said. "For not running."
I squeezed his fingers, feeling the thread between us stretch tighter—fragile, maybe, but real.
---
VICKY — POV
Her hand in mine was unexpected.
I wasn't sure I deserved it.
But I didn't want to let go.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe someone saw the real me.
Not the mask I wore to keep people at bay.
"Maybe," I whispered, "this could be the start."
And as we sat there under the gray sky, I let myself believe it.
---
MIKE — POV
I saw them
from across the schoolyard.
Emily and Vicky, talking quietly, close.
My chest tightened.
I wanted to march over and tell Emily to be careful.
But instead, I watched.
And waited.
---
JANE — POV
Change was coming.
I could feel it.
And no matter what happened next, I knew none of us would ever be the same.