Elena sat at the edge of her seat, her notebook open but untouched. The history teacher was talking about ancient civilizations, but the real noise wasn't coming from the front of the room. It was behind her, beside her, even across the room near the windows.
Whispers.
She had heard them before. On her first day. In the halls. Near her locker. But now they were louder, less careful.
"Why is she sitting next to him again?"
"Did you see them at the game? He walked her home."
"Maybe she's into bad boys."
Elena kept her face neutral, eyes focused on the map the teacher had drawn on the board. But her ears caught every word.
Liam was slouched in the chair next to her, arms crossed, eyes half-open like he didn't care. But she noticed how his fingers tapped against his leg, faster than usual. He had heard them too.
"Don't listen to them," she whispered, without turning.
He didn't answer.
The teacher turned to the class and asked a question about Mesopotamia. A few hands went up. Elena raised hers too.
"Yes, Elena?" the teacher said, looking a little surprised.
She explained her answer clearly, mentioning something she had read in a book at her old school. A few students rolled their eyes. A boy near the back snorted.
When class ended, students rushed to the door. Elena stayed behind, gathering her books slowly.
"You could've ignored that question," Liam said quietly beside her.
"I wanted to answer," she replied.
He didn't move. "They think you're trying too hard."
"I'm not here for them."
His eyes narrowed. "Then who are you here for?"
She blinked, caught off guard. But before she could answer, he was already walking out of the room.
In the next class, the whispers followed her.
"She's rich, right? Why is she here?"
"Probably got kicked out of St. Claire."
"I heard she paid to transfer."
"Liam's got a new sugar mama."
Elena sat next to Bella this time. The girl frowned as she pulled out her books.
"You okay?" Bella asked.
Elena gave a small nod. "They're just curious."
Bella leaned closer. "No, they're cruel. And jealous."
Elena sighed. "I didn't expect to be liked by everyone. But I didn't think it would be this loud."
Bella glanced across the room where Liam sat with his hoodie pulled over his head. "People don't understand him. And now they don't understand you either. That's a dangerous combination."
At lunch, Elena found a quiet table near the back. She didn't feel like talking, but Bella joined her anyway.
A few minutes later, a boy named Kyle approached. He had spiky hair, a bright smile, and a voice loud enough to draw attention.
"Hey, Elena," he said, sitting down without asking. "You're in my chem class, right?"
She gave him a polite smile. "Yes."
He grinned wider. "You've got smart girl vibes. I like that."
Bella raised an eyebrow. Elena held back a sigh.
Kyle leaned in a little. "Listen, a bunch of us are going to the arcade after school. You should come."
Before she could answer, Liam walked by with a tray of food. He didn't stop. He didn't even glance their way. But his jaw was tight, and the tray hit the table harder than necessary when he sat down a few rows away.
Kyle kept talking. "So, what do you think? It'll be fun. Unless you've got plans with that guy—what's his name? Liam?"
Elena looked him in the eye. "I don't need anyone's permission to go somewhere."
Kyle laughed. "Right. Independent girl. I like that too."
Bella rolled her eyes. Elena offered a polite excuse and left the table early.
The hallway after lunch was just as noisy.
"She's definitely into him."
"He's going to ruin her."
"She'll regret this. Just wait."
Elena passed a group of girls who stared at her as she walked by. Their eyes were sharp, their lips curled in fake smiles.
One of them whispered loudly, "Some people don't know where they belong."
Elena didn't stop walking. But she felt the sting.
At her locker, Liam was leaning beside it. His arms were crossed, and his head tilted slightly when she approached.
"Was he flirting with you?" he asked.
She looked at him calmly. "Does it matter?"
"It shouldn't," he muttered. "But it does."
She opened her locker, pretending to look for something. "Why?"
"Because they're talking about you. About us."
Elena turned to face him. "Let them."
He didn't reply.
She stepped closer. "I didn't come here to fit in. I came here to see you."
His eyes flickered. "Why me?"
"You're not like them."
"That's not a compliment," he said bitterly.
"It is to me."
For a moment, the air between them felt heavier. Not angry. Just full.
Then Liam pulled back. "People will think whatever they want."
"Let them think," she said.
His lips twitched like he almost smiled. But then he pushed off the locker and walked away.
Elena watched him go. The whispers would come again. Maybe louder. Maybe harsher.
But she didn't regret a thing.
Elena kept her gaze down as she walked through the hallway. The buzz of voices wasn't just normal school chatter anymore. Every few steps, she felt it—eyes on her, whispers behind her back.
"She transferred from St. Claire's just to follow him?"
"Why Liam of all people?"
"I heard he got into a fight last month. She must be into bad boys."
Each sentence felt like a pin prick. Elena tried to ignore them, but they slid under her skin and sat there.
She stepped into her classroom and made her way to her seat. Bella caught her eye and gave her a small, sympathetic smile, but even Bella's shoulders seemed more tense today.
"Morning," Elena said, trying to keep her voice light.
Bella leaned in and whispered, "Don't check your phone. It's worse online."
Elena's stomach tightened. "How bad is it?"
"There's a thread on the school page," Bella said, voice low. "Someone posted that you only transferred here because you're obsessed with Liam."
Elena blinked. "Well... it's kind of true."
Bella gave her a sharp look. "Can you not say things like that out loud? Seriously."
Elena tried to smile, but it came out lopsided. "Why? People already think it."
Bella sighed. "Exactly. That's why you should be more careful. You don't want to make it worse. But..." She gave a small shrug. "People do love a good story."
Elena leaned back in her seat and stared up at the ceiling. Was all of this really because she sat next to Liam in class? Because he walked her home once?
How fast did rumors grow in this school?
She should've known this would happen. This school wasn't like St. Claire's. Rumors here didn't get cleaned up by the dean's office or pushed under a shiny rug. They grew. They spread like spilled ink.
As class began, Elena tried to focus on the lesson. She kept her eyes on the board, pretending everything was normal. But the whispers didn't stop. They floated through the room like smoke—thin, bitter, and impossible to ignore.
They weren't even trying to be quiet.
Someone two seats behind her muttered, "Rich girls must get bored too, huh?"
Laughter followed.
Elena's grip on her pen tightened. Her knuckles turned white. She took a slow breath, trying to calm the heat rising in her chest.
I'm older than them, she reminded herself. I've lived through worse. I've lived into my fifties. These are just kids...
But that didn't make it easier.