Wednesday mornings always made Hannah's stomach twist into nervous knots.
It wasn't that she was afraid of speaking — she believed every word she shared. She needed to share it. But every week, the faces staring back at her seemed colder. Meaner. Less willing to listen.
Still, she stood at the front of the classroom after the bell, a tiny folded note pinched between trembling fingers. She cleared her throat, forcing bravery into her voice.
"Good morning," she said, too softly at first. She tried again. "Good morning, everyone."
A few students mumbled halfhearted replies. Most didn't bother.
She opened her note. Today's verse was one she had repeated to herself at least a dozen times the night before:
"Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
As she spoke, a few students smirked. A couple mimicked her lips moving. Someone yawned dramatically loud, and the room erupted with suppressed laughter.
But she kept going.
Because if she stopped, she feared she might never start again.
"God cares about you," she said, voice steadier now. "Even on days when you feel invisible."
For a moment her eyes flicked to the back of the room.
Jake Walker sat slouched in his usual chair, hood up, headphones around his neck. He didn't look away like the others. He stared right at her — not mocking... just watching.
She quickly glanced down. Finished her message. Then walked back toward her seat, heart pounding like a trapped bird.
That's when it happened.
A sneaker slid out into her path — quick and cruel.
Hannah stumbled forward. Her books flew out of her hands and scattered across the floor. Gasps turned into laughter that stabbed at her chest like tiny knives.
"Oops," the boy snickered. "Guess God wasn't watching her steps."
Her cheeks flamed with humiliation. Not again. Please, not again.
She knelt to grab her Bible, hands shaking so badly she dropped it twice. The gold letters blurred behind the tears threatening to spill.
But then—
A chair scraped sharply against tile.
The laughter thinned, hesitant. Hannah looked up just in time to see Jake stand, jaw clenched, fists balled tight at his sides. He didn't shout. He didn't need to.
His stare did all the talking.
The bully shrank down like a popped balloon, suddenly very interested in the floor.
Jake walked over, and without a word, knelt beside Hannah. He gathered her books carefully — almost tenderly — and stacked them in her arms.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low, like he didn't want anyone else to hear.
She nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was true.
His eyes flicked to the others. "People are idiots," he muttered, loud enough for them to hear this time. The room went dead silent.
Hannah swallowed. "Thank you," she whispered, barely audible.
Jake didn't smile. Didn't pretend to be a hero. He just nudged an empty chair beside his.
"Sit," he said quietly.
Her breath caught. Sit next to him? The most talked-about rebel in school? The one who punched lockers and skipped class and made teachers rub their temples?
Every warning she'd ever been taught flashed in her mind.
But... she was tired of being alone.
So she walked over. Sat down slowly, heart thudding louder than the ticking classroom clock.
The teacher droned on about symbolism and themes, but Hannah couldn't focus. She kept stealing subtle glances at Jake. Trying to understand him.
Halfway through the period, he leaned closer, voice rough but unexpectedly gentle.
"You know why they mock you?" he asked.
She blinked, startled. "Why?"
"Because you believe in something." He stared forward like the words were a burden. "They don't. And that scares them."
Hannah wasn't sure what shocked her more — that he cared enough to say something... or that he understood her in a way no one else ever had.
"Do you believe in anything?" she finally asked, curiosity outweighing fear.
Jake's jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. "Not anymore."
Like a door slamming shut.
Hannah wanted to ask why — but the bell cut her off.
Students rushed out noisily, already forgetting the moment. But Hannah stayed frozen in her seat, watching Jake shove his hands into his pockets and pull up his hood.
He paused before leaving and looked back at her.
Just a second. Just a flicker. But enough.
Enough to make her wonder.
Who hurt him?
Why did he defend her?
And why did her heart feel so warm where everyone else made it feel cold?
As he disappeared into the hallway, a quiet thought whispered its way into her mind:
Maybe the boy they warned her about... was the one who needed saving the most.