Oliver remembered what he'd spent the whole afternoon telling himself. If I don't stand up now, this will continue. There was no going back.
He lifted his head. Lucas was still smiling. "Come on. You wanted to be honest, right? So say it."
Oliver looked around the room, then back at Lucas.
"It's true."
Lucas blinked. "What?"
His voice was still shaking, but it held. "It's true."
"Say it louder."
He took a breath. "It's true."
The laughter started to quiet.
"I like 2D fictional characters," Oliver said. The room went quieter still. "But is that really wrong?" Nobody answered. "I like Remmy." His face stayed red, but his voice didn't waver. "That doesn't give you the right to judge me. And it doesn't give you the right to beat me up."
The last of the laughter died out. His hands slowly unclenched. "My only fault is that I like fictional characters. And you guys used it against me." His voice grew steadier with every sentence. "You asked me for money. You made me run your errands. And you told me to stay quiet while you blamed Chris and Noah for what you did to me."
The classroom was completely silent.
He looked at Lucas. "So tell me. What's worse?" His gaze moved across the room. "Me liking a fictional character?" Then it landed on the group who'd been using it against him. "Or you four bullying someone because you knew his secret?"
Nobody laughed. Nobody answered.
Daniel finally spoke. "So what do you want to do now? Do you want to make a complaint to the faculty?"
Lucas and the others straightened at once. Oliver's heart started pounding all over again. This was it. He could say it. He could finally report everything.
His mouth opened.
Then, before the words could come out, something shifted, quick and quiet.
A faint silver shimmer swept through a pair of blue eyes across the room, circling the pupils for less than a second before settling.
Oliver blinked. Something in his thoughts smoothed over, like a held breath finally let go.
"No," he said.
Lucas looked caught off guard.
"Middle school's already ending," Oliver went on. "I just hope you guys do better in high school." He paused. "And if anyone has a problem with me liking a fictional character..." He shrugged. "Stay away from me."
Nobody in the classroom had anything left to say.
Then a voice came from the other side of the room. "So what?"
Everyone turned. Tyler was sprawled against his desk, apparently having listened to the whole thing, head lifted just enough to be heard. "I also like 2D characters." He glanced toward Chris. "There's nothing wrong with liking a fictional character."
A small laugh went around. Then someone else named a character they liked, and someone joined in after that, and within a minute the tension that had filled the room had thinned out into ordinary chatter, students talking over each other like nothing had happened at all.
Oliver stayed in his seat, looking around. Nobody was staring at him anymore, not the way they had a minute ago. Something inside him felt lighter, two days of pressure finally letting go all at once.
Maybe some people would still judge him. Maybe some wouldn't understand. That was fine. If someone didn't want to be around him over what he liked, they could stay away. He could live with that and for the first time in two days, he felt something close to peace.
Across the room, Luna's eyes narrowed at Tyler. "I knew it."
"Knew what?"
"You like romance."
"No, I never said..."
"You just said you like 2D girls."
Eris turned toward him, suspicious. "Since when are you into 2D characters?"
"I'm not."
"You definitely are," Luna said, pointing.
Eris stood. Tyler noticed immediately. "Hey, wait."
She was already walking away. "It's not what you think," he called after her, but she just kept going, straight toward Clara.
Tyler stared after her, then covered his face with one hand. "Why did I say that." He already knew exactly what was coming. "She's going to tease me about this for the rest of my life."
Luna looked at Chris. Chris looked back.
"He just admitted it," Luna said.
"Yes." Chris nodded gravely. "For the rest of his life."
"What are you two thinking?" Tyler said, leaning toward them, and both of them straightened up fast.
"Umm." Chris cleared his throat. "I was saying, Tyler..." He caught the look Tyler was giving him and changed course immediately. "What are your plans after school?"
Tyler stared at him for a second. "Is that what you were talking about?"
"Just answer me."
He sighed. "I have to wrap up some work with the soccer club." He glanced at the clock. "The new members are doing better than I expected, so they'll probably manage fine. Coach also wants me to give them a speech before the tournament."
"That's in two months, right?" Luna asked.
"Yeah."
"I know you'll do well." She paused. "You're already good at giving advice. Especially those philosophical speeches."
"Well." Tyler considered it. "That's true. But now I'm regretting it."
"Why do you think so?" Luna asked.
"I just wasted two great lines on something this stupid." He glanced toward Chris. "Is that even a real secret? Liking a character and trying to hide it?"
Luna laughed.
"Well, if you're talking about that," Chris said, "what do you think? Why didn't Oliver report Danny and the others?"
Tyler leaned back in his chair. "Who knows. Like I said, it's his choice."
It wasn't, not anymore.
Oliver hadn't been unwilling. For a moment there, with the whole room holding its breath, he'd genuinely meant to say yes. Tyler had felt the decision take shape, clean and certain, right before it could leave his mouth, and that was exactly the moment he'd reached in and nudged it aside.
None of this had happened in his past life. Not in middle school, not like this. Danny hadn't been exposed this early, hadn't been dragged in front of a faculty complaint before he'd finished growing into someone Tyler still needed. Danny and Miles both had to still be standing in the same high school two years from now, right where they belonged in the version of events he'd already lived through once.
If Oliver reported it today, there was a real chance Danny got expelled. Different school, maybe a different city, gone from the board entirely. And once one piece shifted that far out of place, there was no telling how much of the rest would move with it. Every advantage that came from already knowing how this played out would be spent protecting a boy he barely knew from a consequence Tyler had simply decided wasn't allowed to happen yet.
So he'd used it. A small thing. Barely a push, the kind that felt like Oliver's own second thoughts rather than someone else's hand on the scale. Oliver would never know the difference.
That was the point.
"Anyway. So you're busy," Chris said.
"Very."
Chris nodded. "Alright. See you tomorrow."
Tyler stood, and the others as well.
---
"Hey."
Clara looked up and smiled. "Hey. You done with your report?"
"Yeah, it's all finished." Eris held it up slightly. "I just have to drop it off in the student council room."
Clara stood, slipping her bag over one shoulder. "Really? You finished faster than I expected."
"Tyler did most of it."
Clara's eyebrows went up. "He did?"
"He took it from me during lunch."
"Oh, that's nice." Clara glanced across the classroom. "I thought he was busy with all the drama during lunch."
Eris followed her gaze.
Tyler was at his desk, talking with Chris and Luna. "He's multitasking."
Clara laughed. "I suppose he is." She adjusted her bag. "So we're checking out that café, right?"
"Definitely." Eris looked down at the report. "Once I hand this in, all my school responsibilities are finally over."
"Good. You deserve a break."
Eris hesitated. "Can we bring Tyler too?"
Clara went still, her eyes narrowing at Eris in a way that told Eris exactly what was coming. "What?"
"Why?"
Eris stepped closer and dropped her voice. "He skipped lunch because of me."
Clara's expression softened. "So?"
"I was thinking of treating him to something."
"Fine." Clara's eyebrow went up. "But did you even ask him?"
Eris went quiet. "No."
"Then ask him." Clara pointed past her shoulder. "He's literally standing behind you."
Eris froze. A voice came from right beside her ear. "What are you planning against me?"
She jolted upright and spun around. Tyler was standing close enough that she nearly walked straight into him, a faint smile already on his face. "What are you planning behind my back, you little goose?"
"Goose?" She pointed at herself. "So I've evolved from a worm to a goose now?"
"Well," Chris called from nearby, "you're both now."
Eris turned on him with a glare sharp enough to cut through the desk between them, and Chris looked away fast.
Tyler, for his part, looked thoroughly entertained. "So," he said, glancing between them, "what were you whispering about?"
"It was Eris," Clara said, smiling.
"It was nothing particular," Eris said quickly.
"Nothing particular?"
"I was just asking if we should take you with us to check out the café."
His eyebrow stayed up. "That's what you were whispering about?"
"Obviously." She glanced at Clara. "Right?"
Clara caught the look immediately. "She's right."
Tyler looked between the two of them, and Eris smiled. "So we've decided you're coming with us."
"Have we?"
"Yes."
Tyler opened his mouth to answer, but Chris got there first. "Well, today isn't your day."
"What?"
"He's got soccer club," Chris said.
Eris turned to Tyler. "What?"
"Apparently he has to give a speech to the club before he leaves," Luna added from her seat.
Eris's face fell. "Oh." She looked at Tyler. "You actually have to go?"
"Yeah."
Her shoulders dropped, just slightly, and he noticed. "But I'll be free in about half an hour."
Her eyes lit right back up. "If you guys can wait, I'll join you."
"Really?" She spun toward Clara. "That's great! We can wait thirty minutes, right?"
"We can," Clara said, smiling at how fast her mood had flipped.
"And we can hear his speech."
"The speech is in the boys' changing room," Tyler said.
"So?"
"Not on the field." He leaned in slightly, dead serious. "So if you want to hear it with half-naked boys walking around, you're welcome to."
Eris's smile vanished, her face going completely blank. Laughter broke out from everyone nearby, and Tyler turned his face away to hide the fact that he was fighting one too.
She took a slow breath. "Don't be late." She grabbed Clara's hand. "Come on."
"Wait..." Clara was already being pulled toward the door, laughing the whole way there.
Tyler watched them go, shaking his head. This stupid girl.
As the two disappeared into the hallway, Tyler glanced once toward Lucas's seat.
It was empty.
He had told Lucas to meet him after school.
But apparently...
Tyler looked away.
"Well."
There wasn't much he could do if Lucas had decided not to come.
---
Eris handed the report to the student council room and stepped back outside.
Clara was waiting in the hallway.
"Come on."
Clara nodded.
Neither of them spoke as they started walking.
Eris glanced at her.
Something was strange.
Clara had been unusually quiet since they left the classroom.
Eris studied her face.
Clara's cheeks were slightly puffed, and she seemed to be putting considerable effort into keeping her expression under control.
Eris narrowed her eyes.
"You're holding it in, aren't you?"
Clara looked away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Eris sighed.
"You can laugh."
The moment the words left her mouth, Clara burst out laughing.
"Pfft—hahaha!"
Eris stopped walking.
Clara covered her mouth, but it didn't help.
"You should've seen your face!"
She laughed harder.
"That dumb expression of yours!"
Eris stared at her for a few seconds.
Then she sighed.
"Okay, okay. I understand."
Clara was still laughing beside her.
"No need to explain it."