Yuna rolled her eyes as she overheard a group of girls at the lunch table behind her whispering about her relationship with Nick, wondering loudly how someone as popular and handsome as him could date someone like her. She was used to petty gossip by now, but their mean-spirited chatter still stung.
Ever since she and Nick had gone public as a couple, there had been no shortage of remarks and speculation from their jealous peers. Yuna knew she didn't fit the stereotypical image of the girlfriend a star athlete and generally well-liked guy like Nick "should" have.
But Nick never failed to assure her that he didn't care what anyone else thought – she was the only one he wanted by his side. His steadfast devotion helped Yuna rise above the judgment and envy of others. The opinions of strangers didn't matter, as long as she had Nick.
Lately though, the gossip had taken a more sinister turn from relatively harmless discussion about their perceived mismatched looks or social standing. A clique of mean girls from Nick's grade had begun escalating rumors about Yuna, even implicating her troubled past.
It started a few weeks ago with exaggerated whispers meant to reach Yuna's ears about how she was manipulative and controlling over Nick. Supposedly she was a "psycho" who had threatened girls in the past who expressed interest in him. Nick's patience and kindness was the only reason he hadn't dumped her yet, according to the nasty gossip that quickly circulated.
Then last week, the rumors grew even more personal and hurtful. The girls began speculating openly about Yuna's "dark history" that she was clearly hiding, even though hardly anyone except Nick knew the full truth of what she had endured with her parents. Cruel lies invented details that painted Yuna as seriously disturbed and unhinged.
Yuna felt sick hearing these vicious attacks on not just her character, but even her painful personal trauma that she had worked so hard to recover from. She had trusted a few close confidants at school with parts of her story, but now the mean girls were twisting even that private vulnerability into weapons to tear her down.
Despite trying to ignore the escalating gossip, the constant barrage was taking an emotional toll on Yuna. She found herself growing tense and withdrawn, constantly wondering what speculation she was the subject of now. Her appetite disappeared and sleep became restless as nasty words echoed through her head on repeat each night.
Nick immediately noticed the shift in Yuna's normally upbeat mood. When he asked what was wrong, the floodgates opened as she confessed what she had been forced to overhear from the callous bullies lately. Fury flashed across Nick's face at the revelation, quickly replaced by concern as he wrapped Yuna in a gentle hug.
"Don't let them get to you, baby. They're just insecure and jealous," he murmured against her hair. But seeing Yuna's raw anguish, Nick knew kind words alone wouldn't undo the damage this time.
The next day at school, Nick purposefully strode right up to the ring leader of the mean girls and her lackeys with Yuna. "If I hear even one more vicious rumor about my girlfriend, you'll regret it," he stated coldly before leading a shaken Yuna away.
The public warning succeeded in silencing the mean girls temporarily. But by the end of the week, they were back at it again with new fabricated gossip about Yuna's mental stability and home life situation. Their prejudice ran deep, as did their loathing of Yuna for dating Nick.
This time, the non-stop rumors took a toll on Nick too. As team captain, he was well-respected by his teammates and peers. But now he noticed guys from school eying him warily, having clearly heard distorted accounts of Yuna thanks to the rumor mill.
During lunch, Nick was startled when his teammate Julian came over to their table with a concerned expression. "Hey man, just wanted to check in – some people are saying maybe your girl is a bit too...unstable...for you," Julian said, avoiding looking directly at Yuna.
"Let me make this very clear," Nick responded through gritted teeth. "Yuna is the most amazing, resilient person I know. We're both done listening to bullies try to tear her down. Walk away."
After this confrontation, the rift only widened between Nick and some of his formerly friendly teammates and classmates. The poisonous words had planted seeds of doubt that were hard to shake. Walking the halls hand-in-hand, Yuna noticed people quickly looking away or averting their gazes.
That weekend, Nick showed up at Yuna's door looking weary but determined. "I think it's time we tell our friends the full truth about everything you've overcome. No more secrets."
And so Yuna bravely opened up to their closest confidants about her childhood traumas and mental health struggles – all the parts she had once kept locked away out of shame. Nick never let go of her hand, showing his unconditional support.
By the end, Yuna's friends were in tears as they rushed to embrace her. "We're so sorry you went through all that pain, but you're the strongest person we know," they chorused sincerely. Yuna felt lighter and freer than she had in ages after confiding her past.
On Monday, Yuna kept her chin high as she walked through the halls with her friends clustered around her. The mean girls' glares no longer affected her. She had finally stopped allowing her self-worth to be dictated by petty gossip and rumors.
Soon words of genuine support and admiration for Yuna's resilience began replacing the former malicious chatter. Nick beamed proudly seeing Yuna embrace her story and inspire empathy in others. Their relationship emerged even more unbreakable for having weathered this storm.