The bus pulled into the schoolyard, and Alastair took a deep, shaky breath before stepping out into the storm. The rain had turned to a drizzle, but the dampness clung to him like a second skin. The school looked like a fortress, tall and daunting, its windows dark and uninviting. He trudged toward the entrance, each step heavier than the last.
And then he saw him. Eren, the school's poster boy for ignorance, was loitering near the bike racks. He had a smug grin on his face, as if the world had just handed him the winning lottery ticket. Alastair's stomach knotted at the sight. He'd hoped to avoid the usual morning barrage of insults, but fate had other plans.
"Look who decided to show up!" Eren jeered, his voice carrying across the wet pavement. A few early-arriving students snickered, and Alastair felt his cheeks burn with humiliation. He forced his eyes forward, focusing on the heavy doors that led to the safety of the school's embrace. But Eren wasn't one to let his prey escape so easily.
"You know, Rory's gonna be so proud when he sees those grades," Eren shouted, his words laden with spite. "Bet you're just like him, a worthless piece of-"
The rest of his taunt was cut off by a sudden burst of light, as if the storm had decided to strike directly at Alastair. But it wasn't lightning that illuminated the scene; it was a flash of anger in the eyes of a girl his age, standing a few feet away with her bike. Her voice, though small, was as sharp as a knife. "Leave him alone, Eren!"
Eren's smirk faltered, and he took a step back. It wasn't fear that made him retreat; it was surprise. Surprise that someone would dare to stand up to him, and more so, that it would be a girl. Alastair's mismatched eyes widened in shock. He knew her, of course; everyone knew Liana Castellanos, the school's quiet genius with a fiery temper when it came to injustice. But she'd never spoken to him before, never even looked his way.
Liana's gaze bore into Eren like a laser, her eyes flashing with a determination that could have melted steel. The rain had plastered her dark hair to her forehead, but she didn't look weak or vulnerable. Instead, she looked like a warrior, ready to fight the battles that others shied away from. Her voice, though small, carried the weight of a thousand storms. "You don't know what you're talking about," she spat.
Alastair's heart hammered in his chest, the sound echoing through his body like a drumline at a military parade. He'd seen Liana stand up for others before, her words cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter, leaving bullies trembling in her wake. But she had never, ever, defended him. He felt a spark of hope ignite within him, a warmth that battled the coldness of the rain.
Liana's eyes flicked towards him for the briefest of moments, a silent message of solidarity passing between them. It was a strange sensation, having someone on his side. The weight of his father's disapproval had been a constant companion for so long that he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to have an ally.