The next day, Mia woke up feeling a mix of nervous anticipation and dread. Walking to school with Dylan Westwood still felt unreal, and as much as she hated to admit it, she'd replayed their conversation in her mind more times than she cared to count. He had layers—unexpected layers that she wasn't prepared to deal with. But now, there was the problem of school. Because if yesterday's cafeteria whispers were bad, today promised to be worse.
When Mia arrived, her fears were confirmed. The second she stepped onto school grounds, all eyes seemed to be on her. It was like she had been spotlighted in some unwelcome teen drama, and the cast of judgmental extras was out in full force.
"Here we go," Mia muttered under her breath, clutching her books tighter as she navigated the crowded hallway.
"Mia!" Lila called, catching up to her. Her friend looked both ecstatic and mildly exasperated. "Do you ever check your phone? I texted you like fifty times last night."
Mia blinked. "Uh, no? Why?"
Lila rolled her eyes. "You're trending, that's why. Well, not trending trending, but your name came up on Brooke's Instagram story. And spoiler alert: it wasn't flattering."
Mia groaned, leaning against her locker. "What did she say?"
"Something like, 'Some girls don't know their place,' with a picture of Dylan in the background. It's clearly about you."
"Great," Mia muttered. "Just what I needed."
Lila placed a comforting hand on Mia's shoulder. "Don't let her get to you. She's just jealous. I mean, Dylan Westwood walked you home. Walked. You. Home. Do you know how many girls in this school would kill for that?"
"I don't get why," Mia said, exasperated. "It was just a walk. A nice walk, sure, but it doesn't mean anything."
"Keep telling yourself that," Lila teased, winking.
The first half of the school day passed in a blur of half-whispered comments and side glances. By lunchtime, Mia was drained. She debated skipping the cafeteria altogether and eating outside, but Lila practically dragged her to their usual table.
"You can't let them win," Lila said firmly. "If you start hiding now, they'll just keep coming for you."
Reluctantly, Mia followed. To her surprise—and horror—Dylan was already there, waiting for her.
"Hey, Anderson," he greeted, his grin easy and familiar.
Mia froze mid-step. "What are you doing here?"
"Saving you a seat," Dylan said, gesturing to the chair beside him.
Lila elbowed Mia, whispering, "Sit down before you embarrass yourself."
Reluctantly, Mia sat. She could feel the weight of the entire cafeteria's attention on her, and it made her want to crawl under the table.
"You okay?" Dylan asked, leaning in slightly.
"Fine," she lied, poking at her sandwich.
He studied her for a moment, then leaned back. "Good. Because Brooke's been glaring at me all day, and I'd hate to think I went through all that drama for nothing."
Mia glanced up at him, surprised. "Why would you care about drama over me?"
Dylan shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"
That was the thing about Dylan—he always said things like they were the simplest truths in the world, even when they didn't make any sense to Mia.
By the time the final bell rang, Mia was exhausted. She headed to her locker, ready to grab her books and disappear for the day, when Brooke and her entourage appeared out of nowhere.
"Well, if it isn't the star of the show," Brooke sneered, blocking Mia's path.
Mia sighed. "What do you want, Brooke?"
"To know what your deal is," Brooke said, crossing her arms. "You think you're special because Dylan feels sorry for you?"
Mia bit her tongue, willing herself not to take the bait. "I don't think I'm special. I don't think about Dylan at all."
"Liar," one of Brooke's friends chimed in.
Brooke smirked. "Here's the thing, Mia. Dylan belongs with people like us. Not some awkward nobody who thinks she's suddenly important because she got lucky at a party."
"I didn't ask for any of this," Mia said, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach.
"Then stay out of it," Brooke snapped. "Stay away from him."
Before Mia could respond, Dylan's voice cut through the tension.
"Stay away from who?"
Mia turned to see him standing a few feet away, his expression cool but his eyes sharp. Brooke's confident facade faltered.
"Dylan, we were just—"
"Harassing Mia?" he finished, stepping closer. "Yeah, I saw. So, what's the problem?"
"There's no problem," Brooke said quickly, her cheeks flushing.
"Good," Dylan said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Because I make my own decisions. And if I want to sit with Mia at lunch or walk her home, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Got it?"
Brooke glared at Mia one last time before storming off, her friends trailing behind her.
Mia stared after them, stunned. "You didn't have to do that," she said quietly.
"Yes, I did," Dylan said. "You don't deserve that crap."
Mia looked at him, really looked at him, and felt her walls start to crack just a little. Maybe he wasn't as untouchable as she thought.
That night, Mia lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The day had been one of the most overwhelming of her life, but it had also been... different. Dylan had stood up for her. He had chosen her, in a way that no one ever had before.
For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel invisible.
And that terrified her.
Because being seen came with risks.
And she wasn't sure if she was ready to take them.