The rest of the day passed in a blur, but the weight of what had happened during lunch clung to Amelia like a second skin. She could still feel the eyes of her classmates burning into her back some curious, others hostile. Lucas had shaken the fragile social order of Excel High, and Amelia knew there would be consequences.
As the final bell rang, she quickly stuffed her books into her bag, keeping her head down while the classroom buzzed with laughter and conversation. She hoped prayed that Lucas had already left. She didn't want him walking with her. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate what he had done. It was that she knew how much worse things would get if he kept hanging around her.
But when she stepped into the hallway, he was already there leaning casually against the lockers, waiting.
"Are you stalking me now?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light despite the fluttering in her chest.
Lucas grinned. "I prefer to call it making sure my only friend gets home safe."
Friend. The word twisted something deep inside her something she had long since buried.
"You don't have to do this," she said quietly. "You still have a chance to walk away before they make you their next target."
He tilted his head, studying her with that unreadable expression. "I'm not going anywhere, Amelia."
A warmth spread through her chest unexpected and dangerous. She wasn't supposed to feel this. She wasn't supposed to want someone to stay.
They walked in silence for a few blocks, the sound of their footsteps mixing with the distant rumble of thunder. The sky was heavy and dark, thick clouds swirling as though another storm was about to break.
"You never told me why they hate you so much," Lucas said suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet.
Amelia stiffened. "It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me," he said softly.
For a heartbeat, she considered telling him everything the rumors, the betrayal, the way Chelsea had made sure no one would ever see her as anything more than a punching bag. But how could she put that into words? How could she explain years of loneliness in a single conversation?
Instead, she shrugged. "Some people just need someone to pick on. I'm an easy target."
Lucas stopped walking, his hand gently catching her wrist. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver up her spine.
"You're not an easy target to me," he said, his voice firm. "And I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore."
Amelia opened her mouth to argue but before she could, a loud voice cut through the air.
"Well, isn't this cozy?"
Her stomach dropped.
Jason.
He stood on the corner with three other boys, his arms crossed over his chest and a cruel smile stretching across his face. Behind him, Chelsea leaned against a wall, watching with cold amusement.
Lucas's grip on her wrist tightened slightly before he let go, stepping in front of her as if to shield her from their view.
"You don't get tired, do you?" Lucas said calmly.
Jason laughed a low, menacing sound. "Oh, I'm just getting started. You think you can walk around like you own the place because you're the new guy? Doesn't work that way here."
Lucas didn't flinch. "I don't care how it works. I'm not scared of you."
The tension crackled between them like lightning waiting to strike. Amelia wanted to pull Lucas away, to tell him it wasn't worth it but she knew Jason wasn't going to back down without a fight.
"You should be scared," Jason growled, stepping closer. "Because you're about to regret sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."
Without warning, he lunged.
Amelia gasped as Jason swung at Lucas but Lucas was faster. He dodged easily, his expression unreadable as he stepped back.
"Is that all you've got?" Lucas taunted, his voice like ice.
Jason's face twisted with rage, and he came at him again this time, with more force. But Lucas caught his wrist mid-swing, twisting it just enough to make Jason wince.
"I told you," Lucas said quietly. "I'm not playing your game."
The other boys shifted uncomfortably, as if unsure whether to join the fight or retreat. Even Chelsea's smirk faltered.
For the first time, Amelia saw it clearly Lucas wasn't just defending her. He was a fighter. And Jason? He had just made the mistake of underestimating him.
"You'll pay for this," Jason spat as Lucas released his wrist. "Both of you."
Lucas didn't respond. He simply turned and grabbed Amelia's hand, pulling her away from the scene.
Her heart pounded in her chest as they walked in silence his touch burning against her skin long after they left Jason and his gang behind.
When they finally reached her house, Lucas let go of her hand, shoving his into his pockets.
"You really didn't have to do that," Amelia said softly, her voice trembling.
"I did," Lucas replied, his gaze locking onto hers. "Because you're not alone anymore, Amelia. Not while I'm here."
She didn't know how to respond to that. No one had ever stood up for her like he did. And no one had ever made her feel this way like she mattered.
But as she watched him walk next door to his own house, one thought echoed in her mind.
Jason wouldn't let this go. And Lucas had just painted a target on both their backs.
To be continued…