The following days at Excel High School were a blur of awkward silence and lingering tension. Amelia tried to avoid Lucas not because she wanted to, but because every time he was near, her carefully built walls threatened to crumble.
But Lucas? He wasn't making it easy.
No matter how much distance she tried to create, he was always there walking beside her in the hallways, defending her when the bullies pushed too far, and flashing those quiet, stubborn smiles that made her chest ache in ways she didn't understand.
And despite everything, a small, reckless part of her wanted him to stay.
By the middle of the week, the storm finally broke.
It started during gym class.
The moment Amelia stepped into the gymnasium, she felt the usual pit form in her stomach. Sports weren't her thing not when being picked last had become a routine humiliation.
Lucas stood across the gym, chatting easily with a few classmates. His laughter echoed, light and easy, like he belonged there. She couldn't help but feel a pang of envy. How did he fit in so effortlessly while she barely existed?
When the coach blew the whistle, Amelia's worst nightmare began dodgeball.
Jason and his friends grinned like wolves, already eyeing her as the perfect target. She swallowed hard and moved toward the back of the court, hoping to stay out of the line of fire.
It didn't work.
The first hit came fast a hard, stinging smack to her leg. She winced but stayed on her feet. The second ball struck her arm, knocking her back a step.
Laughter echoed around her.
"Wow, you're not even trying!" Jason called out, his voice dripping with mockery. "You're good for one thing losing!"
Amelia clenched her fists, heat rising to her face. She wanted to scream to fight back but she knew it would only make things worse.
And then, a blur of motion.
The next ball aimed straight at her face was snatched mid-air.
Lucas.
His fingers curled tightly around the ball as he stepped between her and Jason, his smile gone. The air in the gym shifted, heavy and tense.
"Didn't realize you were this desperate for attention," Lucas said coolly, tossing the ball to the side.
Jason's grin faltered. "What's your problem, new guy? Think you're her bodyguard or something?"
Lucas didn't flinch. "I think you're a coward."
The room fell into stunned silence.
Jason's expression darkened. "Say that again."
"I said," Lucas's voice dropped, colder now, "you're a coward. You pick on people who can't fight back because it makes you feel bigger."
Amelia's breath hitched. What was he doing? This wasn't a fight he could win not against Jason and his whole gang.
Before Jason could respond, the coach blew the final whistle, ending the game. But as everyone began filing out of the gym, Amelia knew this wasn't over.
Not even close.
Later that afternoon, Amelia stood at her locker, hands trembling as she tried to organize her books. She needed to find Lucas thank him, yell at him, she wasn't sure which but he hadn't been in their last class.
Just as she shut her locker, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"You think he's doing this because he likes you?"
Amelia turned to find Chelsea leaning against the wall, arms crossed, her perfect nails tapping impatiently against her sleeve.
"Lucas doesn't care about you," Chelsea sneered. "Guys like him? They get bored. He's probably just playing hero because it's entertaining."
Amelia bit the inside of her cheek, refusing to let the words sting.
"You're wrong," she said quietly.
Chelsea laughed a cruel, hollow sound. "Am I? Face it. He's only sticking around because you're his little charity project. And when he's done… you'll be alone again."
Amelia's throat burned, but she wouldn't give Chelsea the satisfaction of seeing her break. She turned on her heel and walked away, even as the words echoed painfully in her mind.
What if she was right?
That evening, as Amelia walked home beneath the darkening sky, her thoughts wouldn't stop spinning.
She didn't want to admit it, but Chelsea's words had struck a nerve. What if Lucas did get tired of her? What if this fragile connection they were building shattered the second things got too hard?
Lost in thought, she didn't notice the footsteps behind her until a familiar voice called out.
"Hey."
She turned to find Lucas walking a few paces behind, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. The tension in her chest loosened just a little.
"You didn't have to do that today," she said, breaking the silence.
Lucas shrugged. "I wanted to."
"You're going to make yourself a target," she warned. "Jason won't let this go."
"I can handle Jason," he said, his voice steady.
Amelia stopped walking, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Why? Why are you doing all this? I didn't ask you to fight my battles, Lucas."
He stopped too, studying her quietly for a moment. When he finally spoke, his words were softer.
"Because I know what it's like to feel like no one's in your corner."
Her heart thudded in her chest. "And you think you're my savior?"
Lucas let out a dry laugh. "I'm not a savior, Amelia. I'm just… someone who doesn't want to watch from the sidelines."
For a moment, the weight of everything hung between them. The anger. The confusion. The unspoken truths.
And then, as the wind picked up, Lucas took a step closer.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said quietly. "Even if you keep pushing me away."
The words pierced through her defenses, leaving her feeling more exposed than ever. She wanted to believe him wanted to trust that he meant it but trusting people had only ever left her hurt.
"I don't need your help," she whispered, though the words felt hollow.
Lucas tilted his head, his gaze never wavering. "Maybe not. But I'm still here."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and started walking again, leaving Amelia standing there alone beneath the fading light wondering if maybe, just maybe, she didn't want him to leave after all.
To be continued…