The next morning felt like a hangover of guilt and confusion. Liana stood in front of her locker, pretending to fix her books while replaying every second of the night before. The kiss. Derek's smirk. Trevor walking out and closing the door like it was all normal.
The hallway buzzed with gossip as usual couples arguing, girls showing off new hairstyles, boys laughing too loud. But in Liana's head, everything was quiet except her own thoughts.
Trevor hadn't texted since last night. That was weird. Normally, he'd have already sent a dozen messages saying, "You okay, babe?" or "Don't be mad."
"Hey, Liana," a voice cut through the noise. It was Diana, her best friend, holding a cup of iced coffee like it was the cure to life.
"You look like you didn't sleep."
"I didn't," Liana muttered, shutting her locker. "Trevor did something stupid again."
Diana sighed dramatically. "When doesn't he? What happened this time?"
Liana hesitated. She wasn't ready to spill everything. "He let Derek in. During… you know."
Diana froze. "He what?"
Liana nodded, her jaw tight. "And then just left like it was some kind of game. Derek kissed me."
For a second, Diana just stared half in shock, half in disbelief. "Girl… what the hell kind of triangle are you in?"
Liana let out a humorless laugh. "A messed-up one."
Just then, Trevor appeared at the end of the hallway, hands in his pockets, looking unsure for the first time in a while. Liana felt something twist in her stomach anger mixed with sadness. He walked toward her, eyes searching hers, but she turned away.
"Liana, please," he said softly. "Can we talk?"
She shook her head. "I'm tired of talking, Trevor."
The bell rang, saving her from saying more. Students started flooding into classrooms, and Trevor just stood there watching her leave like someone who finally realized what he'd broken.
During class, she couldn't focus. Every scribble of chalk on the board sounded like the word guilt. Her mind replayed Derek's grin, the way Trevor's footsteps faded outside that locked door.
By lunch break, she was finally starting to relax. She and her friends sat under the big mango tree behind the music block, their usual spot eating meat pies and humming random tunes. Liana had her guitar out, showing off a new piece she'd written.
"It's called Glass Hearts," she said, brushing her fingers across the strings. "It's not finished, though."
Her best friend, Amira, gasped. "Girl, this is too good! You're gonna kill it at Talent Week!"
Liana laughed. "You think so?"
But before anyone could answer, a familiar voice cut through the chatter.
"Kill it? Please. More like kill my ears."
Liana's smile disappeared immediately. Derek stood there, hands in his pockets, smirking like he owned the place. His friends trailed behind him, snickering like hyenas.
Liana groaned. "Seriously, Derek? Can't you annoy someone else for once?"
He shrugged. "What? I'm just speaking facts. That song's mid. You should write me one instead maybe then it'd sound decent."
Her friends gasped. One even whispered, "He did not just say that."
Liana shot him a look. "You want a song? Fine. I'll write you one."
Derek grinned. "Bet."
He turned and walked away, and Liana could practically feel her blood boiling. Amira leaned over. "You're not really gonna waste your time on him, right?"
"Oh, I'm writing it," Liana muttered. "And he's gonna regret asking."
That night, she sat at her desk, pen flying across the page. Every line she wrote hit like a punch, it was about how toxic Derek was, how fake, how his ego could fill the whole school. It wasn't just lyrics. It was payback.
By the time she was done, she titled it Toxic Crown and smiled. "You wanted a song," she whispered, "now you've got one."
The next morning, she spotted Derek by his locker, surrounded by his usual crew. For once, he wasn't loud. He looked almost... shy. It was weird.
"Hey, Liana," he said when he saw her. His tone was softer than usual almost nervous. "Did you really write it?"
She folded her arms. "Yeah. Don't say I didn't warn you."
His friends leaned over his shoulder as he opened the paper. The grin that was always plastered on his face faded line by line. His jaw tightened. His hands shook slightly.
Then, before anyone could joke, he turned around — and she saw it. A tear. Real. Quick. And it hit her harder than she expected.
"Derek…" she started, but the words felt heavy. "I didn't mean"
He wiped his face roughly, trying to laugh it off. "Nah. It's cool. I asked for it, right?"
She stood there, frozen. Everyone around them had gone quiet, and for the first time, Derek wasn't the loudest person in the room.
When she walked away, her chest felt tight. The song she'd written to get back at him suddenly felt cruel.
Later, in music class, she couldn't focus. The guilt ate at her until she finally found him sitting alone outside, headphones around his neck.
"Hey," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have written it like that."
He looked up, eyes red but calm. "No, it's fine. Maybe I needed to hear it. You were right, anyway."
She sat beside him, silent. For the first time, he didn't feel like the arrogant jerk she hated. He just looked... human.
When she got home that evening, she sat by her window with her guitar, replaying the day in her mind Derek's tears, his silence, his weird kindness that morning. For some reason, it all lingered.
Her thoughts spiraled until she heard it again — that soft voice that had whispered to her once before.
"Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not boast. It is not proud…"
Liana froze. The words wrapped around her like a song only she could hear.
She set down her guitar and whispered to the quiet room, "God… what are You trying to tell me?"