The car ride back to campus was quieter.
Not in a sad way — more like everyone was clinging to the stillness of the weekend. That fragile peace that had wrapped around them like a blanket now began to lift, and the weight of university life returned with every passing mile.
Michelle stared out the window, her head resting on Steve's shoulder. Lila and Jordan were asleep in the front, their hands still tangled together.
"Don't want it to end," Michelle murmured.
Steve kissed her hair. "Then don't let it. Just carry it with you."
But the moment they stepped back onto campus, Michelle felt it — the buzz, the stares, the tension.
And the girls.
Those same girls who had once locked her in the bathroom. The same ones who hadn't forgotten. Or forgiven.
Old Games, New Smiles
Monday morning was painfully ordinary.
Lecture halls, tired students, spilled coffee. But Michelle noticed them — the whispers, the glances, the way a few girls leaned into Steve with just a little too much smile.
One of them — Emily — touched his arm in the hallway.
Michelle watched from down the corridor, her stomach turning.
Steve stepped back, clearly uncomfortable, and moved toward Michelle as soon as he saw her.
But the damage was already done.
"I don't get it," she said when he caught up with her. "You act like I'm yours off campus. But here? You avoid anything that would show we're… together."
Steve frowned. "That's not true."
Michelle's voice was low. "Is it about them? About what they'll think?"
"No," he said quickly. "It's just... I didn't want to bring drama to your door again."
"You didn't bring it. They did. And hiding won't make it stop."
He looked at her then, truly looked at her. "You're right."
Then he did something he hadn't done before — not in public.
He reached out, slid his fingers between hers, and kissed her — right there in the middle of the corridor.
People turned. Some whispered. Some stared.
Michelle's heart raced, but she didn't look away.
"Let them watch," Steve whispered. "I'm done pretending."
Back to Class — But Not Back to Normal
Despite the gesture, the girls didn't stop. That afternoon, Michelle found a mocking note in her locker. It wasn't signed, but she knew who it was from.
"Jealousy is ugly," Lila muttered when Michelle showed her.
"They're trying to get in my head," Michelle said.
"And they won't," Lila replied. "Not with me here."
They entered class together, sitting beside Jordan and Steve. It was a small rebellion — and it was noticed.
Emily walked by and smirked. "Cute group. Enjoy it while it lasts."
Michelle said nothing, but her fingers tightened around her pen.
Late-Night Reflections
That night, Michelle sat at her desk, staring at the same page in her notebook for over an hour.
Steve knocked once before entering her dorm room.
He crossed to her slowly, knelt beside her, and rested his chin on her knee.
"I hate that this is happening again."
Michelle met his eyes. "It's not your fault. It's just… I'm tired. Of proving myself. Of trying to be brave."
"You don't have to try," he said softly. "You already are."
She slid into his arms, and they stayed like that, holding onto the quiet. The stillness from the lake wasn't completely gone. It lived between them now — something steady. Something real.