The moment I stepped through the school gates, I could feel it.
Eyes.
Dozens of them, crawling over me like I was some exotic animal brought in for show and tell.
The whispers weren't subtle either.
"that's him, right? The one the new teacher called out yesterday?"
"Wait, did you see how she looked at him? Totally sus."
"No way a teacher would just… hug a student like that…"
"Bet he's screwing her."
"Bro, if that's true, he's living the dream."
Yeah. The cafeteria incident had spread like wildfire. No surprise, teenagers feed on gossip harder than soldiers feed on cigarettes in the field.
I kept walking. Shoulders relaxed, steps steady, like none of it mattered. That's the thing about confidence: if you act like whispers can't touch you, half the time they really don't.
Ding!
The familiar sultry voice purred in my head.
[System Alert: Public Perception is shifting…]
[New Passive Unlocked: "Scandalous Aura."]
