The morning was as dull as Liam's mood. He walked to school slowly, dragging his bag behind him.
Why did I even come today? he thought. His friends were all absent. The day already felt useless.
When he entered the classroom, the truth hit him—none of his friends were there. He put his bag on the desk, sat down, and stared at the empty board.
Today is going to be boring… no. Something bad is going to happen. I can feel it.
The teacher came in and started class. Soon, he called Liam to the board.
"Liam, solve this."
Liam froze. His mind went blank for a few seconds. The whole class was looking at him. His hand shook as he held the chalk.
Then he remembered—the formula. He wrote it step by step, whispering the numbers as he worked. After a few minutes, he finished and circled the answer.
The teacher nodded. "Correct. Sit down."
Liam breathed out in relief and went back to his seat.
Then the teacher called Steve.
The room grew tense. Steve was the school's biggest bully, and everyone knew he hated Liam.
Steve stood in front of the board but didn't even try. He just stared at it, then turned to Liam with a mocking grin. He laughed as if trying to get Liam's attention.
Liam didn't look at him. He just kept his eyes on the desk.
Steve's grin faded.
"Time's up. Go stand outside," the teacher said.
Steve slammed the chalk down and walked out in anger. His gang followed.
Break time came. Liam packed his bag and pulled out a book, but his eyes weren't on the page. They'll come for me. I know it.
He rushed to the staff room. One of his teachers looked up as Liam ran in.
"Sir, please pretend you're talking to me about my test," Liam whispered quickly.
The teacher frowned. "What—?"
"Steve and his group are waiting. They want to beat me. Please bring the P.E. teacher to class in two minutes."
The teacher's face hardened. He glanced at the door and saw shadows moving. He gave Liam a short nod. "Go."
Liam ran back to class. Behind him, footsteps followed.
"Liam! Stop—we just want to talk," someone called.
He didn't stop. He ran inside and face the wall. For a moment, silence. No more footsteps.
Then—just as he looked behind.
Smash!
A chair slammed into his chest. He fell to the floor, gasping for air. His chest burned with pain.
Steve walked in calmly, like he owned the room. He pressed his foot against Liam's face.
"How many times do I have to say it? Don't mess with us." Steve rubbed his shoe on Liam's cheek, his voice sharp. "You're nothing but a pathetic loser. Trash. I hate your guts. I hate everything about you. From now on, you'll do whatever I say. Or this will happen every day."
The door burst open.
The P.E. teacher stormed in, followed by Liam's other teacher.
"Enough!"
Steve's group panicked, trying to run. But the P.E. teacher caught them by the collar. "That's it. You're all expelled."
Liam, though trembling with pain, pushed himself to his feet again.
One boy remembered that this was there last chance and from this point on, his family's name would be dragged through the dirt. Angry and scared, charged at Liam. Liam rolled aside. The boy hit the wall hard with his head. Blood dripped down his face.
He turned, screaming, "I'll report you! You'll pay for this! There's no proof!"
Liam, clutching his chest, pointed at his bag. "There is. My phone recorded everything. And my desk mate's phone too. Front and back. Every word. Every punch."
The boy froze. Tears filled his eyes. His strength broke.
Minutes later, the gang was dragged to the principal's office.
The class erupted in claps and cheers. Some even shouted Liam's name. His face turned red. He hated attention.
His vision blurred. Darkness closed in. He collapsed.
He found himself in a dark space. Empty. Silent.
Far away, a girl stood in a faint light. Drawn to her, Liam slowly began to approach. Just as he reached her, his foot slipped, and he fell forward. For a moment, he expected to hit the ground—until he realized the girl had noticed him.
She turned slightly, glancing back. A gentle smile curved her lips. But that was all he could see—her face remained hidden in the glow. Only the smile stayed with him, bright and mysterious, before everything faded into darkness.
The beep of a heart monitor brought him back. Liam opened his eyes to a white ceiling. Pain spread through his chest.
"Where… am I?" he whispered.
"Liam!" His mother jumped up from her chair. She hugged him tight, tears running down her face. "You're awake! Thank God. Does it hurt? Please say something."
He gave her a smile. "I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry."
Then he noticed Steve. He was standing awkwardly in the corner with a woman—his mother.
His thoughts stumbled in confusion: "Steve? What is he doing here here? And this woman must be his mom.
Before Steve could speak, his mom dropped to her knees at Liam's bed, grabbing his foot.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, please forgive me and my son," she cried. She looked up at Steve sharply. "Say it! Now!"
Steve lowered his head. For the first time, he looked afraid. "I… I'm sorry."
Liam sighed. "No, please. Stand up. I forgive you. Really. It's over now. Don't make this worse."
After a few more words, she stood and handed an envelope to Liam's mom. "Please take this. For the hospital bills."
Liam's mom placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "No. You've already done enough. Thank you."
The woman cried again, then left with Steve.
Later, Liam's mom called his father. His face appeared on the phone screen.
"Hey, champ. You okay?"
"Better," Liam said softly.
"When I was your age, I got shot in the chest and didn't even bleed," his dad teased.
Liam groaned. "Oh my god, Dad. Not this again."
"Fine, fine. Rest up. I'll talk later."
The call ended. Liam leaned back. Closed his eyes, his chest hurt, but for some reason… his heart felt lighter than before.