Thursday felt longer than all the days before. As soon as Lina entered the assembly hall, she felt the stares.
Soft giggles spreading like waves, phones held in her direction for too long.
She pulled her hood down lower, looking for Giulia.
"Don't look at your phone," she whispered as soon as Lina sat beside her. "Ignore it."
"What's going on?"
Giulia showed her the screen—just briefly, as if displaying a wound you don't want to look at.
An edited photo. Lina at the fence from the last field trip, Alaric in the hallway. Between them, a red heart.
Above it read: True Love – Mermaid & Dark Knight.
Below, heart emojis, laughing smileys, comments.
"Finally some school drama!" – "When's the wedding?" – "#WindowGirl goes Alpha"
Lina's stomach clenched. Her breath fluttered.
"No..."
"Yes," said Giulia. "But hey—we're not going to let this destroy us. We're making a plan."
