Ximena's POV
The cruelest part about Ezekiel's words wasn't just what he said.
It was where he chose to say them.
His voice still rang in my ears like a broken record I couldn't turn off. "Don't want your thick thighs getting stuck" kept playing on repeat, following me through the hallways and into the cafeteria like a shadow I couldn't escape.
I gripped my lunch tray tighter, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor tiles beneath my feet. The memory of yesterday's laughter burned fresh in my mind. All those voices joining in after Ezekiel delivered his punchline, like I was some kind of entertainment for them.
I told myself it didn't matter. Told myself I was stronger than that.
But the lie tasted bitter in my mouth.
The ache behind my chest refused to fade, settling there like a stone I couldn't cough up. It was the kind of hurt that lingered long after the moment passed, the kind that made you question everything about yourself.
