Noel was standing there, staring into space.
I don't know what was going on in his head, but it was the first time I'd ever seen him like this—
distracted, uneasy… almost guilty.
Maybe he regretted what he said to Gina.
Or at least the way he treated her.
He suddenly looked up.
Crap.
He caught me staring.
I immediately pretended to be interested in literally anything else.
"Emma."
My name.
Great. What does he want now?
I looked at him, curious but guarded.
"Can I have a minute of your time?"
"The bell's about to ring," I replied flatly.
"I know. I just wanted to ask you about Gina."
There it is.
Of course. He regrets it.
"That's none of your business," I said coldly.
Noel stared at me for a long moment.
"So you're both on the same page," he said slowly.
"I guess so. We're friends. Friends usually agree."
"It won't hurt you if you tell me," he said.
"What did she say? What's going on? This whole thing is… concerning. I'm just trying to understand why she's this upset. All I did was tell the truth."
I let out a quiet breath.
"I don't know, Noel. And honestly, I don't owe you anything. She erased you from her life—and so did I. Ever since we met, I've done nothing but get dragged into problems. So do us all a favor and stay away. From her. From me. From anything that connects us."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Are you saying this as her friend… or for yourself too?"
"Both," I said without hesitation.
He nodded once.
"Got it."
Then I added, firm and calm:
"Close this chapter. Live your life. Make friends. Just—far away from us."
He looked annoyed. Hurt, maybe.
But honestly? I didn't care.
Watching him walk away, a thought hit me:
What if he really wanted to apologize?
What if I just protected Gina from a relationship that would've destroyed her?
"Where were you?"
Gina's voice pulled me back.
"What?" I said. "I was just walking around."
"Really?" she asked suspiciously. "Weren't you with Noel?"
My heart skipped.
Did she see us?
"He was saying nonsense as usual," I laughed it off.
"As usual?" Gina laughed too.
"You met him yesterday. Are you kidding me?"
I hesitated.
"I mean… I saw him at the party too. You remember? The costume party? He was unbearable."
"Ohhh," she teased.
"So what kind of 'nonsense' was he saying? Let me guess—trying to annoy you because he likes you? Or talking about homework like he doesn't have a million girls already obsessed with him?"
She laughed.
"Gina?" I said quietly. "What's wrong with you?"
She smiled—but it was forced.
"Nothing, girl. I'm just guessing."
"No. You're implying something."
I took a breath.
"To clear your mind—he asked me about you. Since you're not talking to him. He thought I was your closest friend."
Her expression changed.
"I told him to stay away from you. From us. I didn't want to bring it up so you wouldn't get upset. But now? I honestly don't care."
"Stop."
She grabbed my arm hard.
"Did you really say that?"
"He was going to apologize! God, Emma—you're so stupid!"
I stared at her, then looked down at her hand.
"Let go of me," I said sharply. "Don't ever grab me like that again,do you understand?"
"Oh, I don't hear anything," she snapped.
"I don't understand anything. You're the only one who understands everything, right? The pretty one. The nice one. The one everyone hates and gangs up on. The chosen one."
I couldn't believe it.
"Don't talk about me like that," I said, shaking.
"You don't get to tell the guy I like to leave when I never asked you to."
"What about what you told me earlier?" I shot back.
"You said you were done with him. What happened? Did you lose your mind?"
"Yes!" she yelled.
"Because when I say that, I don't mean it! So shut up and stop acting like you know me better than I know myself. And if Noel talks to you again, you come straight to me. Don't decide things on your own. Got it?"
Then she turned and walked away.
"Wait—Gina!"
But she didn't stop.
"I'm done," she threw over her shoulder.
"You're not my friend anymore. You won't ruin my relationships again."
She left.
My vision blurred.
I stood there as whispers spread around us.
Again.
Just like before.
Just like with Chloe.
My hands hurt from clenching them so tightly.
I stepped outside, trying to breathe, trying not to cry.
People passed by, pointing, whispering.
Yeah. I got humiliated again.
Back in class, Gina's seat was empty.
Of course.
She was sitting next to Noel.
So they were back—just like that.
As if everything I said meant nothing.
People looked at me with pity. Some with satisfaction.
It was almost funny.
"I told you," Susan said loudly.
"She can't keep friends."
Her friends laughed.
I sat down.
John took the seat next to me.
"What?" I asked, surprised.
"I'll sit here," he said simply. "If you want."
I smiled weakly.
"Sorry, John. I can't really explain… but thank you."
"It's okay," he said gently. "You alright?"
"Yeah," I lied. "Probably."
"Did you fight again?" Noel asked Gina.
"No," she said coldly. "This time, it's over for good."
"Oh, that's good," he replied.
"She doesn't really want the best for you."
"See?" Gina said softly.
"And… I'm sorry about everything," Noel added.
"Even if I was honest, I still crossed a line."
Gina smiled—bright, relieved, almost floating.
"It's fine. What matters is that you realized it."
"I did."
"So… can we make up for the date we missed?"
He chuckled. "Sure. This weekend?"
"Deal."
After school, John walked me home.
"Are you really walking me?" I asked. "Don't you have something?"
"I work nights," he said. "I'll drop you off, rest a bit, then head there."
"You work?"
"Yeah. No rides. I walk everywhere."
I laughed.
"You're making me feel less alone now."
He smiled.
"That's why I said we should walk together. I live close too."
"That's nice."
"You don't think you and gina will go back to normal, do you?" John asked.
"No," I answered honestly.
"She doesn't respect our friendship. She throws it away every time she falls for someone. Love isn't an excuse to threaten friendships."
"I agree," John said.
"You can't let people use your kindness. Your life isn't about fixing others. It's yours."
His words stayed with me.
I always worried about them.
Feared for them.
But had anyone ever worried about me?
Not Sarah. Not Gina.
They wanted my shadow.
Someone to comfort them.
But when I fall?
There's nothing.
Just emptiness.
"Emma," John said softly.
"Do you have time to walk a bit near my place?"
"Really?" I smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."
We walked.
His neighborhood looked like him—quiet, warm, gentle.
"Who do you live with?" I asked.
"My grandma," he said. "She's my closest person."
"What about your parents?"
"Busy living their lives," he shrugged.
"I don't think they see me as their kid."
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean—"
"It's okay," he smiled. "You should know."
I didn't know John that well.
But I could already tell—
he was the kind of person who made others feel safe.
Warm.
And for the first time in a while…
So did I.
To be continued