The school gates looked more like prison bars to Susan the next morning.
Her body ached in places she didn't want to think about.
The thin makeup she had smeared on couldn't hide the bluish shadow on her cheekbone.
Her adoptive mother had been waiting when she got home last night — drunk and furious.
The back of Susan's head still rang from the blow.
---
She pulled her hoodie tighter over her head, praying no one would look too closely.
But in a place like St. Ellis High, where gossip was the blood that kept the school alive, hiding was impossible.
---
As Susan walked across the courtyard, she felt the stares.
The sneers.
Jessica stood by the main fountain, surrounded by her usual crowd: Samantha, Bella, and Chloe — the "Golden Circle."
They were dressed to perfection in their designer jackets and short skirts, their hair glinting in the morning sun.
Jessica's ice-blue eyes zeroed in on Susan instantly.
A smirk twisted her lips.
"Well, well, if it isn't Little Miss Charity Case," Jessica called out loud enough for everyone to hear.
Laughter rippled through the crowd like poison.
Susan kept her head down, her hands tightening into fists.
Not today.
She couldn't afford another scene.
---
She hurried toward the school building, but someone stuck a foot out.
Susan stumbled hard, her books flying everywhere, papers fluttering like wounded birds.
Another roar of laughter.
Her knees scraped the concrete, burning.
Tears stung the back of her eyes, but she gritted her teeth.
Don't cry. Don't give them the satisfaction.
---
As she scrambled to gather her things, a pair of hands beat her to it.
Jackim.
He crouched beside her, quietly picking up her papers, not caring about the stares or whispers.
Susan looked at him — really looked at him.
His dark hair was messy, his uniform rumpled, but his eyes...
His eyes held a warmth that made her chest ache.
"You okay?" he asked softly, offering her the pile of books.
Susan nodded stiffly, even as her throat burned with unshed tears.
Jackim stood, turning to face the crowd.
"What's wrong with all of you?" he said loudly, voice cutting through the courtyard.
Everyone froze.
Jessica's smile faltered.
"No wonder none of you will ever matter," Jackim added before walking away with Susan at his side.
---
Inside the building, Susan whispered, "You didn't have to do that."
Jackim shrugged.
"Someone had to."
They walked side by side in silence.
For the first time in a long time, Susan didn't feel like she was drowning alone.
---
In the principal's office, however, Jessica was already spinning her web.
"She's causing trouble again," Jessica said sweetly, legs crossed, her designer heels tapping against the polished floor.
Principal Carmichael — old, balding, and hopelessly corrupt — nodded along, barely listening.
Jessica's father had donated a new gymnasium last year.
She was untouchable.
---
Back in class, Susan sat by the window, doodling in her worn notebook.
Outside, the clouds were gathering.
Inside, too.
A storm was coming.
She could feel it.
And this time, she wasn't sure she would survive it.
---