Small steps

The morning air was sharp with wet pavement and fallen leaves. Amy lingered at the window, tracing raindrops as they slid down the glass. Chloe had already skipped ahead, her voice fading down the street. Outside, Jamie and Hugo waited, backpacks slung low, ready to move forward.

Amy wasn't.

That familiar tightening settled in her chest—the flutter of nerves that came before something new. Every day felt unanchored without her mum. Every step felt like proof she had to earn everything.

Mrs. Carter knocked gently on the door. "You'll do fine, Amy. Just take it one step at a time."

Amy nodded, though her throat burned. She pulled her jacket tighter and followed Chloe out the door. Each footstep echoed too loudly in her head, reminding her how small she felt. How visible she was.

School was already alive when they arrived. Lockers slammed. Voices overlapped. Somewhere down the corridor, Kelsey leaned against the wall, flipping her red hair like a signal flare. Their eyes met for half a second.

Kelsey smirked.

Amy's fists clenched, nails biting into her palms. She looked away, fixing her focus on Jamie.

"Don't let her see you nervous," he murmured as they walked. "She feeds on it and that's what she wants."

"I'll try," Amy said, though her pulse thudded in her ears.

In class, Mr. Sullivan called the register. When he reached her name, Amy answered carefully, heart hammering. She waited for the snickers, the whispers—but they didn't come. No one laughed. No one cared as much as she feared they would.

Mid-morning brought the writing assignment.

A blank page stared back at her, cruel and empty. Her thoughts scattered, fragile as glass. Around her, pens scratched confidently. Jamie noticed her frozen hand.

"Just start anywhere," he whispered. "It doesn't have to be perfect."

Amy breathed out slowly and wrote the first sentence.

The world felt like it had stopped, but only for me.

Something loosened. The pen moved again. She wrote about her mum without saying her name. About Chloe's laughter. About silence. About the strange comfort of sitting beside someone who didn't ask questions. The words came raw and uneven, but they were hers. For once, she was in control of something.

Recess arrived, and with it, Kelsey.

She stood near the playground with Clara and Mackenzie, laughter slicing through the air. Jamie nudged Amy. "Ignore her. Let's grab a drink."

Amy followed, but the voices carried.

"Look at her—she actually thinks she belongs here."

The words lodged deep in Amy's chest. Chloe stopped short, spinning around.

"Hey!" Chloe snapped. "Leave her alone!"

The laughter stalled. Kelsey's smirk faltered, just for a second.

"Whatever," she muttered, turning away. But the two girls didn't follow, instead Mackenzie and Clara walked towards the group before Clara handed them a newspaper and with a grin on her face and a voice that sounded too nice to be genuine.

"Well it only took what one day for Amy and Jamie to make the school's newspaper"

Clara handed the newspaper to Amy who was standing there equally as confused about what Clara was talking about. Amy took the newspaper and looked to only see the heading which read,

From new girl to problem girl

And below it was an article that read.

From new girl to problem girl

Students have been whispering after a new arrival was seen spending an unusual amount of time with Jamie, the boyfriend of popular student and queen bee Kelsey.

The girl, who joined the school only yesterday, has reportedly been walking home with Jamie, sitting with him during breaks, and appearing "very comfortable" around him, according to multiple sources.

"They're always together," one student claimed. "It's weird how fast she attached herself, especially from not being here that long."

Others have pointed out that Jamie and Kelsey's relationship has been "on and off lately," raising questions about whether the new girl's sudden presence has anything to do with the tension.

"It's kind of obvious," said another student. "You don't just get that close unless something's going on."

What's made the situation more controversial is that the new girl is believed to be living in foster care, leading some students to speculate that she may be "confused about boundaries" or "looking for attention."

Kelsey herself has remained silent on the matter, though friends say she is "hurt but handling it with maturity."

Meanwhile, Jamie has been seen ignoring questions and avoiding confrontation.

Whether this is an innocent friendship or something more, one thing is clear:

the new girl hasn't gone unnoticed—and not everyone is happy about it.

More updates to follow.

Amy's face burned from reading the lies but she remembered, she wasn't invisible and she wasn't alone. Amy turned to face Jamie who was as annoyed from the article that was full of lies.

Amy found himself with only one thing on her mind and that was why and what did she do to deserve everything, and why were they dragging Jamie into it all.

Was it something to do with the fact Mrs.Carter had taken Amy and Chloe and brought them into her house and that meant she was indeed spending a lot more time with Jamie or was it the fact the 3 saw something Amy couldn't quite see. But Amy decided to brush off the thought and just to keep on with her day.

Back in class, the writing took on a life of its own. Sentences stretched longer, deeper. By the end, three pages were filled. Her hand ached. She didn't care. She reread the last line and smiled.

It was about a girl who carried a memory and learned to survive in pieces. Small steps. Quiet courage.

Jamie leaned over. "You're really good at that," he said. "You've got something special."

Warmth bloomed in her chest, surprising and fragile. "Thanks," she whispered, wondering if he knew how much that meant.

He smiled, lopsided, and said nothing. The silence felt safe.

After lunch, they found a quiet corner. Jamie adjusted his camera lens. Amy opened her notebook. Words and images passed between them easily.

"Sometimes," Amy said quietly, "I get these moments where I can't breathe. It just... hits me."

Jamie nodded. "I know. I don't always understand it—but you don't have to go through it alone."

She wrote faster after that, like the truth had been waiting.

"Do you want to share it?" he asked.

Amy hesitated, then read aloud. Her voice shook, but she didn't stop. Jamie listened without interrupting.

When she finished, he said, "That's amazing. You make small things feel huge."

Amy ducked her head, heart thudding. It felt good—dangerously good—to be seen for something other than what she'd lost.

The afternoon passed in quiet wins. Amy answered a question in class. Kelsey watched from a distance, her looks sharp but powerless. Amy didn't flinch.

By the final bell, exhaustion and relief tangled together. They walked home under golden afternoon light. Amy held her notebook like it mattered—because it did.

"You did really well today," Jamie said.

"I... maybe did," she replied.

He grinned. "You definitely did."

At home, Chloe talked nonstop. Mrs. Carter cooked. Amy slipped her notebook from her bag and traced the words she'd written.

I can do this.

For the first time, it didn't feel like a lie.

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