Whispers

By the second day at Blackwood Academy, Ivy Laurent had already become the school's favorite topic.

Every hallway went quiet when she walked past.

Classroom filled with whispers the moment she entered.

Some students looked afraid of her.

Others looked curious.

A few looked disappointed that she hadn't punched anyone yet.

Ivy honestly didn't care.

Or at least, that's what she told herself.

She walked through the crowded hallway with her headphones on, ignoring the stares around her. The morning rain had stopped, leaving the school windows foggy and grey.

Blackwood felt cold even during daylight.

Maybe that was why she fit in so well.

As Ivy reached her locker, two girls standing nearby suddenly lowered their voices.

"That's her."

"The bully girl?"

"Yeah. My cousin said she got suspended for torturing students."

Ivy paused briefly.

Torturing.

Interesting.

People always made stories uglier than reality.

She opened her locker calmly, pretending not to hear them.

"You think Adrian actually likes her?"

"No way. He probably just feels bad for her."

Ivy shut the locker harder than necessary.

The girls immediately went silent.

Good.

But before she could leave, someone appeared beside her.

"You know," Mason Reed said casually, " People usually wait at least a week before becoming school legends."

Ivy stared at him blankly.

Tall, messy brown hair, easy smile.

Adrian's friend.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Relax. I'm friendly."

"That makes one of us."

Mason laughed unexpectedly. "Okay, I get why Adrian finds you interesting now."

Ivy's expression darkened slightly. " I'm not interested in whatever games you people are playing."

His smile faded a little. 'Adrian's not playing a game."

Before she could respond, another voice interrupted.

"Mason!"

Chloe Bennett approached with two girls behind her. The moment she saw Ivy standing there, her expression sharpened.

"Seriously?" Chloe crossed her arms. "Now you're following Adrian's friends too?"

Ivy looked exhausted already."Do you ever get  tired of talking?"

Mason covered his mouth, clearly trying not to laugh.

Chloe glared at him before turning back toward Ivy. "You think acting cold makes you intimidating, but honesty? Everyone knows girls like you."

Girls like you.

Ivy hated that sentence the most.

Because nobody explained what it meant.

Girls who fought back?

Girls who didn't smile much.

Girls who survived too much?

"What exactly are girls like me?" Ivy asked quietly.

Chloe smirked. "Damaged."

The word hit harder than Ivy expected.

For half a second, memories flashed through her mind--

broken plates,

cold floors,

shouting voices,

small bruises hidden beneath sleeves.

Her fingers tightened slightly.

Mason noticed immediately.

"Okay," he said carefully, "maybe we should calm down-"

"She's right."

The words left Ivy's mouth before could stop them.

The hallway suddenly fell silent.

Even Chloe looked surprised.

Ivy grabbed her bag tighter and looked away coldly.

"I am damaged," she said quietly. "Happy now?"

Something uncomfortable settled in the air.

Because nobody expected honesty.

Especially not from her.

Without another word, Ivy walked away.

--

From the second-floor balcony above the hallway, Adrian watched everything silently.

His jaw tightened slightly as Ivy disappeared around the corner.

Beside him, Elena Brooks frowned softly. "She looked hurt."

Adrian's eyes stayed fixed on the hallway.

"She was."

Elena glanced at him carefully. "You really know her, don't you?"

For a moment, Adrian said nothing.

Then quietly-

"Not as well as I should have."

Below them, whispers started again as students continued gossiping about Ivy Laurent.

The dangerous girl.

The rude transfer student.

The rumoured bully.

None of them noticed the way Adrian kept watching the hallway as she disappeared into-

Like he was afraid she might vanish again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***