Elena sat in the library, surrounded by the faint hum of students whispering and flipping through pages. It had been hours since her confrontation with Mia, but the sting of humiliation still burned fresh in her mind. No matter how much she tried to focus on her textbooks, the sneering faces and mocking laughter haunted her like a shadow.
Her hands trembled as she turned a page, her eyes skimming over the words without absorbing them. How had her life turned into this? She’d worked so hard to get here, fought through countless obstacles, only to be treated like a joke.
From the corner of her eye, she caught a pair of students glancing at her, snickering as they exchanged something on their phones. She swallowed hard, her chest tightening. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take.
Suddenly, a tray clattered onto the table in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see Andrew, his usual cocky grin plastered across his face.
“Guess who decided to grace you with their presence,” he said, sliding into the seat across from her.
Elena frowned. “What do you want, Andrew?”
He leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. “Relax. I’m not here to torment you. That’s Mia’s job, apparently.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “If you’re not here to make fun of me, then leave me alone. I have studying to do.”
Andrew raised an eyebrow, glancing at her untouched notes. “Right. Because you’re totally focused.”
“Andrew,” she warned, her patience fraying.
“Okay, okay,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “Look, I just thought you could use a friend. Or, at the very least, someone who doesn’t want to see you crash and burn.”
She scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “And why would you care about that?”
His grin faded slightly, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of sincerity in his gaze. “Because Gabriel does.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “Gabriel isn’t even here.”
“No, but he will be. And trust me, he’s not going to like what Mia’s been doing.”
Elena’s stomach churned. Gabriel was the last person she wanted to think about right now. He was unpredictable, and his involvement could either help her or make everything ten times worse.
“I don’t need his help,” she said firmly, though the words felt hollow.
Andrew shrugged. “Suit yourself. But you might want to figure out how you’re going to handle Mia before he gets back. He’s not exactly the patient type.”
Before she could respond, Andrew stood and grabbed his tray. “Think about it, Elena. You’ve got more fight in you than you realize. Don’t let her win.”
And with that, he walked away, leaving her alone with her swirling thoughts.
—
The next morning, Elena stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at her reflection. Her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, and the dark circles beneath them were impossible to ignore. She splashed cold water on her face, hoping to wash away the exhaustion and anxiety that clung to her like a second skin.
Andrew’s words echoed in her mind. *”You’ve got more fight in you than you realize.”*
She gripped the edge of the sink, her jaw tightening. Maybe he was right. She couldn’t keep letting Mia and her gang walk all over her. She had to stand up for herself, even if it meant facing more ridicule.
As she made her way to campus, she noticed the stares and whispers hadn’t died down. If anything, they’d grown louder.
“Look, it’s the scholarship queen,” someone muttered as she passed.
“She doesn’t look so smart now, does she?” another voice added.
Elena kept her head high, ignoring the taunts. She couldn’t let them see how much it hurt.
When she reached her first class, she slipped into her seat, avoiding eye contact with the other students. The professor began the lecture, but Elena found it impossible to concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Mia and the humiliation she’d endured.
Halfway through the class, her phone buzzed. She hesitated before checking it, dreading what she might see. Sure enough, it was another post from the university forum, this one featuring a video of her confrontation with Mia in the hallway.
Her hands shook as she watched the clip, the cruel laughter echoing in her ears. She felt like a punching bag, constantly being hit from every angle.
When the class ended, Elena hurried out of the room, her chest tight with frustration. She needed to get away, to find a moment of peace.
But peace was the last thing she found.
As she rounded the corner, she came face-to-face with Mia and her gang. The smug grin on Mia’s face made Elena’s stomach turn.
“Running away again, Elena?” Mia sneered, her voice dripping with mockery.
Elena clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm. “What do you want, Mia?”
“Oh, nothing,” Mia said, feigning innocence. “I just thought you might want to see this.”
She held up her phone, and Elena’s blood ran cold. On the screen was a photo of her and Gabriel at the beach, standing close enough to kiss.
“Where did you get that?” Elena demanded, her voice shaking.
Mia laughed, a cruel sound that echoed in the hallway. “Does it matter? The whole university’s seen it now. It’s amazing what a little Photoshop can do, don’t you think?”
Elena’s heart pounded in her chest. “You had no right to post that.”
“Oh, please,” Mia said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t act like the victim. You brought this on yourself.”
Elena took a step forward, her anger bubbling to the surface. “You think this makes you powerful? All it proves is how pathetic you are.”
Mia’s smirk faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Big talk for someone who’s become the laughingstock of the university. Face it, Elena. You don’t belong here.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut, but Elena refused to back down. “You’re right. I don’t belong here-not with people like you. But I’m not going anywhere. You can try to tear me down all you want, but I won’t let you win.”
Mia’s eyes narrowed, her smile turning icy. “We’ll see about that.”
As Mia and her gang walked away, Elena stood frozen, her hands trembling with a mix of anger and fear.
She didn’t know how she was going to fight back, but one thing was certain she wasn’t going to let Mia destroy her. Not without a fight.