It was supposed to be just another break.
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime noise: trays clattering, friends laughing, chairs scraping across the floor. Angel sat with Kelly V and Mimi at their usual spot. Jordan, at his own table across the room, chatted with his group of friends. Victor and Jordan sat further away with theirs. Even though they were all connected through Angel, the tension between Jordan and Victor kept them in separate corners.
Angel had barely touched her food. Juliet's weird message still echoed in her mind. She hadn't confronted her yet—she wasn't sure how. Mimi and Kelly V had both urged her to talk to Juliet, to find out what the message really meant.
"You should just ask her," Mimi had said earlier. "There's no point pretending like you didn't see it."
So Angel planned to.
She stood to get water, deep in thought, and accidentally brushed into Hannah.
The cup in Hannah's hand clattered to the floor, water splashing everywhere.
Hannah stared at her like she'd just been slapped. "Oh. So now you're bumping into people?"
Angel, startled, stepped back. "I didn't mean—"
"You think you can walk around like this school belongs to you?" Hannah's voice rose sharply. "Always acting like you're better than the rest of us. Like the world owes you peace and quiet."
Heads turned.
Angel froze, the attention making her chest tighten. She didn't want this. She didn't want drama.
"I don't want to fight with you, Hannah," she said calmly.
Hannah scoffed. "Fight? I'm not fighting. I'm just saying what everyone's been thinking. You walk around like your sadness is a crown. You don't talk to anyone, and when you do, it's with that fake calm. But you're not special."
Mimi and Kelly V were already standing up now, moving toward Angel, sensing the tension.
Then Hannah's voice cut sharper, deadlier.
"You all want to know why she's like this? Why she walks like the world broke her? Because it did. Her family died in a car crash. Mother, brother… even the baby the mother was carrying. All gone. And guess who survived?"
Silence.
Angel's heart dropped.
"She did," Hannah sneered, "She's the only one who made it out alive. Guess what they call people like that? Bad luck."
Gasps spread through the room.
Angel's hands trembled. Her breath came in sharp bursts. Slowly, she raised her sleeve and showed the faint scars on her wrist.
"I didn't choose this," she said, her voice shaking but clear. "Do you think I enjoy carrying this around? Do you think I wanted to be the one who lived?"
Her voice cracked. "I've been trying to keep quiet because all I wanted… was peace."
And with that, she turned and rushed out of the cafeteria.
Kelly V stood in shock. Mimi stared daggers at Hannah, who looked mildly smug—until she noticed the way the entire room glared at her.
At Jordan's table, the moment Angel fled, he pushed his chair back and sprinted after her without a word.
Victor saw it all. Saw the way Jordan didn't even hesitate. He clenched his jaw, fingers gripping his spoon tightly.
Jayden leaned toward him and muttered, "He moves fast."
Victor didn't answer. His eyes stayed on the cafeteria door.
Jordan found her behind the art block, sitting on a small cement slab, hugging her knees.
"Angel," he said softly.
She didn't look up.
"I told myself I wouldn't let them see me break," she whispered.
Hannah moved closer and knelt in front of her. "You didn't break. You just showed them the truth."
Angel wiped a tear with the back of her hand. "Now the whole school knows. They're going to look at me like I'm a tragedy."
"No," Jordan said gently, "They'll look at you like you're strong."
She shook her head. "You don't get it."
Jordan didn't respond. He just pulled her into a hug.
She froze for a second… then melted into him.
Victor watched from a distance, having followed not too far behind. His hands were in his pockets, but there was a storm behind his eyes. He saw the way Jordan held her, the way she didn't resist. And something inside him twisted.
He didn't say a word—just turned away before they could see him.
A few minutes later, Mimi, Kelly V, and Jayden found them.
Kelly V dropped beside Angel, brushing her hair behind her ear. "That was… wow. You okay?"
"No," Angel said honestly.
"Well," Mimi said, crouching, "if I had known all this before, I'd have slapped Fiyin every time she looked your way."
They all laughed a little.
Jayden sat down beside Hannah. "That was messed up. What Fiyin said. But you handled it."
Angel gave a weak smile. "Did I?"
Kelly V grinned. "You owned the moment. I almost clapped. You had the whole cafeteria shook."
Mimi leaned toward Jayden. "Guess Jordan's the soft one in the group, huh?"
Jayden smirked. "Angel doesn't hug just anybody."
Victor had returned by now and stood in the background, quiet.
"Guess she hugs people who care," he said casually, trying not to sound bitter.
Mimi raised an eyebrow at him. "You okay, Victor?"
"Fine," he muttered.
But he wasn't. Not really.
Back in the cafeteria, Fiyin returned to her seat where Juliet was waiting.
Juliet looked at her calmly. "You really did it."
Hannah sat down, arms crossed. "It had to be said. She's not the only one hurting."
Juliet leaned in slightly. "You think that was brave?"
"I think it was overdue."
Juliet's gaze sharpened. "Just remember… not everything is as simple as you think."
Hannah frowned. "You knew, didn't you?"
Juliet didn't answer. She just smiled slightly and stirred her drink.