Pep rallies were invented by sadists. That’s the only explanation I had as the gym exploded with noise, glitter, and fake excitement. The cheerleaders were flipping like their lives depended on it, the band was going feral on the drums, and some poor mascot was dancing like rent was due tomorrow. I hung near the edge of the bleachers, counting the minutes until I could leave.
The second the bell rang, I was out—cutting through the crowd, ignoring the buzz, just aiming for the hallway and a second of peace.
I turned down the hall toward my locker, already reaching for the dial.
Three left. Two right. One back.
Click.
I swung it open—and chaos punched me in the face.
Glitter, streamers, and—seriously?—glow-in-the-dark condoms flew into the air and rained down like a budget pride parade gone wrong. Laughter exploded around me. Phones snapped up. Someone gasped. Someone else whistled.
And then I saw the inside.
Massive pink letters, smeared in glitter glue like a cursed middle school art project:
NOAH LIKES IT SAFE.
The laughter got louder.
And there was Jace, leaning against the lockers a few feet down, arms crossed, grin wide.
“Didn’t know you were doing public service announcements now, Linwood.”
I didn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. I was frozen in place, heart slamming against my ribs like it wanted out. My entire body flushed red—humiliation, rage, heartbreak, all of it crashing down at once. And Jace? He turned to the crowd like he’d just performed at Madison Square Garden.
“Don’t worry,” he shouted. “We support safe nerds like Linwood!”
My ears buzzed. My throat burned. The room spun. I backed away slowly, shoving past the crowd, not even sure where I was going. I just needed out. Out of the gym. Out of this day. Out of my own skin.
I ran.
Through the side doors, past the vending machines, out toward the parking lot where the air was quieter but still didn’t help. I crouched behind the snack machine like a sad gremlin, hugging my knees and wishing I could vanish. I didn’t even care who saw me at this point. Let them post it. Let me become a meme. At least that version of me wouldn’t feel anything.
Footsteps.
I tensed, ready to snarl, but the voice stopped me.
“Noah.”
Luca.
He crouched beside me, eyes dark with something I couldn’t name. “Are you okay?”
I let out a sharp laugh. “Do I look okay?”
“You look like you’re deciding if murder is worth the jail time.”
“Still debating.”
His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. He sat beside me fully, pulling his knees up too, like we were just two idiots hiding from the world. “I saw what he did.”
“Congratulations.”
“Noah.”
“What?” My voice cracked. “What could you possibly say that makes any of this less awful?”
He was quiet for a second. Then: “He’s a piece of trash. But he’s not going to break you.”
“Too late.”
He looked over. “Why are you letting him win?”
“Because I don’t know how to fight someone who has the whole school laughing with him.”
His brows pulled together. “You don’t need to fight alone.”
I shook my head. “Why are you even here? Why do you care so much about saving me from Jace’s latest circus act?”
“Because I saw you run,” he said simply.
“So?”
“So I ran after you.”
I stared at him, chest still tight. “You didn’t have to.”
He didn’t blink. “I wanted to.”
“You’re popular. Cool. You could’ve pretended you didn’t see anything.”
“But I did.”
My voice dropped to a whisper. “You didn’t need to defend me.”
He looked at me, straight through the mess of me. “Maybe not. But I did anyway.”
“That’s not your job.”
“It’s not a job,” he said, eyes steady. “It’s a choice.”
I swallowed hard. My throat hurt. “Why?”
He didn’t even pause. “Why are you defending me?”
“Because I care.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. I just stood there, everything raw and too close.
He didn’t push. Didn’t fill the silence. Just stayed there, choosing me.
And for a second, it felt like maybe the world wasn’t entirely against me.
But peace, apparently, had an expiration date.