The rest of the week passed, but the shadows from the cafeteria scene still loomed around Angel. Her secret was out. The story had spread like wildfire, reaching students who had barely even known her name before. Now everyone seemed to know her entire family history. Her tragedy was no longer private. She could feel their pity like needles brushing her skin, every stare reminding her of what she had tried so hard to bury.
But Angel didn't crumble. She walked with her head held high—even if her heart still burned quietly under the surface.
Each day, Jordan walked beside her to class. He didn't ask if she needed him there. He just was. His presence kept the stares from feeling too sharp, too cruel. He didn't talk much, but when he did, it was simple things—"You okay?", "Ignore them", or "Let's go"—like he knew she didn't need anyone to talk her into strength.
Victor noticed. Every single time.
He hated how natural Jordan looked beside her. Like he fit.
Victor would sit with Jayden, trying to focus on something else, pretending not to care. But he did care.
And Thursday afternoon, Victor decided he wouldn't just sit back and watch.
The lunch bell rang, and the courtyard buzzed with noisy laughter and food wrappers rustling. Angel was at her usual spot with Kelly V and Mimi, who had decided it was their mission to keep her smiling at least three times a day.
They were halfway through joking about one of their classmate's terrible dance moves when Victor showed up.
He walked up to their table, holding something carefully wrapped in a white paper bag. The girls paused, noticing him before Angel did. When she looked up and saw him standing there, she blinked like she wasn't sure if he was serious.
"What's that?" Angel asked, eyeing the bag.
Victor held it out casually. "Meat pie. From that vendor outside the gate. The one you called the 'only decent human left in this city.' Remember?"
Angel stared at the bag. Then at him. Then back at the bag.
Kelly V bit back a grin. Mimi was already elbowing her lightly.
"I don't want it," Angel said slowly.
Victor raised an eyebrow. "That's not what your stomach said yesterday when you skipped lunch and almost passed out in Chemistry."
The girls laughed. Angel gave him a cold look.
But she took the meat pie.
She didn't say thank you, but she didn't toss it either.
Victor smiled to himself. Victory.
As he walked away, Jayden raised both eyebrows at him across the courtyard.
"Bold move," he mouthed.
Victor just shrugged and leaned against a wall, watching from a distance.
Later in class, Angel took a bite from the meat pie when no one was looking. And for a brief second, her lips twitched at the taste. She didn't even realize she was smiling.
Kelly V leaned toward her and whispered, "You know he likes you, right?"
Angel rolled her eyes. "He likes messing with people. That's different."
Mimi smirked. "So do you. Maybe that's why it's working."
Angel didn't answer.
By the end of the day, the school felt unusually calm. Maybe it was the nearing weekend. Maybe it was the weight of the week catching up to everyone. The hallways emptied slower, and teachers left their windows open as they marked scripts.
Angel, Kelly V, and Mimi stood near the lockers, laughing softly at a voice note Mimi had recorded of a teacher mispronouncing "quadratic." Just then, Victor passed by again—this time more casually, like he hadn't planned it.
He glanced at Angel. "So. Still mad about the meat pie?"
Angel turned, pretending to think. "Hmm. Ask me again when I finish it."
Victor smirked. "That's a yes."
Kelly V raised an eyebrow at Mimi. "They're totally flirting."
Angel turned. "We are not!"
"Okay," Mimi said, raising both hands like she was innocent. "We didn't say anything."
Victor was still standing there.
"I didn't think you'd actually eat it," he said more quietly.
Angel shifted, her expression softening just a bit. "I didn't think you actually remembered I liked it."
There was a pause. Just long enough for something unspoken to hang in the air.
Then Angel glanced at Kelly and Mimi and cleared her throat. "We should go."
Victor nodded. "See you around."
As they walked down the corridor, Kelly V held her arm tightly. "Okay, I know we said no boys for now, but he is clearly trying."
Angel didn't reply. But inside, she wasn't sure what she was feeling either.
After class, as they waited near the school gate for their rides, the tension from earlier had melted into a warm, casual ease. The sun was lower in the sky, and Angel leaned on the fence, playing with the strap of her bag.
"Hey," Kelly said. "You free this weekend?"
"Why?"
"To be kidnapped," Mimi added with a smile. "We were thinking… it's been a rough week. What if we came over? Just us. No drama. No gossip. Just a sleepover to cheer you up."
Angel looked at them, caught off guard.
"You want to come to my house?"
"Yeah," Kelly said. "We bring snacks, movies, music, terrible dance moves…"
"And it's just us," Mimi added. "Safe space. No pity. No fake sympathy. Just good friends and stupid jokes."
Angel hesitated, heart warming. "You guys are weird."
"But the lovable kind," Mimi grinned.
Angel sighed. "Fine. You can come."
"Yesss!" Kelly V cheered quietly. "Sleepover at Captain Dewson's house!"
Angel smirked. "Don't call it that."
Victor watched them from a distance, catching the last part of their excitement. Jayden leaned beside him.
"You're smiling," Jayden said.
"No, I'm not."
Jayden laughed. "You're jealous again."
Victor exhaled. "She's… interesting."
"Mm-hmm," Jayden replied. "You've got it bad."
Victor said nothing.
But he knew he'd be thinking about that small smile of hers the rest of the night.