Strangely, as I crossed the school threshold, I felt like I was the subject of gossip. This time, it wasn't just my imagination — I could see groups of students whispering about me, some even pointing fingers in my direction.
I had no idea what was going on or why I had suddenly become the center of attention, especially when nothing unusual had happened recently.
"Do you think she already knows?" I overheard one girl say. I furrowed my brows, eager to catch more of the conversation. "If she's still stuck with him, it could really hurt her reputation. I kind of feel sorry for her."
I stopped in mid-step and turned toward the girl who was talking to a friend.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, stepping closer.
"It's weird — the whole school got an anonymous message about your boyfriend, except you," she explained.
"Tell me exactly what's going on. I hate half-truths," I said, my voice nervous, worry growing inside me.
"It's a miracle your psycho boyfriend hasn't gone after Mike and you, suspecting you of cheating. I feel sorry for you. Things are not looking good," she declared, holding out her phone with a message open.
I read the message slowly, disbelief washing over me. Someone was claiming that Felix had been seeing a psychiatrist last year for a paranoid personality disorder.
"Is this some kind of joke?" I asked, handing the phone back. "Anyone could make up rumors like this just to hurt someone out of jealousy."
"Normally, maybe. But no one would believe it without proof," she said, showing me a photo of a patient chart on her phone. The color drained from my face as I saw Felix's personal information and a description of his treatment history.
Suddenly, memories surfaced — times when his behavior had scared me.
"This is serious. Doesn't the person who sent this realize they could face consequences?" I asked.
"It's just that someone wanted to show us that Felix — the guy we all thought was perfect — isn't someone to idolize anymore. They say he's a danger to society. If I were you, I'd consider running far away," she sneered.
"You're the ones with the problem," I snapped back. "Just because Felix struggled before doesn't mean he's any less worthy. He's no longer in treatment, which means he's fine. He's trying to live a normal life like anyone else."
The girl laughed mockingly.
"Are you kidding yourself? Defending a guy with paranoid personality disorder just because he's your boyfriend? You should watch your back. You're the one in danger."
I blinked, startled, just as Eve pulled me aside and roughly shoved the gray-haired girl who had been directing all those cruel words at me.
"Shut your mouth, fake victim. Just yesterday, you were praising the guy you're now dragging through the mud. If I weren't a classy woman, I'd spit in your face. Maybe I'm not perfect, but I try. Sluts like you ruin everything," Eve spat, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.
I grabbed Eve's hand and pulled her away before she crossed the line. She was fierce enough to get kicked out of school for a fight, and once again, the principal would never forgive her.
"It's not worth it. Those vipers will gossip no matter what," I said as we climbed the stairs to the second floor.
"If it's true, why didn't Felix ever tell you?" Eve asked, stopping me in my tracks.
I leaned against the wall, worry etched across my face.
"Maybe he was afraid to admit it. For many people, it's painful and embarrassing. I can't blame him for that."
"But don't you realize what it means if he was treated for paranoid personality disorder? Didn't you notice anything strange about him? People are already talking about how he acted when Mike told him he liked you."
Eve was my best friend, but right then, I didn't want to admit that I had sometimes been scared of Felix's behavior.
"I won't say a bad word about him. To me, he's always been good."
Eve frowned but said no more.
We reached our classroom, and I texted Felix, asking when he would be at school. After a few moments, his reply came: he was unwell and wouldn't be coming in today. He wished me a good day but said nothing else.
He knew what was going on.
*
I was already ignoring the whispers echoing through the corridor as Eve and I stood there, joined by Mike, who looked just as concerned as we felt about the whole situation.
"Did you know about this, soulmate?" Eve asked Mike. He simply nodded.
"So why did he hide it from Selena? His girlfriend should know what he's been through. This is serious," Eve added.
Mike sighed and looked down. "He was scared. Afraid that if Selena found out, she'd want nothing to do with him. Apparently, it started during his last year of middle school—that was the worst time for him. He never told me what triggered it."
My mind immediately drifted to his family. What if his mother was somehow the root cause of his illness? Felix had been distant from his parents for as long as I could remember. He refused to talk about them and didn't want me anywhere near them. Something had to be wrong.
"Look out the window," Mike said, breaking my train of thought.
We both turned to the large glass pane overlooking the field—and there he was. Felix, walking with his chin held high, eyes locking with those of the people who whispered behind his back. He wasn't hiding, wasn't shrinking away. He was confronting the storm head-on.
I was surprised. I had expected him to be home, avoiding school today at all costs.
His courage stunned me.
"We should go before something happens. I have a bad feeling about this," I said, pulling my friends along. We hurried down the stairs toward the exit.
But then I spotted Felix again, standing alone. Without hesitation, I rushed to him and wrapped my arms around him, ignoring the pointed fingers and muttered insults swirling around us. He tightened his embrace, burying his face in my hair.
"Aren't you angry with me, Selena?" he asked quietly.
"This isn't the time to talk about that," I whispered.
Nearby, a boy sneered, "A psycho shouldn't be at school, especially not as the team captain."
Mike's jaw clenched, ready to defend him.
"That crooked snout should shut up before he croaks even more," the boy spat.
Eve, proud and fierce, pulled her soulmate close. But then Sebastian appeared, grabbing her hand roughly and pulling her away from the older boy.
"Remember you have a girlfriend?" Sebastian sneered.
"We need to talk," he hissed, dragging Eve toward the school exit.
I turned back to Felix, brushing the hair from his eyes. "Are you okay? Feeling alright?"
"Now that you're here, yes. You're my medicine," he murmured, nuzzling into me again.
But the same student who had insulted him before started yelling, "He pretends to be a good boy, but the papers say otherwise. He'll never be normal!"
Felix released me and stepped toward the boy. Fear bubbled inside me as I watched, but Mike was by his side, ready to act if things got worse.
"My past's none of your business," Felix said coldly. "And for your information, I don't care about the time you snorted white powder at that party. You're no better than me."
"Do we have a junkie at school now?" a new wave of gossip started, and I hurried over to grab Felix's hand.
"Let's go," I said softly.
"Wait, silly bitch! He's going to ruin your life! You'll end up in hell with your perfect boyfriend!" the boy shouted, provoking Felix beyond control.
Felix exploded, throwing punches wildly. My attempts to pull him back were useless—I was too weak.
Mike managed to grab him and pull him away from the bleeding boy, dragging him toward the exit, knowing Felix needed to get out before things escalated further.
"I'll fix you, psycho! You'll see!" the boy threatened.
I wagged my finger at him. "Then I'll make sure you're caught too. A few more like you will be found."
The warm air brushed my face as I followed the boys onto the field. I sat down beside them on a bench, watching Felix with a thoughtful gaze.
"I don't care," Felix said, his voice flat. "Let them mess with my papers—I'm graduating soon. I'm a psycho who won't get into a good university anyway."
"Stop saying that," I urged, squeezing his hand. "You've applied to several universities already. You can't give up now. Your past won't define your future. Lots of kids get help from psychiatrists or therapists. Don't count yourself out."
"Hang in there a month. After that, you won't hear those fake mouths again. You've got us—me and Selena. We're always on your side," Mike said, patting Felix on the shoulder.
"I feel like killing everyone who talks about Selena," Felix muttered under his breath.
"Don't say that here. Someone might take you seriously," Mike said with a grin. "You've gone from cool guy to psycho real quick."
"It'll be okay," I promised.
Suddenly, Eve pushed Sebastian away roughly. He said something that made her snap—she punched him square in the face.
Lately, Eve had been hitting everyone. I didn't know what was going on with her.
She stormed over to us, hair pulled back tightly, eyes blazing like she could detonate a bomb right there.
"What happened?" I asked.
"You won't believe it," she said. "That asshole confessed he only hooked up with me because I made him popular. Now he's fed up, so he dumped me to be 'cool' again. What a piece of trash. He's lucky I haven't ripped him apart—I just can't afford to get kicked out. The principal already has me blacklisted."
"I'm sorry, Eve. Boys our age are mostly idiots," I said softly.
"If you won't, I will knock some sense into him," Mike declared, standing up.
The moment Sebastian noticed the older student approaching, he bolted like a coward. Mike pointed after him.
"I'll get you, shithead!" he called.
The real drama was just beginning.
Dark clouds gathered overhead, as if ready to strike when we least expected it.