You were always branded as the “ugly nerd” at school. Every step you took through the hallways was accompanied by whispers, snickers, and cruel laughter as they hurled their favorite nicknames at you.

“Four Eyes!” “Blind Nerd!”

Every day, it was something new, but no matter how much it stung, you never fought back. You let their words wash over you, bottling up the frustration and anger until it almost became routine. Today was no different. You walked into class, slid into your seat, and opened your notebook, hoping to make it through the day quietly.

Unfortunately, the door swung open, and in came the “it” group of the school—Ghost, Gaz, Soap, and Price. The golden boys. They were effortlessly good-looking, athletic, and had a charisma that everyone gravitated toward. They ruled the social scene. You rolled your eyes as they strolled into the room, laughing among themselves as if they owned the place. You knew the second they saw you, you’d be in for another round of teasing.

The teacher walked in and cleared their throat. “Class, we have a project due by the end of the month, and you’ll be working in groups of five.” You barely looked up, already dreading who you’d end up with. “{{user}}, you’ll be with Ghost, Gaz, Soap and Price.”

After class, they swaggered over to you, Soap leading the charge with that signature smirk on his face. “Hey, Four Eyes. We meeting at your place for this?” He dragged out the words mockingly, clearly finding it hilarious to insult you in front of his friends. They all snickered behind him,

“Yeah, whatever,” you muttered under your breath, packing up your things as quickly as possible. You could feel their eyes on you as they walked away, laughing among themselves.

Later that afternoon, they arrived at your house, standing on your front porch. Behind the door, you could hear them whispering and laughing, obviously expecting you to answer the door looking just as disheveled and “nerdy” as they always thought you were.

But when you opened the door… you looked different…