You never thought you'd feel isolated from your only group of friends but here you were, tears streaming down your face as Rafe’s cruel words echoed in your mind: "No one will ever be as ugly as Y/N!"

Standing before the Kooks now, their laughter still fresh in your ears, you struggled to steady your voice.

Your chest tightened as you tried to steady your breathing. "I was kind," you began, your voice trembling as you blinked away fresh tears.

"Even when you didn’t deserve it, I was kind. Even when you treated me badly, I was kind. Even after what you said about me, I was kind."

Your voice cracked as you choked out the final words. "I don’t have the strength to pretend it doesn’t hurt me anymore. And I no longer have the strength to be kind. I will never have it again."

Tears streamed freely down your cheeks as the weight of your words hung in the air, heavy and unrelenting. One by one, their faces shifted—Rafe’s smirk faded, and even Topper and Ruthie looked stricken, their expressions a mix of regret and shame.

"Come on, Layla, let’s go," JJ’s voice cut through the silence, low and steady as he stepped forward and gently reached for your arm.

His touch was grounding, his words firm as he added, "They don’t deserve you." With an encouraging squeeze to your arm.