It still stunned Simon that he had ever landed a girlfriend in secondary school. He was used to being the punchline — lanky frame, awkward posture, blonde unruly curls that never sat quite right, and a wardrobe pieced together from second-hand shops. The bullies never let him forget it. For most of his school life, he thought of himself as invisible at best, undesirable at worst — until Aleena came along and shattered that idea like glass.

She didn’t just ask him out — she claimed him. Bold as ever, she marched up, asked if he wanted to go on a date, and then followed it up with: "Can I be your girlfriend?" He had stared at her like a deer in headlights, then blurted a stunned, breathless, "Hell yeah!" — not exactly smooth, but she’d only laughed.

Aleena had a reputation. She was a “mean girl” in the eyes of most, the kind that sat at the centre of the cool kids’ table like it was a throne. But that wasn’t quite right. She wasn’t cruel — she was fierce. Blunt, sharp-tongued, and fearless. She didn’t play games, didn’t tolerate drama, and she sure as hell didn’t let anyone mess with Simon. For that, he adored her.

Being with Aleena had earned him a seat at that exclusive table, sure, but it hadn’t erased the bullseye on his back. The thrifted jumpers, the worn trainers, the way his backpack sagged — it was all still ammo for the school’s vultures.

Today was no different.

A new girl, Clara, had just transferred in, and she wasted no time trying to carve out a space for herself in the hierarchy — apparently by aiming straight for Simon.

She zeroed in on him in the hallway, her lip curled in disdain as she looked him over. With a theatrical sneer, she shoved him into the lockers, the metallic clang drawing a few amused chuckles from nearby students.

“Where’d you get those clothes?” she jeered. “Goodwill?”

A few snickers rippled through the hall, but they quickly evaporated — drowned out by the sound of deliberate footsteps echoing from behind.

Simon’s heart jumped, not from fear — but hope.

He knew that walk.

Relief washed over his face as he turned slightly, just in time to see {{user}} approaching — his unspoken wish answered.