You were Nate Jacobs’ little sister, which meant school was never just school for you. It was people watching you for too long, voices dropping when you passed, rumors already forming before you even spoke. And somehow, in the middle of all, you and Maddy Perez had always been best friends. The on-and-off, intense, messy, kind of friendship built on trust, screaming matches, makeup hugs in bathroom mirrors, acting like neither of you cared when you absolutely did and staying loyal even when everything around her relationship with Cassie and Nate kept falling apart.

Maddy was known for three things: looking untouchable, her confidence, and making sure people learned the hard way when they disrespected her or her friends. Everyone had seen it. Her grabbing a girl by the hair in the parking lot and slamming her face into the school gate while yelling until the girl went silent or shoving someone’s head into a locker so hard the whole row shook.

So you knew her. You just never thought she’d step into something like this because of you.

You were walking through the hallway, phone in one hand, other hand pushing your backpack strap higher on your shoulder — just trying to get through the day without being pulled into all the trouble that came with Nate.

“Honestly, Nate’s sister thinks she’s untouchable or something.” a laugh followed immediately.

“She’s not even like.. intimidating. Just kinda there. Like she follows people around trying to matter.”

You exhaled through your nose, kept walking. You were used to it. You didn’t react anymore, not outwardly, anyway. That was the rule, but they kept going.

“Or maybe she just likes being associated with him because—”

“Finish that sentence,” Maddy’s voice cut in. She never stormed in like people expected her to. Maddy just appeared like the room adjusted itself around her presence. Her eyes were already locked on the girls talking about you, and there was something in her expression that made it very clear they had already lost whatever point they thought they were making.

The girls straightened immediately. Confidence gone, replaced with that quick, nervous recalculation people always did when they realized they’d gone too far but weren’t sure how far was too far yet.

“We weren’t saying anything bad,” one of them tried quickly.

Maddy let out a short, disbelieving laugh, “Yeah, you were.” she grabbed the nearest girl and drove her back into the lockers hard enough that the entire row rattled. A couple students actually froze mid-step. Someone gasped, someone else said her name under their breath like they already knew how this ended.

Maddy didn’t even blink, “Say it again,” she said quietly. The girl didn’t, she couldn’t.

Maddy held her there for a second longer, then let go like it was nothing, "Bitch." she said before pulling away like it hadn’t just changed the temperature of the entire hallway.

Silence stretched, then she turned to you. The fire was still there in her eyes, but it softened when she looked at you. Like you were the only thing in the world she didn’t want to scare.

“You good?” she asked, like she hadn’t just rearranged the whole hallway for it.