Chapter 25 Chapter 25
Cass’s Monday started like most: the hum of the school building, the clatter of lockers, and the low murmur of students bustling from class to class. But there was a quiet thrill under her skin, an unfamiliar sense that today might hold something different.
Lena walked beside her, animated as always, recounting a ridiculous story about her little brother, and Cass laughed. It was effortless, not the forced smiles she usually carried around.
“Don’t get too excited yet,” Lena whispered as they rounded the corner near the science lab. “You might walk into a wall or worse Marvin.”
Cass groaned. Marvin Woods was inevitable, but right now, she tried to push him out of her thoughts. She had bigger things to think about. That leadership poster she had spotted earlier? It lingered in her mind. Student council sounded like a new battlefield, a chance to stake a claim for herself in a place that usually made her feel small.
Her first few classes were mercifully uneventful. Teachers droned, students doodled, and Cass focused on Lena’s constant commentary beside her, a lifeline against monotony. She liked how Lena didn’t shy away from asking questions or putting herself in the mix. That confidence was infectious.
When the final bell before lunch rang, Cass made her way toward the gym where the student council leadership meeting was scheduled. Lena followed, chatting nonstop about what Cass should say if she got a chance to speak.
“You need to sound confident,” Lena said. “Not like… tripping-over-your-words nervous. People have to take you seriously.”
Cass nodded, trying to picture herself standing in front of a group of older students without freezing. The thought alone made her stomach flutter.
The doors opened, and they stepped inside the gym. Chairs were arranged in neat rows, and at the front, a tall, poised teacher waited alongside a few students she didn’t know. But what made Cass’s pulse jump wasn’t the meeting it was Jacinta, Marvin’s girlfriend, sitting in the corner with that perfectly practiced smile. Her eyes flicked to Cass immediately, sizing her up like a predator spotting a new threat.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the little charity case herself,” Jacinta said softly, though loud enough for Cass to hear. She leaned closer to a friend and whispered something, smirking.
Cass froze for a second, a sharp pang of irritation and humiliation rushing through her. Lena nudged her.
“Don’t let her get under your skin,” Lena said quietly. “She’s all show, zero substance.”
Cass clenched her fists at her sides. She wanted to say something clever, something cutting, but she reminded herself why she was here: leadership. Power. Her own voice, not Jacinta’s taunts.
The meeting began, and Cass took a seat near the back, absorbing everything the rules, the responsibilities, the expectations. When it was her turn to introduce herself, Lena gave her a subtle nod from across the room. That was all she needed.
Cass stood, heart pounding, and introduced herself clearly, her voice stronger than she expected. She outlined ideas for student events, charity drives, and ways to make the school more inclusive. A few heads turned. Jacinta’s smirk didn’t falter, but Cass felt a flicker of pride. She had done it. She had stepped into something new, and no one could take that away.
Lunchtime
By the time lunch rolled around, the gym meeting had left Cass buzzing with nerves and excitement. Lena dragged her to the cafeteria to find a quiet table, but as soon as they entered, the murmur of the room shifted. Marvin Woods was there, as expected, standing atop one of the long cafeteria tables, his hockey jacket draped over his broad shoulders.
He scanned the room until his gaze locked on Cass. Then, with a smirk that made her skin crawl, he raised his voice.
“Well, well, what’s this? Cass Winfield thinking she can lead? Student council?”
A few students snickered. Marvin leaned forward, hands gripping the edge of the table for effect. “Look at her, Lena’s little sidekick behind her, thinking she can make a difference. You do know this isn’t kindergarten, right?”
Cass froze. Her stomach twisted, a mix of anger and embarrassment bubbling inside her. She wanted to walk away. She wanted to ignore him. But Lena’s hand squeezed hers under the table, a silent encouragement to stand her ground.
Marvin’s smirk widened as he called over Jacinta. “Babe, tell me she’s going to make this interesting.”
Jacinta glided closer, her perfume sharp in Cass’s face. “Oh, she’ll try. But bless her heart, she has no idea what she’s walking into.”
Cass’s hands clenched into fists, nails biting into her palms. She could feel the stares, hear the whispers, the laughter she didn’t want to acknowledge. Everything in her screamed humiliation.
Then, from the back of the cafeteria, a deep calm voice cut through the chaos.
“Enough.”
Heads turned. Marvin froze mid-sentence. All the laughter died down.
Jace stepped forward from the crowd of students, his presence immediately commanding attention. The room seemed to shrink around him. He didn’t shout. He didn’t yell. He didn’t need to. The quiet intensity in his eyes was enough.
“You think it’s funny to humiliate someone because you’ve got a title or a friend in your corner?” Jace said, his voice steady but sharp. “You want to see how powerless she is? You want to test her like she’s some kind of joke? Try me first.”
Marvin’s jaw tightened. He had never been spoken to like that in public, not by anyone who could matter.
Cass felt something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in weeks: relief. Safety. Protection.
Jace’s gaze didn’t leave Marvin’s, and the entire cafeteria seemed to hold its breath. A few students whispered among themselves, astonished that someone had dared to challenge the golden boy captain in front of everyone.
Marvin smirked again, trying to hide his unease. “Oh, this is cute. Twin brother syndrome?”
“This isn’t cute,” Jace said evenly, stepping closer. “This is respect. And you’ll learn it one way or another.”
Jacinta paled slightly, realizing that she and Marvin had miscalculated. For the first time, Cass noticed the slight shift in power, and it filled her chest with a strange mixture of adrenaline and pride.
Lena grinned at her side. “See? That’s why I always stick with you.”
Cass’s heart was racing, but she nodded. She straightened in her seat and met Marvin’s gaze. He looked surprised not at her, not really but at the fact that someone had finally intervened, someone who mattered enough to put him in his place.
For the first time, Cass felt the cafeteria shift. She wasn’t invisible. She wasn’t powerless. And maybe just maybe this week could be different.