Twelve

Twelve
MIRELLA’S POV

At first, I thought I was imagining it—until I heard a soft sniff again.

It was coming from the last cubicle.

“Hello?” I asked quietly.

No answer.

All I got was just a shaky breath.

Then the sound of glass scraping against tile.

My heart dropped.

I pushed open the door.

There was a girl sitting on the toilet seat and she looked up in shock.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her hands trembled, and between her fingers was a small shard of glass.

“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice trembling more than hers.

“Go away,” she whispered, pressing the glass tighter against her wrist.

I didn’t think. I just moved. I grabbed her wrist gently but firmly. “Don’t. Please.”

She tried to pull away, but she was too weak.

The glass clattered to the floor.

She burst into tears and collapsed against me.

I held her while she cried, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I can’t take it anymore,” she choked out. “They won’t stop. They said my mom’s a slut. They said she—”

She couldn’t finish. Her words broke into sobs.

I wrapped my arms around her tighter. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you, alright?”

We sat there for what felt like forever. Her tears soaked my shoulder, and I didn’t care. I just kept whispering that she was safe, that she wasn’t alone.

When she finally calmed a little, I asked softly, “What’s your name?”

“Rhea,” she said, her voice small and broken.

“Rhea,” I repeated. “Okay. Let’s get that wrist checked, yeah?”

She nodded, and I helped her stand. Her steps were wobbly, but she held on to me. We walked together to the nurse’s office. The nurse looked alarmed when she saw the cut, but didn’t ask questions—just got to work. I sat beside Rhea the whole time.

When the nurse finished, I went to the vending machine outside and got two apple juices. I came back and handed one to her.

She looked at it like I’d just offered her a bomb. “I don’t want it.”

“It’s not poison,” I said, smiling a little. “It helps. Apple juice fixes everything.”

She blinked, confused, then laughed softly. It was a tiny sound, but it felt like a win.

“See?” I said, tapping the juice. “Told you.”

She took it and sipped slowly. “Thank you… for helping me.”

“Don’t thank me. Just… don’t ever think about doing that again, okay?”

She nodded. “You’re different. No one ever helps me. Everyone just watches.”

I smiled faintly. “Then stop watching and be my friend.”

She looked shocked, like I’d said something impossible. “You… want to be my friend?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

Her lips trembled. “I’ve never had one before.”

“Then I’ll be your first.”

I gave her my phone. “Here. Type in your number. I’ll text you later when I’m done with class.”

She did, hands still shaking. When I stood to leave, she grabbed my wrist. “Thank you, Mirella.”

I nodded. “Anytime.”

\~~~

By the time I got back to class, something was off. The seating arrangement looked wrong. The legions weren’t at the back like usual—they’d switched places with the normal students.

I paused by the door, confused. What the hell were they planning?

And then I saw Kaelen.

Sitting right next to my chair.

My heart instantly jumped into my throat. Why was he there? He never sat in this part of the class.

I tried to act normal as I sat down, but my body betrayed me. My hands were stiff, my back straight, and my pulse was way too loud in my ears.

The teacher started talking about some group project, but I barely heard a word. My mind was a mess. I could feel Kaelen’s presence beside me like heat.

Then he spoke.

“What did he just say?” His voice was calm, deep, but sharp enough to cut through my fog.

I froze. Did he just talk to me?

I looked at him. He was staring at me, expression unreadable.

“W-What?” I stammered.

He repeated, “What did the teacher just say?”

My brain blanked. “Uh—he said… the project will be in groups of four.”

He nodded, eyes still on me. “Good.”

Then he looked away, like it was nothing. Like I hadn’t just stopped breathing.

He knew my name too. “Mirella,” he said suddenly, turning back to me. “You’re writing, right?”

My mouth opened but no sound came out. He said my name so casually, like it wasn’t strange at all that the most popular guy in school even knew it.

When I didn’t reply, he snapped his fingers in front of me. “Earth to Mirella.”

I blinked fast, cheeks burning. “Y-Yeah. Sorry.”

God. Pull yourself together, Mirella. You hate him, remember?

The teacher was still talking. Something about grades, teamwork, and fair participation. I wrote random words in my notebook just to look busy.

When class ended, the teacher said, “You have to choose your team of four now.”

Instantly, the room buzzed with chatter. Everyone rushed to pick their friends. I already knew mine. Iris and the stutterer—Leo. We just needed one more.

I turned to Iris, whispering, “We can find someone quiet. Maybe Rhea.”

Before she could reply, a voice rang across the room.

“Kaelen!” The female legion called, flipping her perfect hair. “Join my group. We’ll obviously get the highest grade.”

Everyone went quiet. Of course he’d say yes. He always did.

But then Kaelen looked in my direction. Straight at me.

“I’ll join Mirella’s group,” he said.

The whole class gasped. My pen slipped from my fingers. Iris’s jaw dropped. Even the female legion’s smile froze midair.

I stared at him, too shocked to speak.

He just leaned back in his chair, bored, like nothing had happened. “What?” he said flatly, noticing everyone’s stares. “We’re in the same row. It’s convenient.”

But I could feel it—every pair of eyes burning into me.

The whispers started almost instantly.

“She bewitched him.”

“She’s trying to get attention again.”

“No way he actually chose her.”

I
didn’t look up.

My heart was thundering too loud.

Kaelen was right next to me, silent, calm, like this was all some game to him.

What the fuck was he up to?