For Tiana, it just meant one more day to keep her head down and stay out of the spotlight. She'd almost made it to her locker that morning when she noticed something off. Brooke, Sky, and Jace were standing nearby, talking in low voices. Their eyes cut toward her, then back to each other. It wasn't just casual, it was deliberate.
Tiana slowed her pace, pretending not to notice, but her instincts sharpened. Years of competition had tuned her awareness. She could feel when eyes were on her, when something was about to happen. She turned the corner, books in hand, and that's when it happened. A sudden shove from behind.
Her books went flying across the floor. Papers scattered like leaves. The sound of laughter followed instantly. Tiana stumbled forward, catching herself against the locker. She turned around and there they were.
Brooke was covering her mouth like she was trying not to laugh. Sky pretending to look surprised and Jace smirking as if he'd just scored a touchdown. "Oops," Brooke said, feigning innocence. "Guess someone tripped." The hallway went quiet. Students stopped and stared.
Some whispering, others pretending not to watch. Tiana didn't say a word. She crouched down slowly, gathering her books. Her fingers trembled slightly, not from fear, but from restraint. Sky leaned over her shoulder.
"Hey, sorry about that," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Didn't mean to make you drop everything." Brooke snickered. "You okay, Atlanta? You look kind of mad." Tiana stood up, books pressed against her chest. Her breathing was slow, measured.
She looked Brooke straight in the eye. "I'm fine," she said quietly. Brooke blinked, thrown off by the calm in her tone. "Good. Wouldn't want to mess up your karate vibes or whatever." A few people laughed.
Others shifted uncomfortably. Tiana turned and began walking away, her steps steady, but as she moved past them, Jace muttered under his breath, "Guess that black belt's just for show." That stopped her. She turned halfway, not fully facing him, just enough to make eye contact. "You don't know what it's for," she said. Her voice was even, but the weight behind it silenced the hallway for a split second.
Then she walked off, leaving the laughter to fade behind her. That afternoon, she could feel the echoes of the moment following her. People whispering, retelling the story in fragments that didn't line up. Some said she'd tried to fight them and back down. Others said she cried.
None of it was true. After school, Tiana sat in the gym bleachers, watching the cheerleaders practice while the basketball team warmed up on the other end. The sound of sneakers squeaking against the court echoed through the room. "Hey," a voice said from behind her. She turned and saw a girl she didn't recognize, tall with curly brown hair and a backpack covered in pins.