Chapter 51

"Yeah, she's the girl from his old neighborhood, right?" another girl replied. "I heard she's not even that pretty, and she's so awkward. I can't believe he brought her to the Snowflake Ball."

"Ugh, I know! It's like he could have any girl he wants, and he chooses her. What was he thinking?" a third girl chimed in, sounding disdainful.

My heart sank as I listened to their conversation. It hurt to hear such cruel remarks about me, especially when I had just been experiencing such a wonderful night with Lucas.

"Did you see the way they were dancing?" one girl commented. "They looked pretty cozy."

"They were a little too cozy for my liking," another girl said with a hint of repulsion in her voice. "I liked it better when Lucas was single."

"But they're not dating, are they?"

Oh no, not again with these rumors of Lucas and I.

"Who knows... It's obvious they like each other more than friends."

I stilled at the girl's words. Did Lucas and I look like we were more than friends to other students in the school?

I mean, we did spend a lot of time together, but I didn't think that would result to people thinking we were dating.

We had always been there for each other, supporting and caring for one another like true friends do.

But as I went over our interactions, I began to question whether others might misinterpret our connection.

Had we unknowingly given off the impression that we were more than friends? Were there moments when our closeness had been mistaken for something else?

Despite these doubts, I knew deep down that our friendship was genuine and pure.

Lucas had been my rock, my confidant, and the one person I could always count on. Our bond was built on trust, understanding, and the knowledge that we were there for each other through thick and thin.

"She's so lucky!" the girl whined in a high-pitched voice. "Could you imagine having Lucas Busch as your Winter Formal date?"

"She's soooo lucky! I would do anything to have Lucas go to the dance with me."

"She's not lucky," another voice commented. "She's wolfless, remember?"

"And all that drama she just had with Jessica was so awful. I would be so embarrassed if I was her. I don't know how she can show her face at this school still after all those videos and pictures posted in the group chats."

"Maybe she hit her head really hard when Jessica tied her up and she developed a loss of memory."

The girls all laughed, finally making their way back to the ballroom.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my emotions and not let their words affect me.

But that was easier said than done.

I felt humiliated.

Looking down at my dress, which I had felt so good about just moments ago, I suddenly felt a wave of disgust. All I could see were my flaws and imperfections, and it made me feel like an outsider in this glamorous crowd.

Deep down, I'd always struggled with feelings of insecurity and never quite fitting in. That's why I usually avoided events like this - the fear of judgment and not being good enough always held me back.

Their cruel remarks just seemed to confirm my worst fears, and tears welled up in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away, not wanting anyone to see my vulnerability.

People will always have something negative to say, and it just wasn't worth all the pain and tears.

As I stepped out of the restroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror. For a moment, I doubted myself, wondering if they were right. But then, I remembered Lucas's kind words, his affectionate gestures, and the love that we had shared on the dance floor. I knew that their opinions didn't define my worth or the beauty of our connection.

When I made my way back to the dance floor, I found Lucas waiting for me. He seemed blissfully unaware of the turmoil going on inside me as he launched into a comical story about the not-so-great chocolate chip cookies at the food table.

"I went over to the food table and noticed they have chocolate chip cookies. I tried one and almost threw up. If Grandma Jo ate one of those, I think she'd have a heart attack about how terrible they are," he exclaimed, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I managed to muster a watery laugh, trying my best to hide my sadness from him. "Really? That's too bad," I replied, forcing myself to focus on his humor rather than the hurtful words that lingered in my mind.

But it was clear that I couldn't keep up the act for long. My voice quivered slightly as I spoke, and when I sniffled, Lucas's playful expression shifted to concern. He stepped closer to me, his hand gently touching my arm.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to share what I had overheard. I didn't want to bring him down or create unnecessary drama, but it was getting harder to pretend that everything was fine.

I debated whether to tell him about what I overheard, but I didn't want to dampen the spirit of the evening with negativity. "Yeah, everything's fine," I replied, forcing a smile.

Lucas could sense something was bothering me. "Are you sure?" he pressed gently.

My hands trembled as I tried to hold back tears, not wanting to let those girls' awful remarks ruin the magical evening I had been having with Lucas. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my emotions and not let their words affect me.

When Lucas saw tears forming in my eyes, he stilled.

I hesitated, refusing to join him on the dance floor. "I... I can't, Lucas," I stammered, unable to articulate the pain I felt from the hurtful gossip I overheard.

He furrowed his brows, concern etched on his face. "Why not? What's wrong?" he asked gently.

Looking around and seeing more and more people watching us, I felt self-conscious and didn't want to cause a scene. But I also couldn't bear the weight of those hurtful words.

"I just... I need some air," I finally managed to say, avoiding his gaze.

"But Shana, I have my speech later," Lucas replied, not wanting to leave me alone.

"It's fine. You can go. I'll be okay," I insisted, trying to put on a brave face.

"But I want to have you here with me." Lucas turned me to face him. "Just tell me what it is."

I swallowed.

"Is it something I did?" he asked, a frown beginning to take form on his face.

"No!" I shouted but lowered my voice when I said, "No, Lucas. You did nothing wrong. You've been perfect all night. You've made all of this so much fun for me."

"Shana, you were fine just a second ago, but you left to go to the bathroom and came back upset." Lucas searched my eyes, not understanding where my sudden sadness was coming from. "What happened?"

But he could sense my helplessness. He knew something was bothering me and couldn't bear to see me in distress. "No, I won't leave you like this," he said firmly. "Come with me."