Monday came too fast.
Michelle was still glowing from her sleepover with Lila. They had posted cute selfies, silly dance videos, and even a boomerang of them doing face masks together. The comments were all full of hearts — from Steve, Jordan, and a few sweet girls from class.
But there were others too. An anonymous account commented:
"Two-faced much?""Wonder if Steve knows the truth."
Michelle frowned. "What truth?"
Lila tried to brush it off. "Probably just trolls."
But something felt... off.
By Wednesday, people were whispering.
Michelle would walk into class and hear her name — followed by awkward silence. She noticed girls glancing at their phones and then looking at her with those sly, judging eyes.
Then, the worst part: Steve seemed distant.
He wasn't cold — not exactly. But he was quieter. Distracted.
She caught him staring at his phone during lunch, brows furrowed. When she asked, he quickly put it away.
"Just homework stuff," he mumbled.
That evening, Lila came to her room holding her phone.
"Michelle... someone's spreading fake screenshots. Messages that look like they're from you."
Michelle froze. "What kind of messages?"
"They're pretending you said awful things. That you used Steve to get attention. That you're jealous of every girl who looks at him."
Michelle's breath caught in her throat. "He saw that?"
Lila nodded slowly. "I think that's why he's pulling back."
But it didn't stop there.
A flyer showed up on a classroom bulletin board — a photo of Michelle laughing with Jordan from weeks ago, cropped to look intimate. Underneath, in red marker:"How many boys does she need?"
Michelle tore it down with trembling hands. Her heart pounded.
"I didn't do anything wrong," she whispered. "Why are they doing this?"
Because they were losing control. And nothing scared girls like Stella more than someone happy, confident, and loved.
That night, Steve finally came over.
"I didn't believe it," he said. "But… I didn't know what to say either. I just didn't want to make it worse."
Michelle looked at him, eyes glassy. "You hesitated. You know me, Steve."
He reached for her hand. "I do. And I'm sorry."
There was a pause. The space between them hurt more than any rumor.
"We need to fight this," Michelle said, her voice steadier now. "Together. I'm not letting anyone take this from me."
Steve nodded. "Then we fight back."