You Were Never Supposed to Notice Me.

Chapter 4: Between the Lines

The rumors around Westbrook High only grew louder.

Every hallway Maya walked through seemed filled with whispers.

"There she is."

"That's Noah's partner."

"I heard they're already dating."

Maya tried to ignore them, but it wasn't easy.

At lunch, she sat with Ava, Jason, and Noah.

Jason smiled. "You know, if people keep talking about you two, we should start charging them for the gossip."

Everyone laughed except Maya.

"I'm serious," she sighed. "I don't like everyone watching me."

Noah noticed the worry in her eyes.

"They'll get bored eventually."

"I hope so."

Later that afternoon, Mr. Harris reminded everyone that the semester presentations were only a week away.

"You and your partners should be almost finished."

After school, Maya and Noah met in the library once again.

As they worked, Noah noticed a notebook sticking out of Maya's backpack.

"Is that your writing notebook?"

Maya quickly pulled it closer.

"It's nothing."

"You write stories, remember?"

She smiled nervously.

"I've never let anyone read them."

"I won't laugh."

After a long pause, she handed him one page.

Noah read silently.

When he finished, he looked at her.

"Maya..."

"What?"

"You're really talented."

She blinked.

"You mean that?"

"I do."

No one had ever believed in her writing the way Noah just had.

For the first time, Maya wondered if maybe her dream of becoming an author wasn't impossible after all.

Across the hallway, Chloe watched the two of them laughing together.

She clenched her fists.

She had finally had enough.

The next morning, someone posted an embarrassing rumor online claiming Maya had transferred schools because she had gotten into trouble at her old one.

Students began whispering again.

Some even believed it.

Maya rushed to the restroom, fighting back tears.

A few minutes later, someone knocked gently on the door.

"Maya?"

It was Noah.

"You don't have to believe what people say."

"I don't," she whispered.

"But everyone else does."

Noah looked at her seriously.

"I know the real you."

Those words meant more than he realized.

As the final bell rang that afternoon, Maya smiled for the first time all day.

No matter what happened...

She wasn't facing it alone anymore.

End of Chapter 4

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