The school hallway is packed, but it doesn't matter. I'm only looking for one face in the crowd.

Naomi's.

She texted me this morning, just a simple "Can't wait to see you" with a heart emoji, but it's been replaying in my head all morning.

I swear, I've never felt so ridiculously... giddy. I can only think about her. About last night.

I can still feel the way her hand lingered on mine as we reached for the same piece of popcorn. The warmth of her fingers, the soft laugh that escaped her lips when our eyes met.

And then, the good part, the sex, if you could call it that since I'm the only one who got something out of it. I didn't expect any of it to be so good, so right. Like maybe this is exactly where we're supposed to be.

Now, as I make my way through the hallway, weaving past people and glancing around, I think I spot her up ahead.

She's standing near her locker, talking with Sarah and a few of her friends. They're laughing, Naomi's head tilted back, her eyes bright.

My heart flutters, I almost call out to her, but something makes me stop. Something in the way they're all looking at her, the way Sarah nudges her with this knowing grin.

"Aw, that's so cute," Sarah says. "So, what about the dare?"

My heart hammers against my chest.

The laughter that follows is too much, almost vicious, and my stomach does a little flip. I force myself to move closer. My heart beats faster, but not in the way it did this morning. Something feels wrong.

Naomi shrugs, looking a little sheepish.

"Oh, don't worry," she says with a laughter too loud. "I'm still messing around. Got, like, what, four weeks left until this nightmare is over

My whole world comes to a screeching halt.

Is this about me?

"Well, at least you're getting something fun out of it." Megan is the one who pushes Naomi's shoulder as if encouraging her.

My head is spinning.

A dare.

I remember Ethan mentioning that Naomi had been dared to do something but that was like two months ago, but now...

I stare at her, frozen in place, my ears ringing as her words sink in, one by one, like stones dropping into a dark, endless pool.

I can't believe it.

I don't want to believe it. But Naomi's voice, casual and dismissive, is all I can hear.

Sarah laughs, leaning into her to say something but her eyes spot me and she whispers something to Naomi.

I feel like the ground has just opened up beneath me, like I'm tumbling into some bottomless pit, unable to grab hold of anything to stop the fall.

Last night, she had the guts to look at me, to touch me and make me feel the way she looked at me, touched me, made me feel... all of it was fake.

I was nothing more than a game to her. Just a box to check off.

I want to confront her, to scream, to shove past everyone in the hallway and demand to know how she could do this to me.

But the words get stuck in my throat, choking me. I can't breathe. I can't move. I can only stand here, feeling my heart shatter into a million pieces as Naomi glances at me.

Tears are burning in my eyes, hot and uncontainable. I want to turn away before anyone sees, but my body feels heavy, like it's made of lead.

I watch her eyes going wide as she tries to come for me.

All I feel is humiliation and betrayal as I make my way out. I hear her call after me but I just can't.

A part of me wants to believe it's a mistake, that maybe I heard wrong. But deep down, I know I didn't.

The truth is right here, staring me in the face, and there's no escaping it. I was a joke to her. A dare. A little challenge she could laugh about with her friends after.

The bell rings, echoing through the hallway, but I don't care. I push through the crowd, barely aware of where I'm going.

I just need to get out, to be anywhere but here.

My vision blurs as the tears spill over, hot and fast, streaking down my cheeks as I shove past people, ignoring the startled looks they give me.

I make it outside, the cold air biting against my skin, but it does nothing to numb the pain tearing through my chest.

It feels like my heart is being ripped apart, like every piece of feeling I'd built with Naomi is crumbling.

I stumble to the edge of the school grounds, sinking onto a bench and burying my face in my hands, letting the tears come freely now, unrestrained.

How could I have been so stupid?

How could I have let myself believe that she could actually care about me?

I let her in. I trusted her with parts of myself that I never show anyone else. And she... she just played with me, like the joke I am.

I remember the way she looked at me last night, the softness in her eyes, the way her fingers brushed against mine as if I was something precious.

I thought it was real.

I thought, for once, I'd found someone who saw me for who I was, and wanted me. But it was all lies.

The betrayal twists in my chest like a knife, leaving me raw and broken.

I can still hear her laughter, that cruel, careless sound in my head, mocking me, reminding me of how naive I was to ever think I could be special to someone like her.

She's a fucking player, how did I forget that?

I wipe my cheeks, but the tears keep coming.

I want to hate her.

I want to scream, to rip this pain out and throw it away, to forget her face, her smile, every single moment we spent together.

But I can't.

Because somewhere, beneath all the hurt and anger, there's still a part of me that wants her. A part that remembers the warmth of her touch, the way her hand felt in mine, and it makes the pain so much worse.

I take a shuddering breath, trying to steady myself, but it only brings fresh tears.

I don't know how I'm supposed to move on from this.