"Dad, aren't you ready yet? What's taking you so long to get dressed?" Mia called out to her father, who had overslept. She watched as he hurriedly ran down the stairs.
"Sorry, sweetheart. I overslept—and Livy wasn't around to wake me up," Tom said, grinning and scratching his head.
(Shakes head) "You act like a five-year-old. Let's go already—we need to beat traffic," Mia said, walking out of the building with her father trailing behind. They both got into the car and drove off.
"So... why'd you decide to drop me off today?" Mia asked after a moment.
"No reason. I just felt like driving you myself today," Tom replied.
"Okay then," Mia said, turning to look out the window.
There was a pause before she spoke again.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever miss Mom?" Mia asked, her voice soft, tears quietly streaming down her cheeks.
"Of course I do," Tom replied, glancing at her. "Why would you even ask that?"
"Why did you marry Livy?" she asked, still staring out the window. Tom was quiet for a few moments, then finally answered.
"Because your mom wanted me to. She told me, before she passed, that I should marry again—for your sake. She didn't want you to grow up without a mother's care like she did… so that's why I did it."
The car fell silent again, and Mia began to cry quietly. Tom noticed and gently pulled the car over. He unbuckled his seatbelt, turned toward her, and softly said:
"Hey, look at me." He gently held Mia's chin, turning her face toward him.
"It's okay. Come here," he whispered, pulling her into a hug. They stayed like that for a while, sitting in the stillness of the moment.
After about five minutes, Mia pulled away—any longer and she'd be late for school. Tom started the car and continued driving, but the silence between them lingered until they arrived.
"Thanks, Dad."
"You're welcome... though I don't know why you're thanking me," Tom said with a warm smile.
Mia chuckled and stepped out, heading toward the school building. Tom watched her until she disappeared into the compound, then finally drove off.
*****
Mia's P.O.V
As I walked into the school compound, all eyes were on me—but not for long. Whatever attention I'd drawn faded quickly. It seemed like a new story had taken over the school, and curiosity tugged at me. I made my way to class and found Shawn in his usual spot, headphones in, completely focused on the book in his hands. He didn't even glance up. Typical.
"Hey, Mia!" Hazel called out as she walked over.
"Oh, hey," I replied.
"Have you spoken to Shawn yet?"
"He won't listen to me, no matter how hard I try," I said with a sigh. "I've given up trying, honestly."
Hazel frowned, but nodded. "Well, that aside—do you know what's going on? Everyone's talking about Jack and Kenzie."
I raised an eyebrow. "What about them?"
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping. "I'm not totally sure, but word is… Kenzie's pregnant. She's saying Jack raped her—and now he's denying the baby's his."
I stared at her, stunned. "Wait, what? But they're dating. Why would he rape her?"
Hazel held up her hands. "I don't know. Like I said—it's just a rumor. No one knows what's true yet."
I shook my head, trying to process it. The shock, the confusion… and a little part of me that didn't want to believe either of them could be telling the truth.
We both headed to my seat—which was, unfortunately, right beside Shawn's. He still didn't notice me, or maybe he was just pretending not to. Either way, I was glad. I wasn't ready to deal with him today.
Hazel and I chatted a bit more about random stuff, until—out of nowhere—she did something completely crazy.
Shawn's P.O.V
Her scent—it was messing with my senses. Soft, familiar, and painfully distracting. I tried my best to ignore her presence beside me, but I couldn't ignore the water bottle that suddenly landed on my book. It was Mia's—but she wasn't the one who threw it.
I glanced up, heart thudding in my chest. Hazel. Of course.
To be honest, I like Mia. A lot. Probably more than I'm willing to admit, even to myself. But my damn ego… it won't let me talk to her. Not after what I said. I feel ashamed, disappointed, and honestly, a little scared. Scared of facing her. Scared of seeing the hurt I caused.
I picked up the bottle, fingers brushing over the plastic like it mattered somehow. When I looked at Mia, she couldn't even meet my eyes. That stung more than I expected.
"Here," I said quietly, holding the bottle out to her.
She took it without a word, her fingers barely grazing mine, and walked out of the class just as the assembly bell rang—like she'd been waiting for it.
I watched her leave, then got up and followed the flow of students heading toward the assembly hall. I decided I'd talk to Jaden later. I needed to get this off my chest.
But today's assembly wasn't normal. No one was listening to announcements or morning motivation. No one talked about grades or punctuality. Today… it was all about Jack.
"Good morning, students. Welcome to another school day," Mrs. Penny said into the microphone, her expression unusually stern. "As some of you may already know, Jack Stone has committed a serious offense. He will be punished accordingly. To address the matter properly, I've invited Officer Steve to join us here today."
Murmurs spread through the crowd as a uniformed officer stepped forward and took the mic.
"Good morning, students. I'm Officer Steve," he said, his tone firm but professional. "Can Jack Stone please join us up here?"
All heads turned as Jack made his way to the stage. His face was calm—too calm. He didn't look nervous at all, and that… that made something twist in my gut. Something felt off. And I was sure I wasn't the only one who sensed it.
As soon as Jack reached the stage, Officer Steve stepped forward and cuffed him.
"You are under arrest, Mr. Jack Stone, for the rape of Miss Kenzie and for refusing to take responsibility for her unborn child. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law."
Just then, Kenzie appeared on stage, tears running down her face—as if she had been waiting for this exact moment. The timing was too perfect. Too rehearsed.
Officer Steve led Jack off the stage and out of the assembly hall.
And then, chaos.
The once silent student body erupted into whispers, gasps, and frantic muttering. Some looked shocked, others confused, and a few… skeptical.
And honestly? So was I.
"This is stupid," I heard Mia mutter under her breath before she turned and walked out of the assembly hall with Hazel trailing behind her.
Mrs. Penny cleared her throat and continued, "Jack claims he's innocent, which is definitely not true—but that will be settled in the law court this Friday."
"Excuse me, Mrs. Penny," a voice cut through the tension. It was Sasha, a bold tenth grader. "Jack will be released anyway. You don't have any evidence of him raping Kenzie, nor do you have proof he's the father of her child."
Mrs. Penny's eyes narrowed, but her voice remained firm. "He's not leaving that cell anytime soon. I provided solid evidence to the police—evidence that will hold in court. So don't worry about him walking free, because he won't. No more questions. If you're interested in attending the hearing, you're welcome to. Assembly dismissed."
She walked off stage and exited the hall, heels clicking with finality. But the room didn't quiet down. In fact, it only got louder.
"I'm so disappointed in Jack," someone whispered behind me.
"This doesn't feel right," another student said. "Something's definitely off."
Everyone had something to say—but most of them agreed on one thing: Jack might actually be innocent.
And that thought stuck with me.
For some reason, it pulled my mind toward Mia. Maybe she was as innocent as Jack. Maybe I'd been wrong about her all along. But still... something held me back. Some part of me wasn't ready to go to her.
So I made a promise to myself: If Jack wins this case—If the truth really comes out—Then I'll talk to Mia. And I'll finally apologize for everything.