Idiot , Fool

Idiot , Fool

I took my seat, trying to calm the racing thoughts in my head. The whispers still echoed in the back of my mind, the cruel laughter that had followed me down the hallway. Mia’s voice, mocking and dripping with disdain, replayed over and over, each word like a slap to the face.

But I wasn’t going to cry. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. I wasn’t that girl.

Still, the sting lingered. I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal, especially after everything that had happened between Mia and me yesterday. She had approached me so sweetly, like she was offering a hand of friendship in this new world I had found myself in. She had been the first person who had seemed to notice me at Kingston, the first to actually talk to me. I had thought maybe, just maybe, I could find someone here to rely on. A friend.

But now, I felt like the biggest fool on the planet.

I had let my guard down. I had actually believed that Mia, the queen bee of Kingston University, would want to be friends with someone like me. I didn’t know what I had been thinking. What had I expected? That someone like her, who had everything beauty, power, popularity would honestly want to befriend someone like me? A nobody from a small town?

I was an idiot. A total duffer.

Mia’s real face was starting to reveal itself, and it was far from the one she had shown me. She wasn’t kind, or even friendly. She was calculating, vicious, and driven by jealousy. All of her sweetness from yesterday was nothing but a lie, a way to manipulate me into lowering my guard. And it had worked.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk and trying to focus on the professor’s lecture. But all I could think about was how much of a fool I had been. The laughter and gossip from Mia and her friends kept ringing in my ears, each cruel comment chipping away at whatever little confidence I had left.

I couldn’t believe it. How could I have been so stupid?

I thought back to how excited I had been when Mia first talked to me. I had been thrilled. A popular girl at Kingston wanted to be my friend. I couldn’t have been more eager to fit in. She had seemed so genuine, so friendly, like she actually cared. I had never been one to easily trust people, but something about Mia had made me lower my guard.

And now, here I was, feeling like a complete idiot.

As the lecture dragged on, I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t stop thinking about Mia and how she had used me for whatever twisted reason she had.

Then, just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, I felt the weight of someone’s gaze on me.

I turned my head slightly, and to my surprise, Gabriel was standing near the door, his eyes fixed on me. His presence was enough to make my heart skip a beat, but today, I wasn’t in the mood for his usual games.

I didn’t know why he was looking at me, or what he wanted, but I could feel the tension in the air. He wasn’t the kind of person to just stand there and watch. Not unless he had something to say.

He raised an eyebrow as if sensing the turmoil inside me.

"Something on your mind?" he asked, his voice low enough for only me to hear.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Was he serious? Did he really think I wanted to engage with him right now?

"Why don’t you ask Mia?" I replied, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "She seems to know everything about me already."

Gabriel didn’t respond right away, but I could see a flicker of something surprise? Guilt?cross his face.

He took a step toward me, his expression shifting, but I wasn’t ready for any of his cryptic answers or comments. Not today.

"You shouldn’t listen to her," Gabriel said finally, his voice firm. "Mia can be... toxic."

Toxic. That word hit harder than I expected. Gabriel knew Mia better than anyone, and hearing him say that made my stomach twist with unease.

"Is that how you see her?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral, but inside, I was a mess. I didn’t want to admit it, but hearing Gabriel talk about Mia like that made me feel even more foolish for believing she would be my friend.

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze lingering on me for a long moment. "It’s complicated," he said eventually, his voice quieter now. "Mia has her own reasons for the way she acts. But that doesn’t mean you have to let her get under your skin."

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at his words. "Get under my skin? She’s been doing that since yesterday, Gabriel. Maybe you don’t see it, but I’m just the latest target in her game. And you’re playing right along with it."

I watched as Gabriel’s expression faltered, but before he could respond, the professor finally called the class to order, signaling the end of our conversation.

I wanted to say something else, something sharp, but I stopped myself. The last thing I needed was another fight, another reminder that I had somehow let Mia’s games and Gabriel’s indifference consume me.

So I turned my attention to the front of the class, focusing on the lecture in front of me, even though my thoughts were a mess.

Today, I had learned two things. One, I would never trust anyone at Kingston again. And two, I needed to stop caring about what Gabriel or Mia thought of me.

This place was a battlefield, and I wasn’t going to let anyone make me feel like I didn’t belong. Not anymore.