Alice hated Mondays. Not because of school. Not because of homework. Not even because she had mathematics first period. No. She hated Mondays because her mother had started a diet.
"Alice, you're getting chubby."
The words still echoed in her head as she stared at the sad excuse for breakfast packed inside her lunchbox. An apple. A boiled egg. And a tiny container of salad. That was it. She looked around the cafeteria during morning break and nearly cried when she saw other students eating sandwiches, fried chicken, pastries, and noodles.
"This is torture."
"You've said that six times already."
Alice glared at her friend Sophia.
"Because it's true."
"You're not even fat."
"My mother disagrees."
Sophia laughed.
"Your mother also thinks sleeping after midnight causes blindness."
Alice sighed dramatically and poked her apple. The bell rang for classes. The first half of the day dragged by. By lunch break, Alice felt like she was starving. She sat beneath a large tree in the courtyard with Mia and two other friends. The weather was pleasant. Students filled the campus grounds. Some were eating. Others were playing sports. A few prefects walked around monitoring the crowds. Among them was a tall boy wearing the school captain's badge. Melvin. Alice spotted him immediately.
He was speaking with a group of junior students before dismissing them with a smile. Unlike some student leaders, Melvin wasn't intimidating. He wasn't the most handsome boy in school either. He wasn't the tallest. Or the strongest. But he had a calm confidence that made people trust him. As school captain, he carried plenty of responsibilities. He organized events. Maintained discipline. Helped teachers. Handled student complaints. And generally kept the school functioning without chaos. Most students respected him. A few didn't. But nobody could deny that he worked hard. A few moments later, Melvin approached the group.
"Hey."
Alice smiled.
"Hey."
Melvin sat beside her.
"How are you feeling?"
Alice groaned.
"Hungry."
He blinked.
"That's not exactly a health condition."
"My mother put me on a diet."
Melvin looked at her lunchbox.
His expression became sympathetic.
"That's criminal."
"See? Finally someone understands."
The group laughed.
Melvin reached into his bag.
"Here."
He handed her a granola bar.
Alice's eyes sparkled.
"You are literally my favorite person."
"I thought I was your boyfriend."
"Exactly."
More laughter followed.
For several minutes they simply chatted. Nothing serious. School events. Teachers. Homework. Weekend plans. The upcoming sports festival. The conversation flowed naturally. Melvin always made people feel comfortable. Unfortunately, someone else had noticed them. Across the courtyard. Damian sat with several boys from his year. His eyes drifted toward Alice. Then toward Melvin. Then back again.
"Who's that?"
One of his friends glanced over.
"The school captain."
"Melvin?"
"Yeah."
"The guy dating Alice?"
His friend nodded. Damian scoffed.
"Oh."
Another boy leaned forward.
"Apparently he's gay."
The group laughed.
Damian raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?"
"Rumor says someone saw him getting real close to another guy in the bathroom last year."
"No way."
"That's what people say."
Damian chuckled.
"Then what's he doing dating Alice?"
His friend shrugged.
"Maybe she's his beard."
The table burst into laughter.
Damian leaned back.
"Or maybe Alice pegs him."
The boys erupted.
Several nearly choked on their drinks.
"That's insane."
"But funny."
"Poor captain."
The gossip spread. As gossip always did. A joke became a rumor. A rumor became a story. A story became accepted truth. And before long, people who had never spoken to Melvin suddenly had opinions about him. Days passed. The whispers grew louder. Students giggled when Melvin walked by. People exchanged looks. Some laughed behind his back. Others weren't even subtle. Melvin pretended not to notice. Alice knew better. Every joke landed. Every stare hurt. He just didn't show it.
Until one afternoon. Everything exploded. The final bell had rung. Students flooded the hallways. Alice was collecting books from her locker when shouting erupted nearby. She looked up. A crowd was forming. Her stomach dropped. Melvin stood in the center. Three older boys surrounded him. One blocked his path. Another grabbed his shoulder. The third smirked.
"Come on, captain."
"We heard you like guys."
The surrounding students laughed. Melvin's face hardened.
"Move."
"What if I don't?"
One boy ran a hand down Melvin's butt mockingly. The crowd reacted. Some laughed. Others looked uncomfortable. Melvin shoved him away.
"Don't touch me."
The bully grinned.
"Why not? Thought you'd like it."
Another hand grabbed Melvin's waist. That was enough. Melvin swung. His fist connected. The hallway erupted. Students screamed. A fight broke out. Alice pushed through the crowd.
"STOP!"
Nobody listened. One boy tackled Melvin. Another grabbed his shirt. Someone threw a punch. Melvin hit back. Everything became chaos. Alice reached into her bag. Her mother had insisted she carry pepper spray after a recent incident in town. Without thinking. Without considering consequences. Alice sprayed. A cloud burst into the crowd. Three boys immediately screamed. Another dropped to his knees. Someone cursed. Someone cried. Students scattered. Teachers arrived seconds later. The fight ended instantly.
Unfortunately. The consequences were just beginning. By evening. Everyone involved sat inside the principal's office. Including Alice. The principal looked exhausted. The bullies sat red-eyed and miserable. Melvin looked defeated. Alice looked stubborn.
"What possessed you to use pepper spray?"
Alice crossed her arms.
"They were attacking him."
"You sprayed half the hallway."
"They deserved it."
The principal pinched the bridge of his nose. The bullies' parents had already been called. Several looked furious after hearing exactly why their sons had started the fight. The school treated harassment seriously. Especially physical harassment. The aggressors received severe disciplinary action. Alice wasn't entirely spared. Pepper spray remained prohibited on campus. Even if her intentions had been good. Three days suspension. The same punishment given to Melvin. When the meeting finally ended, the sun was already setting.
The ride home felt strangely quiet. Alice sat beside Melvin on the school bus. Neither spoke initially. Outside the window, the city rolled past. At the back of the bus. Damian and his friends sat together. Still laughing. Still whispering. Still feeding the rumors. Alice caught snippets.
"Captain got rescued."
"By his girlfriend."
"Embarrassing."
More laughter followed. Damian glanced forward. His eyes briefly met Alice's. Then he looked away. Emily leaned toward her.
"You know..."
"What?"
"That Damian guy keeps staring at you."
Alice frowned.
"He's an annoying ass bitch that's why."
"Maybe."
But she noticed him glancing again. And again. And again.
The bus finally reached their stop. Alice and Melvin got off together. The walk home was quiet. The evening sky glowed orange. Neither seemed eager to speak. Eventually they reached a small park. Melvin sat heavily on a bench. Alice joined him. Several minutes passed. Then he spoke.
"You should break up with me."
Alice stared.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"No."
His voice cracked.
"No?"
"No."
Melvin looked away.
"I couldn't even protect myself."
"That's not your fault."
"I got humiliated."
"Still not your fault."
"I dragged you into this."
Alice shook her head.
"You didn't drag me anywhere."
"I got you suspended."
"You got bullied."
Melvin laughed bitterly. A miserable sound. Then his shoulders began trembling. Alice's eyes widened. He was crying. Actually crying.
"I hate this."
His voice broke.
"I hate all of it."
Alice moved closer.
"It's okay."
"No, it's not."
He wiped his eyes.
"I thought I could handle it."
"You don't have to handle everything alone."
The silence stretched. Then Melvin inhaled deeply. As if preparing to jump from a cliff.
"Alice."
"What?"
"The rumors."
His hands clenched.
"They aren't entirely wrong."
Alice felt her stomach tighten.
"What do you mean?"
Melvin stared at the ground. For a long time. Then finally.
"I'm gay."
The words landed softly. Yet felt impossibly heavy.
"I had a crush."
Alice couldn't speak.
"It wasn't made up."
The tears returned.
"There was someone."
Alice stared ahead. The park suddenly felt distant. The sounds of children. The wind. The traffic. Everything blurred. Not because she hated him. Not because she thought less of him. But because she loved him. And suddenly realized he had never been able to love her the same way. A painful realization. One nobody deserved. Her eyes filled with tears. Melvin noticed immediately.
"I'm sorry."
"Stop apologizing."
"I'm sorry."
"Melvin."
"I never wanted to hurt you."
Alice wiped her face. Neither spoke for several minutes. Eventually she found her voice.
"Who is he?"
Melvin smiled sadly.
"Doesn't matter."
"It matters to you."
"Maybe."
The conversation continued quietly. No shouting. No anger. Only sadness. Two people facing a truth neither wanted. By the time they stood up. The sky had darkened. Alice looked exhausted.
"So what happens now?"
Melvin lowered his gaze.
"I don't know."
Neither did she.
Eventually. Alice turned and walked away. She didn't look back. Because she knew if she did. She might cry again. Melvin remained in the park for another hour. Only leaving when darkness fully settled.
By the time he reached home, he felt hollow. The front door opened. Warm light spilled into the night. And someone immediately greeted him.
"You're late."
Melvin froze. Charles stood in the hallway. Tall. Handsome. Relaxed. The kind of person who looked effortlessly confident. At twenty-four, Charles was seven years older than him. A university student studying business management. At the same time, he worked as a sales associate for a local company. Money was tight. So he had temporarily moved in with his older sister and her family. At least until he could save enough to get his own place. Everyone in the family adored him. Melvin included. Though perhaps for very different reasons.
Charles frowned.
"You okay?"
Melvin quickly looked away.
"Yeah."
"You don't look okay."
"I'm tired."
Charles studied him. Concern visible in his eyes.
"Rough day?"
Melvin forced a smile.
"Something like that."
Charles reached over and ruffled his hair. A simple gesture. Completely innocent. Yet Melvin felt his heart ache. Because Charles would never know. Could never know. And because after everything that had happened today. The secret felt heavier than ever.
"Go get some rest," Charles said.
"You look terrible."
Melvin laughed weakly.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
Melvin headed upstairs. Alone. Behind him, Charles watched with concern. Ahead of him waited a sleepless night. And somewhere across town. Alice was probably crying too. Neither of them realized it yet. But this wasn't the end of the story. It was only the beginning.