POV: Maria
Maria sat on the edge of her bed that night, the quiet hum of the ceiling fan filling her room. The house was silent—too silent. Becky had already gone home, and Mrs. Sarah was asleep.
Her phone screen glowed in her hand, but she wasn't really looking at it. She kept replaying the afternoon in her mind: Bryan's face when he dragged her to the garden, the way his eyes searched hers, the confusion, the disbelief.
Then the moment she snapped.
> "I'm Maria—the girl you mocked… the girl you called a pig."
She pressed her palms against her eyes. The words still tasted bitter on her tongue. She'd held those feelings in for so long, and finally saying them out loud had felt both freeing and painful.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, but she wiped it quickly. No more crying, she told herself.
She got up and went to her mirror. The reflection staring back at her was beautiful—smooth skin, bright eyes, perfect curves. The kind of girl she'd once envied. But tonight, she didn't feel beautiful at all.
"I got what I wanted," she whispered. "So why does it still hurt?"
Her mind drifted to the way Bryan had looked at her in the garden—not cruelly, not mockingly, just… lost. For a second, she'd thought he might actually apologize. But he hadn't. He'd just stood there, silent, like the truth had knocked the air out of him.
Maria sighed, curling up on her bed. Her phone buzzed.
📱 Becky: Hey babe, you okay? I heard what happened after class.
📱 Maria: I'm fine. Just tired.
📱 Becky: Fine doesn't sound fine. Want me to come over?
📱 Maria: No, don't worry. I just need to think.
Becky sent a heart emoji. You did the right thing, okay? Don't let him make you doubt yourself.
Maria smiled faintly at the screen, then set her phone aside. Becky always knew how to comfort her.
She turned off the light and lay in the dark, the moonlight spilling softly through the curtains.
Maybe Bryan didn't deserve her explanation. Maybe she shouldn't have cared. But part of her still did—and that was what hurt the most.
She pressed her face into the pillow, whispering to herself, "You did everything for him, and he still couldn't see you."
Tears slipped down again, warm and quiet.
Then she took a deep breath and whispered the words she'd been too afraid to say all these years—words meant not for Bryan, but for herself.
"I'm enough. With or without him."
And with that, she finally closed her eyes, letting the weight of the day drift away.
Outside, the wind rustled softly against her window, carrying the faint scent of rain—and the promise that tomorrow, things would be different.
The next morning felt heavier than usual. The sunlight poured through the blinds, but Bryan barely noticed it. He sat at the edge of his bed, his phone in his hand, scrolling through messages without reading them.
He hadn't slept properly. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her.
Maria.
The look in her eyes when she said, "I loved you."
The sound of her voice when she whispered, "Stop staring at me like you finally see something worth seeing."
Those words cut deeper than he expected.
He dragged a hand through his hair and muttered under his breath, "What's wrong with me?"
He wasn't supposed to care. This was Maria — the girl he used to tease, the girl everyone mocked, the one he had convinced himself wasn't worth a second thought. But now, the more he tried to forget, the sharper her image became.
He sighed, got up, and grabbed his backpack. Maybe seeing her at school again would clear his head.
Or maybe it would make things worse.
---
When Bryan walked into Fabulous High, the noise of students filled the air — laughter, greetings, and gossip bouncing through the hallways. He spotted Joe leaning against a locker, texting.
"Bro," Joe said, looking up with a grin. "You look like someone who lost a fight with his thoughts."
Bryan gave him a dead look. "Not now, Joe."
Joe chuckled, falling into step beside him. "Still thinking about yesterday?"
Bryan didn't reply, just kept walking.
"I told you," Joe continued, "you caught feelings."
Bryan scoffed. "For who? Maria? Don't be ridiculous."
Joe smirked. "Right. That's why you're walking around like a zombie."
"Shut up," Bryan muttered.
But Joe wasn't wrong. His chest still felt weird — heavy, unsettled.
As they reached the hallway that led to their class, Bryan heard whispers. Students stood in small circles, gossiping in excited tones.
"Did you see her today?" one girl whispered.
"She's glowing more than yesterday!" another added.
"I swear, even the teachers were staring."
Bryan frowned. "Who are they talking about?"
Joe grinned. "Who else? Maria."
Bryan's jaw tightened unconsciously. "Already?"
Joe laughed. "Yeah, bro. She's officially the new talk of the school. Rachel didn't even show up today — probably still nursing that slap."
Bryan didn't reply, but a part of him couldn't help the tiny twist of satisfaction that came with hearing that.
When they entered the class, the noise died instantly — again. Everyone's eyes shifted toward the same direction.
Maria was already there, sitting by the window, her hair falling softly over her shoulders, sunlight touching her face like it had been made just for her. She looked peaceful, flipping through her notebook, a small smile playing on her lips as Becky whispered something beside her.
Bryan stopped in the doorway.
For a moment, he forgot where he was. The air felt different — quieter, slower, like everything had dimmed except her.
Joe nudged him. "Close your mouth, bro. You're staring."
Bryan blinked, snapping out of it. "I wasn't."
"Sure," Joe teased, heading for his seat. "You weren't."
Bryan walked to his desk and sat down, pretending to focus on his bag, but his eyes kept flicking toward her.
Maria didn't look at him once. Not even by accident.
That was new.
She used to blush whenever he passed by. She used to drop her pen whenever he glanced her way. Now, she sat there like he didn't exist.
It was annoying.
Or maybe it was something else — something he didn't want to name.
---
Halfway through class, he found himself glancing at her again. Becky whispered something funny, and Maria laughed softly, her dimples showing.
Bryan froze. He hadn't even known she had dimples.
When she leaned down to pick a pen from the floor, a few boys at the back whispered and chuckled quietly.
"Bro, she's fine."
"No joke, she's out of this world."
Bryan's hand clenched around his pen.
He turned sharply. "Can you guys shut up?"
They blinked, surprised. "Relax, man. We're just saying—"
"I said shut up," Bryan snapped.
The class went quiet for a second. Joe turned to him, raising a brow. "What's your problem?"
Bryan muttered, "Nothing," and looked away.
But it wasn't nothing. The thought of other guys talking about her like that made something twist in his chest.
---
When the bell rang for break, Maria and Becky packed their bags and left the room together. Bryan followed them with his eyes until they disappeared down the hallway.
Joe smirked. "You know, if you keep staring at her like that, she's going to start charging you."
Bryan glared. "I'm not staring."
Joe laughed, shaking his head. "You're in denial, bro. The mighty Bryan Benson, who swore he'd never fall for her, is jealous and doesn't even know it."
Bryan stood up abruptly. "I'm going to the cafeteria."
Joe grinned. "Uh-huh. Sure. Totally unrelated to the fact that Maria and Becky just went there."
Bryan didn't reply — he just walked off.
---
The cafeteria was crowded, as usual. Bryan scanned the tables until he found them — Maria and Becky sitting together near the window, quietly eating. A few students walked past just to greet her, some complimenting her looks, others smiling shyly like fans.
Bryan sat at a corner table, pretending to check his phone but watching her anyway.
Maria looked… happy. Really happy.
Becky was talking animatedly, and Maria kept laughing — the sound light and natural, nothing like the quiet girl he remembered.
She caught him staring once. Their eyes met for a split second before she looked away again, her face expressionless.
Bryan's stomach tightened.
Joe came up behind him, slapping his shoulder. "You're pathetic, bro."
Bryan nearly jumped. "What the hell, Joe?!"
Joe grinned, sitting down. "You've been staring for five minutes straight. It's getting creepy."
Bryan glared. "I'm just trying to understand what happened to her. It's… strange."
Joe raised a brow. "Strange or attractive?"
Bryan looked away. "Drop it."
Joe smirked. "You can lie to yourself, bro, but not to me. You like her. Maybe you always did — you just didn't know it because you were too busy being a jerk."
Bryan opened his mouth to argue but stopped. For a moment, he actually considered it.
Had he always liked her, even back then? Was that why he teased her so much — because he didn't understand what he was feeling?
No. Impossible.
He shook the thought off. "She's different now. That's all."
Joe leaned back, smirking. "Different? Maybe. But something tells me you're the one who's changing."
Bryan didn't answer. He just kept looking toward Maria, who was now laughing at something Becky said.
For the first time, it hit him just how much he'd missed without ever realizing it.
The way she smiled. The way she carried herself. The way she didn't try to impress anyone anymore — she just was.
And somehow, that made her more beautiful than anyone he'd ever met.
He sighed softly, running a hand through his hair.
Maybe Joe was right. Maybe he was changing.
But he wasn't ready to admit that yet — not to Joe, not to anyone, not even to himself.
---
When the bell rang again, Maria and Becky walked past his table toward the exit.
Bryan turned slightly, his eyes following her once more.
She didn't even glance his way.
That small act — the simple way she ignored him — stung more than he expected.
Joe smirked, sipping his drink. "You know what's funny, bro?"
Bryan sighed. "What?"
Joe grinned. "You're finally getting a taste of your own medicine."
Bryan frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Joe stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Now you know how it feels to want someone's attention and not get it."
He gave him a light pat on the shoulder and walked away, leaving Bryan sitting there — silent, thoughtful, and more confused than ever.
Bryan leaned back in his chair, staring at the cafeteria doors Maria had just walked through.
For the first time in his life, he didn't know what he wanted.
All he knew was that the girl he'd once called a pig now had him completely undone.