Unexpected Encounters

Chapter Four:

The bell rang sharply through the halls of Westbridge High, signaling the end of third period. I slung my backpack over one shoulder, blending into the river of students flowing down the corridors. The chatter of my classmates buzzed around me, and for a second, I wondered how many of them knew the real me—if they could see past the patches on my skin and the quiet mask I wore every day. Most people didn’t look past the surface, though. Not that I blamed them.

I spotted Mateo near our lockers, leaning against the metal doors with his usual casual air. He had that look about him—relaxed, but alert, as if ready to spring into action at any moment. His shaggy dark hair fell into his eyes, but he didn’t bother brushing it away. When he saw me, he smiled, his warm brown eyes lighting up.

“Hey, man. How’s it going?” Mateo asked as I approached.

I shrugged. “Same as always.”

He laughed lightly. “That good, huh?”

Mateo had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. He was the type of person who always found the silver lining, always tried to make things better. There were days when I felt like I didn’t deserve his friendship—like maybe I was too broken for someone as good as him. But Mateo never seemed to mind. If he ever saw the weight I carried, he never showed it. He just stood by me, no matter what.

As we started walking toward our next class, the usual noise of the hall faded into a sudden, uncomfortable silence. I glanced around, noticing a group of guys standing near the water fountain, their eyes trained on me like predators sizing up prey.

Great. Just what I needed.

I could feel my heartbeat quicken, but I kept my gaze straight ahead, pretending I hadn’t noticed them. Mateo must’ve caught on because his easygoing demeanor shifted, his shoulders tensing as he walked a little closer to me.

“Hey, Chaves!” one of the guys called out, his voice dripping with mockery. “What’s the matter? Did you forget your skin today?”

Laughter erupted from his little group, and I felt my stomach twist. I gripped the strap of my backpack tighter, trying to ignore them, trying not to let the heat rising in my cheeks show.

“Look at him,” another guy sneered. “Dude looks like a patchwork quilt.”

More laughter. It was the same kind of bullying I’d dealt with since my vitiligo first became noticeable in middle school. I should’ve been used to it by now, but somehow, the sting never dulled.

“Hey, back off,” Mateo said, stepping between me and the group of guys. His voice was calm but firm, and there was an edge to it that made even me pause.

One of the bullies, a tall guy named Darren who thought his muscles made him invincible, smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, look. The babysitter’s here.”

Mateo didn’t flinch. He just stared Darren down, his jaw tight. “Leave him alone.”

The hall was starting to quiet down, students watching the confrontation unfold with wide eyes, like they were about to witness a fight. My heart raced, a mix of gratitude and fear swirling in my chest. I hated that Mateo always had to step in like this. Hated that he had to defend me. But at the same time, I was grateful—because I didn’t think I could handle it on my own today.

Darren took a step forward, his smirk widening. “Or what? You gonna cry for him?”

Mateo didn’t back down. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his voice low and controlled. “How about you try saying that again when you don’t have your friends around to back you up?”

For a moment, there was silence. Darren’s smirk faltered, and he glanced around at his buddies, as if unsure whether they’d have his back. Mateo didn’t wait for him to respond. He turned to me, nodding toward the opposite end of the hallway.

“Let’s go, Cris,” he said, his tone gentle now.

I didn’t need to be told twice. We walked away, leaving the bullies in our wake. I could still feel their eyes on us, hear their muttered insults, but it didn’t matter. Mateo had shut them down, like he always did.

As soon as we turned the corner and were out of earshot, I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, keeping my gaze on the floor.

Mateo shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Don’t mention it. Those guys are idiots.”

We walked in silence for a few moments before Mateo spoke again. “You know you don’t have to let them get to you, right?”

I glanced at him, unsure how to respond. How was I supposed to explain that it wasn’t just them? That it was everything—my skin, my confusion about Eli, the weight of pretending to be something I wasn’t. It all piled on top of me, and some days it felt like I was being buried alive.

But instead of saying any of that, I just nodded. “Yeah.”

Mateo looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t push it. He never did.

“Wanna skip lunch and go grab coffee?” he asked, changing the subject. “I could use a break from all this.”

I hesitated for a second. I wasn’t in the mood to face the cafeteria crowd either, so I nodded. “Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”

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The little café near school was always quiet around lunchtime, which was why Mateo and I loved coming here. It was a small place, tucked between two larger buildings, with big windows that let in just enough sunlight to make it feel cozy. We ordered our drinks and found a table by the window, where we could watch the world pass by without being part of it.

For a while, we just sat there, sipping our coffee and talking about random stuff—classes, video games, the latest movie we’d seen. Mateo had this way of making everything feel normal, like the world wasn’t as heavy as it sometimes seemed. I appreciated that more than he probably knew.

And then, as I was taking a sip of my coffee, I saw him.

Eli.

He was across the street, standing by the corner with Zeus, his Great Dane, sitting obediently by his side. But Eli wasn’t alone. There was a girl with him—a tall, slender girl with long, dark hair that framed her face like a curtain. She was laughing at something Eli had said, and he was smiling back at her, that same dazzling smile that had knocked the wind out of me the first time I saw it.

My stomach twisted. I hadn’t expected to see him again so soon, and definitely not like this. With someone else. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from them, even though I knew I should. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of emotions swirling inside me—jealousy, confusion, and something else I couldn’t quite name.

Mateo must have noticed the shift in my expression because he followed my gaze, spotting Eli across the street.

“Who’s that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “That’s… that’s him. Eli.”

Mateo’s eyes widened slightly. “The guy from the park?”

I nodded, my throat feeling tight. “Yeah.”

He glanced between me and Eli, his expression softening as he put the pieces together. “You want to go talk to him?”

My immediate instinct was to say no. To hide. But something in me—some reckless part of me—wanted to go over there. Wanted to know who she was, why he was with her. But then I thought about how awkward I’d been the last two times we’d met, how Eli probably didn’t even remember me.

I shook my head. “No. It’s fine.”

Mateo didn’t push it, but I could see the sympathy in his eyes. He knew me too well.

We sat there in silence for a few more minutes, and I watched as Eli and the girl started walking down the street, Zeus trotting happily beside them. My heart sank a little as they disappeared around the corner, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Who was she? Was she his girlfriend? I hated how much it bothered me. Hated how much I wanted to know.

But most of all, I hated that I hadn’t been brave enough to go talk to him.

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