CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2: Unseen and Unheard

The next few months passed in a blur of humiliation for Lily. Logan's taunt had made her the target of every prank and joke the school could throw at her. Students would snicker when she passed by, her locker was often covered in cruel notes, and she even found herself the subject of a few memes that circulated through the school’s social media.

Despite the teasing, Lily tried to keep her head down and focus on her studies. She was determined to rise above it all, even if she felt utterly alone. The only solace she found was in the art room, where she spent her lunch breaks sketching and painting in peace.

One rainy afternoon, as she was adding the finishing touches to a watercolor landscape, the door to the art room creaked open. Lily looked up to see Logan standing there, looking as if he had entered the wrong room by mistake.

"Uh, hey," he said, looking around awkwardly. "I didn't know anyone hung out in here."

Lily was too stunned to respond. What was Logan doing in her sanctuary?

"I, um, just needed a place to chill for a bit," he continued, walking over to one of the easels. "Practice was canceled, and I didn’t feel like dealing with the guys."

Lily nodded, keeping her eyes on her painting. She didn't trust herself to speak without trembling. Logan was silent for a moment, then to her surprise, he actually complimented her work.

"That's pretty cool. I didn't know you were an artist."

For a fleeting moment, Lily felt a flicker of hope. Maybe Logan wasn't as bad as she thought. But just as quickly, the moment shattered.

"Hey, you think you could draw me sometime? Maybe something I could show off on my Instagram?" he said with a laugh, clearly more interested in gaining followers than appreciating her talent.

Lily felt her heart sink, and any illusion of a kind-hearted Logan faded away. He was just like everyone else—using her for his own gain. She forced a polite smile and mumbled something about being busy, which Logan barely acknowledged as he walked out, already texting on his phone.

As the door closed behind him, Lily let out a shaky breath. She had learned her lesson: some people only see what they want to see.

Lily’s junior year ended in a haze of isolation and ridicule. But the summer that followed brought with it a change Lily never saw coming.

Her parents, worried about her growing anxiety, decided to send her to stay with her aunt in New York City for the summer. It was a complete change of scenery—a bustling metropolis where Lily could reinvent herself, far from the judgments of her classmates.

Her aunt Sophia, a fitness trainer and nutritionist, welcomed Lily with open arms. Sophia was everything Lily wasn’t—confident, fit, and full of life. At first, Lily felt out of place, but Sophia was patient and kind, encouraging Lily to join her on morning runs, yoga sessions, and even a few trips to the gym.

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