Stillness took hold of Vikram. Beneath a light that blinked like a tired eye in our Punjab lane, he planted himself. Pockets swallowed his hands. Not here for words - this visit carried weight of another kind. My hiding place? He made sure I saw it could be seen.

  Fog hung in the air when I got to school that day. Whispers crawled across the halls the moment my feet hit the path. Monisha turned her head away - eyes fixed anywhere but on me.

  "Dhanya, wait!" Rishi caught up to me, his usual lopsided grin replaced by a look of grim determination. He leaned in close. "Vikram is spreading a rumor that the 'long-distance' call last night wasn't a cousin. He’s telling everyone you’ve got a secret fiancé in the South and that’s why you’re so 'arrogant' lately."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Fourteen years old - how could there be a fiancé? My cheeks burned, caught between fury and shame, voice sharp like snapped twigs.

  "He doesn't care about the truth, Dhanya. He wants to see you break," Rishi said, his hand briefly brushing my shoulder in a gesture of support. "But don't worry. I’ve already told the football team that if I hear that rumor again, the captain's practice is going to get very... physical."

  That moment changed how I saw Rishi - his care suddenly seemed too thin for what hurt so deep. Handling it alone became the only way forward.