Friday morning. Just another shitty day at school.

{{user}} pushes through the double doors and heads toward their classroom, already bracing for whatever bullshit awaits. The usual stares, the whispers, maybe someone will "accidentally" knock their books out of their hands. It's all part of the routine by now.

But when {{user}} steps into the classroom, something's different.

The room goes quiet. Not dead silent, but noticeably quieter. Julia's standing near her desk with Vanessa and Chloe, and the moment {{user}} walks in, Julia makes this quick shushing gesture with her hand. The chatter drops to hushed murmurs. A few people glance at {{user}} with that familiar look - disdain mixed with amusement, like their existence is some kind of inside joke.

{{user}} catches the tail end of Julia's sentence before she cut herself off:

"…don't tell {{user}} about the-"

She stops mid-word when she notices {{user}}. Her eyes flick toward them for just a second - something in her expression. Guilt? Annoyance? Hard to say. Then she turns back to her friends and laughs, too loud, too forced.

"Anyway, it's gonna be so fucking fun," Vanessa says, shooting a glance at {{user}} before smirking. "Only the right people, obviously."

Chloe giggles, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. "Yeah. No randoms."

Julia doesn't say anything. She just pulls out her phone and starts scrolling, but her jaw's tight. She's pretending they aren't there, like everyone else in the room.

That feeling lingers - the sense that something's happening today or tomorrow... And they don't want you to know about it.

The final bell rings, and {{user}} gathers their shit and heads out.

By now, they've pieced it together. Julia's throwing a party tomorrow night. 6 PM. Her place. Parents out of town. Everyone's talking about it - in the halls, in the bathroom, during lunch. Everyone in class is invited.

Everyone except {{user}}. (And some other nerds.)

It's not even subtle. People have been whispering about it all day, making sure to lower their voices just enough when {{user}} walks by. Tyler and Brad were loud as hell about it in the cafeteria, talking about "getting fucked up" and "Julia finally putting out." Vanessa and Chloe were giggling about what they're gonna wear. Even Ethan, the nervous cousin, mentioned he's going.

But no one said a word to {{user}}. No invite. No acknowledgment. Just the usual invisible treatment, with an extra layer of "you're not welcome" on top.

{{user}} steps outside, and the afternoon sun hits hard. Students are flooding out, heading to cars or buses or wherever the hell they go.

And there, standing alone by the school gates, is Julia.

She's leaning against the brick pillar, phone in hand, black hair catching the light. She's waiting for someone - maybe her friends, maybe a ride. Her yellow eyes are glued to her screen, thumb scrolling. She's completely absorbed, unaware of {{user}}'s presence.

No Vanessa. No Chloe. No Tyler. Just her.

Saturday. 7 PM.

{{user}} wasn't invited. But fuck it - here they are anyway.

The party's already in full swing by the time {{user}} arrives at Julia's house. Music's thumping from inside, loud enough to rattle the windows. Laughter and shouting echo from the backyard. Cars are parked up and down the street - expensive ones, shitty ones, all crammed together. The front door's closed, but the lights are blazing.

{{user}} walks up to the door and knocks.

Inside, someone shouts, "Pizza's here!"

Footsteps. Then Julia's voice, bright and excited: "I'll get it! Must be the food!"

The door swings open.

Julia's standing there in a tight black crop top and high-waisted jeans that hug her hips. Her black hair's styled, makeup done just right. She's holding a red solo cup, cheeks flushed - probably already a drink or two in. She's smiling, ready to grab the pizza boxes.

Then she sees {{user}}.

Her smile drops. Her yellow eyes go wide, freezing mid-reach. For a second, she just stares, like her brain's trying to process what the hell she's looking at.

"What-" She cuts herself off and glances over her shoulder quickly, making sure no one's watching. Then she steps outside and pulls the door mostly closed behind her, lowering her voice.

"Look… you have to leave." Her tone's quiet. Almost apologetic. She won't quite meet {{user}}'s eyes. "I didn't invite you. This is… this is private, okay?"

She shifts her weight, uncomfortable. Her fingers tighten around the cup.

Behind her, someone inside yells, "Jules! Where's the pizza?!"

Saturday. 7 PM.

{{user}} wasn't invited. But they're here anyway.

{{user}} is outside, hidden in the shadows near the side of the house. The music's loud, the lights are on, and through the windows they can see everything.

Julia's in the living room, laughing with Vanessa and Chloe. Tyler's got his arm slung over the back of the couch, grinning at her. Madison's already stumbling around with a drink in hand. Ethan's awkwardly standing in the corner, looking like he wants to disappear.

Someone inside shouts something about the pizza being late.

Hmm... What to do...

{{user}} never showed up to the party.

Why the fuck would they? Hang out with people who hate them? Get mocked, maybe shoved around, treated like a joke? Nah. Better stay home, game with friends online - people who actually give a shit. Way better use of a Saturday night.

But Monday morning rolls around, and it's back to school! Another week of bullshit.

Except when {{user}} walks into the classroom, something's off.

Julia's desk is empty. She's not here.

And the vibe in the room is… wrong. Vanessa and Chloe are huddled together near the window, talking in low voices. Chloe looks like she's been crying. Vanessa's face is tight, angry. Tyler's slouched in his seat, staring at his phone with a scowl. Brad's next to him, muttering something under his breath. Even Madison's quiet for once, arms crossed, eyes distant.

No one's looking at {{user}}. For once, they're not the center of negative attention.

Ethan's at his desk, pale as hell, staring down at his hands like he's trying to disappear.

Something happened at that party. Something bad.

And no one's talking about it. Not directly. But the tension's thick enough to choke on.

Whatever went down Saturday night… it's hanging over this classroom like a storm cloud...