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The morning started off surprisingly normal.

After the absolute chaos of my birthday over a week ago, I was expecting something weird to happen the second I walked into school. But everything seemed fine. People were chatting in the hallways, Jasmine and Mia were waiting at my locker, and for once, there was no sign of Trevor.

At least, not yet.

I was grabbing my books when I heard the first whispers.

"He's back."

I froze, my fingers tightening around the edge of my locker door.

Jasmine and Mia immediately exchanged a look—one of those silent, wide-eyed glances that said we all know exactly who they're talking about.

Mia groaned under her breath. "Oh, great."

Jasmine sighed dramatically. "And here I was, hoping he transferred schools."

I exhaled slowly, shutting my locker. "Well... let's get this over with."

Because if Trevor was back, that meant chaos was about to follow.

I turned my head slightly and spotted him down the hall, standing near the office with his arms crossed. And, of course, he was already causing a scene.

It wasn't because of what happened last week.

Nope.

Trevor was throwing a fit over his hat.

A bright red baseball cap sat on his head, embroidered with bold white letters:

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

Even from where I stood, I could see the tension in Principal Peterson's face as he gestured at Trevor to take it off.

"This is ridiculous," Trevor grumbled loud enough for half the hallway to hear. "You're violating my rights."

Principal Peterson stayed calm. "Trevor, the school dress code clearly states that students aren't allowed to wear hats indoors. It has nothing to do with what it says."

"But you let people wear other stuff all the time!" Trevor shot back. "This is because I'm conservative, isn't it? You just don't like my hat!"

A few kids nearby exchanged amused looks. Some snickered under their breath.

Jasmine sighed. "Wow. He was out for one week and came back worse."

Mia rolled her eyes. "He just has to be the center of attention."

Principal Peterson took a deep breath, keeping his patience. "Trevor, this is not about politics. Nobody is allowed to wear hats in the building. That's the rule."

Trevor scowled, gripping the brim of his cap like he was about to start an actual protest. "So I have to take my hat off, but I bet if I walked in wearing, like, a—" He struggled to think of something, then blurted, "A pride flag hoodie, you wouldn't say anything!"

That got more murmurs from the crowd. Some people laughed. A few others rolled their eyes.

Principal Peterson stayed firm. "The rule applies to everyone, Trevor. If another student walked in wearing a hat, they'd have to take it off, too. Now, I'm asking you one more time—remove the hat."

Trevor clenched his jaw, looking around as if expecting people to back him up.

But nobody did.

Even the kids who usually laughed at his jokes or egged him on were staying quiet, watching the scene unfold.

Slowly, Trevor's face started to turn red—whether from anger or embarrassment, I couldn't tell.

I almost laughed. It was so obvious that he just wanted to argue. If he actually cared about his "rights," he would've fought about the dress code weeks ago.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Trevor yanked the hat off his head and stuffed it into his backpack with a dramatic huff.

Principal Peterson gave him a nod. "Thank you. Now, get to class."

Trevor stomped off, muttering something under his breath.

The second he was gone, the tension in the hallway melted into quiet laughter and whispered jokes.

Jasmine turned to me. "Well, that was entertaining."

Mia smirked. "Guess he couldn't handle two humiliations in a row."

I grinned, shaking my head.

Trevor was back.

But after today?

He wasn't winning anything.

After the whole hat incident, I thought maybe Trevor would finally quiet down.

Nope.

Not even close.

By the time we got to science class, he was still grumbling under his breath, muttering complaints about Principal Peterson, "woke schools," and something about "liberal brainwashing."

I tuned him out.

Science was my favorite class. I actually looked forward to it every day. While some people thought it was nerdy or boring, I loved learning how things worked. And according to Fox 9 News, girls could enjoy science just as much as anyone else. Even if I was gender-fluid, that didn't change the fact that I loved this stuff.

Unfortunately, someone was ruining it.

"This is so stupid," Trevor muttered, slumping in his chair as Mr. Kettleton, our teacher, set up the experiment for the day. "When am I ever gonna need to know this in real life?"

Mr. Kettleton, who had clearly had enough of Trevor in general, sighed and kept his focus on the whiteboard. "If you paid attention, Trevor, you might actually find this useful."

Trevor rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything else, Mr. Kettleton clapped his hands together.

"Alright, class! Today, we're learning about chemical reactions. We'll be doing a small experiment with baking soda and vinegar to see how acid-base reactions work."

I perked up immediately. This was going to be fun.

Jasmine and Mia, sitting beside me, shared a look. Jasmine smirked. "You're way too excited about this."

I grinned. "Because it's cool!"

Trevor groaned. "Ugh, who cares? Everyone already knows what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar. It fizzes. Wow."

Mr. Kettleton didn't even look up as he set out the materials. "Then maybe you'll really enjoy our next unit—balancing chemical equations."

Trevor groaned louder. "Oh, come on."

Ignoring him, Mr. Kettleton continued. "You'll each work in pairs. Grab a tray, get your materials, and follow the instructions on your worksheet. And remember—do not add extra vinegar unless you want a mess."

Naturally, the second Mr. Kettleton said that, Trevor smirked.

And that was when I knew he was about to do something stupid.

We split into pairs, and I got teamed up with Mia while Jasmine worked with a kid named Ryan. Trevor got stuck with Kevin, one of the only kids who tolerated him for more than five minutes.

As everyone started measuring out the baking soda, I saw Trevor grinning at Kevin.

"Dude," he whispered. "Let's put way more vinegar in."

Kevin hesitated. "Uh... I don't think we're supposed to—"

"Who cares? It'll be funny."

I knew this was going to end badly.

Mia, who was scooping baking soda into our beaker, muttered, "This is about to be so good."

I smirked. "Oh yeah."

Sure enough, Trevor dumped almost the entire bottle of vinegar into their beaker.

At first, it fizzed like normal.

Then—

FOOOOOSH!

A giant eruption of foam exploded from the beaker, spilling over the table and cascading onto the floor. It didn't stop there—the reaction kept bubbling over, spreading onto their worksheets, their chairs, and—

Straight into Trevor's lap.

"FUCK!" he shouted at full volume.

The room went dead silent.

Mia choked on her laughter. Jasmine had to turn away, shaking with silent wheezing.

Mr. Kettleton slowly turned around, arms crossed. "Trevor."

Trevor, still dripping with vinegar foam, sat frozen, realizing exactly what he had just done.

"...Oops?"

A few students lost it, laughter breaking out across the room.

Mr. Kettleton pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go clean yourself up, Trevor. And detention for the language."

Trevor groaned, muttering under his breath as he stood up, his jeans soaked with vinegar. He stomped toward the door, leaving behind a wet trail as he went.

As soon as he was gone, Jasmine leaned over. "Best. Science class. Ever."

Mia grinned. "Oh, definitely. That was worth sitting through Trevor's whining."

I just laughed, shaking my head.

Maybe Trevor would remember something from today's lesson after all.

By the time lunch rolled around, the entire school had heard about Trevor's latest humiliation.

I barely made it to the cafeteria before someone from another class ran up to me. "Did Trevor really scream a cuss word in science?!"

I smirked. "Yep. And he got soaked in vinegar foam."

The kid howled with laughter before running off to spread the news even further.

By the time I reached our usual lunch table, Jasmine and Mia were already there, laughing so hard they were practically crying.

Jasmine waved me over. "Emily. Emily. Oh my gosh. I just walked past Trevor's table—he looks so mad. I don't think I've ever seen him eat so fast. He's literally inhaling his food so he can leave faster."

Mia wiped tears from her eyes. "He's probably afraid someone's gonna pour vinegar on him again."

I sat down, setting my tray down with a grin. "Serves him right. I mean, what did he think was gonna happen? You dump a whole bottle of vinegar into the beaker, and suddenly it's the Fourth of July in your lap."

Jasmine snorted. "His face when it happened—priceless."

Mia smirked. "Oh, 100%. That was worth sitting through his whining all class."

Just then, a loud clatter came from the other side of the cafeteria.

Trevor had slammed his tray down and stormed out, leaving his barely-eaten food behind. The whole cafeteria went quiet for a split second before breaking into a low murmur of whispers and laughter.

Jasmine smirked. "Welp. There he goes."

Mia sipped her drink. "So much for his strong and fearless comeback."

I took a bite of my sandwich, shaking my head. "That was the fastest I've ever seen him leave."

We all laughed, enjoying the moment. But then Jasmine, still smiling, turned to me with a curious look.

"So," she said, "since science is your favorite class and all, do you ever think about doing something with it? Like, in the future?"

I blinked, caught off guard. "Oh. Uh..."

Mia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, actually, I've never asked—what do you want to be when you grow up?"

I hesitated, chewing my lip. "I... don't know. I mean, I love science, but I never really thought about doing anything with it."

Jasmine nodded. "Well, you don't have to decide yet, but I could totally see you as a scientist or an engineer or something."

Mia smirked. "Maybe you'll be the one inventing the next big thing."

I laughed. "What, like an even bigger vinegar explosion?"

Mia grinned. "Hey, gotta start somewhere."

I smiled but couldn't shake the feeling their question had left behind.

What did I want to be?

I hadn't really thought that far ahead. Most of my life had been about getting through the day—surviving school, dealing with drama, trying to fit in. But now? I was starting to feel... safer. More stable. Maybe I could actually think about the future now.

Jasmine nudged me. "You don't have to know right now. But I do think you'd be amazing at something science-y."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Mia smirked. "Okay, but real talk—do you think we'll all still be friends when we're, like, old?"

Jasmine tapped her chin. "Define old."

Mia thought for a second. "Like... thirty."

Jasmine gasped. "THAT'S ANCIENT."

I lost it. "Guys, my mom is thirty-five."

Jasmine whipped her head toward me in horror. "Oh my gosh. Your mom is ancient."

Mia shook her head, laughing. "This conversation took a wild turn."

Jasmine smirked. "But to answer your question—yeah, I think we'll still be friends. Imagine us all in our thirties, sitting in some coffee shop, talking about our cringey middle school years."

Mia grinned. "And we'll say, 'Remember that time Trevor pooped his pants and screamed in science class?'"

Jasmine was laughing so hard she slammed her hand on the table.

I wiped away tears of laughter. "Okay, okay, now I have to stay friends with you guys forever just so we can make fun of Trevor in twenty years."

Mia grinned. "Deal."

We all clinked our drinks together like we were sealing a contract.

And in that moment, with laughter filling the air and my best friends surrounding me, I knew—

This was the kind of lunch I'd remember forever.

By the end of the school day, I was exhausted.

As I walked toward Mom's car, weaving through the crowd of students heading toward the buses, something caught my eye.

Trevor.

And, of course, he was wearing that red hat again.

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN—bold, obnoxious, and very on-brand for him.

I sighed, shaking my head. After all the drama this morning, I wasn't surprised he put it back on the second he was outside the building. I could even hear him grumbling to some kid near him.

"They can't tell me what to do out here. It's my right to wear it—"

I rolled my eyes and picked up my pace. I was not about to deal with Trevor anymore today.

Mom's car was parked near the front of the pickup line, and as soon as I slid into the passenger seat, she smiled at me. "Hey, sweetheart. How was school?"

I let out a long sigh. "Oh, you would not believe the day I had."

Mom chuckled, pulling out of the parking lot. "That bad?"

"No—hilarious. But also exhausting."

I glanced out the window and, sure enough, Trevor was still standing near the curb, hat firmly in place, talking way too loudly about freedom of speech to someone who clearly didn't care.

Mom must've noticed me staring. "What's up?"

I sighed. "It's Trevor. Again."

Mom raised an eyebrow. "What did he do this time?"

"Well, this morning he got in trouble for wearing that red 'MAGA' hat in school. Principal Peterson told him to take it off because of the dress code, but Trevor acted like it was some kind of personal attack."

Mom hummed, her hands gripping the steering wheel. "Sounds about right."

"And now he's wearing it again outside, making a big deal about it." I rolled my eyes. "Like, nobody cares, but he just has to act like he's being persecuted."

Mom sighed. "People like Trevor... they don't actually care about the rules, they just like to argue. And when they don't get their way, they act like they're the victim."

I nodded, slumping back in my seat. "Yeah. And he's been even worse since he came back today."

Mom glanced at me. "Wait—came back? Where was he?"

I tried to hold back my laughter, but the second I saw Mom's confused expression, I lost it. I started laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

"Oh my gosh, Mom, you don't even know—"

And just like that, I launched into the entire story about Trevor's glorious return.

"How he showed up acting like nothing happened, how he threw a fit over his stupid red hat, and—oh my gosh—science class!" I gasped between giggles. "Mom, he drenched himself in vinegar foam and then screamed 'SHIT' in front of Mr. Kettleton."

Mom, who had been calmly driving, suddenly snorted.

I kept going.

"Like, imagine him sitting there, all smug, thinking he's so clever, and then BOOM—instant karma, right in his lap."

By the time I finished, Mom was full-on crying with laughter.

"Oh... oh no," she gasped, wiping her eyes. "That poor teacher."

"Right?!" I giggled. "Mr. Kettleton just stood there, like, 'I have seen things.'"

Mom shook her head, still laughing. "Well... I guess Trevor had a very eventful return."

I sighed, finally catching my breath. "Yep. And now he's back to making everything about him."

Mom gave me a knowing look. "Well, I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps pushing it—kids like Trevor don't know how to stop."

I groaned. "Ugh, great. That means more drama tomorrow."

Mom chuckled. "You'll handle it. You always do."

I smiled, leaning my head against the window as we drove home.

Mom was right.

Trevor might be the worst, but I wasn't about to let him ruin my day. Not after the absolute goldmine of entertainment he had provided today.

And honestly?

I almost couldn't wait to see what ridiculous thing he'd do next.

As Mom pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced out the window one last time. Trevor was still lingering near the curb, hat firmly back on his head, probably waiting for his mom to pick him up.

Just when I thought I'd seen enough Trevor-related drama for the day, the front doors to the school swung open.

Out walked Mr. Kettleton.

Even from the car, I could see the exhaustion on his face. His shoulders sagged like a man who had seen too much, and I knew exactly why.

Trevor, still oblivious, was busy rambling to some other kid about "standing up for his beliefs" or whatever nonsense he was on about today. But the second he noticed Mr. Kettleton walking straight toward him, his entire body tensed.

Mr. Kettleton didn't even have to raise his voice.

"Trevor," he called, his tone firm, "don't forget—you have detention."

For a second, Trevor just stood there, like he was weighing his options.

And then?

He bolted.

Hat and all, Trevor spun on his heel and took off like his life depended on it.

"HEY!" Mr. Kettleton shouted, his voice echoing through the parking lot. "GET BACK HERE!"

But Trevor was gone—full-on sprinting across the lot, weaving between buses, probably hoping he could make it to freedom before his mom showed up.

Inside the car, I lost it.

I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. "Oh—oh my gosh—he ran away! From detention!"

Mom, trying not to laugh but failing, sighed. "Seriously?"

Jasmine and Mia, who were walking nearby, also saw the whole thing. Jasmine had her hands on her knees, wheezing. "Oh my—he actually ran!"

Mia just shook her head. "Dude. I don't even have words anymore."

I wiped away tears, still giggling. "What does he think's gonna happen?! That Mr. Kettleton is gonna chase him home?"

Mom sighed dramatically, shaking her head as she pulled onto the street. "Well... that's a problem for tomorrow."

I grinned, my stomach still hurting from laughing.

Oh, Trevor.

He never learns.

And honestly?

At this point, I hope he never does.