Chapter 19: Whispers in the Halls

Several weeks into the school year, the atmosphere at school had become suffocating for Yuqi. Trevor Harding and his football cronies had been relentless, spinning rumors and manipulating perceptions until it felt like the entire school was against her. Yuqi’s once-welcoming world had been reduced to a gauntlet of cruel whispers, mocking laughter, and thinly veiled threats. Her parents had already met with the principal twice, presenting evidence of threatening letters and detailing harassment, but their efforts had been met with a maddening indifference. "Kids will be kids," the principal had said dismissively, leaving Yuqi and her family feeling powerless against the onslaught.

Yuqi's dread grew heavier each morning, curling into an almost unbearable weight in her chest as she approached the school doors. Her hands gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, her knuckles white from the tension. She could hear the whispers, sharp and cutting, even if she couldn’t make out every word. The glances and pointed stares stung just as much as the snickers that followed her down the hall.

“Can you believe she’s still showing her face here?” one girl murmured to her friend.

“I heard she’s been hitting on Trevor,” another added with a giggle. “Desperate much?”

Yuqi kept her head down, gripping her books tightly. She wanted to disappear, to be invisible, but it was impossible when every eye seemed to follow her every step.

Lunchtime had become a minefield. Yuqi’s once-favorite part of the day—sitting with Kelly and her friends, laughing and sharing stories—was now a gauntlet of taunts and stares. One afternoon, as she walked through the cafeteria carrying her lunch tray, Trevor’s voice rang out above the din.

“Hey, Yuqi! Looking good today. Did you dress up just for me?” he called, his tone dripping with mockery.

The table of football players erupted into laughter. Yuqi’s cheeks burned as she quickened her pace, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. She could feel Trevor’s gaze boring into her back, his smirk practically radiating across the room.

Yuqi screamed at him, "Do I look like a desperate slut to you. Can't you find some willing cheerleader to spread her legs for you? Or do they all know you ain't packing anything between your legs?"

"You wish you could handle what's between my legs." Trevor laughed. Yuqi frustratedly walked away. As Trevor and his goons continued to mock her.

Kelly noticed immediately when Yuqi sat down. “What happened?” she asked, her voice low and concerned.

“Nothing. Just Trevor being Trevor,” Yuqi muttered, poking at her food.

Kelly’s eyes narrowed. “Did he say something to you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Yuqi replied, forcing a smile. “Let’s just eat.”

Ian, who had been watching from a few seats down, leaned in. “Yuqi, you’re terrible at lying. What did he say this time?”

Yuqi hesitated, her fork hovering over her plate. “He just made some dumb comment about me dressing up for him. It’s nothing new.”

“What a jerk,” Elliot said, shaking his head. “Why doesn’t anyone call him out on his crap?”

“Because he’s Trevor,” Kelly replied bitterly. “And for some reason, everyone thinks the sun shines out of his ass.”

“We don’t,” Stan added, offering Yuqi a reassuring smile. “He’s just trying to get under your skin. Don’t let him win.”

Yuqi appreciated their support, but the weight of the constant scrutiny was suffocating. Even as her friends tried to cheer her up, she couldn’t shake the feeling of Trevor’s eyes on her. When she glanced up, she caught him whispering to one of his teammates, who immediately burst out laughing. Yuqi quickly looked away, her appetite gone.

The rumors Trevor had started began to spread like wildfire, twisting and growing more absurd with each passing day. Everywhere Yuqi went, she heard fragments of cruel speculation.

“She’s trying to buy friends with all that money she has now.”

“I heard she bribed the principal to let her stay after what happened with Trevor.”

Even her classes weren’t safe. In gym, a group of girls deliberately excluded her during volleyball, whispering behind her back. “Careful, she might be doing this just to get attention from the guys,” one girl sneered.

Yuqi’s face flushed, and she avoided eye contact for the rest of the period. By the time the bell rang, she was ready to bolt. But even in the locker room, the comments continued.

“Did you see the way she looked at Trevor during lunch?” another girl whispered loudly enough for Yuqi to hear. “Pathetic.”

Her hands trembled as she changed into her clothes, her chest tightening with every passing moment. She wanted to scream, to fight back, but she knew it would only make things worse.

The harassment escalated further when Yuqi discovered someone had broken into her locker again. Notes covered in cruel insults were scattered inside, their vile messages clear that she was not wanted at the school.

Her hands shook as she tried to gather the notes, and her vision was blurred by tears. Kelly found her moments later, her expression darkening, when she saw the state of Yuqi’s locker.

“That’s it. I’m telling Mom and Dad,” Kelly said firmly.

“No,” Yuqi said quickly, her voice cracking. “ It didn't work last time. Please don’t. It’ll just make things worse.”

Kelly’s jaw tightened. “Worse than this? Yuqi, this isn’t something you can handle on your own. They need to know what’s going on.”

“Please,” Yuqi begged, her eyes pleading. “Just… don’t. I’ll figure it out.”

Reluctantly, Kelly agreed, but the anger in her eyes didn’t fade. “Fine. But if this happens again, I’m saying something whether you like it or not.”

Yuqi sat at the dinner table that evening, barely touching her food. Her parents exchanged concerned looks, their worry growing with each passing day.

“Yuqi, is everything okay?” Julia asked gently.

Yuqi nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just tired. School’s been… a lot.”

“Is that harassment still going on?” Thomas asked, his tone serious.

“No,” Yuqi said quickly. “It’s nothing like that. Just… dragon stuff.”Kelly looked like she wanted to say something but bit her tongue. Yuqi gave her a subtle shake of the head, silently begging her to stay quiet.

Later that night, Julia knocked softly on Yuqi’s bedroom door.

“Sweetheart, can I come in?”

“Yeah,” Yuqi said, her voice small.

Julia sat on the edge of her bed, studying her daughter closely. “You’ve been so quiet lately. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

Yuqi nodded again, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her blanket. “I’m fine, Mom. I promise.”

Julia didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push. “Okay. But remember, you can tell me anything. I’m here for you.”

After Julia left, Yuqi sat in the dark, her heart heavy. She wanted to tell her parents everything but couldn’t shake the fear that speaking up would only make things worse. All she could do for now was endure and hope that things would somehow get better.

Her dreams were filled with turmoil. Yuqi always felt so small. She was supposed to be this big bad dragon, but she couldn't stand up for herself without looking like a bigger freak to everyone at school.

By the time October rolled around, Yuqi’s world felt smaller with every passing day. The whispers in the hallways had turned into open accusations, and it seemed like everyone at school had something to say about her. The rumors no longer contained vague comments about her being "desperate" or "full of herself." Now, they were specific, pointed lies that made Yuqi’s stomach churn whenever she overheard them.

“She’s been hanging around the locker rooms after practice,” someone said loudly enough for Yuqi to hear as she walked to her next class.

“My cousin said she’s been sliding into Trevor’s DMs,” another student added. “Like sending him… photos, if you know what I mean.”

Yuqi’s face burned, but she didn’t stop to defend herself. She had learned early on that saying anything only made the rumors worse. Instead, she hurried down the hall, clutching her books tightly and keeping her head down.

By lunchtime, the weight of the day had already left Yuqi exhausted. As she entered the cafeteria, the familiar sound of laughter erupted, and she felt the heat of countless eyes following her every move. Her usual table with Kelly, Elliot, Ian, and Stan was a haven, but even there, the tension was palpable.

When Yuqi sat down, Kelly immediately leaned over. “What happened?” she asked, her voice low but urgent.

Yuqi shrugged, poking at her food. “Nothing.”

Ian’s eyebrows shot up. “Come on, Yuqi. We’re not blind. Something happened.”

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Trevor’s friends were spreading more rumors. Just the usual garbage.”

Elliot frowned. “Why does no one ever call him out? It’s like he’s untouchable.”

“Because he is,” Kelly said bitterly. “He’s Trevor Harding. The Golden Boy quarterback. The sun shines out of his ass, remember?”

Stan offered a small, encouraging smile. “He’s not untouchable, Yuqi. Don’t let him make you feel like you’re powerless.”

Yuqi appreciated their words, but they felt hollow. Even as her friends tried to support her, the noise of the cafeteria seemed louder than ever. She glanced up and saw Trevor watching her from across the room, his smirk widening when their eyes met. She quickly looked away, her appetite completely gone.

The harassment escalated two days later when Yuqi found her locker vandalized again. When she opened the door, crumpled papers spilled out, littering the floor. At first, she thought they were old assignments she’d forgotten, but as she picked one up and read it, her chest tightened.

“Why don’t you go back to wherever you came from? Nobody wants you here.”

Another note read: “Stop throwing yourself at Trevor. It’s pathetic.”

Her hands trembled as she picked up note after note, each one crueler than the last. The hallway seemed to close in around her, the noise of students’ chatter turning into a dull roar.

“Yuqi?”

She looked up to see Elliot standing nearby, his expression darkening when he saw the papers. “Who did this?” he demanded, his fists clenching at his sides.

“It doesn’t matter,” Yuqi said, hastily shoving the notes back into her locker. “Just forget it.”

“Forget it? Yuqi, this is messed up. You can’t just ignore it,” Elliot insisted.

“And what am I supposed to do?” Yuqi snapped, her voice breaking. “Go to the principal? They don’t care. Confront the football team? They’ll just deny it and make things worse. There’s nothing I can do.”

Elliot hesitated, his frustration evident. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone. If you ever need help, you know we’ve got your back.”

Yuqi nodded weakly, but the heaviness in her chest didn’t lift.

That night, Yuqi’s phone buzzed incessantly with notifications. At first, she ignored it, assuming it was just group chats or random alerts. But when the buzzing didn’t stop, she finally picked it up and froze.

The messages were from anonymous accounts:

“Stop pretending you’re better than everyone else. You’re just a freak.”

“Trevor would never go for someone like you. Get over yourself.”

“You’re the joke of the school. Just drop out already.”

Yuqi’s stomach churned as she scrolled through the messages. Some included screenshots of her social media posts, edited to mock her appearance. One particularly cruel image had her face superimposed onto a cartoon of a desperate woman chasing after a man.

She threw her phone onto her bed and buried her face in her hands, her chest heaving with silent sobs. Once a refuge, the walls of her room now felt like they were closing in on her.

The following day, Julia found Yuqi sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly at a bowl of cereal. Her normally vibrant daughter looked pale and defeated, her shoulders slumped as though the weight of the world rested on them.

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Julia asked, sitting down beside her.

Yuqi’s lips trembled, and tears welled in her eyes. “Mom, they won’t leave me alone,” she said, her voice breaking. “Everywhere I go, they’re saying things about me, writing things, posting online. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t think I can keep going back there.”

Julia’s heart ached as she pulled Yuqi into a tight hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I had no idea it was this bad. But we’re going to fix this. I promise.”

Julia Allen strode into the school’s front office with a determination that silenced the usual chatter of the staff. Her husband, Thomas, followed close behind, his jaw tight and his fists clenched. They didn’t have an appointment, but that didn’t matter. After seeing Yuqi break down at the kitchen table that morning, Julia was done waiting for the school to act.

The receptionist, a young woman with a nervous smile, looked up as they approached. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Allen. Can I help you?”

“We need to see Principal Keller,” Julia said, her voice firm.

The receptionist hesitated. “I’m not sure if he’s available right now. Let me check—”

“We’ll wait,” Julia interrupted, crossing her arms. “But we’re not leaving until we speak with him.”

Realizing there was no point in arguing, the receptionist picked up the phone. A few moments later, she gestured toward the door to the principal’s office. “You can go in.”

Principal Keller sat behind his desk, his hands folded neatly in front of him. His expression was calm, almost detached, as he gestured for the Allens to take a seat.

Julia didn’t sit. Instead, she placed both hands on the edge of the desk and leaned forward, her eyes blazing. “We’re here because this is the third time we’ve had to talk to you about the harassment our daughter is facing, and nothing has changed. If anything, it’s gotten worse.”

Keller’s calm demeanor faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “I’m sorry to hear that Yuqi is still struggling, but I assure you, we take all reports of bullying seriously.”

“Seriously?” Thomas interjected, his voice low and dangerous. “Is that why her locker’s been vandalized multiple times, why she’s getting anonymous threats online, and why half the school thinks she’s some kind of stalker? Because you’re taking it so seriously?”

“We can’t act on hearsay alone,” Keller said defensively. “These are delicate situations, and we need concrete evidence before taking disciplinary action.”

Julia’s hands slammed down on the desk, making Keller jump. “Concrete evidence? Do you mean the notes stuffed in her locker? The graffiti? The whispers and lies that have been spreading for weeks? How much more evidence do you need?”

Keller sighed, his composure slipping further. “We’ve spoken to some of the students involved, but no one is willing to come forward officially. Without witnesses or corroboration, our hands are tied.”

“That’s a load of crap,” Julia snapped. “You’re protecting the football team because they’re your star players. Don’t think we don’t see what’s happening here.”

Keller’s expression hardened. “Mrs. Allen, I understand you’re upset, but these are serious accusations. The football team is not above the rules, but I won’t punish students without proper cause.”

Thomas leaned forward, his voice cold. “Then consider this your warning. If you don’t handle this, we will. And when we do, it won’t just be the students who face consequences. It’ll be you, this administration, and the entire district.”

Keller’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Julia didn’t give him a chance to respond.

“You have two days to fix this,” she said, turning on her heel. “If you don’t, we’re taking this to the superintendent.”

That evening, Julia and Thomas returned home, their faces etched with frustration. Yuqi met them in the living room, her heart pounding.

“What happened?” she asked cautiously.

Julia sighed, sinking onto the couch beside her daughter. “We spoke to Principal Keller. He promised to look into it, but honestly? I don’t think he’s going to do anything.”

Thomas sat down on the other side of Yuqi, his hand resting on her shoulder. “If he doesn’t take action, we’ll go higher. The superintendent, the school board—whoever it takes. This isn’t over.”

Yuqi nodded, though her chest felt tight. “Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom.”

“We’ll get through this,” Julia said firmly. “You’re not alone in this, Yuqi. We’re going to fight for you.”

But even as her parents reassured her, Yuqi couldn’t shake the nagging fear that things were only going to get worse.