Chapter 2 THE HUMILIATION

Amelia wished she could disappear.

It was Tuesday morning, and she was already regretting coming to school.

She walked through the school gates, adjusting the straps of her backpack. Her brown hair was tied into a simple ponytail, and her navy-blue school blazer was slightly too big for her.

As she approached the lockers, she heard someone calling her name.

"Amelia! Wait!"

She turned and saw Jessica Montgomery approaching with Brianna and Tiffany.

Amelia sighed.

What did they want this time?

"Good morning, girls," she said quietly.

Jessica looked her up and down.

"Are those the same shoes you wore yesterday?"

Amelia looked down.

"Yes. What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering how long you've had them."

Brianna laughed.

"Jessica, stop. You're going to make her cry."

"I'm not making her cry. I'm asking a simple question."

Amelia opened her locker.

"Can you please leave me alone?"

Jessica smiled.

"Someone is getting an attitude."

Before Amelia could respond, Jessica reached for the notebook sticking out of her locker.

"What's this?"

"Give it back!"

Amelia immediately tried to take it, but Jessica raised it above her head.

"What's so important?"

"Jessica, please."

Tiffany moved closer and began reading the first page.

"Dear diary..."

Brianna burst into laughter.

"She has a diary!"

Jessica opened another page.

"Wait! Is this a love letter?"

Amelia's face turned red.

"Stop reading it!"

Jessica looked at her.

"Who is Ryan?"

The girls suddenly became interested.

"Ryan Mitchell?" Brianna asked.

Amelia quickly snatched the notebook from Jessica.

"Give it back!"

Jessica stared at her before bursting into laughter.

"Oh my goodness! You like Ryan?"

Tiffany covered her mouth.

"Seriously? Ryan Mitchell?"

Amelia said nothing.

Jessica stepped closer.

"Let me make something clear. Ryan would never look at you that way."

Amelia lowered her eyes.

"Can you just leave me alone?"

Jessica laughed.

"Don't worry. Your little secret is safe with us."

She turned and walked away with her friends.

But Amelia knew that wasn't true.

Jessica never kept anyone's secrets.

---

The first class was mathematics.

Amelia sat at the back, hoping nobody would disturb her.

Unfortunately, Lucas, Ryan's best friend, was sitting two rows ahead.

He turned around.

"Hey, Amelia."

She looked up.

"Yes?"

"Is it true you have a crush on Ryan?"

The classroom suddenly became quiet.

A few students turned towards her.

Amelia froze.

"Who told you that?"

Lucas laughed.

"So it's true?"

Before she could answer, another student shouted, "Ryan, you've got an admirer!"

Everyone laughed.

Ryan looked up from his phone.

"What?"

Lucas pointed towards Amelia.

"Apparently, someone has a crush on you."

Ryan glanced at Amelia, then shrugged.

"Okay. And?"

The boys laughed.

"Bro, aren't you curious?"

Ryan shook his head.

"Not really."

He returned to his phone.

The class continued laughing for a few seconds before the teacher entered.

Amelia stared at her notebook.

She wished the floor would open up and swallow her.

---

During lunch, Amelia sat at her usual table near the window.

She was halfway through her sandwich when Jessica appeared.

"Can I sit here?"

Amelia looked around.

There were plenty of empty seats.

"Why?"

Jessica pulled out the chair opposite her.

"Because I want to."

Brianna and Tiffany sat beside her.

Jessica leaned forward.

"So, Amelia, how long have you liked Ryan?"

Amelia continued eating.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not? It's cute."

"Please stop."

Jessica laughed.

"Don't be embarrassed. Everyone deserves to have dreams."

Brianna nearly choked on her drink from laughing.

Amelia closed her lunchbox.

"I'm leaving."

She stood up and picked up her bag.

Jessica watched her walk away.

"Don't forget to invite Ryan to your imaginary wedding!"

The girls burst into laughter.

---

After school, Ryan was standing outside the school building with Lucas and the others.

Jessica approached him immediately.

"Ryan!"

He turned.

"Hey."

She smiled and held his arm.

"Are you coming to the basketball game on Friday?"

"Probably."

"Good. You should save me a seat."

Lucas laughed.

"Jessica, just admit you want to sit beside him."

Jessica playfully pushed him.

"Shut up!"

Ryan laughed.

A few metres away, Amelia walked towards the school gate.

She passed them without saying anything.

Ryan barely noticed her.

He was too busy discussing Friday's game with his friends.

To him, Amelia was simply another student at Westwood High.

He had no idea how much she admired him, and he certainly wasn't thinking about her romantically.

---

That night, Amelia sat at her desk with her diary open.

She stared at the page for several minutes before picking up her pen.

"Dear diary,

Today was terrible.

Jessica read my private notebook, and now everyone knows about Ryan.

I wish I could stop liking him.

I wish I could walk into school without people laughing at me.

Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be pretty, popular and wanted.

Maybe then people would treat me differently.

I know I shouldn't care about what they think, but it's difficult when you're reminded of it every single day.

I just want things to change."

She closed the diary and placed it inside her drawer.

Then she switched off her bedroom light.

Tomorrow was another school day.

And she already knew Jessica wouldn't make it easy.

What Amelia didn't know was that the coming weeks would bring changes she never expected.

But first, she would have to discover something important about herself.

She was tired of being everyone's favourite target.