My brothers best friend

Chapter 42: Judged by the World

Chapter 42

Valerie's Point of View

I woke up to the sound of my alarm blaring. The same familiar sound that usually meant I had to rush to get ready for class. Today, though, it felt different. There was a weight on my chest—one I hadn't been able to shake in the last few days. The images, the accusations, the silence from Jake... it all hung over me like a storm cloud that wouldn't pass.

I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I stared at my phone. No new messages from Jake. Not that I expected any. The last text I sent him had gone unanswered. I couldn't blame him. Everything felt messy, and I wasn't sure how to fix it.

But today, I had to focus on something else. I couldn't let myself drown in the chaos for too long. I had class. I had a project to work on. I had to keep moving, even if it felt like the world was pausing around me.

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By the time I got to the lecture hall, I was already feeling the stares. The whispers. The judging eyes. As I walked down the aisle toward my usual seat, I could hear bits of conversation floating around me. Some were kind, supportive even, but most of them felt like silent accusations.

"She's the girl in the pictures..." I heard one girl murmur to her friend, and I felt a pang in my chest. "Is she dating both of them? What's going on?"

I tried to ignore it, tried to tell myself it didn't matter. But it did. It all did. And I couldn't just pretend it didn't.

I sat down in the seat, taking out my laptop and trying to focus on the lecture. But every few seconds, I'd glance around the room, catching people's eyes. Some looked at me with curiosity, others with judgment. A few just looked away, pretending like they hadn't seen anything at all. The weight of their gazes pressed against me.

Halfway through the lecture, a guy sat down next to me. He was tall, with dark, messy hair and a smile that looked easy and genuine. He glanced at me, raising an eyebrow as if asking for permission to sit.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, his voice smooth and friendly.

I shook my head, a little startled by his sudden presence. "No, go ahead."

He smiled again, settling into the chair. "Thanks." He pulled out his notebook and started taking notes, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world faded into the background.

I couldn't help but glance over at him again. He wasn't just any guy—he had this relaxed, charming energy about him. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, or how easy it was for him to make small talk with anyone. He looked like he could talk to anyone, no effort required.

"So, are you in this class for the long haul?" he asked, breaking the silence and catching me off guard.

I blinked, not expecting him to speak to me. I hadn't exactly been open to conversation these days. But something about him felt easy, unthreatening. "Yeah, I'm in it for the project. You?"

He laughed lightly. "Same. I've been needing a good partner for this thing, honestly. The last one I had was way too much of a perfectionist."

I chuckled, glad to feel the tension in my shoulders loosen a little. "I can be a bit of a perfectionist myself, but I promise I'm not that bad."

He smiled at that, leaning in just slightly, like he was interested. "Good to know. So, what's your name?"

"Valerie," I said, offering him a small smile.

"Conrad," he replied, nodding. "Nice to meet you, Valerie."

We exchanged a few more words, just simple stuff about the project and the class, but something about it felt nice. It was easy to talk to him. In a way, I hadn't realized I missed conversations like this. The kind where you didn't feel like you had to explain yourself or your life. Just two people talking.