𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓻𝔂❤︎

Chapter 19

Y/N walked into school the next day with a completely new look. Gone were the usual plain jeans and sweaters that had been her go-to for years. Today, she was bold—unapologetically bold. She had traded in her glasses for contact lenses, letting her eyes stand out more. Her hair, which had once been worn in a simple style, was now dyed with streaks of bright color, a mixture of daring reds and edgy blacks. She wore a black leather jacket over a fitted top, paired with ripped jeans and combat boots. The old Y/N was gone, and a new, more confident version of herself had taken her place.

As she walked through the hallways, heads turned. People whispered, eyes widened, but Y/N didn’t care. She didn’t shrink back like she used to. Instead, she walked with her head held high, her boldness radiating in every step. She had made a decision—no more hiding, no more playing it safe. She was going to take control of her life, starting with how she presented herself to the world.

By the time she reached her seventh-period chemistry class, the tension in the room was palpable. She could feel the eyes of her classmates on her as she strutted in, her boots clicking against the floor. Mr. Le, who had been setting up for the day's lab, glanced up as she entered, and for the first time in a long while, Y/N caught a flicker of surprise in his usually unreadable expression.

“Wow,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Looks like someone’s had a makeover.”

Y/N smirked, sliding into her seat with confidence. “You could say that,” she replied, her voice cool and nonchalant.

Mr. Le’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before he returned to his work. “Alright, let’s get started with today’s lab. Partner up.”

As the class scrambled to find their lab partners, Y/N made no move to approach anyone. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms, waiting. And sure enough, Harvey, Mr. Le’s favorite target for sarcastic jabs, made his way over to her desk, looking a bit uneasy.

“Uh, you wanna—”

“Yeah, sure,” Y/N interrupted before he could finish, her tone dismissive. She didn’t need to be asked twice. She wasn’t the timid girl from last week anymore.

As they began the lab, Y/N noticed Mr. Le moving around the room, checking on different groups. When he made his way over to their table, she felt that familiar flutter in her stomach, but this time, she didn’t shy away. She looked him straight in the eye, daring him to acknowledge the change in her.

“Everything going alright here?” he asked, scanning their work.

“Better than usual,” Y/N replied, her voice steady. “But I think you already knew that.”

Mr. Le’s lips twitched into a small smirk beneath his mask. “Bold statement, Y/N. Let’s see if your work lives up to it.”

She met his gaze, not backing down. “It will.”

The interaction was brief, but it was enough to give Y/N the confirmation she needed. She was no longer invisible, no longer the quiet girl in the back of the class. Mr. Le saw her now—really saw her—and she wasn’t about to fade into the background again.

By the end of class, Y/N felt like a different person entirely. She packed up her things with purpose, and as she slung her bag over her shoulder, she caught Mr. Le watching her from his desk. His eyes flickered with something—curiosity, maybe, or something more—but he didn’t say anything.

Y/N smirked to herself as she left the room. She had changed, and she wasn’t done yet. This was only the beginning.