Through You

Chapter 4 - The Rumors

The return to high school after their beach escapade was accompanied by a gentle breeze, the air still imbued with the salty scent of the ocean. Their damp clothes clung slightly to their skin, but that did nothing to diminish the good mood prevailing in the small group. They settled around a picnic table in the courtyard to bask in the sun, warming up and drying off in the process. Thomas and Mattheo, ever the pranksters, were commenting on their unexpected plunge into the water, while Lynne shook her head with amusement, still slightly vexed at being dragged into their folly.

Jeanne simply watched them, a smirk on her lips, savoring this suspended moment, far from school worries. Yet, she sensed that this respite wouldn't last long. The return to class loomed ahead, bringing with it a slew of assignments and endless lessons, but there was also a strange sensation in the air, like a barely perceptible tension.

As they crossed the threshold of the classroom, that impression became tangible. A peculiar atmosphere hung in the air, a sort of collective whisper that coursed through the room like a rumor coming from afar, spreading from mouth to mouth. Jeanne furrowed her brow, uncomfortable with the diffuse background noise. She didn't like situations where attention focused on superficial things, often amplified by the fertile imaginations of the students.

Thomas, always alert when it came to school gossip, soon leaned in, curious to understand what was brewing. He leaned forward and addressed a boy sitting in front of him.

"Hey, what's all this about? What's going on?" he whispered discreetly.

The boy turned his head, a mysterious smile on his lips. "It's about the new guy, Daniel. They say you shouldn't hang out with him too much."

Thomas raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh really? Why's that?"

The boy shrugged, looking nonchalant. "He hangs out with some shady guys. And they say he's quite the ladies' man. He changes girlfriends like he changes shirts."

Thomas listened, nodding his head without really giving too much importance to the hallway chatter. For him, this kind of gossip was just part of the high school routine, nothing more. He turned to Jeanne and the rest of the group to briefly summarize the situation, a smile playing on his lips.

"Apparently, the new guy is trouble and a real Don Juan," he said with a mocking wink.

Jeanne shrugged, unimpressed by this kind of talk. "Honestly, I don't care. As long as he leaves us alone, I'm fine with it."

Mattheo chuckled softly in agreement. "Exactly. We already have enough to deal with as it is."

Lynne, who had been silent until then, merely nodded. She was never very interested in high school gossip. For her, such rumors only brought misunderstandings and unnecessary conflicts. She preferred to keep her distance from that sort of thing, focusing instead on her studies and the moments she shared with her friends.

However, despite their group's displayed indifference, Jeanne couldn't help but notice, as she left the class, that Daniel had already attracted a small circle of students around him. They weren't friends in the strictest sense but rather people intrigued by his appearance and the mystery he exuded. Most of them were children from wealthy families, students who, as Jeanne had often observed, considered themselves superior to others.

She watched them for a brief moment, a mix of interest and indifference crossing her mind. Daniel seemed perfectly at ease in this newfound attention he was receiving, but Jeanne preferred not to attach any significance to it. This wasn't her world, and she had no desire to get involved in such dynamics. The popular students and their power games didn't interest her. What she loved was the simplicity of her small group, the unpretentious camaraderie they shared.

Once home, Jeanne felt a strange emptiness enveloping her. Her house, usually lively with the laughter and conversations of her older brothers, was silent today. Her father, often away for work, wasn't there either, leaving Jeanne alone in this large building. But this solitude didn't frighten her. She had tamed it long ago, finding in these moments of calm a form of comfort.

Moreover, she knew the house wouldn't remain silent for long. For several months now, her home had become the meeting point for her group of friends, a place where they gathered after classes to extend their time together. That evening, once again, they arrived one after another, bringing with them the warmth and laughter that the big house was missing.

The living room quickly filled with cheerful discussions, exchanged jokes, and soon the emptiness that had weighed on Jeanne when she returned faded completely. Sitting on the couch, surrounded by her friends, she felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. No matter the rumors, the popular students, or mysteries like Daniel, what truly mattered were these shared moments, this solid friendship that warmed her far more than any fleeting popularity. Here, with them, she felt at home.