Invincible

Cracks in the Armor

Chapter 3

       Tori Hartley was used to being unnoticed.

It had become a second nature, like a chameleon blending into its surroundings. If she could avoid Alexa's cruelty and her mother's cold shoulder, then life was just a little easier. But something had shifted when Meur Velasco spoke to her in the hallway. It wasn't just that he noticed her—it was the way he looked at her, like she was more than the invisible girl she had always felt like.

For the first time in a long while, Tori caught herself staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror at home, really looking at herself.
Her hazel eyes, framed by long lashes, held a mixture of curiosity and doubt. She had never been the kind of girl to obsess over her looks. Her naturally curly, brown hair had always been left to do what it wanted, and though it could be wild and unruly at times, she liked it that way. Her skin was a smooth olive tan, a color she had inherited from her father, though he had left long ago and took any traces of warmth from her life with him.

Tori didn't see herself as pretty—just plain. Normal. She was simple, blending in with the lockers and walls as much as she could. But now, staring at her reflection, she found herself wondering what Meur saw when he looked at her. What could possibly have drawn someone like him to someone like her?

Meur Velasco.

The very name sounded like a myth in her world—someone unattainable, larger than her. He was always surrounded by people, always the center of attention, yet when he spoke to her, it felt intimate, as if he were pulling her into his orbit. It left her feeling dizzy, disoriented, and yet... intrigued. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since that moment in the hallway.

The next day at school, Tori's heart raced with an uncomfortable combination of anxiety and anticipation. Would Meur talk to her again? Would he even remember that conversation, or had it been some fleeting moment for him, easily forgotten like the rest of the noise in his life? She tried to convince herself that it didn't matter, that she should just focus on getting through the day like she always did, but the possibility of seeing him again left her jittery.

Her first two classes passed without incident. She made it through math without being called on, and in biology, she managed to avoid Alexa's gaze as they dissected frogs. But she couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to Meur. She wondered if he had spoken to anyone else about her. Did Alexa know? Would she make Tori's life even worse if she found out that the most popular guy in school had spoken to her?

By lunchtime, Tori was sure her nerves were going to get the better of her. She grabbed her lunch tray from the cafeteria and headed for her usual spot at the far end of the cafeteria, by the windows where no one else liked to sit. She took comfort in the quiet of that corner. It was a place where she could eat in peace without worrying about Alexa or her minions.

But as she set her tray down, a shadow fell across her table. Her stomach lurched. She didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Tori," came Meur's voice, low and smooth.

She glanced up, and there he was, standing over her with that same lazy confidence that seemed to be a permanent part of his persona. He was holding his tray, and behind him stood Maya, his best friend, who wore an expression that was somewhere between curiosity and amusement.

"Mind if we sit here?" Meur asked, though he didn't wait for her answer. He slid into the seat across from her, and Maya sat next to him, her eyes flicking between Meur and Tori with an unreadable expression.

Tori's mouth went dry. No one ever sat with her at lunch. It was like an unspoken rule: this was her territory, the place where she could be alone, away from everyone else. But now, Meur and Maya had invaded her space, and she didn't know how to react.

"Uh, sure," she managed to mumble, her voice barely audible over the noise of the cafeteria.

Meur's lips curled into a smile. It wasn't a mocking smile like Alexa's. It was warm, genuine, almost playful. "Thanks," he said, picking up a french fry from his tray. "So, you sit here every day, huh?"

Tori nodded, unsure of what else to say.

"Why?" Maya chimed in, her voice softer than Tori had expected. She didn't sound mean or judgmental, just curious. "I mean, there's all this space, but no one sits here."

Tori shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention. "I like the quiet," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Meur's eyes stayed on her, studying her in that intense way he had. It made her feel exposed, like he could see right through her.

"I get that," Meur said, leaning back in his seat. "Sometimes the noise can get overwhelming, you know?"

Tori didn't know if she could believe that. How could someone like Meur, who was always surrounded by people, ever feel overwhelmed by attention? But the way he said it made her wonder if there was more to him than the image he projected.

Maya seemed content to observe for the moment, not pushing the conversation further, though Tori could feel the girl's eyes on her. It was like she was sizing her up, trying to figure out why Meur was so interested.

For the rest of lunch, Meur and Maya talked more than Tori did, filling the silence with their easy banter. But even though Tori barely spoke, she couldn't help but feel like something had shifted. They weren't ignoring her like everyone else always did. They were pulling her into their world, even if it was just for the span of one lunch period.

When the bell rang, Meur stood up, his tray in hand. "I'll see you around, Tori," he said with that same smile that left her feeling off-balance.

Maya gave her a nod before following Meur out of the cafeteria. As they disappeared into the crowd, Tori sat frozen for a moment, her mind racing. Had that really just happened? Had Meur Velasco, the most popular guy in school, just sat with her at lunch like it was no big deal?

For the rest of the day, Tori couldn't stop replaying the scene in her head. It felt surreal, like she had stepped into someone else's life for a brief moment. And yet, there was something thrilling about it too—about being seen, about being pulled out of the shadows for once.

But as she walked home after school, her thoughts grew darker. What did this mean? Was this just some kind of game for Meur, a way to entertain himself by talking to the loner? And what would happen when Alexa found out?

The more Tori thought about it, the more anxious she became. Meur was like a storm—beautiful, powerful, and unpredictable. He could sweep her up into something new and exciting, but she wasn't sure if she could survive the chaos that came with it.

Still, despite the fear gnawing at her, there was a part of her that wanted to find out. She wanted to know what it felt like to be part of someone else's world, even if it was dangerous.

Maybe, just maybe, she was ready to stop being invisible.