The Moon Shines when the Sun Isn't Around

51

As the rumors circulated, the whispers about King grew louder. Oreo's friends painted him as desperate, someone who couldn't accept that she'd moved on. Every hallway, every class, felt like a minefield, each conversation tinged with speculation and half-truths.

"Did you see what King posted yesterday?" Jessa said loudly enough for King to hear as he walked past. "He's so obsessed, it's creepy."

Ashley smirked. "He's always talking about loyalty and fake friends. Newsflash, King—she's not into you!"

King clenched his fists, trying to ignore their words, but the frustration was becoming unbearable. Every time he opened his blog, he found comments accusing him of being "hung up" on Oreo, twisting his words to fit the narrative her friends were spinning.

At lunch, he sat alone, scrolling through his phone, reading the cruel comments left by people who barely knew him.

"Get over her, dude."

"Maybe if you weren't so needy, people would actually like you."

"LOL, still crying about Oreo? Pathetic."

Just as he was about to turn his phone off, Raina sat down across from him, her expression serious.

"They're at it again, aren't they?" she asked, nodding to the group of Oreo's friends laughing a few tables away.

King sighed. "They've twisted everything I've written. All I wanted was to be honest, to help people see what I was going through. Now it's like... it's all been weaponized against me."

Raina frowned. "They're doing this on purpose, King. They want you to snap so they can say, 'See? He's unstable.'"

King shook his head, his voice strained. "And what am I supposed to do, Raina? Just let them drag me through the mud?"

"Maybe you should talk to Oreo," Raina suggested, her tone hesitant. "Maybe she doesn't even realize how far they're taking this."

King looked down, conflicted. "I don't know if it would even matter. It's like she's already picked her side."

Raina's face softened. "You don't know that until you try."

That afternoon, King found Oreo in the library. She was sitting alone, flipping through a textbook, her expression distant. Taking a deep breath, he approached her table, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Oreo, can we talk?"

She looked up, startled, then quickly glanced around as if worried someone would see them. "King... now's not a good time."

"This can't wait," he insisted, keeping his voice steady. "Do you have any idea what your friends are saying about me?"

Oreo shifted uncomfortably. "They're just... they're trying to protect me, I guess. You have to admit, some of the stuff on your blog could be taken the wrong way."

"Taken the wrong way?" King repeated, incredulous. "Oreo, they're making me out to be some kind of stalker, like I can't get over you. You know that's not what this is."

She hesitated, her eyes darting away. "I don't know, King. You've been... intense lately. Maybe they're just reacting to that."

King's jaw tightened, frustration bubbling over. "So you believe them? You think I'm obsessed?"

Oreo met his gaze, struggling for words. "I don't know what to think. It's hard when everyone's saying the same thing."

He shook his head, hurt flashing in his eyes. "You know what's even harder, Oreo? Seeing the people you thought were your friends turn against you because of lies. I've been honest on that blog—about everything. And instead of supporting me, you're letting them destroy me."