Broken homes

Normal..?

Lily walked into Mr. Feeny's classroom, clutching her books against her chest as she slid into her usual seat. The hum of students chatting filled the room, but she wasn't really listening. Her mind was too preoccupied—not with school, but with everything else.

It had been a long time since she sat in this class without feeling like she had something to prove, like she needed to keep up her icy front. Today, though, she felt different. Lighter, maybe. Less like she had to fight everyone around her.

Mr. Feeny walked in, setting his books down on the desk as the class quieted. "Good morning, everyone. I trust you all remembered that today we begin our final discussions before exams?"

A collective groan filled the air, but Feeny ignored it.

Cory leaned toward Topanga. "How do we always forget that Feeny never lets us slide?"

Topanga smirked. "Because you hope he'll forget, which is ridiculous."

Lily shook her head at them, amused. For once, she wasn't rolling her eyes in annoyance. It felt... normal.

Mr. Feeny glanced up from his notes, his sharp gaze landing on Lily. "Miss Dawson."

Lily straightened slightly. "Yes?"

"You've been quiet lately. A change of pace." He paused, looking at her like he was piecing something together. "Perhaps a change for the better."

The room went still for a moment, a few eyes flicking toward her, especially Shawn's.

Lily swallowed, unsure how to respond. Did Feeny know? Had he noticed the slow unraveling of everything she thought she was?

She shrugged, offering a small smile. "Maybe."

Feeny didn't push, just nodded and continued. But the moment sat heavy between her and Shawn, who hadn't taken his eyes off her since.

For the rest of the class, Lily actually listened. She took notes, even answered a few questions. And for the first time in a long time, she wasn't just going through the motions.

Mr. Feeny stood at the front of the class, adjusting his glasses before tapping his knuckles on his desk. "Alright, settle down, everyone."

As the chatter died down, Feeny cleared his throat. "Today, we're going to discuss the impact of personal growth on leadership." He paused, scanning the room. "Can people truly change, or do they simply adapt to survive?"

Lily stiffened. That question felt a little too personal.

Shawn, sitting across the room, leaned back in his chair and smirked. "People don't change. They just get better at pretending."

Feeny gave him a pointed look. "Is that so, Mr. Hunter? Would you say you are the same person you were a year ago?"

Shawn shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not." He glanced at Lily, and for the first time in weeks, she held his gaze.

Topanga raised her hand. "I think people can change, but only if they actually want to."

Nate, who had been flipping his pencil between his fingers, chimed in. "Yeah, but sometimes people don't even realize they need to change until it's too late."

Lily exhaled slowly, gripping the edge of her desk.

Mr. Feeny took a step forward. "Ms. Dawson, what do you think?"

The whole class turned to look at her.

Lily hesitated, then straightened her back. "I think... people can change. But it's not about proving it to everyone else. It's about proving it to yourself."

Feeny nodded approvingly. "Well said."

Shawn let out a quiet scoff, shaking his head.

Lily ignored him. She wasn't saying it for him.

She was saying it for herself.

She was starting to feel like herself again. Whoever that was.