But I'm Different (A Demi Lovato Fanfiction)

Chapter: Shadows and Small Victories

I walked into school that morning feeling like my chest was about to cave in. Every step felt heavier than the last, like I was dragging a weight that no one could see but I carried inside. The halls buzzed with the usual noise-laughs, lockers slamming, footsteps rushing-but all I could focus on was the empty space where Chloe should have been.

She hadn't come near me since yesterday.

That was almost worse.

Not knowing if it was real, if she was just waiting for the right moment, or if she'd somehow forgotten I existed-it made my skin crawl. I kept my head down, scanning every face I passed, searching for that familiar cruel smirk or the icy glare that made my stomach twist. But no Chloe. No warning, no whispers, no shove.

Did she really back off? Or was she just planning something bigger?

I couldn't stop myself from checking over my shoulder every few seconds. My heart thudded, eyes darting from one shadow to the next. It was exhausting.

I walked to my first class-Maths. The thought that Chloe wasn't in any of my lessons was the only tiny relief I could cling to today. She wasn't lurking in the background, waiting to humiliate me in front of everyone, at least not during class time.

The second the door shut behind me, I let out a slow breath, trying to steady the nervous tremor in my hands. I sat at the back, gripping my pen tighter than I needed to, willing my mind to focus on the numbers and symbols on the whiteboard. But it was no use.

My anxiety was a loud, buzzing noise inside my head, drowning out everything else.

Every tick of the clock on the wall hammered in time with the growing knot in my stomach. Seconds stretched, pulling into what felt like hours. The slow, steady sound was like a countdown to something I was terrified to face.

I tried to lose myself in the lesson, but Mrs Bott's voice cut through my thoughts more than once.

"Earth to Sabrina."

My head snapped up to see her frowning at me, waiting for an answer.

I blinked, struggling to remember what she'd just asked.

"Sorry," I whispered, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"What's the answer?" she pressed.

"Answer to what?" The confusion slipped out before I could stop it, and I felt the room tilt as a few kids snickered.

Mrs Bott sighed, shaking her head in frustration.

"You should be listening, Sabrina."

"Sorry, Mrs." I lowered my eyes, hating how invisible I felt.

She moved on, but I stayed stuck, my mind refusing to calm down. I picked up my pen and scribbled down the notes mechanically, each word harder to write than the last.

Finally, the bell rang.

My heart nearly stopped.

I packed away my stuff slowly, hands trembling as I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the classroom. The usual noise of the hallway felt suffocating, but I forced myself to keep walking. I didn't want to be anywhere near the crowds at lunch. I wanted to disappear. To be invisible.

I found the bench near the mini forest, a small patch of green space the school kept tucked away behind the building. It was quiet there, the trees swaying gently like they understood the chaos in my head and wanted to offer a moment of peace.

I sat down and pulled out my lunch. I bit into my sandwich, the taste faint but comforting. I took a sip of my pop, eyes wandering over the leaves, the birds, the little world of calm outside the school walls.