「 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨 」

Rebirth

Ayana walked through the crowded corridor, her heart racing as she overheard snippets of gossip bouncing off the walls like a feverish echo.

"Don’t you hear that Rayyan is gonna take Sophie to prom?" one student whispered to another, both of them giggling, their voices shrill with excitement.

And now, he was said to be heading to prom with Sophie, the school’s golden girl. The news crashed over her, drowning out the chatter around her.Ayana paused, the words hitting her like a slap, cracking the fragile façade she had tightly woven around herself.

Rayyan had always been at the centre of Ayana’s universe. He was warm with laughter and shared secrets, the electrons spinning in her emotional orbit. She remembered brightly-lit afternoons when they had swung on swings in the park, Rayyan jokingly pushing her higher, only to let go at the peak so that she’d laugh and squeal, hands flinging out in delight.

But now, in the rush of teenage social hierarchies, their friendship seemed to slip through her fingers like grains of sand.

"Did I talk too much?" she pondered, her thoughts spiralling. "Am I just an annoyance?" There was a persistent whisper in her head, a voice that dug under her skin and made itself comfortable.

It was relentless in its accusation: Maybe it really was her fault Rayyan was pulling away, distancing himself from her to chase someone like Sophie. Ayana swallowed hard, fighting the lump in her throat.

Then, almost imperceptibly, Ayana felt a shadow cast over her. She glanced up, her heart racing momentarily, thinking it was perhaps a cloud interrupting the blue sky. Instead, it was a boy—a figure she had never seen before. His features were soft, with gentle eyes that sparkled with a warmth she couldn't quite place.

There was an honesty about his expression that made her pause.“Ayana! There you are!” he chirped, plopping down beside her as if they were old friends instead of strangers.

“Who are you, and how do you know my name?” Ayana's initial surprise morphed into wariness. She had always prided herself on being cautious with her trust.

“Stupid me not to introduce myself first. I’m Dylan, a boy from the next class over,” he grinned, his eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

“And just so you know, I’m not afraid to say I’m your secret admirer. But I’ve got something more important to discuss.”

The declaration left Ayana momentarily speechless. The fleeting moments she felt solid ground beneath her seemed to crumble at this unexpected intrusion into her world.

She felt the heat of embarrassment rise in her cheeks; she quickly averted her gaze to the ground, the patches of grass struggling to grow amongst the pebbled dirt.

Ayana raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued yet scepticism still pulsing in her chest.
“What’s that?”

“I want to help you take revenge and forget about 'that brat',” he said, his voice dipping conspiratorially.

“Wait—revenge?” she finally managed, her voice barely a whisper. “And what do you mean by ‘that brat’?”

Dylan leaned in, his tone turning serious. “Rayyan. I’ve seen how he treats you... like you don’t even exist. And you know what? It’s not fair. You deserve better.”

Ayana felt her heart race. The tenderness of his gaze made her feel seen in a way she hadn’t experienced before. “And you want to help me get back at him?”

“Not just get back at him,” Dylan corrected, his expression earnest. “I want to help you reclaim your power. It might sound cliché, but you spent too long in the background. This is about showing him you don’t need him to feel valuable."

“He’s a jerk, and I know you must be hurting right now. But instead of sulking or letting him win, we could plan something.
A harmless prank or an opportunity to show him you’re not impacted by his actions.”

Ayana stared at him, a mix of disbelief and intrigue swirling within her. The images of Rayyan laughing with Sophie, the girl who had seemingly swept into her life and then out of it, reinforced the ache in her heart.

That loss felt tangible, like a heavy rock she could never shake off, yet here was this boy, seemingly ecstatic about plotting revenge.

A part of her hardened against his idea; another, more curious part, hungered for an adventure to reclaim her dignity.

“Why do you care?” Ayana finally asked, her voice firmer now. “You don’t even know me.”

Dylan paused, running a hand through his tousled hair as if considering the weight of her question.

“Because I see you. And I know you’re much more than what Rayyan or anyone else says. You’re a force. I don’t want you to let him undermine that. It’s time someone fights back.” His eyes sparkled with sincerity, and there was something infectious in his determination.

A flicker of hope ignited within Ayana, battling against her doubts. Perhaps it was the casual confidence he wore like a second skin or simply the reality that someone actually wanted to stand up for her.

“What would the revenge even look like?” she asked sceptically, feeling the weight shift slightly in her favour as curiosity edged out resistance.

Dylan leaned back, his face lighting up like the sun breaking through clouds. “How about we start small? A harmless rumour that highlights his overblown ego, something that just takes him down a notch. Then we can move on to something bigger. But first, we need to spin you into a woman of mystery. From now on, nobody allows Rayyan to ignore you.”

Intrigued, Ayana found herself relaxing even more beside the mysterious boy. His ideas became more elaborate, and with each passing moment, she felt her old self surfacing from the shadows.

The weight in her chest lightened, and for the first time in weeks, she dared to smile.