Not the Only Girl — Episode 6

speech, his eyes followed her across the stage. If she caught him looking, he'd snap his gaze and pretend he didn't care. When she got cramps, he'd quietly leave painkillers and chocolate on her desk. When she bombed a test, he'd needle her into doing better. The thing that finally hit me with real fear happened after our first midterms. Selena dropped several places. For the

first time, Marcus didn't brag about finishing first. Instead, he spent all his tutoring her. He canceled our plans, skipped our dates, spent every afternoon with Selena in the library. One day I asked him to take me with them. Bella, you're not at our level. You won't follow what we're working on. Not at our

level. That single line carved out the gap between us. Be a good girl. Study at home. After graduation, we'll go public. But the words go public kept me waiting like a fool I could ignore everything as long as he came back to me in the end until tonight it hit me it was never only the other students looking down on

me Marcus was one of them I cried myself to sleep on the couch when I woke up the rain had stopped the doorbell rang I opened the door Marcus stood outside belly I deleted those comments the post wasn't serious don't take it to heart he reached for my hand I stepped back he forced a smile my mom wants you over for