Chapter 4

_Raven's POV_

I nodded as the car moved forward. The school disappeared behind us but the tight feeling in my chest did not.

For a while, we drove in silence. The sound of the engine was steady. It helped calm me a little. I kept my hands in my lap and stared out the window.

Raphael glanced at me once....then again. “How long has he been doing that?” he asked gently.

I swallowed. “Doing what?”

“You know what,” he said. “Bullying you. Humiliating you. Acting like he owns the place.”

I hesitated before answering. Talking about it made the humiliation feel fresh again. Still, Raphael wasn’t rushing me or pressuring me, so I forced myself to speak. “It started a few days ago. He is new. He just joined the school.”

Raphael frowned. “A few days?” he repeated.

I nodded slowly. “He seemed normal at first....just a bit annoying. Then it got worse. He keeps finding me no matter where I go.”

Raphael let out a low breath. “He is very daring. A new student and he is already bullying people who have been here longer than him.”

I shrugged slightly. “Maybe he just doesn’t care.”

Raphael’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “People like that always think they can get away with it.”

I didn’t reply. I didn’t know what to say.

He was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke again. “Don’t worry, Raven. I’m going to teach him a good lesson.”

My head snapped toward him. “No,” I said quickly. “Please don’t.”

He glanced at me. “Why not?”

“It’s not worth the trouble,” I said. “You don’t need to do this for me. I don’t want you getting into trouble because of me.”

Raphael slowed down slightly as we reached a turn. “This isn’t just about you. If he’s doing this to you, he’ll do it to others. Someone needs to stop him.”

I shook my head. “Please,” I said softly. “I don’t want to be the reason you get hurt.”

He glanced at me. His eyes softened. “You’re not a burden,” he said. “And you’re not weak for asking for help.”

I looked away. My throat felt tight.

“I’ve dealt with people like him before,” Raphael continued. “They don’t stop unless someone stands up to them.”

“I know. But I don’t want to make things worse.”

He didn’t argue again. But I could tell he hadn’t dropped it.

After a moment, I spoke again, wanting to change the topic completely. “By the way, I’ve never seen you around before.”

Raphael glanced at me, surprised. “No?”

I shook my head. “Are you also new?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I joined this year too. I’m not in your class. I’m in the one next to yours.”

“That makes sense....I was wondering why you looked so unfamiliar.”

He smiled faintly. “I was wondering when you would notice.”

Heat rushed to my face. “I didn’t mean it like that,” I said quickly.

“I know,” he replied easily. “I was just joking.”

There was another pause before his expression grew more serious. “I was expelled from my last school,” he said.

I turned toward him in surprise. “Expelled?”

“Yes,” he replied calmly like it was no big deal. “It wasn’t my fault. Not really.”

“What happened?” I asked, unable to stop myself.

“There was a group of older students,” he explained. “They were bullying a younger boy. They were cornering him, taking his things and making his life miserable.”

My chest tightened. “So you stepped in.”

“Yes. They didn’t like that. Things got physical.”

“And they blamed you.""

“They had influence. The school didn’t want problems, so I was the easy choice.”

“That’s unfair."

“I know. But the boy was left alone after that, so I don’t regret it.”

I looked at him more carefully then. He seemed older than me. He looked more mature like someone who had been forced to grow up too fast. I was in my senior year. That meant he might have repeated a grade...or maybe two.

I wanted to ask. But I didn’t. It felt rude.

“I’m sorry,” I said instead.

He shrugged. “I don’t regret it.”

That told me everything I needed to know about him. Soon, we reached my street and I pointed ahead, giving him directions. He followed them easily while we talked about small things; classes, teachers, things we liked and didn’t like. He listened closely. He never interrupted me and never made me feel foolish.

When the car stopped in front of my house, my heart felt strangely heavy. “This is my place,” I said.

“I’m glad I was able to get you home safe,” he replied.

I opened the door but hesitated before stepping out. “Thank you.....for everything today.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad I was there.”

I smiled faintly. “I’ll see you at school.”

“I hope so,” he said.

As I was about to close the door, he added, “I think I deserve dinner.”

I stared at him. “Dinner?”

“Just dinner with you. After today, I think that’s fair.”

I hesitated, my instinct telling me to refuse, but something about him made me feel safe. “Okay,” I said quietly.

His smile widened. “Take care, Raven.”

I stepped out and watched as his car drove away. Inside my chest, emotions twisted together in a way I didn’t fully understand.

Later that night, as I lay in bed, my thoughts wouldn’t slow down. I saw Cassian’s cruel smile and the strange look he had given Raphael earlier. The words he had said remained stuck in my mind.

"You’re just like me."

I didn’t know what it meant, but I had a feeling it mattered. What was Cassian trying to say?