The Bully's Redemption

The moment the bus finally came to a stop, my heart started beating faster than usual. I tightened my grip on the handle of my suitcase and looked out the window at the tall buildings surrounding me. New York City.I was really here.For a few seconds, I just sat there, staring. Cars were honking, people were rushing past each other on the sidewalk, and everything felt loud, fast, and unfamiliar. It was nothing like home. Back there, life was slower, quieter, predictable. Here, it felt like the world was moving at full speed, and I wasn’t sure if I could keep up.“Miss, we’re at the last stop,” the driver said, glancing at me through the mirror.“Oh,sorry,” I replied quickly, snapping back to reality.I stood up, adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder, and carefully stepped down from the bus. The cool air hit my face immediately, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous feeling in my chest.This was it.A new city.A new life.A new beginning.I reminded myself why I

Hannah’s POVBy the afternoon, campus had become even busier. I was walking alone after my last class when I suddenly noticed a group of students gathered near the football field.They were cheering loudly.Curious, I slowed down.Standing in the middle of the field was a tall guy wearing a football jersey. He moved confidently, throwing the ball with ease while his teammates shouted his name.“Zachary! Zachary!”The name echoed across the field.I shifted my bag nervously on my shoulder, unsure if I should keep walking or stay for a moment. Before I could decide, a girl standing beside me noticed my confusion and leaned closer.“That’s Zachary Reed,” she said excitedly. “The star quarterback.”“Oh,” I replied softly.She smiled like she had just introduced me to someone important.“Everyone knows him,” she continued. “He’s rich, popular, and basically runs this campus. Girls are always chasing him.”I nodded slowly, not knowing what else to say.The girl studied my face for a second.

Hannah’s POVI kept replaying it in my head the entire walk back to the dorm.The hallway.The sudden impact.My books falling again.And him—Zachary Reed—standing there like I was just another mistake in his way.By the time I stepped into the room, my mood was already heavy.Maya looked up from her laptop immediately. “You’re back.”Tiffany sat cross-legged on her bed, chewing chips loudly. “Okay, talk. What happened this time?”I hesitated at the door for a second before walking in slowly.“I bumped into him again,” I said quietly.Tiffany froze mid-bite. “You mean again again?”I nodded.Maya straightened slightly. “Zachary?”“Yes.”Tiffany let out a long groan and fell backwards onto her bed. “This guy is starting to sound like your personal nightmare.”I dropped my bag beside the bed and sat down slowly.“It wasn’t even dramatic,” I said. “He just… looked at me like I was annoying him again. Like I shouldn’t exist in his space.”Maya’s expression softened instantly.“Hannah…” sh

Hannah’s POVBy the time Serena and I got back to the dorm building, my cheeks already hurt from laughing too much.Which honestly felt strange.Not bad strange.Just… unfamiliar.I wasn’t used to people making conversations feel easy.But Serena somehow talked like we had known each other for years instead of one afternoon.“And then,” she continued dramatically as we walked down the hallway, “the professor looked directly at me and said, ‘Miss Carter, are you listening?’ Meanwhile I was mentally planning my lunch.”I laughed softly. “That’s actually terrible.”“I know. I’m a victim.”I shook my head smiling.When we reached Room 204, I pushed the door open carefully.Maya was sitting cross-legged on her bed typing something on her laptop while Tiffany lay upside down with headphones on.The second Tiffany noticed me, she sat up immediately.“Oh look,” she announced dramatically. “She returned home.”Serena gasped loudly beside me.“Oh my God, I love her already.”Tiffany blinked. “W

Hannah’s POVBy the time Serena and I returned to the dorm after the ice cream stop, my mood had changed completely.Not perfectly.Not magically.But enough.Enough that the heaviness sitting in my chest earlier didn’t feel unbearable anymore.The second we entered the dorm room, Tiffany looked up suspiciously from her bed.“Oh?” she said dramatically. “She returns smiling.”Maya glanced over her laptop immediately and smiled softly.“That’s good.”Serena proudly pointed at herself. “I fixed her emotionally.”“You make it sound like I was broken,” I muttered quietly.“You were sad. Same difference.”That made Tiffany laugh loudly.Nobody asked too many questions after that.And honestly…I appreciated it.Sometimes being cared for quietly felt even better than being questioned.A few hours later, Serena finally left after forcing us to promise another movie night soon.The room became calmer afterward.Tiffany was watching random videos loudly on her phone while Maya typed away at an