Bayside High had one sacred tradition: the Morning Mic. A weekly five-minute segment during homeroom where students could share announcements, shout-outs, or painfully awkward poems.
Penelope had never used it.
Until now.
She signed up under her full name—first, middle, and last. Just so there'd be no mistake.
That Thursday morning, the announcements went as usual. Soccer tryouts. Drama auditions. A reminder not to microwave fish in the cafeteria.
Then came the mic.
The room crackled with attention as Penelope walked to the front.
She was calm. Too calm.
The kind of calm that made Lila Harper shift in her seat two rows back.Penelope took the mic, cleared her throat, and spoke:
"Hi. For those who don't know me, I'm Penelope Reyes. And apparently, I'm the girl who kisses in the rain."
Some students chuckled.
Penelope smiled. "Here's the thing. That kiss? It wasn't staged. It wasn't for drama. It wasn't to get attention. It was a moment. A real one. And someone decided it was entertainment."
She paused.
"I didn't post it. I didn't approve it. But it's out there now. So let me just say what that photo didn't show: It didn't show the months of slow, careful building. The trust. The hours behind sketchbooks and late-night texts. The pain. The courage. The choice."
Silence. Not even a crinkled snack wrapper dared interrupt."I like Julian because he sees me. Not the version in the yearbook. Me. And I see him too—not just the artist, or the mystery boy, or whatever label people stick on him."
She looked directly at Lila.
"I'm not a hobby. I'm not a trend. And neither is he."
With that, she handed the mic back.
And walked out.
Not with her head high.
But steady.
Unshaken.
Because for once, she'd told her storyReady for Chapter 28? Lila's not staying silent… but neither is someone unexpected.