Chapter 7: Unlikely Defenders

Ariana's POV

I thought the day would be over, that the chaos would die down after I walked out of Class A. But as I made my way down the hallway, a familiar, sharp voice echoed through the corridor.

"Hey, Ramirez!"

I didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. Vanessa Alarcon. Her voice had that snide, taunting edge to it that made my skin crawl.

The moment I glanced over my shoulder, I saw her—standing there with her clique, all of them looking like they had just found their next target.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa smirked. "Did we hurt your precious little feelings? Or is it just that you think you're too good for us?"

I stopped in my tracks, my hands tightening into fists. I could feel the heat rising in my chest, but I kept my expression neutral. I wouldn't let her get to me again.

"You're pathetic," I said, stepping closer to her. "You want a fight, Vanessa? I already gave you one. But this? This is just sad."

The girls behind her giggled, exchanging looks like they were all waiting for me to back down. But I didn't. I wasn't going to let them think they could push me around like this.

"You really think you can come in here, act like you own the place, and not pay the price?" Vanessa continued, clearly enjoying herself. "You're not special, Ramirez. You're just like the rest of them."

She and her friends started to circle me, but before I could say anything more, a low voice interrupted the tension.

"That's enough."

I turned sharply, and to my surprise, Alex Miguel Sanchez was standing there—his usual confident posture somehow even more commanding today. His dark eyes locked onto Vanessa and her clique, and for a moment, they all froze.

"Alex, don't get involved in this," Vanessa sneered, clearly not expecting him to step in. "This has nothing to do with you."

Mark Alex Panamantara appeared beside him, his usual serious expression softened just a fraction as he studied the situation. "It's not your fight to pick, Vanessa," he said coldly, his green eyes piercing.

Vanessa and her friends hesitated, the tension crackling in the air. For a split second, I thought they might back off, but Vanessa wasn't the type to let something go easily.

"You're protecting her? The Ramirez girl?" she scoffed, clearly not used to being challenged like this. "What, are you both going soft now?"

I watched Alex as he stepped closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous level. "This ends now. Leave her alone."

I couldn't help the rush of relief that flooded me, even though I barely knew Alex and Mark. They didn't have to do this. They could've walked away. But they didn't.

Vanessa glared at me one last time before muttering something under her breath, signaling her clique to follow her. They all stalked off, shooting me one last glare before disappearing around the corner.

As the hallway returned to its usual chaos, I stood there, feeling a strange mix of anger and confusion. Why had they stepped in? Alex barely knew me, and Mark—well, he hadn't seemed like the type to care about anything beyond his own circle.

Before I could think too much about it, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned, half-expecting the worst, but then I saw Ethan.

He just looked at me for a moment—his eyes unreadable—before turning away.

"Don't expect me to help you," he muttered, his tone cold, as if I wasn't standing right there.

I clenched my jaw, the frustration bubbling inside me. I should've expected that from Ethan. He wasn't one to show weakness, and maybe he just didn't want to be seen as "taking sides."

But still, there was something in the way he looked at me—something familiar, like he was struggling with the idea of completely ignoring me. It didn't make sense. Was he just pretending not to know me? Or was it something else?

As I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed, but also oddly... hopeful. There was something about today, about the way Alex and Mark had defended me, that gave me hope. Maybe not everyone here was like Vanessa. Maybe I could make this place my own, despite all the obstacles.