~Beatrix Pov~ There's a certain standard society expects you to fit into. If you don't, you get mocked, overlooked, or simply become invisible. I fell into the invisible category. How do I know? My supposed best friend in middle school once told me it was impossible for the guy I had a crush on to ever like me. Turns out, she liked him too. Soon enough, rumors started spreading that I ate people. Stupid, right? But we were kids. What did kids know? If someone said something confidently enough, everyone believed it. Things didn't exactly get better when I hit adolescence and my body began changing At first, I actually loved it. I liked the way my body was developing. I thought I looked good. But apparently, looking good wasn't enough. When your body doesn't fit society's standards, people have a way of putting you into a category. This time, I was placed in the mocking category. And somehow, people actually started believing that I ate humans. That was apparently the only explanation they could come up with for why I was getting so fat. But who am I to complain? At least I wasn't the kid next door who was getting bullied, right? I know I'm narrating too much, but I wanted you to understand where the hell all of this began. Because when not one, not two, not three, but four of the most popular guys in an elite university, guys who fit perfectly into society's standards, start making a move on you, you might think, Maybe, after all the shit I've had to endure, I'm finally getting a romantic love life. But no. No, no, no, no. This is reality. And when society has already put you in a box, you can try to delude yourself all you want, but reality always hits hard. How, you may ask? Well... It all began this morning. I was on lecture hall duty, so I came in earlier than usual. The hall was empty, and the board looked like it had been left on display for whoever walked in first. DARE TO DATE THE CURVY GIRL. Underneath: the rules. Whoever sleeps with her or dates her, wins. And under that, four names. Of course I knew every single one. Bryan. Calm, collected, and annoyingly brilliant. The first-class student of the entire university. He never raised his voice because he never had to. He was a genius Then the twins, Kai and Cruz. Popular doesn't even cover it. Cruz was the stylish, outgoing one. He could walk into a room and suddenly it was a party. Kai on the other hand was the athletic superstar. Football, basketball, track, name a sport and he was better than you at it. Trophies found him. So did the crowd. And last, Justin. Loud. Playful. An obvious jerk. He was the kind of boy who turned everything into a joke, and because he was so easygoing about it, people called it charm. But let's be honest. They only let it slide because of his face. Strikingly handsome. Carved like someone had taken their time with him. When a boy looks like that, "jerk" becomes "confident," and "rude" becomes "funny." My fingers clenched around the eraser as I wiped the board clean. The least they could have done was hide the evidence. But I was trying my best to convince myself this had nothing to do with me. Fat was the word people used for me. Maybe "curvy" was meant for someone else. I was invisible to these boys. I wasn't even sure any of them knew my name. A dare with me on it had to be a mistake. I held onto that thought right up until the lecture started. Everyone was watching the lecturer when I felt it, the weight of someone's eyes. I glanced up and caught Cruz looking straight at me. Then I noticed the folded paper moving between them, hand to hand, desk to desk. They were talking without saying a word. Kai didn't look interested in whatever Cruz wanted. Bryan passed the paper along without a glance and went back to his book. And then it landed on Justin's desk. A slow grin curved across his lips. His eyes lifted and found mine. Hi. He didn't say it out loud. His mouth just shaped the word. I turned away so fast my neck almost cracked. My face was burning, and I hated that a stupid part of me had thought, He looked at me. Then the memory of the board caught up. It's a dare. You're a bet. I stared at the lecturer and pretended to take notes. The words on the page were just shapes. Somewhere behind me, someone laughed under their breath, and I couldn't tell if it was about me. When every whisper and comment around you ends in laughter, you get self-conscious about every joke. I tried my best to make myself small, which is hard when you're built like me and everyone already knows where you are. The lecture finally ended, like a rescue. I shoved my books into my bag and got out of my seat before anyone else moved. Head down, eyes on the floor. I almost made it to the door. Almost. A hand slapped flat against the doorframe, right in front of me. I didn't have to look up to know whose it was. There was only one person who always made sure his tie hung loose. The faint clink of his necklace gave him away before he ever spoke. "You're in a hurry," Justin said. I finally looked up. Golden hair, messy but somehow looked perfect on him. Just like that, every eye in the room found us. "Dude, chill." Another voice, closer. Cruz strolled up beside him, blowing a bubble that popped right on cue. Then came Kai, silent and looming. Then Bryan, book tucked under his arm, watching everything like it was an experiment. All four of them. Standing in front of me. In the middle of the lecture hall, with half the university still packing up. My eyes slid past their shoulders, searching for the door, for any gap I could squeeze through. There wasn't one. I'd been invisible my whole life. Funny how the one time I wanted it most, everyone could see me. "Trix, right?" Kai said. It was the first time I'd heard his voice up close. Deep slightly rough "We're throwing a party this weekend," he went on. "Why don't you come around?" A party. From the same four boys whose names were on that board. I looked from one face to the next, waiting for someone to crack. Even if this was a dare, they wouldn't really want me around them. Not where everyone could see.

~Beatrix Pov~ Maybe if I begged Mum enough, she'd let me leave this university. That was the only thought in my head as I stood there, staring at four pairs of shoes. Kai's question was still hanging in the air. "Why don't you come around?" Kai said I didn't answer. What was I supposed to say? "I have to go," I said instead. Nobody moved for a second. Then Bryan stepped aside. I didn't have time to wonder why. It was the only gap I was getting, so I took it. My legs moved faster than they ever had before. I refused to look back, but I heard a soft laugh behind me. It had to be about me. I decided not to think about it. I went straight to the library. My cousin, the librarian, took one look at my face and slid his phone across the desk without a word. He was used to this by now. I dialed Mum's number. She picked up on the fifth ring, and I knew she'd seen whose number it was. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?" "I need to talk to you about leaving." Silence. Then a sigh. "Not this again." "Mum, please. I'll transfer anywhere. I'll do a year at home. I just-" "You got into that university with grades people would cry over. You're not throwing that away because someone said something." Someone said something. She didn't know what it was like to live in this body. To walk into a room and wonder who was looking at you, who was laughing at you, who was whispering about you. "Mum, it's not about that," I said. "Then tell me what it's about, Beatrix," she countered. "How many schools did we have to move you to, because it's always something with you?" "Mum." How was I supposed to explain that this time, I was a dare? That four boys had decided I was something they could turn into a game? "I don't care what it is," she said, her voice rising. "All you ever do is run away. This time, it's not happening." "Mum..." It came out almost like a plea. "Eat something," she said. "And go to your next lecture." Then she hung up. I sat there with the phone against my chest, that old feeling creeping up again. The one where I lied to myself and said it didn't matter. Maybe if I kept my head down, it would all go away. Boys like that never stayed interested in someone like me for long. If I didn't become a player in their dare, it would fade on its own. "Phone," my cousin said, holding out his hand. I passed it back. He didn't return to his desk. rather sat down across from me instead. "Josh, I really don't want to be here," I said. "Why, though? You worked so hard to get into this university." He gave me a knowing look. He and Mum were the only two people there the day my admission came through. It was one of the happiest memories I had. Getting into Haneul Elite School of Business had always been my dream. I had worked for it, sacrificed for it, and imagined what my life would be like once I finally got there. But happy memories never seemed to last long for me. It didn't take long for Haneul to remind me that I was still the same girl who never seemed to fit society's standards. "I just... never fit in," I said quietly. "You can see it, right? No one talks to me. And when they do, it's usually just to throw in a way to mock me." Josh didn't interrupt. "I really wish I could just cut away half of myself and look more like the other girls." I looked down at my body. "But I can't." I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat. Josh was the only person I could always talk to. The only person who never made me feel like I needed to apologize for existing. "I've tried everything," I whispered. "But nothing works." "Hmmm..." Josh leaned back, studying me for a moment. "You know what I think?" I looked at him. "I think you've spent so much time trying to become someone people would like that you've forgotten you're supposed to like yourself first." I didn't know how to respond to that. "As much as I might feel like Aunty is being harsh right now, there's a bit of truth to what she's saying." I looked at him. Josh held my gaze for a moment before continuing. "You can't keep hiding forever. Their opinions are only important if you let them be." He waved his hand as though he could physically brush the thought away. "What do I always say? If someone says something you don't like, just say, 'Fuck it,' and move on." I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "It's not that easy." "I know." His voice softened. "I'm not saying it is. I'm just saying you shouldn't let people who don't even know you decide how you feel about yourself." I looked down at my hands. "Besides," he added, leaning back with a grin, "you're going to Haneul Elite School of Business. You worked your ass off to get here. Don't let a bunch of insecure people convince you that you don't belong." I smiled faintly. Maybe he was right. Maybe I had spent so much time worrying about how everyone else saw me that I'd forgotten to ask myself how I actually saw myself Neither of us spoke. I just stared at him, letting his words sink in. Then Josh glanced at his phone and sighed. "But for now, I really need you to go to your lecture." I frowned. "Seriously?" "Yes, seriously." He pointed toward the door. "I can't have my supervisor come in and find you hiding in the library. Come on." "I don't want to, though," I mumbled, but I was already on my feet, picking up my bag and dragging myself toward the door. "See you later," he said. I turned and gave him a small smile before I left. The thing about Haneul was that everything ran on a schedule. Bells for lectures, bells for meals, bells for everything in between. And when the last lecture ended, all I had to do was go back to my dorm. As long as I stuck to my routine, there was no chance they'd get near me. I was sure of it. They'd get bored, and this would come to an end. I'd been repeating that like a mantra. But nothing went as planned. I left the library and sat through my lecture. Then lunch came, and I found a quiet spot at the far end of the hall as usual. Kai walked over and sat down right next to me, on my right. Oh God, no. I barely had time to think it before Cruz dropped into the seat on my left. "There you are," he said, unwrapping a piece of gum. I wished I could just disappear. I could hear the whispers already. My fingers tightened around my spoon before I set it down and stared at my food. Rice, chicken, a scoop of vegetables I no longer felt like eating. I always looked forward to meals. Were they really going to ruin this too? "Why are you eating alone?" Cruz asked. I tried, really tried, to put on a smile. "I like it that way." He nodded like he understood something. "How about you eat with us now?" "No!" It came out louder than I meant it to. Much louder. Cruz jerked back, startled, and the whole hall went silent. I knew they were all watching and pretending not to, and now I'd given them a reason to. Then Cruz's gum bubble popped, and the noise came rushing back. "The party," Kai said. I turned to him. Same eyes as his brother, but that was where the resemblance ended. He looked like he'd just come off a field, sleeves pushed up, a little rough around the edges. "The party's this weekend," he said, his voice low. "You should come. I would really love that." My heart did something stupid. I looked down at my spoon, because looking at him was a bad idea. It's a dare, I reminded myself. He doesn't mean it. But the word slipped out anyway. "Okay."

~Beatrix Pov~ Of all the words in the English language, that was the one I chose. Not "no." Not even "I'll think about it." But okay. Who does that? Kai's mouth curved into a smile. "Well then, see you Saturday," he said. He got up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and walked away. I turned to Cruz, who only rolled his eyes and followed his brother. For twins, they gave off very different vibes. I tried to get back to eating, but the stares didn't stop, and neither did the whispers. So I picked up my tray, tossed the food into the bin , and left the hall. I've never been so happy to see a day end. I didn't stop anywhere or bump into anyone. I kept my head down and walked fast all the way to my dorm. The dorms were split down the middle. Girls on the east side, boys on the west, with a wide lawn between them and a warden's office right at the gate. No boy could follow me here. Not officially, anyway. We were all adults at Haneul, and adults know how to bend rules. It happened more than the school liked to admit. Girls slipped across the lawn after curfew to visit boyfriends, and the warden pretended not to notice as long as nobody made a scene. Not that it mattered to me. Nobody was sneaking across a lawn for me. I shared a room with three girls, which was the standard at Haneul. I always made sure to take my bath early, before any of them got back, so I could pretend to be asleep by the time they walked in. Tonight, I'd barely pulled on my pyjamas when the door opened. Rin, Lily, and Penelope. Penelope and I used to be close. We'd moved into the dorm at the same time, earlier than the other two, and for a while it was just us. But once Rin and Lily came into the picture, she began avoiding me, and we drifted apart. Rin took one look at me and made a face. "Don't you find it embarrassing?" she asked. Lily chuckled. Penelope kept her eyes anywhere but on me. "A piggy like you, desperate for boys' attention," Rin went on. I'd done everything I could to avoid these girls, and it had been working. Now the boys had handed them a reason to begin again. Rin was the perfect mean girl, the kind you'd find in a drama, but she still had some dignity to protect, so she never took any drastic step. Lily was her minion, a bit brainless if I'm being honest, though elegant and pretty. And Penelope? Another old friend added to my list. Bullying was frowned upon at Haneul, and anyone caught could end up in serious trouble. So nobody did anything terrible, not like in my old schools. They just cast you aside and made sure you felt it. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything?" Lily asked. I looked between them, wanting nothing more than to reach my bunk and sleep. "You wouldn't believe anything I said anyway." Rin's frown deepened. "Listen, you fat pig, I don't know what stunt you're trying to pull, but stay the fuck away from Justin." Justin was Rin's favorite of the four. Every night before bed, it was the same routine: gossip and squealing about the boys until someone finally fell asleep. "And Kai," Lily added. Kai was her favorite. "Bryan too. And Cruz..." Brainless, like I said. "Just stay away from all of them. Understood?" Rin said. I nodded. Arguing wasn't going to get me anywhere. "Can I go to sleep now?" I asked, hoping they'd move so I could actually pass. "Go on," Rin said, stepping aside just enough to make me squeeze through. As I did, she knocked her shoulder against mine, a small laugh escaping her. I was bigger than the three of them combined. I could have taken them if I wanted to. But who was I kidding? I'd never had the guts. I'd thought about it, though. I climbed onto my bunk, pulled the blanket up to my chin, and faced the wall. It didn't help. Walls don't block sound. "Did you see Justin's hair today?" Rin sighed, like she was describing a sunset. "Golden. Actually golden." "Kai was on the field this morning," Lily said. "Shirt off. I nearly died." "You always nearly die." "Because he's that fine!" Someone flopped onto a bed. Someone else giggled. It was the same routine as every night, only tonight my name was sitting in the room with them, unspoken. "They're throwing a Valentine's party on Saturday," Rin said, and the squealing got louder. Valentine's? I pulled out my phone under the blanket and checked the date. No, no, no. Saturday was Valentine's Day. So that was what my "okay" had meant. Kai hadn't just invited me to a party. He'd asked me to be his Valentine. Wait. I was getting ahead of myself. This was a dare. There was no way he meant it like that. He wouldn't really want me as his Valentine. That would be ridiculous. "Do you think she's going?" Penelope asked. I stopped breathing. "Who, the pig?" Rin snorted. "Please. She'd have to fit through the gate first. Who'd want that for a Valentine?" Lily laughed. Penelope didn't say anything else. I pressed my face into the pillow so nobody could see it, even though the wall was the only thing looking at me. Fuck it, I told myself, the way Josh would have. Just say fuck it and move on. I tried. I really did. But the words kept getting stuck somewhere between my throat and my chest, and all I could hear was Kai's voice, low and rough. I would really love that. **** I hadn't left my bed all day, and I didn't plan to. But the noise made it clear tonight was special. Hair dryers, perfume, girls fighting over something. It echoed down the hallway, and my room was no different. Saturday had come far too quickly. It had been only forty-eight hours since the board, since Kai's invitation, since the whispers started looking for a way in. Right now, I just wished they'd all leave. "We're late," Lily said. She hated being late for anything. "Being the life of the party means arriving late," Rin replied. I heard the final hiss of her perfume and hated the scent. "Let's go," Lily said, and the door opened. "I'll be right down," Penelope called. "I need to call my parents." "Okay, be quick." Their heels clicked away, and the door shut behind them. "Are you going?" Penelope asked. I tried not to answer, but I dragged myself upright anyway. "I don't know," I said, tugging at my pyjamas. "Okay." She paused, staring at me a little too long. "It would be fun, though." Fun. I doubted there was anything fun about what people our age did at parties besides drinking and hooking up. "I don't have anything to wear," I said. She studied me for a moment, then just nodded. "Alright." She walked to the door. " Have a goodnight." The door closed. I hadn't been lying. Haneul had a uniform dress code, so I'd never had to worry about what to wear. And since I never went out, I'd never bothered buying anything fancy. All I had were some extra track clothes. Could I just wear those? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? I froze. "Wait. Hold up." I scrambled out of bed. "That's it." Embarrassing. If I showed up looking embarrassing enough, they'd lose interest. I smiled. "I can do this," I said slowly. Then, louder: "Fuck it!" It echoed, startling me. Thankfully, nobody was left in the dorm to hear it.