Elyra sat in the art room, away from the chaos of the lunchroom. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there, sketching aimless patterns on a piece of paper, when someone slid into the seat next to her. "Hi," the girl said, her voice soft but warm.

Elyra glanced up, startled. The girl had dark, wavy hair and kind eyes that sparkled with curiosity.

"I'm Mia," she said. "You're Elyra, right?"

Elyra hesitated before nodding. "Yeah."

Mia smiled. "That was pretty intense in the cafeteria earlier. Are you okay?"

Elyra's cheeks flushed. "It's fine," she mumbled. "People don't like me."

"I don't think that's true," Mia said, her tone thoughtful. "I think they're just scared of what they don't understand."

Elyra blinked. "What do you mean?"

Mia shrugged, leaning on the table. "You're different. That's not bad. People like to act tough when they're afraid. But I think being different is kind of cool."

A flicker of a smile crossed Elyra's face. She liked Mia's voice-calm, steady, and without a trace of mockery.

Over the next few days, Mia began sitting with Elyra at lunch and walking with her between classes. She was an artist, Elyra learned, always carrying a sketchbook filled with intricate drawings of fantastical creatures and dreamlike landscapes. Dain, however, was less impressed.

"Why is she hanging around?" he asked one evening as the three of them walked home together.

"She's my friend," Elyra replied, her voice tinged with defensiveness.

Dain narrowed his eyes at Mia. "We don't need friends."

Mia stopped walking, crossing her arms. "What's your problem with me?"

"You don't know her," Dain snapped. "You don't know us."noveldrama

"Maybe not yet," Mia said, standing her ground. "But I'm trying."

Elyra stepped between them, glaring at Dain. "Stop it. She's nice to me, Dain. She's not like the others."

Dain fell silent, his gaze darting to Elyra before he reluctantly nodded.

Mia smiled at Elyra. "I can handle him."

Elyra smiled back, feeling lighter for the first time in days.