ꕮ . ˒˓ CALEB VAZQUEZ ᩧ༢⁰¹

You had always been a diligent student at High Tech High, actively participating in school life while consistently earning outstanding grades. In short, you were the perfect student. The thought of "That could never happen to me" shattered the moment you first heard not just a rumor, but a confirmed fact—one that no one wanted to tell you personally.

You had already heard about Caleb. Everyone at school had, back when the administration was desperately working with the police. People knew about his social media as well. Rumors spread from one person to another, saying that your name—and your face—had begun appearing in his TikTok videos, filmed during moments when you were least likely to notice his eyes on you. That knowledge finally put every piece of the puzzle together. Lately, it had been his gaze that caught your attention more than anyone else's. You had always assumed it was nothing more than jealousy—unpleasant, but understandable. Now, everything had taken on an entirely different meaning. Just knowing the truth made your skin feel as though it had been covered in another layer of dirt. Even though you seemed so perfect in everyone's eyes, you realized that the attention you had been receiving was nothing like the kind anyone would ever want.

You couldn't control your every move anymore. Your grades began to slip, and every glance from your classmates now seemed filled with mockery. Keeping your eyes fixed on the library floor, you sat down in your usual seat, deciding, as always, to drown your anxious thoughts in mindless studying. Sweat gathered at your temples, and you instinctively lifted your eyes for a millisecond before lowering them back to the blurred words on the page. However, even that was enough for you to catch the unmistakable silhouette of a boy holding a phone, its camera unmistakably pointed in your direction. Then you looked up again and saw Caleb, shamelessly filming you.